Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant

Unbelieveable, sat for thirty minutes and no one has came up to us to get our drinks or take our order. Waiter takes an order runs to the kitchen to drop the order off. Gets their drink, then goes to the next table. Still no acknowledgement. Finally, after 45 mins we got our order in. Lets check how long before we get our order.
I can honestly say the food was awesome.
The serviced sucked. Again, the food was great.
Abraham at the Santa Nelia Anderson needs to work on his service.

Ehh, it’s okay. Unfortunately I got pea soup in a bread bowl and the bread absorbed all the water out of the soup making the soup really grainy and unappetizing. The best part of the meal is the top part of the sour dough bread that they toasted.

Wow! I was expecting a tourist trap and instead found a gem! Split Pea Andersen’s accommodated us ordering «off the menu» for our 14 month old son (we ordered a plain chicken breast). My wife revered about their pea soup and she was right… I could have enjoyed two bowls for lunch.
Finally, i was also impressed with their inferno wings. They had a solid heat to them. For some reason when the menu said they were «dry» I assumed dry rub… instead they were battered and fried. Usually I am not a fan of battered wings but these were to notch!

I find this place adorable and a good place to stop by when commuting from LA to Sacramento. Food is decent and staff is friendly. Good place to take a little break and the décor is cute. Split pea soup here is really good.

Best pea soup ever!!!
I usually get it to go so I can’t really comment on the staff, however they seem pleasant.
Everything else, if your starving, is just ok:(

Used to be my favorite place to stop on the way to Monterey (we go there often). They have definitely taken a dive. The pea soup is still bomb but both my and my moms food was cold. The kids said the honey mustard tasted rubbery. My little one was also not pleased with the chicken nuggets which is a pretty hard thing to mess up. I will probably be back for the pea soup but honestly I won’t be venturing out beyond the specialty. I think they worry more about quantity over quality.

We always want to stop here. And finally did. There is a large gift shop, with some cute touristy things.
The service was ok. Not too friendly. Not unfriendly.
I got the split pea soup and garden salad. I thought the soup was blah. Salad was crisp with croutons tomatoes, carrots and ranch. Just a salad.
Husband got the special pesto turkey sandwich. It was large and he liked it. Good fries.
Daughter got fettuccini Alfredo. She liked it. I thought it tasted of mint.
Just very 3 stars.

SUMMARY: Great stop for the whole family ! Decent food and a plethora of choices to suit any taste. Great friendly service and a nice «vacation style» dining experience. A nice break from the endless chain restaurants along I-​5.
FULL REVIEW: I Have passed this restaurant many times and finally was able to stop and try a bowl of famous Anderson split pea soup. This location is a bit touristy, however the food and service here are on part with some of the finest restaurants I have visited. I found the split pea soup a bit bland but a selection of interesting house seasonings at the table remedied that nicely.
In addition to the soup I enjoyed the Danish Meatloaf. I was surprised by the texture and flavor originally. The veal and pork used in this meatloaf give it a gamey texture and hearty flavor that may be off putting to tongues used to tomato basted beef and cracker meatloaf. This dish was served with homeade mashed potatoes and gravy which I found savory and delicious. As well as the fresh steamed squash, zucchini and carrots that also accompanied the dish.
My wife had the chicken Alfredo which was a bit bland, however the house seasoning at the table really enhanced the dish and we both found it enjoyable. The service was fantastic The prices are about what you would expect of a tourist minded establishment (Think olive garden or Logans roadhouse).
Overall the experience was pleasant and I would return again. We are looking forward to sampling the large selection of pastries we purchased from the on site bakery but as of now have no review for them. Anyhow bypass the drive throughs nearby and treat yourself to this unique dining experience. Your sure to have no regrets. Happy dining!

Driven by the billboard many, many times without stopping in. Didn’t have enough time to stay and dine in this time, but got the famous split pea soup to go in a 16oz Styrofoam cup, trucker style! Spoon and crackers provided, but all you really have to do is sip it straight from the cup! First time trying it, and it was nice and hot, satisfying and had that homemade taste — warmed my tummy. Cute little stop with restrooms, knickknacks and gift shop items galore, as well as the sit down restaurant, bar and bakery.

This is easily my favorite restaurant in Santa Nella. No kidding! I could go to Popeye’s but why when there’s a Pea Soup Anderson’s in the same town?
This place reminds me of the road trips I used to take as a kid and for nostalgia’s sake, that makes it totally worth it. Add in the pea soup, a little Danish bakery and the awesome service and it’s a little gem on the way to see the in laws.
I’m always so glad to see my old friends Hap-​Pea and Pea-​Wee!

It’s a stop on I5 in the middle of nowhere. What were you expecting? For what it is it’s quite good and has all the requisites plus a bit:
Friendly staff, kid friendly, prompt service, food that’s more than edible, reasonable prices (by SF and LA standards, which is of course where everyone is from/​going).
The extras? Danish signature items and pea soup that, while probably inauthentic, are tasty and provide a bit of a difference from traditional side of the road fare.
Plop this place down in a foodie paradise and it won’t survive or get more than 3 stars from me, but here in I5 in the middle of a long drive with a hungry family — absolutely it gets 5 stars.
Location location location.

This restaurant is a must when on the way to or from So Cal. It’s right off the freeway and you can’t really miss it, the windmill is visible from miles away. I always get the same thing, their specialty, which is the split pea soup in a bread bowl. Comes with unlimited refills, it is the definition of comfort food! It’s got original décor reminiscent of European architecture. The furniture could use a bit updating and the staff could use an attitude adjustment but I love the soup here and I always make a point to stop here when traveling to so cal. It’s a totally unique restaurant, in Santa Nella right off I-​5.

I’d always wanted to try Pea Soup Andersen’s, it being one of those iconic landmarks one sees when spending their younger years traversing back and forth across central California. I finally got my chance on a return trip from camping, and I have to say it was pretty much what I expected.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the place is its touristy charm. Big fake windmill buildings, a cartoon cutout you can stick your faces through and the requisite gift shop. All of these elements together make for a good stopover in an otherwise unattractive town, especially if you have kids in tow.
But we came for the food and their signature dish. While the pea soup was satisfying and at least tasted homemade, the rest of the meals (I sampled many options) were bland, bland, bland. They were clearly tailored to the most senior of our citizens, which seemed the main demographic here. My french dip and the au jus were the most bland version of the dish I’ve ever tasted.
I was intrigued to discover a seedy cocktail lounge in the back that looked like a perfect divey spot to nurse a buzz on a lazy afternoon. It’s too bad the air conditioning was so high I needed layers to sit in there.

Great place
Delisiosa comida se les recommenda
Gaby the water
Increible she is great
Thanks everyone for good service

I have never had pea soup before.
Pea is delicious. It was a little salty and warm. Couldn’t get enough of it!
Be careful though — the pea is quite viscous and splashes easily. I got pea on my shirt, face and in my hair! But I was careless. It was still delicious.
I love pea!

So many memories for so many people encompass this iconic road side restaurant. It’s a no brainer to order their famous Split Pea soup. The vegetarians and gluten free will love that it is made with you in mind. For those who must have bacon you can add bacon, cheese, and sour cream for a small fee.
Located outside of Gustine by I-​5 this restaurant has catered many meals for surrounding high school reunions and for families celebrating «life» at the nearby San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery.
Plenty of souvenirs to buy for those on vacation. You can even take home the peas in a bag or the canned version of their famous split pea soup.
Great place to stop if you’re vacationing in the area or traveling I-​5.

Ohhhhh, just the sight of that giant windmill off of I-​5! Means you’re just a little bit closer to Disneyland, and that’s a fabulous thing. I’ve always had the urge to stop at Andersen’s and we finally had our chance during our last road trip down to the land of Disney. My fam and I were starving so we stopped in for lunch. It was pretty good!
First things first, the building is about 50% restaurant, 50% gift shop. It’s massive, and the gift shop is full of adorable lil’ knick knacks to take home. I bought my beau a mini windmill and a mug and he thought it was the cutest lil’ thing.
We were seated quickly in the restaurant, which was pretty busy. Our server was super sweet! Little sister had the chicken fried steak, which was covered in the most delicious gravy. I had the frikadellers (meatballs!) that were a tad dry, but still tasty. I tried the pea soup and it was basically what I thought it would be (mind you– I don’t like peas. But how could I NOT try what they’re famous for?!). Had a strange consistency and wasn’t as delicious as I’d hoped… but I don’t regret trying it. Mom had a french dip sandwich that I didn’t try, but she said it was good. Portions were huge! We had leftovers that we happily devoured on the remainder of our trip down south.
Andersen’s is definitely gimmicky, but if you have the time, you should try to stop!

We stopped in on our way back from Los Angeles. Not a bad experience. The staff was friendly and the food was good. I wanted something more substantial than the soup so I got an omelette. The food was well prepared. My wife enjoyed the travelers special and was very pleased with the split pea soup.
My recommendation is to get the soup if you haven’t been here before. If you want something else, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good the other items are.

Love this place, every time I am down and up I-​5, I have to stop here. The food is on par due to the long drive, sleepiness, and the need to pee.
The pea-​soup is great, salty, creamy and green.
The Danish sausage meatloaf is the best Danish sausage meatloaf I have ever had though it’s the only Danish sausage meatloaf I tried. The ruben sandwich is tasty, no complaints there.
The customer service is slightly better than Denny’s, but could be consider 5 stars since it is in the middle of no where.
And lastly, my love hate relationship with the gift shop as I have never gotten out without buying something from there.

I don’t know if this is the first time I’ve eaten here or not. Certainly, when on a family trip as a child, we must have stopped here but I don’t remember eating here. This area is a popular spot to pull off and stretch legs, get gas (for your car or as a result of food). We stopped here for breakfast on our way to the central coast for the weekend. I was surprised how few people were here on a Saturday mid-​morning. Parking up close was not a problem. Entering, restaurant dining on the left and and a retail shop on the right.
I was determined to have pea soup for breakfast:
(Her #1) Huevos Rancheros — way too much salsa on the eggs (see pic)
(Her #2) Vege Omelet with hash browns
(Me) Travelers Breakfast — pea soup (yes), two eggs (O/​M), sausage patty, and two pancakes.
Standard breakfast items on the menu and what we had was satisfying and filling. Like a kid, I get excited and order too much. Although pea soup is not a standard for breakfast (not in my little world), just the soup would have made a meal. I make pea soup at home and use very little salt. The salt in this soup was apparent, but normal, I suppose. The surprise comes as you uncover the picture at the bottom of the soup bowl. Reports from around the table were good with the exception of the lake of salsa on the Huevos Rancheros … there are eggs under that salsa?
I took a peak at the lunch items on the menu and it reflected fairly typical style lunch items — burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc. I didn’t see anything that was a signature item here, with the exception of the soup.
The retail (sundry) shop has a variety of Pea Soup Andersen’s things (canned soups, bags on Andersen peas, hats, buttons, books, key chains, novelties and other souvenirs).
Overall: 3.5 — 4 stars

Great place delicious food vengan es genial el lugar se come bien se recommend buen lugar para toda la familiar