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Besides a couple of national chain restaurants, and a few fast food joints, there aren't many restaurants in Turlock that are open 24/7. Breathe a sigh of relief if you're looking for "real" food during the "graveyard" hours, as Turlock is home to the Almond Tree Restaurant and Lounge, open 24 hours, 365 days of the week.
Photo: It's 0600 in the morning, on Wednesday, May 04, 2016, and I've been up for two hours, hungry, and I'm ready for breakfast. Almond Tree is located on Lander Ave. in Turlock, just off busy Highway 99. There is a motel next door, which is not affiliated with the restaurant, but I'm certain there is a lot of mutual cooperation, as the business compliment each other. I noticed there were many semi-trucks parked on a dirt parking lot, across the street, so I assume the motel and the restaurant cater to truckers.
Photo: As you walk in the restaurant, you'll notice the decor is pure truck stop, circa 1980. The restaurant is reasonably clean - I don't care about cleanliness, this is just an observation - but the atmosphere, and the decor is dated. I don't care, as I absolutely love "old school" diners, and this restaurant definitely is "old school" in every way. On this early Wednesday morning, there are only a couple of other diners, so I suppose the truckers are sleeping in the nearby motel, or have already departed. No worries, as Almond Tree is open 24/7, and it provides great American "comfort food" to Turlock around the clock. The bar, or should I say, "lounge," is located out of the photo, and to the rear. I was here for breakfast, so I didn't even take a peek into the lounge, as it was closed, and doesn't open until early afternoon. Note the ripped seat of the chair in the left corner of the photo, and the missing chairs at the counter, near the top of the photo. This is a class act, and I love every bit of it.
Photo: As you sit at the counter, you can look into the kitchen, and watch the chef hard at work. Almond Tree Restaurant is open 24/7, and the menu is definitely "diner comfort food," and seems to cater to the thousands of truckers who pass by every day. I love the retro atmosphere, and the "old school" order wheel, that caters to the written orders. Pure nostalgia from the 1980's...
Photo: My friendly hostess, Lena, was camera shy, and requested that I didn't take her photo, so I didn't get the usual "bringing the food" photo that I desire. That didn't stop me from snapping a candid photo, as she processes an order on the in-house computer. The computer seems to be the only bow to 2016, as everything else is retro, including the picture tube, non-high definition television monitors above the counter, which are displaying national news.
Photo: On my request, Lena set down her coffee pot and snapped my photo. Thanks! Almond Tree Restaurant offers a full breakfast menu, and since they're open around the clock, breakfast is always available.
Photo: There are many people of Portuguese heritage in the Turlock area, so linguica and eggs is a "go-to" on the menu. I'm not Portuguese, but I'm a HUGE lover of linguica, so that was the centerpiece of today's breakfast. Linguica, hash brown potatoes, two eggs - over easy - well sort of, and sourdough toast was my order from the extensive breakfast menu. One egg was a tad on the hard side, but I'm a forgiving diner, and everything else was just what you'd expect from a restaurant located near a busy highway, that - I think - caters to truckers and the highway crowd. I loved my breakfast, and I absolutely enjoyed my visit to Almond Tree Restaurant and Lounge. The atmosphere is very retro, the restaurant is cozy, the staff is friendly, the food is good, and the prices are very reasonable. Almond Tree is open 24/7, so that makes the restaurant a "must-visit" if you're passing through Turlock during the middle of the night. Almond Tree Restaurant and Lounge Copyright(c) 2016 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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