Saloon named California’s best hole in the wall for comfort food

At this charming California restaurant, the Wild West never ended.

Western-themed eatery Descanso Junction Restaurant has been named the best hole-in-the-wall for comfort food in California by The Takeout.

The roadside restaurant is located along Southern California’s State Route 79, just a 40-minute drive east of beachy San Diego.

Founded in 2003 by husband-and-wife Tammy and Brett Cooker, the restaurant offers a true Western experience with Saloon-inspired decor and menu items.

The eatery serves classic American staples from eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, and chicken-fried steak to meatloaf and salisbury steak. Despite their small footprint, the restauarant has a wide range of options, from BBQ to Italian and Mexican dishes.

“This is a great place to stop and eat on the back country roads of East County San Diego. Comfort food at it’s finest!” one Yelp reviewer wrote.

“We had the Jack Daniel’s trip tip sandwich with crispy, tasty onion rings, meat loaf and mashed potatoes dinner, and the Salisbury steak with loaded baked potatoes dinner. All were very tasty with generous proportions. The staff are friendly and efficient, the prices are reasonable, and there are daily specials with a pleasant variety on the menu,” the eager diner said.

The three-pronged business expanded to catering in 2015 and and opened an outdoor “Outback” events venue, where the business hosts a summer concert series, in 2020.

“My vision was that we would know all the customers and become not only friends but a meeting place for all to feel welcome,” Tammy Cooker told The East Coast Californian last year.

“Little did we know what a unique part of San Diego we were to become a part of. The community was so warm and welcoming.”

The Old West-style building has its own history. Built in 1920, the structure once held a general store, a stage shop, and then a restaurant beginning in the 1940s.

Its owners see the outpost as less of a business and more of a community gathering space.

“Most businesses are only looking forward to AI order-your-own food off a tablet and less human connection. We strive to bring back the past, where families gather around the table to reconnect,” Tammy told The East Coast Californian. “A place where everybody knows your name.”

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