Reviewer: Foodnut.com Bull Valley Roadhouse 14 Canyon Lake Drive Port Costa, CA 94569 510-787-1135 |
Why did we dine here? – An oasis in the middle of nowhere. We’ve read about this place for many a year and finally got a chance to dine here, on the way home from Tahoe. Bull Valley Roadhouse serves farm fresh American Fare & Pre-Prohibition Cocktails. This restaurant is located on the South side of the Carquinez Bridge, at the end of a windy road.
Their building is dated way back from 1897, transporting you way back into the past. Black and white photos and drawings, dim lighting, old wood, ceiling fans. This restaurant and town would fit right into a zombie flick! Except that there are too many hipsters…
Executive Chef : David Williams (Dottie’s True Blue, Slanted Door) serves up the fine food.
Fellow bikers and hikers note: Newly opened, East Bay Regional Park District’s “George Miller Trail” provides paved access to hikers and bikers along the Carquinez Strait, connecting Port Costa with Martinez, Amtrak and the San Francisco Bay Trail. Make a day of it.
Insider Tip – Its a windy drive, so drink early and have a designated driver.
Cuisine – American
Location – Port Costa (Near Southern tip of Carquinez Bridge)
Opened – November 2012
Service – Bull Valley Roadhouse had very good professional service. No worries about recommendations, refills, pacing, etc.
Verdict – Bull Valley Roadhouse is easy to recommend. Straightforward American fare with strong drinks, in a unique setting. Take a road trip here, you will not regret it.
Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Yes. 1 Hour? Yes
Bull Valley Roadhouse Signature Dishes – Fried Chicken, Pork Stew, Steak, Cocktails.
Bull Valley Roadhouse’s Menu changes daily but is short and concise. 7 small plates to share with several salads for vegetarians. 5 meaty large plates and a nice list of accompaniments. Family style is the theme.
Website Bull Valley Roadhouse Menu
Bull Valley Roadhouse Food Picks:
Mojito ($12) was strong and not very foo foo. They are serious about drinks.
Earl’s Peachless ($12) another top notch cocktail.
Daily Bread: morell’s bread – Berkeley, CA – Wheat, with sea salt butter ($4) Bread rotates from different sources. Our bread was on the wheaty, healthy side. A distinct contrast to the rest of the meal. Excellent butter.
roadhouse chicken wings, sweet chile sauce ($9) was suprisingly good. Modern Spicy and sweet with high quality tender chicken. Fab. Use the bread to sop up all the sauce. Wing stop, eat your heart out.
walnut & apple, mixed greens, gorgonzola, honey-sherry vinaigrette ($14) had a lite dressing and nice fruity and nutty balance. Some minor balance to a rich, strong meal.
crispy buttermilk fried chicken, buttermilk biscuit, smoked ham hock ‘n’ jacob’s cattle beans, pepper jam ($28) Forget about cholesterol tonight, this is a fantastic fried chicken. Dipped in an eggless batter, the skin was crisp and the meat still juicy. Nice beans. The pepper jelly was one hot jam for the biscuit.
slow roasted llano seco pork stew, organic polenta, tomatillo, guajillo chile, sour cream, lime ($27) is another signature dish. Taking a sort of Tex Mex slant, this dish has lots of tender pulled pork with strong lime garnish. Nice rich polenta rounds out the dish.
winter love risotto, honeynut squash, baby delicata, red frill mustard greens, grana padano ($27) Rich, creamy and topped with some greens.. This is a killer dish for vegetarians and carnivores alike.
braised baby kale, chile, shallot, garlic ($9) was also spot on. Wish we could cook it this well at home.
oven roasted macaroni gratin, gruyere, grana ($10) is not your grandma’s mac and cheese. Quality egg less pasta cooked al dente, combined with high quality cheese. This went fast.
biscuits and country gravy ($7) was simply awesome. Glad we ordered it to support splitting the fried chicken. Fantastic rich gravy, smothering a tender old school biscuit. Should have ordered some more to go!
OK: (Order if you like this dish)
None
Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None
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