Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse

Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse
3159 E. Main St.
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 676-1312

Sorry-Shakey Hand

I grew up in Bell, CA, in the 1970's, an area that at the time was in definite cultural transition. Bell was a working class city, filled with the folks who'd come from the Dust Bowl of the 1930's to work in the factories, rail yards or the Farmer John Slaughterhouse in nearby Vernon. 

But by the 70's, the people who could move out started their shift toward Orange County, and my family watched the transition from working class to poor, until we finally moved out in the late 70's. 

I bring this all up because of one of the changes I recall. My memories of Bell involve many 'greasy spoon' type diners, places where everything was made by a short order cook on a grill. I know those places still exist, but it seems, as I've alluded to more than a few times in these pages, that the majority of greasy spoon diners in So Cal have been replaced by chain restaurants and Mexican places.

So walking in to the Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse is a bit of a throwback. It's been a diner for a long time, and has the look of the places I remember from the 70's. Nagahyde and formica, a long counter in the middle and a pie cooler behind it. 

I'd love to say that I eat here often, but I don't really. I have to be in the mood. Service is a bit slow, my hashbrowns were cooked on a grill that was too hot so they weren't finished, and the gravy on my biscuit was a bit bland.

But it wasn't particularly expensive, and it gave me a chance to chat with my daughter. As often happens in this type of place, the person at the next table struck up a conversation with me, and was chatting up everyone else nearby, too.

My daughter's French Toast was okay, my coffee cup was kept full, and in the end, it was a pleasant morning breakfast. Nothing special, nothing bad.

 On a side note, this is the diner that was used in the movie "Erin Brockovich," both the interior and the exterior.