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.
The ‘all you can eat’ pea soup is a great idea. I can see where that would build loyalty over the years.