Al's Place

13936 Main St., Locke, CA - (916) 776-1800

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Posted By Samuel Shor on 9/5/2009 10:07:00 PM

The address is a bit iffy: I think the town is actually Locke but either way, if you blink you’ll drive right by. This is probably the smallest town I’ve ever been to; apparently there are “between 80–90 people” who live in Locke. Al’s is located just off the main road, down the hill. It’s known by either Al’s Place or Al the Wops. I believe they open at 11 am for lunch but when I asked they said that was when they began serving food, but they open whenever the locals knock down the door, sometimes 7 am. They have a full bar and by 11 in the morning there are quite a few locals saddled up to it.

They’re known for a few things here: steak, burgers, and peanut butter and marmalade. I had a cheeseburger and I’ll say it was excellent. It was cooked perfectly, with the right amount of all toppings and condiments. The “bun,” more like buttered toast from the griddle, was wonderful. The fries were fantastic too. I didn’t try the steak but it was highly recommended by several people.

You’ve got to try the peanut butter and marmalade on toast. It’s worth driving there solely for that. They griddle the toast just as they do for the burger "bun." It comes nice and hot; slather it with the PB and marmalade. You’d think you’ve had enough PB & J sandwiches before but, until you’ve had this, you haven’t.

The co-owner/barkeep was extremely friendly and accommodating. He was joking and jabbing the whole time. His “mother” (still not quite sure if that's factual) was the cook and she was just as pleasant. They had a nice banter between the two of them. If you’re ever within 100 miles of Locke/Walnut Grove be sure to make the trip here.

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

peanut butter	hamburger

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"I had a cheeseburger and I’ll say it was excellent. It was cooked perfectly with the right amount of all toppings and condiments. The “bun,” more like buttered toast from the griddle, was wonderful. The fries were fantastic, too."
Samuel Shor

"You’ve got to try the peanut butter and marmalade on toast. It’s worth driving there solely for that. They griddle the toast just like they do the burger "bun." It comes nice and hot; slather it with the PB and marmalade. You’d think you’ve had enough PB & J sandwiches before but, until you’ve had this, you haven’t."
Samuel Shor

"In the back room of Al's you sit on benches at the dining tables."
Michael Stern

"The restaurant name, written on the window, makes it difficult for journalists even to write about this place."
Michael Stern

"Locke is a magical old place, its architecture unchanged for nearly a century. There has been a restaurant on this spot since the town was built in 1915. Al's dates back to 1934. "
Michael Stern