Can a single restaurant turn a never-heard-of-it town of 200 people into a serious dining destination? Earl Flewellen and Samuel Spurrier believe it can. The two reopened The Bull Valley Roadhouse, Port Costa’s biggest to-do since its glory days as a busy shipping port in the late 1800s. Judging by its aesthetic, you’d think little has changed in 150 years. Victorian furniture fills the dark-paneled room. Walls are covered with daguerreotypes. Then there’s the food—rustic American classics by way of Slanted Door alumnus David Williams: buttermilk fried chicken and mashed potatoes, crisp green beans sprinkled with chili salt, and tender pork ribs in a peppercorn sauce so rich, it’s tempting to polish it off with a spoon.
Port Costa, California
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Can a single restaurant turn a never-heard-of-it town of 200 people into a serious dining destination? Earl Flewellen and Samuel Spurrier believe it can. The two reopened The Bull Valley Roadhouse, Port Costa’s biggest to-do since its glory days as a busy shipping port in the late 1800s. Judging by its aesthetic, you’d think little has changed in 150 years. Victorian furniture fills the dark-paneled room. Walls are covered with daguerreotypes. Then there’s the food—rustic American classics by way of Slanted Door alumnus David Williams: buttermilk fried chicken and mashed potatoes, crisp green beans sprinkled with chili salt, and tender pork ribs in a peppercorn sauce so rich, it’s tempting to polish it off with a spoon.
Last Reviewed
March 2016
Address
14 Canyon Lake
Port Costa, CA