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    Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant

    3.4 (2k reviews)
    Open • 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant Photos

    PEA SOUP ANDERSEN'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Touristy
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Pea Soup.
    Rob D.

    Pea Soup Andersen's is a special place. It saddens me that their other location has closed down. I hope that this location is getting the necessary amount of business, because it is a perfect stop on long drive. They have a fantastic, large menu with lots of comfort food, including of course their famous pea soup. Meat loaf, turkey dinner, sandwiches, grilled shrimp - you name it! The service is solid. There are multiple dining rooms and a bar. The ambience is sort Danish-influenced Americana mixed with classic roadside souvenir shop vibes (and a dash of theme park magic). Outside there is a big windmill, which is fun to see as you approach. A simply charming place; highly recommended for families or people traveling through town.

    Picture of inside restaurant , just like I remember.
    Nate R.

    I walked in and memories flooded over me. Remembered when my parents brought me here in the 70'a then my own kids in the 80's. Excellent service! Friendly, place is packed. With this much business, why did Buellton close?

    Pea soup
    Brian T.

    A tourist spot but still pretty solid! I liked the pea soup and it tastes exactly as you'd expect. The pot roast was also really good. Tender and had the right amount of seasoning

    Traveler's special
    EJ F.

    (+) Pea soup, it's in the name so it better be good. Learned it's also vegetarian and dairy free. (+) Had a bowl with the Traveler's Special. Decent amount of food for $19.99 and it comes with unlimited pancakes! (+) Service was really good, it was fairly busy too on a Friday late morning. Kids meal comes with a drink including hot chocolate. (+) Plenty of bathrooms and they were clean The gift shop is dated, much like the interior but maybe that's what they intend to keep. A bit of nostalgia if you were a kid on road trips and your family would stop here. I hated the pea soup back then, but now I enjoy it!

    Alex K.

    I can't even tell you the last time I was here. It has to be over 10 years or so. Of course it's a major stop for people who know about it. The other location in Buellton closed a while ago so I think this maybe the only one left. Could be the original but I'm not sure. Just off the 5 heading north. We stopped by for a quick bite before heading back on the road. Mid week which wasn't that busy. It's been so long ago that I didn't remember what the inside looked like. As we had our little pup with us, they were able to accommodate us. There's three entrance from the front area. Main being the one that leads you to the restaurant. Another is from the gift shop side and we also noticed people coming in from the side of the bar. One side is the restaurant which we looked at but ended up at the bar section. Which happened to be happy hour happening. Didn't know they had that to offer. Bar area was pretty quiet when we were there but it did pick up. There's also patio seating right outside there. Main menu pretty much has as everything but we just opted for some happy hour bites for now. Drink special was offered both for draft and bottle as well as cocktails and wine. Food menu, they were limited on that but the usual were offered. Both cup or bowl of the famous soup was available. Half order of the potatoes skin, onion rings and wings were available as well as the quesadillas. Soup was decent but could have been hotter. Onion rings, and the wings were ok. Good nothing major to rave about. Both served with ranch sauce. I also picked up some dessert from the counter which looked great. Happy hour items were decent for the price. The service for the whole place was great. All The staff and waitress were very friendly and helpful. Our waitress who was also the bartender was a major doll. She was very sweet. As well as all the ladies on the restaurant side. Very accommodating to us. Overall, it was a cute stop off for a quick bite. Cute gift shop that's worth a wandering around. Plenty of parking available.

    Perfect Pea Soup.
    Robert J.

    Great soup. Very comfortable environment. The host, cashier, and bus boy were great. I'm leaving a 5 star for them and the cook.

    Bar area
    Regina N.

    I have always wanted to stop by Pea Soup Andersen's. It is iconic driving down the I-5 with its windmill towering over the surrounding landscape. Outside there is a photo op and the building looks really cool. Inside, you can find all things Danish. However, I was sad to find the shop was so much smaller than the pictures on Yelp show. Everything is connected inside - the shop, bakery, restaurant, bar, and restrooms. The restaurant is huge and there's also an eating area at the bar and a back patio, although it was dusty and cramped and I don't think many people use the patio seating. They are dog friendly and the bartender allowed us to sit in a corner of the bar with our two dogs for our dinner. We also were able to walk them around inside the shop. Split Pea Soup 3.5/5* The soup itself is boring. There's a grainy texture, good flavor, but blah. You definitely need to order the toppings to go with it, which is a weird combination of stuff that somehow makes the soup so much better. You get cheese, sliced ham, bacon, scallions, and croutons but the crunchy green onions and bacon are what makes the soup pop. It feels like eating a healthier version of chili. Country Fried Steak 2/5* Not your typical country fried steak. The batter on this is thin and isn't very textured with crunchy edges. It was like a sad limp piece of fried patty. The steak had good seasoning but the batter really did it no justice. Hashbrowns were average. The scrambled eggs were fluffy and English Muffin was perfectly toasted. I do like that they give you a whopping amount of whipped butter for your toast! The bakery had some good looking pastries. The whole experience reminded me of a piece of Solvang. Great rest stop for something different. Plus, the bathrooms are huge and clean.

    Split Pea Soup
    Mike D.

    Always a favorite when headed to Vegas or SoCal. Great food, friendly service and a great old school nostalgic vibe here. Love this place.

    Anderson's Chicken Sandwich
    Amanda A.

    I was first introduced to the place a while back thanks to my aunt, who loved coming here whenever she 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!

    Alan C.

    Review #:900! This place is definitely deserving of the honor. 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.

    Jack R.

    This is not an April Fools 2026 joke. This place is still here even though their other location closed. Nostalgia and their split pea soup gets me every time. Service sucks so be warned. Want napkins? No Want more water? No Where's our bread? Keep waiting What about the sides we ordered for our soup? Nope Okay back to the positives. Still a really good stop along the way to Los Angeles with plenty of seating and American eats. The soup and sald combo is great. My friends like the club sandwich, but this time went for the chicken fried steak. Classic and decent. I had the meatloaf. Average, but filling. Decent prices for your travels. My other friend had the Traveler's special which includes soup and salad and a milkshake. The milkshake was super sugary. So not sure what kind of cheap ice cream they used. Stick to the classic soup and onion rolls and you'll be fine. There's a reason why their soup is sold in stores.

    The Danish veal & pork meatballs with potatoes and red cabbage. $21. Arguably the best order here.
    Stephen P.

    The main dining hall feels unloved. The staff are pretty good, but the kitchen is a little slow. No matter... my Danish veal and pork meatballs with potatoes and red cabbage was the best! 10/10. Well seasoned and covered in the delicious (homemade) gravy. Order that! I didn't try the soup. I did ask the waitress what's the best on the ever menu. I was dismayed to be recommended : fish & chips, fried chicken, chicken teriyaki. In that order. Then she adds , Danish meatballs last. I doubt the fried foods are going to be the top choice here. If you have a need for a private party you might be able to book the dining room with the hanging banners. It looks like something out of Monty Python!

    Andersen's Pea Soup
    James A.

    With as many signs on the freeways as Andersen's has in California promoting their famous split pea soup, one would think they would be prevalent everywhere. In reality, there are/were only two: the original location (and now closed since 2024) in Buellton and this location in Santa Nella. It turned out that we needed to take a break and gas up around lunchtime very close by, so decided to stop in for lunch. It ended up being OK. This second location has been open since 1976 and is located in a huge building with tons of seating and a large retail space. It has a separate downstairs dining room (available if your party is large), a large bar in the back (open during lunch though only one person was in there), and an upstairs not accessible during lunchtime. We came at exactly 11:00 and they had begun serving lunch. We were led to our seats, and someone came by with water. There seemed to be some confusion on who was supposed to serve us, and we were ignored for a while, even as other folks were being seated. Finally, a waitress came back (guessing she wasn't our original one, but had to pivot) and took our order. Not particularly friendly in the beginning (ended up being talkative at the end as my wife had struck up a conversation), but got our order correct. The food came out soon after, and it was served all together and was still warm when we got them. My wife and I have been to the Andersen's in Buellton and had slightly different memories of how good the split pea soup was. We ordered a cup ($6.99), and didn't even have to tell the waitress what kind of soup we wanted. The soup was good for the first couple spoonful, but didn't end up finishing it; glad we ordered a small cup. My wife and her mom split a Teriyaki Chicken dinner ($21.50) and they liked it: nothing fancy, just one chicken breast grilled and topped with bottled teriyaki sauce and a pineapple slice. I got the Danish Style Meatloaf ($21.99, was planning to share with my wife) and it seemed well made with generous portions, but neither of us liked it (the pork/beef mixture with breadcrumbs was very finely ground and reminded me of a mealy German sausage without the casing). Both the soup and meatloaf would have been good as small samples from a buffet while grazing, but are difficult as a main course for our taste. Both plates came with a from-frozen vegetable medley (broccoli, carrots, and zucchini), along with a rice pilaf for the chicken plate. We did buy some trinkets at the gift shop. I wanted to get a Danish, but ended up sharing a Cinnamon Crisp, a giant cookie covered in cinnamon sugar. It was really good, definitely worth the $5.50 price.

    Split pea soup

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    Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant

    Are dogs allowed in the outside seating area?

    Yes! We stopped there with our new dog on the way home from picking her up. You have to go through the Bar to be seated out there, though. But you can get the full menu.

    Is there still outdoor dining (as of July 2022)?

    We ate out on the patio in early August, but it was just a few tables behind the bar, not like the big tents or anything. We sat outside to accommodate our dog coming with us.

    Is there outdoor dining?

    I went in March and yes there was outdoor seating only. CA has now since opened up again and indoor dining is available

    I read that the Santa Nella AND Buellton restaurants were going to be closing? Is there any more information on when this is scheduled to happen?…

    We were just there this past week at their Santa Nella location, and they're open back up. Not only are they open, but their front dining room and bar areas are both open.

    Can anyone verify the hours? we are coming from 3 hours away for dinner in a week or two if they have gone back to normal hours.

    Currently that hours are 9am-6pm everyday

    How much for the unlimited split pea soup?

    I believe it's $8.50 for the "Traveler's Meal" unlimited pea soup and bread. Happy travels! :)

    This is the slowest restaurant I've ever been to, especially along side the interstate- how can your services be improved. My family and I stopped by today at 1130 and I'm still here in the restaurant waiting for our food?

    You've been there for 6months?!

    View All 8 Questions

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    Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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