Posted on 01/10/2024 3:24:29 PM PST by Fiji Hill
One of California’s most recognizable roadside restaurants has closed without so much as a goodbye to longtime fans and travelers. Pea Soup Andersen’s, the staple Central Coast destination in Buellton, California — just off Highway 101 en route to the Danish holiday town Solvang — has gone dark, and rumors are swirling that the property itself may be redeveloped for housing. The property was previously listed for sale for just under $5 million in 2021, but no buyer was publicly announced. The restaurant has a robust history on the Central Coast, claiming at its height to serve 2 million cups of soup to locals and travelers every year. Originally opened by Denmark-born Anton Andersen in 1924 as a highway restaurant serving everyday cafe fare, the signature pea soup quickly became a signature dish and, in short order, the name and calling card for the place.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Everything is legendary or iconic these days. Laughable.
A friend and were just wondering why we couldn’t find any cans of Anderson Split Pea Soup at the store.
What about the location in Santa Nella?
once upon a time, it was All Your Could Eat pea soup for 50 cents.
thing is, it was very good soup at the restaurant (unlike their tin can soup at the grocery), plus they had several kinds of great fresh bread you could eat with it (especially good was their onion bread)
they offered regular food too but the soup was the real draw. plus they gave you a taste of cherry wine afterwards (not quite sure how peas, onions, and cherries all go together but they did)
the place was a real Institution, a few minutes south of Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County, not quite halfway between LA and SF but close enough to make it your stop.
of course, prices have gone up in recent years.
but the place has been a travelers’ oasis for so long, it is a real shame to see it go out.
California really sucks. So many great old places have closed.
Guess we better eat at Harris Ranch real soon.
Could be the business climate. Could be that it’s run down and antiquated and not attracting the customers anymore. Could be that the land will be more profitable as an outlet center to buy close-out shoes and handbags.
Wow! Been there a few times, an institution. Wondering if this will kill off their canned Soup that is on the self most everywhere in California?
Quick searched reveals that the Santa Nella location is being remodeled
https://sfstandard.com/2024/01/10/central-coast-landmark-pea-soup-andersens-closes/
Road trippers leaving San Francisco for Southern California know that there are two places to stop for excellent split pea soup and even better fried chicken: the Pea Soup Andersen’s on U.S. 101 near Solvang, and the other Pea Soup Andersen’s on Interstate 5 in Santa Nella.
A year shy of its centennial, the 101 location—in the Central Coast town of Buellton, technically—has closed, as SFGate first reported. An icon of kitschy Danish culture recognizable by its windmill, it is slated to be demolished and rebuilt.
The Santa Nella location will remain open, as manager Armando Hurtado confirmed with The Standard.
“They’re going to redevelop it and make a new restaurant,” he said. “It’s going to take about a year. We’re not going anywhere.”
A Panda Express instead would be nice. Pretty good Chinese food.
Did the Santa Nella location close also?
Noooo!! We used to go there all the time visiting Solvang.
And "blessed"
A pity. I love the old place though it’s 300 miles away and I’ve only been there a handful of times in my life
Whoops, read the article and found my answer.
I’ve seen articles not mention that the Santa Nella location will continue. Seems like an important thing not to miss.
As a kid I’d measure where we were on a trip from Ventura to LA by their billboards. And that business with the giant globe with 2 rockets going around it.
NOPE ate there last year and it was in really good shape. Traveler's special, bottomless bowl of pea soup, milkshake and bread side all included in the price.
It is for us that grew up in the area in the 69s
Probably did it silently so there would be no opportunity to get declared historic or a landmark or something like that.
Basically, that kind of stuff is a taking under the 5th Amendment.
60s
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