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50's Roadhouse Restaurant is a nostalgic roadhouse restaurant, located outside of the small foothill community of Knights Ferry, CA.  This amazing restaurant offers diner-style "comfort food," great prices, large portions, and the amazing cuisine is served by friendly staff in a nostalgic, 1950's style roadhouse.  

As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.

Photo:  It's just past noon on Tuesday, May 04, 2021, and I've stopped by 50's Roadhouse Restaurant, located outside the small gold rush town of Knights Ferry, CA, on the way to Yosemite.  This fine diner is a favorite of the local Knights Ferry ranchers, and you'll see more pick up trucks, horse trailers and cowboy hats than you'll see in Texas.

Photo:  If you prefer, the restaurant features patio dining, which is actually a balcony overlooking a shady lawn, with a couple of goldfish pond.  You can walk down the stairs and dine on one of the picnic tables, and the staff will deliver your meal to you.  Note the string of lights, as this area is a popular place to enjoy a great meal on warm summer evenings, which are common in Knights Ferry.

Photo:  This fine gentleman was wandering around the lawn and looking around the back of the restaurant, most likely looking for an easy meal.  Knights Ferry is a small town, very "rural" and is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Photo:  As you enter the restaurant, you'll be struck by the number of cowboy hats you see, as 50's Roadhouse Restaurant is a favorite of the local ranchers in eastern Stanislaus county.  You'll note the 1950's style decor, including the chrome chairs, neon signs, black and white checkered tile floor, a vintage jukebox, and lots of 50's memorabilia.

Photo:  The dining room is very spacious, and features mostly tables, but there are booths located at the perimeters, and the low partition that separates the dining room from the bar.  Yes, the restaurant features a full-service bar, which serves any variety of mixed drinks, local wine and lots of beer on tap.

Photo;  The dining room was very busy, so I sat at the bar, which is generally my seat of preference, especially when I'm dining by myself.  Today's friendly server, Stephanie, serves a couple of locals.  Stephanie was one of two servers working on this early Tuesday afternoon and was very busy, but she always made time for friendly small talk.

Photo:  The menu features all of your diner and "comfort food" favorites, and very closely reflects the choices you'd see on the menu of a diner, back in the 1950's.  No breakfast is on the menu, as this fine restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.  I was tempted by the "Burger Mania" section of the menu, but in the end, "Michael Corleone's Fish and Chips" won out.  

Photo:  After placing my order, I had time to look around the restaurant and admire the 1950's decor.  Elvis is alive and well at 50's Roadhouse Restaurant!

Photo:  This large chicken, wearing a cowboy hat, stands near the entry door, and seems to be the mascot of the restaurant.  I love the model of the vintage Texaco Sky Chief gas pump, as it reminds me of the sort of gas pumps that were common when I was a kid.

Photo:  Poster on the door advertises the upcoming "Fifties Festival and Car Show," which seems to be happening for the first time.

Photo:  Looking towards the front door in the background, Stephanie is chatting with a area local, who is most likely a cattle rancher.  You can see a lot of the 1950's memorabilia that decorates the restaurant, and enhances the atmosphere, and the nostalgia.  The period decor also makes the delicious food taste even better!

Photo:  Meet my amazingly friendly server, Stephanie, who brought my order to me with a smile.  She was one of two servers working on this busy Tuesday afternoon, but she always took the time to give me a smile, chitchat a little, and treat me like family.

Photo;  Thanks, Stephanie, for taking my photo, as I prepare to enjoy my delicious lunch.  Note the vintage juke box in the background, stocked with '50's and '60's oldies.

Photo:  From the "House Specials" section of the menu, I went with "Michael Corleone's Fish and Chips," a classic diner favorite, along with a Coors beer from the tap.  Fish and chips is one of my favorite things to eat, as I rarely resist ordering this amazing dish, and I could eat this lunch every day.  At today's price of $11.99, this fine lunch was truly a bargain.

You will enjoy two good-sized of battered fish - most likely cod - that's lightly seasoned and deep fried to a crispy, golden brown, just like you'd find in London.  The batter was tasty, and enhanced the tender, white fish, and didn't overpower the delicious flavor.  The batter-to-fish ratio was perfect, as 50's Roadhouse Restaurant has "nailed" the art of fish and chips.  To compliment the fish, you get a cup of tarter sauce - you can order seconds at no charge - and a bottle of malt vinegar.  I'm a tarter sauce kind of guy, but the option to enjoy malt vinegar was a nice touch.

Along with the fish, you get a large helping of "chips," which are actually crinkle-cut fries.  The fries were deep fried to a crunchy, golden brown on the outside, and white and tender on the inside, just like the way a perfect order of fries should be.  The "kid" in me dipped some of them in ketchup, but the fries were so delicious that they really didn't need ketchup as an enhancement.

The menu didn't mention it, but the lunch included a small bowl of tangy, delicious, in-house made coleslaw, which always goes well with fish and chips.  

I absolutely LOVED my lunch of fish and chips, as it was perfectly prepared, tasty, delicious, and filling.  I asked my friendly server, Stephanie to pass along my complements to the chef, as he or she has talent.

50's Roadhouse Restaurant is a favorite of the Knights Ferry locals, as you'll see more cowboy hats and pickup trucks than you'll see in Texas.  Knight's Ferry is ranching country, and the local ranchers appreciate fine cuisine.

When you're visiting historic Knights Ferry, or on your way to Yosemite or the nearby mountains, stop by 50's Roadhouse for excellent cuisine, and 1950's atmosphere.

50's Roadhouse Restaurant
18341 Kennedy Rd.
Knights Ferry, CA 95361
209 881-9400


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