Pescadero: Duarte's Tavern

Back in February, my family took a half-day trip to Pescadero.  Our first stop was Ano Nuevo State Park.  Though we missed the elephant seal guided tour, we accidentally came across a lone elephant seal sleeping on the beach.  It was huge...and irrelevant to this post.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse was our second stop and then it was on to lunch at Duarte's Tavern:

We bought everything to go and snagged one of the picnic tables outside in the parking lot.

Abby and I may have gone a bit overboard with ordering.  Duarte's is known for its seafood, but it's also known for its soup.  Two soup options that they have are artichoke soup and green chile soup.  The way to get the best of both worlds is to order it half and half ($15):

The best way to enjoy any kind of creamy soup is of course with sourdough bread:

The steamed half and half ($20) came in two take-out containers:

It was a mix of littleneck clams and PEI mussels simmered in broth.

We knew our mother would like the snapper and chips ($24):

I myself was most interested in the deep fried oyster sandwich ($20):

There wasn't a lot in the sandwich besides oysters, but it didn't really need much else:

We also ordered the shrimp salad melt ($22.50) and swapped out the fries for onion rings:

This ended up being my favorite.  I loved the contrast of the toasted bread and the creamy filling:

Since we were treating ourselves, we couldn't leave without dessert.  Of Duarte's pies, the olallieberry was the most interesting to us ($9):

It was super tangy and quite delightful.

Open since 1894, Duarte's Tavern is THE place to eat at in Pescadero.  As we didn't dine in, I can't speak to the service, however the gentleman who took our order was very friendly.  It's not a cheap meal, but it's a delicious one with generous portions.  (There's also an automatic 17% service charge on all checks.)  And let's be real.  If you're in Pescadero, it's likely because you're making a day trip, so loosen those purse strings a bit and enjoy your vacation.

I don't see myself going back to Pescadero very often, but I wouldn't mind going to Duarte's again if I am ever in the area.

Duarte's Tavern

202 Stage Rd

Pescadero, CA 94060

(650) 879-0464

http://www.duartestavern.com/