IHOP

On every trip up north for almost forty years I stopped at the In-N-Out Burger in Kettleman City. I…read moredidn't know that there was one farther north. The In-N-Out in Santa Nella is just like all the others, which is to say excellent. The staff is polite and hardworking, so the service is great. The food is fresh and delicious, and the restaurant is peaceful and clean. Now I know. Highly recommended.

Santa Nella is one of those long time pit stops along the I-5 corridor. The options for food have…read moregrown exponentially over the years. Of course In-N-Out Burger would plant itself a place here. Stopping here for a late lunch was quite the experience. Although somewhat secluded off the main road the signage to it can't be missed. They reach cell tower status in height. The place was packed with patrons. Even the outdoor seating, which is abundant, was overflowing, even with cold weather. I have to say they have their systems down pat and they know how to move product and people efficiently. The routine for ordering is like it is anywhere in this chain. Staff are always friendly and on the ball. Things move with precision! We ordered two No.2 meals with grilled onions and I immediately scouted out seating. Making a mad dash when a spot opened I planted myself firmly as a dozen others ran for that spot! The food was as to be expected, always consistently good and better quality than most places for the price. It was quick, satisfying and except for the crowd enjoyable. Oh, and why do so many folks own mega sized trucks and SUVs that barely fit in a parking space? Try navigating a mid-sized sedan between two of those "puppies" and trying to open the door to get out! The other observed, and rather sad, reality is the parking lot for the very long time institution, Andersons Pea Soup, was nearly empty. As we commented, try and convince your kids to have pea soup over a burger! Times have changed.

More interior

Double double cheese burger

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Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant

3.4(2k reviews)

0.2 mi

•$$

I was first introduced to the place a while back thanks to my aunt, who loved coming here whenever…read moreshe took a road trip down to Oakland pre-COVID. Back then, we would order the Fettuccine Alfredo and the New York Style Cheesecake and I remember really liking it. I visited here present day and loved how absolutely nothing changed about the place. Our server, Gabriela was very nice and friendly and was attentive to all our needs. The gift shop still remains and the ambiance transports you back in time. I am very glad nothing has changed about this place. I decided to try something different and ordered the Mushroom Swiss sandwich with a side of pea soup. My husband ordered the Andersen's Chicken Sandwich with french fries on the side. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals. It was time for dessert, and I confidently asked for the Cheesecake. I was then told that it was discontinued from the menu as of 6 months ago. I was sad. But nonetheless, still enjoyed my meal! I can't wait until the next time I come back!

Review #:900! This place is definitely deserving of the honor…read more I've been coming here for years and years, sometimes driving down from Sacramento just to have lunch How have I never written a review? There used to be five different pea soup Andersen's, now this is the last one. The original, near Solvang, had to close because of the condition of the building, just shy of its hundredth birthday. When it is redeveloped, they hope to put a version of the restaurant back in. The place is a lot of fun. They have souvenirs, chatchkis, all kinds of different food items... you can buy the dried peas with a recipe card, or they also sell their soup in a can. . The canned soup tastes just like the restaurant. They have the original, but they also have a canned soup with bacon. The bacon is pulverized, so there are no chunks of it in the soup, but you can definitely taste it. It plays off of the pea soup so well. The soup they sell in the restaurant is made fresh, not canned, . They have a bar, dining room, and a coffee shop. Most people eat in the coffee shop. The coffee shop has a big menu, but of course the star is the pea soup. You can get the "travelers special", which is all you can eat pea soup, with all the fixins, and your choice of beverage, including a milkshake if you want one. The soup they serve in the restaurant, is both vegetarian and vegan, but you can't tell. It is amazingly rich, and creamy. The prices are reasonable and when you check out of the restaurant, they also have cookies, pastries, and even some candies. A nice upsell for dessert. Both the chocolate chip, and the white chocolate macadamia cookies are my favorite.... I'll be back. Thanks.

Inside

Chicken and waffles! Actually not too great but glad they made this combo for me :D

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Bar area

The Kitchen at the Mission

4.2(434 reviews)

•$$

We come to Mission de Oro Hotel every year when we're in Santa Nella visiting my mom and dad's…read moregravesite at the National Veterans Cemetery. This visit happened to fall on Mother's Day weekend. We had reservations for both Saturday and Sunday, but we stopped in on Saturday to cancel that day's reservation since we'd already eaten lunch and knew we wouldn't be hungry by dinnertime. On Sunday, when we checked in for our reservation, I was impressed -- the hostess remembered us by name, which says a lot considering how many guests come through the restaurant. We were seated, and soon after we were greeted by Eleanor, our server. She was warm, attentive, and never made us feel pressured, which was a huge improvement from a previous visit. She answered every question I had, including how they cook a medium‑rare steak (every chef has their own interpretation, lol). She also gave an honest answer when I asked whether the vegetables used at dinner come from their greenhouse. The service felt genuine, and the food was excellent -- a much better experience than my last review. This visit was absolutely worth the return. Kudos to Eleanor and the Kitchen at The Mission.

We stopped her to get some take-out pizza because we'd been having trouble finding anything…read moregluten-free in the area. We called about 20 mins in advance on our way from Casa de Fruta (where I could eat nothing). We'd never been there, always stopping for a pit-stop at Pea Soup Anderson's when going through that area. So first of all, the hotel grounds are beautiful, totally unexpected in this middle of nowhere hotel. The outdoor dining area for the restaurant is gorgeous and relaxing. The staff aware all polite and helpful. I had to wait a bit longer than expected but I grabbed the pizzas and took them to the car and was first of all shocked at how beautiful the pizza was. I got the California veggie pizza without mushrooms and added pepperoni, with gluten free crust. My husband got the same but not gluten free. This was one of the best gluten free pizzas I've EVER had. Everything as clearly freshly made. Amazing. Sad it's so far away from where I live! On the way out I checked out prices for the hotel...about 200 bucks a night. Totally reasonable. We'll be back here next time we're heading through this area!

Kitchen Area

Sides for the tomahawk

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The Kitchen

Little Diamond's Pizza - Santa Nella

4.3(41 reviews)

Little diamonds is a diamond in the rough. Doesn't look like it's going to be any good. The inside…read moreis super small and plain, but the pizza is great. Definitely try it.

Very friendly, very clean, and very good. The folks working had a smile and place was organized and…read morekept up. The pizza was great

Personal pepperoni pizza with pesto on the side

$15.99 Medium 3 Toppings*

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Outdoor seating next to Starbucks

Carl's Jr

3.4(111 reviews)

0.1 mi

Driving to Monterey Bay from Sacramento…read more Stopped in and very impressed with the customer service and care by staff. Paola was very cordial and professional. The store next to it was very, very clean. Especially the bathroom and showers!!

I'd give it zero stars if I could. Waited for 10 minutes at the speaker and at the window, no one…read moreever came because both people were apparently on break. What's the point of having 24/7 drive-thru for people that are traveling late hours and having 2 people working but both go on break at the same time?

12/29/23

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Wendy's

2.4(60 reviews)

0.1 mi

I really liked this store and it sucks that this Wendy's is now closed. I went there often and the…read morestaff was nice and my order was always excellent. I called Wendy's this afternoon to see if I could at least talk to someone but I guess Wendy's doesn't answer their phones with a human. Someone answered but never said hello. That's pretty poor if you asked me. No wonder Wendy's is losing it's customers and need to close the doors. I won't return...

The Doors were Locked at 8:15pm!…read more The hours stated online say the dining area is open from 06:00am until 9:00pm. The drive-thru is also open during the same hours. I have been up since 03:30am, I worked all day and haven't had a hot meal because I didn't have time to stop during my busy schedule. I'm finally winding down, I'm craving a big delicious Wendy's burger and the LAZY employees decided to lock the doors nearly an hour earlier than the posted hours. The restaurant is located directly in the middle of three large truck stops .. those guys can't use the drive thru because the trucks won't fit. The majority of the business here is from the truckers being able to access the dining room / order counter. If I were the owner of the Wendy's here, I would fire the shift supervisor and hire someone with some dedication to their job.

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Del Taco

2.2(105 reviews)

0.2 mi

This location has received a lot of negative reviews in the past, but I'm posting a positive review…read morenow for 2026. We ate here in January 2nd at 11:30am and were really pleased with the food, service, and clean atmosphere. People are quick to post negativity, but effort should be given when a place like this does service and food right. This place should be shown more love (and not just because it's next to a Love's Gas Station).

This Del Taco Location is absolutely horrid, I will tell everyone to stay far away from this…read morelocation, right now. The service was horrible they were very slow and my order was sitting there for 5+ minutes, and they never asked for our food after it was sitting there for a long time. I went there 2 times to get something quick to eat and both times were trash. The first time I got a burger and fries, they were overcooked and burnt to the max, where you couldn't even finish them. My second time is the last time coming back to this location because they were so bad, they didn't ever care we were in a rush and they gave us a bad attitude. My Dad got a green burrito and the beans tasted weird, like really old beans that been sitting out for days, and the tortillas was not cooked all the way and it tasted disgusting. I got a Bacon Cheeseburger and Fries, and they were horrid my Bacon Cheeseburger was overcooked that it tasted like rubber and nothing, and the fries were so salty I could barely finish them without drinking water. I would never ever eat at this location again and if I were you I would tell everyone to turn back and run away from this place immediately.

She is absolutely incredible! Thank you for making my day so much brighter!

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Sorry I couldn't get a better picture without looking like a weirdo. But she's great!!

McDonald's

2.0(126 reviews)

We only went for fries this time, they did need salt- but they were hot & tasted fresh. The…read morebathroom was discussing- no ass gaskets in women's restroom. I want to Elisabeth took my order & was very nice, big smile & thanked me for my order.

Bathroom smells like a hot porta potty. Tables are dirty. Floor is dirty. Staff was niceread more

Order area

10 piece spicy chicken nuggets

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Dining area

Denny's

Help me understand how a plant based whole grain slam with eggs, substituting fruit for sausage is…read morean upsell when the menu indicates the same price. FYI - plant based is a term commonly used to indicate vegan. Plant based is a kinder gentler term for those who might be vegan regarding food, but may use animal products in clothing & other choices. Food was fine. And waitress was thoughtful.

We stopped at this Denny's right off I-5 in Santa Nella while traveling, and overall it was a…read moresolid, predictable stop. Ray ordered the salmon with broccoli and corn and said it was really good. I had the turkey sandwich with cheese, tomato, and bacon. The flavor was good, but there was a bit too much bread compared to the turkey and fillings, which threw off the balance for me. Our server, Tiffany, was very nice and focused. She did a great job staying on top of things and made sure everything came out smoothly. The biggest downside was the condition of the furniture. Many of the seats and benches were torn up, with damaged vinyl and exposed cushioning. That's definitely something that should be addressed, as no one enjoys sitting on worn or broken seating. That said, we stop at Denny's from time to time because you generally know what to expect--it's reliable when you don't want to guess. With some updates to the seating, this location would be much more comfortable.

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Panda Express

2.9(117 reviews)

Wow, no love for the Panda Expresses out there on Yelp. In the world of fast food, I'm giving this…read morelocation a solid 4 stars. They were completely out of Orange Chicken when we were there, so we waited a few minutes to get a fresh batch. This was a snack for us on a road trip: Got the "bigger plate: 1/2 Chow Mein, 1/2 Veggies Orange Chicken Broccoli Beef Grilled Teriyaki Chicken $13.90 after tax. This was a massive portion which I think could be 1.5-2 meals if you wanted to stretch it. Everything tasted fresh. Servers were friendly. No complaints.

Confused why there are so many questionable reviews. We stopped here on our way to LA and were…read moregreeted so kindly by the workers. They were all so hospitable. The place was kept very clean, particularly the lavatory. The food was freshly made which I appreciated a lot. Bathrooms were also clean. Shoutout to this Panda Express! You guys are awesome.