HALFWAY HOUSE
ADDRESS: 15564 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
WEBSITE: http://www.thehalfwayhousecafe.com/
Work brought me back out to the southern California area, which meant another opportunity to try some of the local restaurants. During my first weekend out here, I met up with my friend Catherine for some breakfast at a local diner-esque spot on my way out to see my brother.
Apparently, the place is usually pretty packed for breakfast on the weekends, so the fact that it was only moderately busy when we stopped in at 9 a.m. worked out pretty well. The place has been around since 1931 and seems to have stood the test of time. From the outside when you first pull up, it definitely looks pretty old-school, not to mention a defunct gas station next door that probably hasn’t pumped gas in quite a while. I think the old-style vibe though helps to give it a bit of charm.
You’ll find your typical breakfast staples offered up on the menu: pancakes, waffles, French toast, and omelettes. You’ve also got your breakfast meals too (chicken fried steak and two eggs, for example), all of which come with potatoes and a choice of toast or biscuits & gravy.
I’ve mentioned before that I’m an omelette guy when it comes to eating out for breakfast, so the Deluxe Omelette was right up my alley. Mushrooms, avocado, bacon, and tomatoes, coupled with a side of country potatoes and sourdough toast. Definitely a good-sized portion indeed.
For a restaurant that’s been around for almost 90 years (crazy to even think about that), it looked in pretty good shape. Granted, I’m not sure if they’ve re-built the structure at some point, but it looked like they kept the original sign. It was a bunch of plywood put together with white paint that’s probably faded over time from the California sun.
Even with the lighter breakfast crowd, probably about half the tables in the main dining area were occupied. By the time we ended up leaving, I think they were almost all full. The kitchen was pretty quick about turning around our food, since I don’t think we had even needed to wait 10 minutes before everything came out.
My initial thought about the omelette was that for three eggs, it looked a bit on the small side. But then I realized the omelette had a bit of thickness to it as well, which had been slightly hidden by the stack of country potatoes on the side. The avocado slices on the top of the omelette looked super fresh as well.
Great flavors from the mushrooms, bacon, and tomatoes inside the omelette, with the avocados on top providing that nice, smooth texture to complement the flavors. Normally the omelette comes topped with cheddar cheese, which I went without due to trying to avoid cow’s milk. The country potatoes were crisped up nicely on the griddle, although they probably could have used just a pinch more salt and pepper for my taste.
There’s a reason that this place has been around for almost 90 years and counting. Serving up good food and staying consistent while doing it will keep diners coming back for sure. The location right off Sierra Highway also makes it pretty convenient for people living nearby or, like in my situation, just passing through the area, to stop in. If you’re looking for a quick pit stop to put some food in the tank, check out this cozy old-school spot along the side of the road.
Let’s now take a look at the Halfway House Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Deluxe Omelette with Country Potatoes **
Mushrooms, bacon, and tomatoes within the three-egg omelette, topped with avocado slices. Served with country potatoes and sourdough toast.
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And finally, here are my rankings for Halfway House:
Food: 4 / 5
The quantity of food was certainly not lacking here, as my breakfast plate came with the three-egg omelette, country potatoes, along with two slices of sourdough toast. I was definitely left feeling satisfied from that perspective. Taste-wise though, I thought it was a bit average, but it still gets the job done.
Atmosphere: 4.25 / 5
The old-school vibe definitely gives the place a bit of charm, with the original sign above the building and the older metallic neon sign next to it as well. Inside, I can imagine that when the place gets packed it might get a bit louder, but I thought the way the tables were set up helped separate some of the noise from the tables next to you.
Service: 3.75 / 5
The only knock here was that I spoke with our waitress three times about getting my first glass of water before she brought me out one. Aside from that, our food came out of the kitchen in no time at all.
Price: 4.25 / 5
You do get a pretty good portion of food for the amount you pay. The price points for the remainder of the menu items, for both breakfast and lunch, seem to be pretty fair as well.
Overall:
16.25 / 20
(81%)
Categories: California, Restaurants
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