The West Coast of the US and the mountain roads originating at many places on the coast line are a biker’s dream. The good roads and the rugged terrain offer the bikers a wide choice to enjoy their rides. There are many places on the route to refill, relax and enjoy some good food, either on the go or over a sit down meal. Alice’s Restaurant, on Skyline Boulevard, on top of the Woodside Mountains score very high on most of these counts –  a truly great place, not only for the bikers but also for other tourists or travelers like me and my family who decided to take a detour from the main highway, on the strong recommendations of our son Raghu while returning to San Francisco on 15 October 2017 after a tour of Carmel-on-the Sea to the South.

Woodside in San Mateo County is rich in forestry and lumber is a big business there. A wooden building to support the logging industry came up at a tri-junction (then called the Four Corners) on the present day Skyline Boulevard in 1900. This store got converted to a small restaurant in 1950. In 1960, Alice Taylor bought this restaurant and named it after herself. Alice bought the adjacent buildings in 1970 and runs it as a family concern. The restaurant is now one of the most popular choice of the motorcyclists who stop here in large numbers for rest, food and for refills of gas. There is also a famous Arlo Guthrie song by the same name.

If you are a biker/ motorist, the restaurant is about an hour’s drive from San Francisco via State Highway Route 1 on the Pacific Coast up to Half Moon Bay and from their following the mountain roads on Route 92 and then Route 35 to Skyline Boulevard. You can also go via Route 280 /Route 101 from Woodside and take the mountain road on route 84 to reach there.

After waiting for almost one hour, there is always a big crowd there, we could move inside a nice wooden cabin and seated comfortably. They also have an outside area with green umbrellas for service. The restaurant offers a mix of American and Mexican food and has a well stocked bar. The cuisine consists of soups, salads, omelettes, burgers, sandwiches and desserts. We had some good wine and went for burgers, omelette and sandwiches. The food was delicious and the service top class. Attached is a You Tube Video link titled ‘The 100 Mile Meals – Alice’s Restaurant.

It was nice to experience the buzz there with so many bikers moving in quick succession. This is perhaps one of the few restaurants with a gift shop selling T Shirts and other branded merchandise on Alice’s Restaurant theme. There is also a gas station adjacent to the restaurant.


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