In an age where trends and tastes are constantly changing, it is refreshing to find those places that remain the same. The world was a much different place in 1996, but Pineda Crossing was not. Here, consistency is key. In an interview with us last year, owner Bob Popp shared, “The idea here was to basically sell comfort food with the help of a qualified chef in charge, and that’s what we’ve stuck with for the last 23 years.”
“[There’s] no new ‘spin’ going on at Pineda Crossing,” continued Popp. “We have been here for 23 years by not chasing trends or food fashions. We are the very definition of ‘old school.’” Popp has owned Pineda Crossing since he bought it in 1995. At the time it was a grimy biker bar located right next to a trailer park. Popp worked on the restaurant, renovated and revamped it, and in 1996 opened Pineda Crossing.
Popp prides himself on serving not only the same quality as 23 years ago, but the same beloved dishes. He claims, “If you got a dish here 10 years ago, you can come today, and it’ll still be here.” Some of their bestsellers are: filet Oscar, portobello strip steak, grouper nueces, Pineda sea bass and Florentine pasta. All of their mouthwatering dishes are made by their chef, Rand Morgan, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and has been at Pineda Crossing for over 20 years. Morgan crafts all of the restaurant’s dishes from scratch with the freshest ingredients, never frozen Midwestern beef and fresh local seafood.
Not only is their food the same delicious food as over 20 years ago, their drinks and the atmosphere are the same as well. They don’t try to trick your palette with overly fruity drinks or signature cocktails. Instead, they offer only the finest alcohol. They serve Old-Fashioneds, martinis and Manhattans. You won’t find a frozen strawberry margarita there — and that’s just the way Popp, and the locals, like it.
Pineda Crossing is just a comfortable place to be. Popp says, “You can sit all day and listen to Big Band music, calm down and relax until you have to leave and face the rest of the day.” Here, customers can simply enjoy their surroundings and their meal. “The best meals come with no surprises,” says Popp. And that’s certainly how he runs Pineda Crossing. There are no surprises. Just consistently good, old fashioned, fresh food.
