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Loco's Motive Chew Chew BBQ opened back in August, 2024, and offers amazing barbecue, breakfast, lunch and dinner in Snelling, a small community in rural Merced County, CA. As an aside... as of this writing, Loco's offers the only wood smoked barbecue that Merced County has to offer. As with all of reviews of restaurants 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 a little past 10:00 on a foggy, Friday morning, November 29, 2024, and we've arrived at Loco's Motive Chew Chew BBQ, located in Snelling, CA to enjoy a great brunch.
Photo: Just outside the restaurant, there are two large smokers, where the delicious barbecue happens. Loco's uses almond wood, as there are thousands of acres of almond trees in Merced County, and the wood is easy to gather. Almond wood makes for good smoking, as it implants a smoky taste into the meat, with a touch of sweetness, and works with just about any kind of meat.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted by a friendly staff member, and you can seat yourself at any open seat, as the protocol is very informal. There is a small counter with a few seats, and a window to the kitchen. Loco's Motive Chew Chew BBQ is open Friday through Monday, from 06:00 in the morning, until 21:00 at night, and offers a full-service bar around the corner. During warm weather, the large outside patio is ideal to enjoy fine dining, and the friendly atmosphere the small town of Snelling offers.
Photo: The small counter has five seats, and highlights of the menu posted on the wall. Coffee and breakfast are served any time the restaurant is open!
Photo: Just a couple mornings ago, Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Dan enjoyed a breakfast of "Lalo's Loco Moco" from the "Breakfast" page of the menu. Such a traditional Hawaiian breakfast, as Honolulu meets Snelling at Loco's! The menu describes this delicious breakfast as, "A bed of seasoned white rice topped with your choice of sausage OR hamburger, two fried eggs, and brown gravy. Dan went with sausage...
Photo: Good morning, as it's a little after the 06:00 opening time, Friday, December 13, 2024, as Ashley and Shelby greet customers at the counter for breakfast.
Photo: Shelby updates the menu which is posted above the counter.
Photo: Loco's opens at 06:00 for breakfast four days of the week - Friday through Monday - and the restaurant is serious about breakfast.
Photo: "Rancher Omelette," served with plenty of linguica and ham. Thanks, Dan Weir for the photos.
Photo: Early Saturday morning, December 14, 2024, Breann gets things going as she takes Dan's order to the kitchen.
Photo: Meet Roscoe, the amazingly talented and friendly chef, who creates some of the best meals in Snelling, Merced County and the entire gold country of California.
Photo: From the "Breakfast" side of the menu - it was a little after 06:00 on this Friday morning - here is "Tri Tip and Eggs." What more could you ask for a breakfast? The menu simply describes this breakfast as, "Comes with Tri Tip, three eggs a choice between hashbrowns OR country potatoes and toast." Not listed on the menu... but offered on the side, you can order beans, with Hatch New Mexico chili peppers to get your Saturday morning started the right way.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll notice a small souvenir shop, that displays a wide array of t-shirts, along with an assortment of Kinder's barbecue sauce, which seems to be the sauce of choice for the restaurant. Alright... here's a little history about Snelling, CA. Believe it or not, back in the 1850's, Snelling was the county seat of Merced County, and the old courthouse still remains, and was used until the 1990's as a circuit court house for rural Merced County. During the 1920's and 1930's, gold was dredged from the Merced River, leaving piles of rocks lining the river bank, which are very visible today. Before the current owner took over and completely remodeled the restaurant, it was known as "Dredger Inn" and had achieved quite a reputation as a biker bar. Between 1906 and 1945, the Yosemite Valley Railroad offered freight and passenger railroad service between Merced and the El Portal, at the western edge of Yosemite National Park. The photo posted in the lobby is a vintage photo of the railroad station that once served the community, on the west side of town. Obviously, the railroad, and the station have faded into history. A visit to the area from historian, author and big-time fan of the Yosemite Valley Railroad, Jack Burgess prompted the owner of the restaurant, Lalo to decorate the restaurant and bar in a railroad theme, reflecting the heritage of the Yosemite Valley Railroad, and inspired the name of the restaurant.
Photo: I took a peek into the tidy and well-organized kitchen.
Photo: Meet this morning's chef, Ross, who prepared our delicious brunch, and greeted us with a friendly smile. Ross is truly a friendly guy, and a chef with talent.
Photo: The bar area is comfortable, and features a wood-burning fireplace. Like the rest of the restaurant, the bar, or as the sign posts "cantina," is decorated in a railroad theme.
Photo: Vanicia helps patrons at the full-service bar, located in the "cantina" area of the restaurant. There are several video monitors playing NFL football, which is always a rareity on a Friday.
Photo: A section of the "Burgers" and the "Lunch" menu. Loco's Motive Chew Chew BBQ menu is five pages... click on the menu image or THIS LINK to check out the complete menu, as posted on November 30, 2024.
Photo: Meet Lalo, the friendly owner of the restaurant, who greeted us with a friendly smile. The restaurant features Kinder's BBQ Sauce, in many variations, which works with the delicious food the restaurant offers.
Photo: Meet Vanicia, our amazingly friendly hostess who brought my meat, and side of beans, with a smile. Like all the staff at Loco's Motive Chew Chew BBQ, she was welcoming, friendly and provided outstanding service. Alright... perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself, but we enjoyed brunch - coming up later in this article - mid/late morning, and returned in mid-afternoon to enjoy a couple of beers, and Dan urged me to take home a side of beans. He's mentioned the joys of the smoked tri-tip and pulled pork, and Vanicia was gracious to provide a sample of the restaurant's amazing smoked meat.
Photo: Vanicia provided a complimentary sample - thank you - of smoked tri-tip beef and pulled pork. Oh my! Both beef and pork are smoked outside on the large smokers, using locally-gathered almond wood, as there are thousands of acres of almond orchards in eastern Merced County, and smoked almond wood provides a delicate, yet smoky taste to the meat. The meat was juicy, fork tender and simply delicious. Thanks to the almond wood, there was a hint of smoke which enhanced the flavor, but didn't overpower the delicious meat. The meat was so good that I didn't even bother to use any barbecue sauce. When we arrived early today, we'd planned on barbecue, but it wasn't ready, as barbecue takes a long time and it wasn't ready. No worries at all, as we went for "Brunch Burgers."
Photo: From the "Premium Sides" section of the menu, I ordered a pint of "Hatch Green Chili Beans' to go, as I was full from the amazing breakfast we enjoyed three hours earlier. These beans weren't the typical beans that you expect in central California, as these beans were Texas, all the way, complete with roasted New Mexico chili peppers. The beans were cooked to a perfect texture, seasoned just like you'd expect if you were dining in west Texas, and arrived in thick, bean gravy. As an added bonus, strips of roasted New Mexico Hatch chili pepper were in the beans for added zest and flavor. Oh my! During my many years of gold country dining, I've never enjoyed pinto beans like this, as they took me all the back to Texas. For lovers of amazing beans, Loco's is your destination, in the tiny town of Snelling, CA.
Photo: Meet Lizzy, our amazingly friendly hostess who brought our brunch to us with a friendly smile. Like all the staff at the restaurant, Lizzy welcomes all guests with a smile.
Photo: Dan, Michael and your author are ready to enjoy a delicious brunch on this Friday morning. I raise my glass of "Bootjack" beer, and toast the friendly staff and great food that Loco's Motive Chew Chew BBQ offers.
Photo: From the "Lunch" menu, Michael went with a "BLT," along with an order of fries.
Photo: From the "Loco's Angus Burgers" section of the "Lunch" menu, both Dan and I went with "Brunch Burger." Since it was a little past 10:00 in the morning - late for breakfast and early for lunch - this made for the perfect burger. It's a great choice if you can't decide between breakfast or lunch! I simply loved the "open face" presentation, which always makes for good photos. The menu describes the burger simply as, "Comes with bacon, cheese, hashbrowns and a fried egg." Like all burgers, it comes with a side of delicious fries. Why didn't I read the menu closely? ...as a grilled Hatch chili pepper is available as an option, which would have made for an awesome enhancement to this fine brunch. You have the option of having the egg fried to your liking; both Dan and I chose the egg to be fried over easy. Like all burgers on the menu, the "Brunch Burger" begins with a large - probably 6 oz - patty of Angus beer, grilled to perfection, at medium. I didn't think about asking how my burger should be grilled, but I'm sure if you asked your server, the chef would be happy to grill your meat YOUR way. The burger patty was simply delicious! The foundation of any burger is the bun, and my "Brunch Burger" meat patty was placed on a fresh, buttered and lightly toasted bun. What a great start to an amazing brunch! Topping the meat patty, was the fried egg, two strips of bacon, a slab of hashbrowns, and a slice of perfectly melted, American cheese. Such a fine combination for this mid/late Friday morning, which would especially work on mornings after a bender, or if you can't decide between breakfast or lunch. The fries worked for a perfect side dish to this delicious burger, as they were deep fried to a perfect, semi-crispy golden brown on the outside, but white and tender on the inside, which is a recipe for perfect fries. The fries were simply delicious, but not remarkable and made an ideal side to my "Brunch Burger." One bite into my "Brunch Burger" and I was instantly transported into "burger nirvana" as the burger was simply amazing! The buttered, toasted bun held it all together, and the juicy meat patty, fried egg, bacon, hashbrowns and cheese added up to a symphony of melt-in-your-mouth delicious taste. Burger lovers: Rejoice! Such a wonderful way to get a Friday morning started! Chef Ross has talent, and makes a delicious burger for brunch, or anytime...
Photo: My "Brunch Burger" before closing the buns, shows all of the goodness this amazing burger has to offer. I did add a bit of Kinders "Roasted Garlic" barbecue sauce, but this delicious burger was standalone delicious, and really didn't need any enhancement.
Photo: Before "the bite," I hold my delicious burger and admire all the delicious layers of flavor. This was simply an amazing burger, which will put a smile on the face of "foodies," and anybody who enjoys a superior burger. Yes, that's a "Bootjack" beer, brewed locally by a Mariposa County microbrewery, 1850 Restaurant and Brewing Company, which made for an amazing appetizer... or dessert?
Photo: Saturday, November 30, 2024, Dan returned and ordered lunch. I certainly wish I could have joined him! From the "Appetizer" section of the menu, it was "Nachos," which the menu describes as "Loaded with hatch green chili beans, queso fresco, pico de gallo and sour cream." Thank you, Dan Weir, for the photo.
Photo: Back on Saturday, October 19, 2024, Vanicia took Dan's order and was relaying it to Lalo, who was working in the kitchen.
Photo: Meet Vanicia, our super friendly afternoon hostess, who delivered lunch with a friendly smile. Her company was simply wonderful!
Photo: From the "Dinner Plates," a Tri-Tip Plate" with two sides. Sides were "Mac N' Cheese" along with "Hatch Green Chili Beans." Almond wood makes for perfect smoking, and the meat was smoked, tender and simply delicious.
Photo: Good morning Vanicia, as it's Saturday, October 12, 2024, and it's time for breakfast.
Photo: Lalo checks the kitchen for the breakfast order, as Dan enjoys this great Saturday morning.
Photo: "The Snelling Loco" omelette, complete with country potatoes - bell pepper and onion - and lots of gravy. What a way to start the day!
Photo: Good day Vanicia! It's early Saturday morning, September 28, 2024, and it's time for lunch at Loco's.
Photo: From the "Dinner Plates," it was a Tri-Tip Plate" with two sides. Sides were "Mac N' Cheese" along with "Hatch Green Chili Beans." A side of pulled pork was with the dinner, which made for great enjoyment. Trip-tip, pork and all meat on the menu is smoked on "old school" Texas-style smokers, located at the restaurant, using locally produced almond wood. The smoke is... shall we say smoky? ... but not overpowering, and the barbecue is outstanding, and would bring a smile to the face of any "foodie" who enjoys Texas style barbecue. By the way... you simply have to LOVE Hatch chili peppers and pinto beans! Loco's Motive Chew Chew BBQ is a welcome addition to the greater Merced dining scene, as this fine restaurant offers delicious wood smoked barbecue that even Merced can't offer. No wonder Merced locals, and anybody in Merced County visits Snelling, to enjoy the delicious barbecue, breakfast, lunch and dinner served at Loco's by the friendly staff. Fine dining in rural Merced County! Loco's Motive Chew Chew BBQ Copyright(c) 2024 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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