Buckle up your seat belt and head to the very southern edge of town. Take one of the last exits toward the Cow Palace. Wind your way through a nondescript dark dive bar and into a somewhat harshly lit back room. You found it! No one would blame you for thinking the kitchen here serves nothing but greasy food. But you’d be dead wrong. The menu, written in chalk on a blackboard, changes every day and features always-fresh dishes made from scratch, often using sustainable ingredients, a definite step up from typical bar grub. Sure, there are sandwiches, burgers and fries, but they’re great renditions; and they’re whipped up along with much more refined dishes. One night it’s juicy fried oysters served over shredded fennel, grapefruit and avocado and drizzled with a buttermilk dressing, a dish as appealing as a drive in a classic convertible along the coast on a sunny day. The buttery crawfish grits with bacon comes in a huge bowl, perfect for sharing. A dive bar serves homemade banana ice cream? You betcha, and the best walnut pie you’ve ever tasted. Out of the way, sure, but it’s well worth giving up that prized parking space (the one right in front of your house).

Pulled-pork sandwich with slaw
Crawfish with bacon grits
Fried oysters
Walnut pie

*menu changes frequently

Seats in the back are good for groups. If you’re solo and want to be in the thick of things, take a spot at the counter. If you prefer the dimly lit dive bar ambiance, tell the server you’re waiting for a spot in the front.

On Monday through Friday nights patrons are treated to a silent projection of film clips curated by co-chef Shane LaValley. Recently it was clips from a monster truck rally, chased by skateboarding videos.

Mon.–Sat. 6:15 PM–11 PM; Sun. 6:15 PM–10 PM

$6 (buttermilk fried chicken wings) to $9 (crawfish grits)