Slowmad
Nomad
Posts: 243
Registered: 3-24-2005
Location: Alta California
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Rancho El Descanso
AKA "The Truck Stop" between Catavi?a and Guayaquil.
Stop three on the Tour de Machaca.
Classic old stone building with small finches flying about inside. Distinct family-run vibe. Walls covered in business cards and photos of big rigs.
Interesting snapshots of mountain lion and sheep hunts from the local mountains.
Greeted with frown.
Menu eventually appeared.
Machaca of the "bird's nest" variety: stone dry and tangled with no other ingredient. Very authentic El Camino Real cuisine: utterly air-dried,
stringy range cattle. Much chewing ensued. Then some more. Still more chewing.
Food: 2/5; Service: 2/5; Value; 2/5; Ambience: 4/5
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
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Mood: mellow
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rancho descanso
Seems like a popular place with the truckers, but have eaten there twice and I agree with your review totally.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65054
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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This is really great... You may have covered them already, but if not... try Rancho El Progreso and Cafe Sonora. Regular trucker places and they were
on the old Baja road before pavement. Both these places moved about a mile and relocated along the new highway after it was finished.
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3722
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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Progreso is a regular stop
Had thought about trying Descanso next week, guess we can pass on it now.
Progreso has had good breakfasts the past two years.
Slow service, but who cares, it is Baja, right?
Cute little chiquita waitress, I suspect that the truckers stop for her as much as for the machaca (which was actually quite good>> no, no, no, the
machaca, not the waitress)
Plus, right out the back door is a quick sidetrip to the ruins of San Fernando Velicata. Only a mile or so, a bit rough but easily driveable at slow
speed.
Baja Arriba!!
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3722
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy amable
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Progreso was 'cerrado' last Friday, so we tried Descanso.
Nine of us descended on the place for breakfast.
Service was good and friendly.
Food was good for some of us, lousy for others.
I rather liked my machaca and scrambled eggs but others not so thrilled.
Certainly a reasonable stop on a hungry route, but not a stellar attraction.
(I think it helps to be wheeling a semi...)
Baja Arriba!!
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