Bay Area restaurant housed in a railroad station to close permanently

"About 20 minutes south of San Francisco along Highway 1, you can't miss a stand-alone building on the left side of the road that looks like a house - a sign prominently displayed on its roof reads "Steaks & Seafood." This home is actually a restaurant that acts as the unofficial entrance to Pacifica, the small beach town that locals refer to as "P-Town." But after 30 years, this cherished Bay Area restaurant housed in a former railroad station is set to close."

"Vallemar Station, at 2125 Pacific Coast Highway in Pacifica, announced in a Facebook post that it would be closing in the near future. SFGATE confirmed the closure with Denise Ash, daughter of owner Barbara Ash. It has been a staple of the beachside community, with a surf-and-turf-meets-Italian menu and stiff drinks. Denise cited rising costs, slower seasons and taking care of her mother as reasons for its upcoming closure."

"The restaurant is housed in a former railway station along the short-lived Ocean Shore Railroad, a project intended to connect San Francisco to Santa Cruz by train. However, it lasted only from 1905 to 1920. Much of the railway line was paved over to make Highway 1, and only three of the railway station buildings remain, including Vallemar Station. Hal and Barbara Ash opened the restaurant in 1996 and became a beacon of community for the locals of Pacifica from the get go."

Vallemar Station sits 20 minutes south of San Francisco along Highway 1 and functions as an unofficial entrance to Pacifica. The restaurant occupies a former Ocean Shore Railroad station and has served the beachside community for 30 years. Owners Hal and Barbara Ash opened the restaurant in 1996 and established a surf-and-turf-meets-Italian menu, stiff drinks, and warm local relationships. The building preserves railway history and features miniature model displays of the Ocean Shore Railway. Rising costs, slower seasons, the death of Hal, and the need for family caregiving for Barbara have led to plans to close the restaurant.

Read at SFGATE