On our almost 8 hour trek to San Francisco, my BFF planned for us to reserve an inn in Carmel to…read moresleep and rest up before we finish the last leg of our trip. One of the things I was looking forward to on our leisurely drive up the 101 freeway to the Bay Area was the 17-mile drive in the Carmel/Monterey area close to the Pebble Beach PGA golf course. After a restful respite, we started on the 17-mile drive that included 17 stops to take beautiful and breathtaking pictures. We had planned to eat breakfast during this scenic drive and decided to stop at #14 to grub at the Gallery Cafe, which overlooks the start of the Pebble Beach golf course. The Gallery Cafe served one of the best biscuits and gravy, flapjacks, and a cinnamon roll that was to die for. Besides the memorable food, we received excellent customer service from our server Ana.
Gallery Cafe is located where the Pebble Beach golf course starts. Specifically, it can be found at Spot #14 of the 17-mile drive. It's just a short walk from the Welcome Center, a short walk up from The Lodge, and it just above where the Pebble Beach golf course shops and restaurants can be found. There is plenty of visitor parking. As you enter the restaurant, you'll be immersed with framed pics of some of golf's greats like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. One of the great things about dining here is seeing golfers hit their first drive towards the fairway of one of the best golf courses in the world. It's a spacious restaurant with wooden tables and cushioned seats. There is plenty of covered outdoor seating where you get a closer look of the golf course. There's also bar top seating for adult beverages. Make sure to pay for the 17-mile drive because that fee will be taken off of your bill if you spend more than $35. Our server Ana provided attentive, friendly, and impeccable customer service providing great recommendations. Service was prompt and Ana checked on us at a good pace.
When the wifey and I discussed what we wanted to eat for breakfast, I asked that we eat somewhere that served a traditional breakfast. At the Pebble Beach golf course, there are several options to dine at. We initially thought we'd look for a restaurant at The Lodge, but as we were walking, I saw a staff member and asked where a good restaurant was to eat breakfast and he recommended the Gallery Cafe. They serve a variety of coffee, blended drinks, omelets and egg plates, specialties, griddle dishes, traditional breakfast items, and sides and small bites. I selected a biscuit and gravy, stack of 3 pancakes, and my wife and I shared the recommended house-made sticky roll. That biscuit and gravy was one of the best I've ever eaten. The biscuit was fresh, rosemary flavored, and covered with a creamy, hearty, and savory gravy. It was really tasty and I enjoyed every single bite. The pancakes were fresh, sprinkled with powder sugar, and I made sure to coat each flapjack with their whipped butter. They were a good size and I couldn't finish all three pancakes. Make sure to order the house-made sticky roll, which is made fresh daily, comes in a cinnamon swirl, and it's covered with warm cream cheese frosting. It was too beautiful to eat, but we couldn't resist and loved how luscious it was. This sticky roll satisfied our sweet tooth, it was creamy, and the cream cheese frosting was finger licking delicious.
If you're visiting Carmel/Monterey, I highly recommend experiencing the 17-mile drive. Part of that drive will involve visiting spot #14, so make sure to stop here to enjoy delectable grub at the Gallery Cafe.