Scott Clark recently left the kitchen of San Francisco critical darling Saison, where he was working as a sous chef, to open this casual caboose cafe with his partner Alexis Liu in Half Moon Bay. Dad’s serves a grass-fed cheeseburger, homemade potato chips, an oyster mushroom sandwich, an herb salad, and mac and cheese. The menu notes: “Everything except cheese is local & organic, all condiments are made by Dad.”

The Picnic Basket is the rare boardwalk-adjacent restaurant that is not, in any way, a tourist trap. Open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, this convivial Santa Cruz cafe serves salads, sandwiches, egg dishes, mac and cheese, pastries, beer, wine, and ice cream. You’ll find the names of local farms and purveyors all over the menu. The bacon, lettuce, and avocado sandwich is especially popular.

This well-regarded brewpub in Old Town Monterey serves just the kind of stuff you want to eat after a long day on the road — burgers, tacos, flatbreads, sandwiches, wings, and beer-battered fries. The menu also has plenty of vegetarian options, and a few big-ass salads. When it’s not too crowded, Alvarado Street Brewery is also a nice place to enjoy a pint of beer or a glass of wine on the patio.

This unpretentious bar and grill has a truly spectacular view of the shoreline. Take in the scenery from your perch high up in the mountains while tucking into a shrimp BLT, a fancy tofu-vegetable sandwich, or Nepenthe’s “famous ambrosia burger.” The prices are a tick higher than what you find at many similar restaurants along the coast, but really, you’re paying for the scenery and mellow vibes. If you don’t want to commit to a full meal, you can always pop in for a drink and a snack on the patio. Note: Although Highway 1 is closed both north and south of this restaurant due to the landslides that buried parts of the highway this winter, Nepenthe is still open daily, for the Big Sur community and anyone who wants to make the trek up to the restaurant.

Madeline’s feels a bit like a restaurant that time-warped from the mid-’90s into the present day, but if you embrace the slightly retro nature of this bistro, you can have a great meal here. This local favorite serves hearty, French-influenced American fare — chicken stuffed with brie, duck with a cherry-brandy glaze, etc. — in a cozy, soft-hued dining room. Central Coast wines are well represented on the drinks list, and during the day, the front part of the space opens as a tasting room. An a la carte menu is available with entree prices ranging from $24 to $38, and a five-course tasting menu is also available for $55. It’s a relatively small space, so it might be wise to book a reservation if you’re visiting on a weekend night.

At this Arroyo Grande hot spot, Brian Collins, a veteran of several great California restaurants including Chez Panisse, cooks thin-crust pizzas and rustic meats dishes using live wood fire. You can usually find a few plates on the menu that incorporate local seafood and vegetables, and the pastas are all made in-house. Ember is one of the most exciting restaurants along the Central Coast right now.

Head to this Orcutt institution for oak-grilled tri-tip, baby back ribs, cowboy sirloin steaks, and double-cut pork chops. The space has an old-timey vibe, with a big bar in the front and a more formal dining room in the back, lined with comfy booths. Eater LA notes that Far Western Tavern offers a “classy take on ranchero barbecue.”

After settling down in a retirement home near Santa Barbara, Julia Child became obsessed with this small taqueria, where the tortillas are made fresh throughout the day. Tacos are the main attraction here, but La Super-Rica also has a specials board which usually includes things like enchiladas, vegetable tamales, and chile rellenos. This restaurant is popular with both locals and travelers alike, and a line often snakes down the block.

This Danish-themed oddity serves better-than-average diner food as well as “homestyle specials” like pot roast, veal cutlets, and a roasted turkey dinner in a cafeteria-style space with Hans Christian Andersen flair. The 40-year-old restaurant offers an all-you-can-eat pea soup deal, and it has an adjoining bakery counter, gift shop, saloon, and motel. Like the other I-5 legend, Harris Ranch, you should visit this place at least once in your life just to know what it’s all about.

The long stretch of highway between Coalinga and Santa Nella is one of the most boring parts of the I-5 journey between Southern and Northern California. There’s not much in the way of good food along the way, but if you’re starving (or need a break from the tedium), consider hitting up this better-than-average burger joint in Firebaugh, off exit 368. Wayback serves a heftier burger than you find at most fast-food chains, with straightforward toppings. If you squint, you might even think you’re eating a Shackburger.

Once you roll up to this sprawling hotel/restaurant/market complex, you’re almost exactly halfway between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Celebrate this achievement with a big-ass country breakfast in the Ranch Kitchen (served all day), a pub burger and a pint at the Horseshoe Bar (adults only), or a bone-in prime rib at the Steakhouse (a real high-roller kind of place). Harris Ranch has a restaurant to suit every taste, plus a general store with snacks, baked goods, sandwiches, and a seemingly endless array of tchotchkes. During peak breakfast/lunch hours, be prepared to wait a bit at the Ranch Kitchen, which is the most popular of the three establishments.

Exit 278 has a Denny’s, a McDonald’s, a Wendy’s, a DQ, a Jack in the Box, and this popular taco truck, which is parked outside the Hercules Tire Shop. Yelpers rave about the carnitas and the al pastor tacos, which are priced at $1.75 a pop. Outdoor seating is available at a handful of picnic tables, but on hot days, this patch of land is sometimes full of bugs, so maybe consider getting your order to-go.

The stuffed corn cakes at this Salvadorian restaurant are easily some of the most delicious things you can eat along I-5. The only hitch about this otherwise convivial restaurant is that the service can be slow. If you’re in a rush, consider hitting up the taco truck from the same owners at the gas station directly across the street. A note for parents: Tita’s has a large, empty concrete space with a few tables in the back where kids can expend some of their energy before hopping in the car.