Eat, Drink, Savor: Harvest Time Roadhouse serves food worth the detour

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The good news for Adam Jones is that the closing of the Mitchell Road/Hwy 156 intersection has not completely isolated his Harvest Time Roadhouse. The detour starting at the Bixby Road roundabout is easy to navigate and the trip down Freitas Road only adds a few extra miles to the trip.

But it has taken a toll on his business, with the slowdowns at lunch and dinner that Jones had anticipated becoming a reality. His regulars from Pacific Scientific, across the newly-constructed road, are blocked from getting to the restaurant easily for lunch. And many of his older dinnertime regulars are shying away from navigating the poorly lit back roads.

“Our lunch rush has gone from three-and-a-half hours to 45 minutes,” Jones said. “Our evenings are slower, but I’m still getting people. One person said, ‘I took all the detours and that stupid road just to come here to support you.’”

Jones said this new detour is shorter than the previous Union Road bypass. “It was a lot harder to get over here when that part of the intersection was closed,” he said. “You had to go all the way down to Fourth Street and then double back. This new detour is more direct.”

Jones has been told that Caltrans might soon reconnect the old Hwy 156, which will soon be the new frontage road, back to Mitchell. This would obviate the need to take Freitas Road, considerably cut the detour’s length, and make it a bit easier for people to find their way.

“It will seem more direct, I think,” Jones said. “I can put some signs up telling people, ‘Hey, we’re right here. Come on. And you won’t have to worry about going in the back roads in the dark.’”

In the meantime, Jones is taking advantage of the spare time by installing new tables, working on the front outdoor dining area and redesigning the closed side patio. Most importantly, despite the slowdown in business, he said, he has kept its core intact. 

“I have not shut down any hours,” he said. “I have not laid off any employees. We have not had to do anything, and I don’t see it coming in the future. Because of the community and the people working at the businesses in the area, we’ve been able to survive.”

Jones said once construction on Hwy 156 is completed and the Union/Mitchell Road intersection is reopened, he plans to open a fruit stand on the site, set up old farm equipment to serve as a “selfie station,” and repair his parking lot so it does not flood during the rainy season.

“It took me five months after I bought this place to get it rocking,” he said. “And we just won the best new restaurant from Best of San Benito County. I think I am sitting on a goldmine out here. And when the road opens, people will realize, ‘Hey, we can get there again!’” 

Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese – Made with cheddar cheese, pepper jack, salami, and pepperoni sandwiched between thick slices of garlic bread sourced from Golden Sheaf bakery, it is gooey, buttery and salty all at once. It appealed to the starving 8-year-old in me, but the Roadhouse also offers the classic grilled American cheese and a version with sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and a balsamic glaze. They are all perfect bar food and, coupled with beer, would be great shared appetizers or a nice comfort-food lunch.  

Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese. Photo by Robert Eliason.

BBQ Tri-Tip Salad – Just to get the obvious out of the way, this is a massive salad. The ingredients are few and simple: just spring mix, tomatoes and blue cheese crumbles—along with half a pound of Jones’ amazing and tender tri-tip. The meat is prepared by a gentleman known as “Uncle Roger” using a secret recipe he refuses to divulge to Jones. “If I tell you,” Uncle Roger said, “then you won’t need me anymore.”

The peppery tri-tip is used in other menu items, including sandwiches served on ciabatta bread,  loaded baked potatoes, and the house stout chili. For the salad, it is cubed and served medium rare. The default dressing is a balsamic glaze, but any dressing can be substituted. 

” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C146&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C380&ssl=1″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1.jpg?resize=780%2C380&ssl=1″ alt=”BBQ Tri-Tri Tip Salad. Photo by Robert Eliason.” class=”wp-image-112630″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C499&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C146&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C375&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C749&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C999&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C585&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1568%2C765&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C975&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C195&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C344&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Photo-Oct-31-2024-11-52-35-AM-1-1024×499.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>

Fish & Fries – When I go to the Roadhouse, I almost reflexively order the patty melt served on a killer rye bread from Sysco Bakery, which really highlights the quality of the beef Jones uses. He offers a variation of burgers, of course, tarted up with maple bacon, BBQ sauce, jalapenos, avocado or whatever, but to me, it’s a shame to obscure the flavor of the meat.

That’s a long-winded explanation for why I had never ordered the fish and fries before this. I had mistakenly thought that, like many other places, I would get frozen, battered, boring fish. Wrong. Jones gets cod from Lusamerica, a premier supplier of sustainable fish in Morgan Hill. The fillets are deep-fried in a lightly seasoned batter, and the results are masterful. The fish is clean and flaky, the batter, light and crispy. It comes with tartar and cocktail sauces, but the dish doesn’t need more than a squeeze of lemon to make it shine.

The recipe comes from Mike Benson, late of the fabled Claddagh Irish Restaurant and Pub in Gilroy. With the closure of his restaurant, Benson had no qualms about coming to the Roadhouse to personally instruct the chefs on how to make this dish. This could be my new go-to, or at least in heavy rotation with the patty melt. It’s the best fish and chips I’ve had outside of the classic restaurants in San Francisco.

Fish and Fries. Photo by Robert Eliason.

Harvest Time Roadhouse is located at 3650 San Juan Hollister Road, which can be reached by taking the roundabout on Hwy 156 to Bixby Road, turning right onto Freitas Road, then right onto Mitchell Road.  Phone: (831) 636-1010

Hours:
Tuesday – 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday – 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Thursday – 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday – 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday – 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday – 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Closed Monday

Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.

BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping to expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and give our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.

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