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Gorman, CA, located near the top of the fabled Grapevine, is a popular stop for motorists headed south into Los Angeles, as it's an easy stop, relaxed, and features several great restaurants, including El Grullense..

Photo:  If you're in the mood for a delicious Mexican breakfast in Gorman, CA, near the summit of the famous Grapevine, you have exactly one restaurant to choose from:  El Grullense.  No worries, as that narrows your choice down to one, very fine restaurant.  Yes, it's not very impressive from the outside, but the food is good, there is lots of it, and the father and daughter team are friendly, and will treat you well.

Photo:  "Back in the day..." El Grullense was a diner, hence the black and white tile floors, the naugahyde-upholstered booths, and the counter.  But now, it's a fine Mexican restaurant and on this early, chilly Saturday morning, April 26, 2014, I'm getting ready to enjoy a delicious breakfast.

Photo:  After ordering coffee, which is my drink of choice at 0730 on a Saturday morning, nearly 400 miles from home, and about 300 miles short of my day's destination, I was presented with a basket of warm, just-baked tortilla chips, and a bowl of fresh, amazingly good salsa.  Just the way to perk up a early, rainy and cold Saturday morning.

Photo:  On this early Saturday morning, I had the restaurant to myself, so I was able to chit-chat with the staff, and take photos at will. Today the staff included my friendly and attentive hostess, Joanne, and her father, who did cooking duties, Romero.  El Grullense features a "sort of" open kitchen, which allows easy photography.  However, as you sit at the counter, there is a small partition that prevents photography, but with a little effort, you can peek into the kitchen in order to watch the staff in action.  Photo was taken at the cashier's station, at the end of the counter.

Photo:  My friendly server, JoAnne, delivers my breakfast to the table.  Everything on the menu sounded good, especially the menudo, but I just "HAD" to have refried beans, and menudo didn't come with refried beans, so I settled on chorizo and eggs.  When I questioned Joanne about refried beans with menudo - a rarity, at best - she said they'd be happy to serve me a side of refried beans, but I decided just to go with the chorizo, as I knew that I'd be enjoying lots of menudo in the next few days, during my upcoming visit to Los Algodones, Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona.

Photo:  Thanks, JoAnne, for taking my photo, as I pose with my delicious breakfast at El Grullense.

Photo:  This was a breakfast, "to die for," served by friendly JoAnne, and skillfully prepared by her father, Romero. I enjoyed chorizo and eggs, refried beans, rice, a small salad, corn tortillas, chips, salsa and coffee.  Delicious!

Yelp provides mixed reviews of El Grullense, but I found the food delicious, and the staff to be very friendly, and eager to please.  The father/daughter team is priceless and quite unique.  Yes, the decor is outdated and shabby, but you're in Gorman, not Hollywood!  I'll be sure to pay another visit to El Grullense the next time I'm heading south on Interstate 5.

El Grullense
49713 Gorman Pass Road
Gorman, CA 93243
661 248-6506


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