Big Rick Stuart
Jan 13, 20211 min
This historic and well-known restaurant off the 101 freeway north of Los Angeles is one of Central California’s quirkiest spots, complete with the old-school dining room as well as gift shops and banquet rooms for tourists and weekend guests. Even those who have never eaten there are familiar with the name, thanks to the many pale green billboards that dot the freeway for many miles in either direction. The restaurant’s pea soup is of course a staple, but it also serves everything from pickled herring to supreme chicken quesadillas.
For now it’s unclear how much, if any, of the business and building would remain post-sale. On its website listing, Santa Barbara company Radius Commercial Real Estate described the building as “prime for redevelopment.” The building has stood since at least 1924, and has held a variety of businesses over the years, but with easy access to the freeway and the growing wine country region, a full demolition is well within the realm of possibility.