Review #:900! This place is definitely deserving of the honor. I've been coming here for years and years, sometimes driving down from Sacramento just to have lunch How have I never written a review? There used to be five different pea soup Andersen's, now this is the last one. The original, near Solvang, had to close because of the condition of the building, just shy of its hundredth birthday. When it is redeveloped, they hope to put a version of the restaurant back in. The place is a lot of fun. They have souvenirs, chatchkis, all kinds of different food items... you can buy the dried peas with a recipe card, or they also sell their soup in a can. . The canned soup tastes just like the restaurant. They have the original, but they also have a canned soup with bacon. The bacon is pulverized, so there are no chunks of it in the soup, but you can definitely taste it. It plays off of the pea soup so well. The soup they sell in the restaurant is made fresh, not canned, . They have a bar, dining room, and a coffee shop. Most people eat in the coffee shop. The coffee shop has a big menu, but of course the star is the pea soup. You can get the "travelers special", which is all you can eat pea soup, with all the fixins, and your choice of beverage, including a milkshake if you want one. The soup they serve in the restaurant, is both vegetarian and vegan, but you can't tell. It is amazingly rich, and creamy. The prices are reasonable and when you check out of the restaurant, they also have cookies, pastries, and even some candies. A nice upsell for dessert. Both the chocolate chip, and the white chocolate macadamia cookies are my favorite.... I'll be back. Thanks. read more

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I love Andersen's Pea Soup because it is nostalgic for me - my family would always stop here on trips down to SoCal. The pea soup really is great if you like pea soup, and you can't go wrong with the travelers special to get all the fixings. They have hearty dishes here - you will not leave hungry. I love the chicken fried steak as well! It's got a fun Danish theme, with a cute gift shop in the front with eclectic goods. It's a casual spot which makes it great for travelers. Everyone has always been nice throughout the several decades I've been here - I can't think of one bad experience. Everyone has been really welcoming. read more

This is by far one of my favorite places. Every time I'm in the area I feel like just jumping up and down because I get to come here and eat again. Their pea soup is utterly amazing. The best pea soup I've ever had in my life. Their onion cheese rolls should always be dipped in the pea soup! Soooo good Additionally, the atmosphere is amazing. They have these cute little shops with cheeses and all kinds of things you can purchase and a bakery area. The only thing I regret about my visit is they don't have the chips and salsa they used to have in the bar area anymore. They said they haven't had it since covid. This is not a Mexican restaurant.... But honest to God. It's the best salsa I've ever had - BRING IT BACK PLEASE!!! read more

The main dining hall feels unloved. The staff are pretty good, but the kitchen is a little slow. No matter... my Danish veal and pork meatballs with potatoes and red cabbage was the best! 10/10. Well seasoned and covered in the delicious (homemade) gravy. Order that! I didn't try the soup. I did ask the waitress what's the best on the ever menu. I was dismayed to be recommended : fish & chips, fried chicken, chicken teriyaki. In that order. Then she adds , Danish meatballs last. I doubt the fried foods are going to be the top choice here. If you have a need for a private party you might be able to book the dining room with the hanging banners. It looks like something out of Monty Python! read more

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This is not an April Fools 2026 joke. This place is still here even though their other location closed. Nostalgia and their split pea soup gets me every time. Service sucks so be warned. Want napkins? No Want more water? No Where's our bread? Keep waiting What about the sides we ordered for our soup? Nope Okay back to the positives. Still a really good stop along the way to Los Angeles with plenty of seating and American eats. The soup and sald combo is great. My friends like the club sandwich, but this time went for the chicken fried steak. Classic and decent. I had the meatloaf. Average, but filling. Decent prices for your travels. My other friend had the Traveler's special which includes soup and salad and a milkshake. The milkshake was super sugary. So not sure what kind of cheap ice cream they used. Stick to the classic soup and onion rolls and you'll be fine. There's a reason why their soup is sold in stores. read more

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I've been wanting to go to this restaurant for 50 yrs. When we used to go to Disneyland on the way back, I'd always say mom, dad, can we stop there and have dinner? Every time my parents would say no, so as yours went on, it kind of went in the back burner never thought of it. Every time we would go to put flowers on my uncle's graves. I drive by, say, 1 day, I'm going to eat there. Today we did. The food was awesome.The waitress there was funny and made us feel at home. So , it took 50 years we finally did it. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - This is the photo of the front of the place. - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

Had a blast this past weekend with my mom stopping here in the to Elk Grove from Fresno. We wanted to stop somewhere even though we knew staying in 99 would be more direct. My mom and I wanted to have a cup of Split Pea soup since we are never in the area. We both had a cup and enjoyed it. We were visiting family in Elk Grove and Sacramento so we bought several buckets of soup to give. Everyone was happy with their buckets of soup. Would have been nice to try other dishes but we were meeting up with family for a meal. So we opted for a cup of soup. Delicious! Love that it's made fresh daily. My mom wanted to try the liver and onion special. It was good but my mom doesn't like it over cooked. She forgot to tell them how she wanted it cooked. But they didn't ask either. At least if next time she knows to request it how she likes it. They have a huge gift shop love the books they had too. I was able to get a book for my mom that I'm using right now. It's called Praying in the Names of God. A 52-week workbook. I love it and I know she would too. read more

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Finally, I made it here !!! For so many years I have passed this place and always wanted to stop by but it never worked out, somehow. This place is iconic and situated next to freeway , makes it impossible to miss. I am so happy to say that this place had lived up the hype!! First of all, this place have that amazing old charm which is very hard to find these days. It is very big place. Staff is very nice. My server was super lovely. Pea soup is absolutely humble. I bet that's how they made it in old days. No fancy ingredients. Simple pea soup ... yet very delicious! I had Fried chicken with mashed potatoes: OMG ... those were the best mashed potatoes I ever had! Please try it. Fried chicken has great taste and huge portion. And how come even boiled vegetables can taste so good ! My daughter had shrimp Alfredo, again amazing white sauce, I think it has hint of nutmeg that makes it so intoxicating! This dish is very rich and you feel full in few bites ! I am definitely coming back to try more dishes !!! read more

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In the 1970s and 1980s pea soup, Anderson's was a staple roadside stop, just like Bob's big boy was. My family and I drove across the country between California and Florida and everywhere in between. I believe these were mostly in California, but it's what my memory is from my younger years. My daughter and I were doing a California coastal road trip for spring break this year. On our way home my car routed us to the charging station that happened to be at pea soup Anderson's. Well I guess we'll take this opportunity to revisit and her first visit here. We were seated immediately the staff was superduper friendly. The menu is quite large. Neither of us were especially hungry so we opted to go with a bowl of pea soup. I also ordered a salad. The soup was quite tasty The salad was crisp and fresh There were some fun spices on the table none of which we had any used for, but I tasted them on my hand The thing that bothered me here was the water. I always order a tapwater. I'm not picky, but there was something definitely wrong with this water. I attempted a couple more sips and just couldn't then I got in my head that they use that same water to cook the soup, but I'm sure it's fine because that's boiled right? We also were given some rolls. I've been into something that wasn't supposed to be in there. Maybe it was paper. Maybe it was plastic maybe it was something else I'm not sure I didn't wanna look. I'm glad we went. It was super nostalgic and had a fun gift shop and of course, a bar, who doesn't need a bar when driving down the five freeway Not sure if I would come back to eat, but maybe grab a drink if I'm not the driver and use the bathrooms, which were quite nice read more

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This place has been around 1924 , I think . If you haven't been here , you need to check it out. It's so nostalgic. The have a shop with all kinds of Knick' Knac's to see . It's fun looking . You might find a rarity . read more

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Came here on two different occasions coming back from Vegas and Los Angeles. Pea soup is delicious and so is some of the other food. I ordered their Reuben Originale . Chicken tenders were a little dry for me. Husband ordered the Danish meatballs that I did not care for. Service was OK if you need to get anything from the bakery expect to wait in line because they are very busy. Inside is old and outdated but clean. Plenty of parking and they also have charging stations. It's now become a stop on the way home to charge the car and refuel our tummies. read more

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The frikadeller was awesome--like, "order it again before you leave" good. The potatoes, though... felt like they clocked out a little early. Slightly undercooked and completely forgot seasoning exists--bring your own salt and you'll be fine. The pea soup was legit. Like actually good. And this is coming from my buddy we call "The Great Dane"--who is, in fact, from Denmark--so that's basically an official certification. The place itself is a whole experience. Windmill, pastries, random shop--it's like a roadside time capsule in the best way. Great spot if you're trying to escape the highway and stumble into something different. Also heard they have meatloaf, which I'm 100% coming back for. If it's anything like the frikadeller, I might accidentally become a regular. read more

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Can't wait to go to this place since i missed out on the other location. Please support these locations as they are COMING BACK INTO STYLE

They deserve 5 stars for so many reasons! Nostalgia is the first one, they've been around since 1924 and are still getting it right! The Santa Nella location opened in 1976 but you'd never guess it's been around that long. The restaurant is clean, the bathrooms are clean and the areas of the kitchen we could see were also very clean and orderly. I've seen 2 year old restaurants that are run down and dirty, not Pea Soup Andersen's! Yes, the decor is dated but that's part of the charm! The soup hasn't changed, it's still the same rich, pea forward deliciousness it's always been! I got soup and salad and hubby got soup and a sandwich. His sandwich was made fresh and of course the soup was piping hot! Service was very friendly and kind from the greeting when we arrived to the counter where we paid! Although we weren't there long, our server was attentive and quick, we never waited for anything. So many times in the older restaurants the staff seem as tired as the building, not at Pea Soup Andersen's, they were all as upbeat as can be! We'll definitely be back and if you're in the area, definitely stop by for some soup and souvenirs! read more

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Anderson's restaurant in Santa Nella was one of our lunch stops when headed to LA. We thought that it was closed due to the pandemic. The news we heard was incorrect. It was the Anderson's restaurant off of 101 that closed. We stopped off to charge our EV, and discovered it was open! The decor is classic with an old school vibe. There's a Danish bakery, boutique shop and restaurant under one roof. Anderson's split pea soup in bread bow l- 5/5 The classic Anderson's split peas soup in a sourdough bread bowl was excellent. The split pea soup was greet delicious as ever. The top of the sourdough bread was toasted, and gave a nice crunch when combined with the tasty split pea soup. A side of mashed potatoes was included for extra carb intake. Lol Danish Style Meatloaf - 3/5 Danish meatloaf according to the menu consists of ground beef and pork seasoned with herbs and spices. I want used to this combination, but I'm sure it's very good for those who are familiar with this style of meatloaf. I'll used to meatloaf made only with ground beef, egg, and bread over tomato glaze and sauce. I would recommend this to individuals who are familiar with this style meatloaf. We're happy that Anderson's Restaurant in Santa Nella is still open. I recommend visiting this classical restaurant, home to the infamous split pea soup. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - Meatloaf - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

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Anderson's restaurant located in Santa Nella. It is only one left. The other is located in Buellton, California is permanently closed.This restaurant was famously known for its split pea soup. There are other items in the menu that are delicious. One of my favorites is the fried chicken so much food that I had to take some home more pictures will be posted once our meal arrives if you're looking for any Coke products keep in mind they don't. They only serve Pepsi Services quick people are friendly. The ambience is gorgeous. read more

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Sad this place has gone away, but I used to love eating the split pea soup here. They also had a split pea bread bowl. I'm hoping someone invests in retrofitting this place and reopens it. I only have this one shot of the onion rings. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - Onion rings appetizer - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

Of course I had to try what they're known for--their famous pea soup. The place itself is quite large and interesting, with everything from a bar to a gift shop and a full restaurant inside. The pea soup was warm and comforting. It had a classic and homemade taste. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - Pea Soup (instagram: wooneats) - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

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After passing Pea Soup Andersen's countless times on road trips to and from LA, we finally decided to stop there for lunch. It was honestly the cutest little stop, complete with a full gift shop, a windmill, a bakery counter, and the restaurant itself. We all ended up getting a bowl of pea soup with the toppings, along with cheese and onion rolls on the side--very yummy and comforting. The service was super quick and helpful. It was on the pricier side for soup, but definitely worth the stop. We ended up buying some souvenirs in the gift shop afterward. My mom is already excited to go back on our next road trip! read more

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This place has a very tired vibe! The Danish pastry was bland and very disappointing. The soup was OK, don't get it in the breadbowl! It ws a gummy mess, the grilled bread top was disgusting, it tasted like rotten grease on the grill top! Nostalgia is lost to a mediocre soup, maybe everything else tastes better, and that's why we noticed there were so many people eating other than breadbowls! read more

Had never been here over all my years until I came back from wine tasting Im like I gotta see what it's all about Got to sit down fairly quick but it was after the major lunch rush but the place was still busy Place definitely is old as its been around ages but I had to order the pea soup It was alright it didn't blow me away but it was still good and I'm glad to have experienced it Service was great and friendly! read more

Great place to stop and eat. Food is good, portions are generous. We stopped by during breakfast and were able to order from the lunch and dinner menu. Service is excellent, staff is friendly, helpful and constantly refilling your drink. Ambiance is cute, lots of space to sit and eat. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - Hot chocolate - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

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For almost a decade, I've been passing by the freeway billboards for Pea Soup Andersen's every time I do the NorCal/SoCal trip to get to Fanime each Memorial Day weekend and it usually just never works out. Either a bit too far from our first journeying out and we want to complete the trip ASAP or it's just too close from when we first depart and there's no need to stop just yet. However, on a more recent visit, my boyfriend decided to stop by since he really knew that I wanted to try out the legendary Pea Soup Andersen's. I do have to say it is a must because it's a unique road side stop. Also, great photo ops with the giant windmill in the front. When we visited, it was the holiday season so there's lots of cute Christmas decorations as well. Even as a rest stop it's a good place to take a break since there's plentiful bathroom stalls and a gift shop with lots of the usual knick knacks, toys for kids who may get bored on the trip, and much more. I got several bags of their split peas to gift to friends and to make some delicious pea soup at home afterwards too. It's a popular rest stop as even before the dinner rush, there was a good number of people waiting in line and a lively restaurant. Despite this, service was friendly and attentive and food came out pretty quickly too. We also get a bread roll basket with butter too. For our visit, we got the: 1) Split Pea Soup in a Bread Bowl: -The bread bowl is sour dough, but it's not the huge doughy, super hard exterior kind. The crust is thinner and it's easier to eat. The bowl is grilled to be a light brown. It's then filled with their split pea soup and you are served a side of all of the toppings. You can add whatever in to your liking. -These toppings include: crispy bacon bits, toasted croutons, diced ham, diced scallions, and grated cheddar cheese. The lid of the bread bowl is perfect for dipping. -Soup is rich and has the perfect slightly thick texture. Not too salty and you get the good yummy taste of the peas. An absolute must if you are stopping here. I mean, it's in the name! 2) Frikadeller Danish Meatballs: -2 large meatballs made with ground pork and beef with herbs and spices, roasted and baked. Super moist meatballs slathered in their gravy. For our sides we got parsley sliced potatoes and red cabbage. Nice balance of super umami, savory, creamy sauce, and the slight sour crunchy texture of the red cabbage. -Delicious. 3) Danish Style Cherry Wine Sundae: -It's topped with their own Danish style cherry wine sauce and whipped cream. It's all on top of vanilla ice cream. Huge portion and super decadent. Slight sweet tartness of the rich cherry sauce went great with the vanilla ice cream. Definitely shareable since it came in a small bowl. Definitely enough for us to take to go to enjoy after we arrived in NorCal. I would love to stop by again in the future. read more

Decided to make a pit stop in Santa Nella and I saw the sign "Famous Pea Soup." I was intrigued so my family and I decided to stop here. Apparently this is a very popular tourist spot. As they had a gift shop inside. And public restrooms. Their restaurant is old school English style. There were a lot of options on their menu. They're famous for the pea soup, so that's what we got along with pot roast which comes with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Their famous color of the pea soup is not so appealing but it did taste good. And my mom thought the pot roast was cold when we received it, so our server took it back to be warmed up and came back with a side of gravy, which the meal needed. Overall, it was worth a try but not something I'd like to eat again. read more

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Nice spot to stretch your legs and grab a bite off the 5 FWY, if you're headed up north. I ordered the famous split pea soup in a cup to try. It was delicious, a must. We also had traditional breakfast, waffles, pancakes eggs etc. The place is huge. They have a gift shop with all kinds of items plus clean bathrooms. read more

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A local bucket list we finally got to check off. Their split pea soup was creamy and pretty good. (Not something I'm very family with but I've had a can before and I didn't like it. ) My husband got the fried chicken. It was fried welll and extra crispy. (They advised this meal would take 20 min to prepare.) He did the Hapa Add on with the bowl of split pea and a chocolate milkshake. Milkshake was thick and good. I had the Danish Meatloaf a shot. The "loaf " meat tasted like compacted corned beef. The brown gravy was decent. The mash potatoes were good and smooth. My son got the Chicken Fried Steak and eggs. Veggies were cooked well. Tender yet firm, not mushy. Everything was a little under salted to our preference but could be intended that way. I'm very happy we tried it together as a family. The memories made it worthwhile. They also have a gift shop attached and a bar in the back. read more

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My family and I have stopped here for breakfast over the years while driving North to Redding, CA to visit family. It used to be something we'd always look forward too. Sadly, the food has gone downhill. My eggs were over easy (slimy), not over medium like requested. Hash browns weren't quite cooked all the way so it had that raw potato taste and the texture of the potato was raw as well. It's also over priced for the quality of food they serve. My kids aren't even impressed with this place anymore. On the plus side, their pancakes and pea soup is pretty good. read more

I-5 in Central Valley is a traveler's desert, punctuated only with unmemorable truck stops, gas station and chain restaurant clusters every so often. And for those familiar, on one of the exits, Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant is a welcomed break from the mundane, a glimpse of Denmark. It's iconic in its own right, this spot having been here since 1976. Pea soup courses in their DNA, but there's a lot more served, along with trinkets and tchotchkes, with clean bathrooms for customers. It's a nostalgic throwback to the mid-20th century era, times when cross-country travel was when you were king-of-the-road to discover America. read more

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We went it. Weary travelers. So. I order a pot roast plate and he ordered a meatloaf sandwich add two tiny bowls of of pea soup Add on $13.99. The pot roast had no flavor with gravy veggies and mashed potatoes WOW!!! The meatloaf was so nasty horrible. I have Never had such nasty whatever that was. And they Charged us $4.99 for a soda we didn't order. The service wasn't great. I will never go there again. My bill came to $80.?? OMG. The soup was good and hot. But nothing else was up to a good review . Nope. Never again. The restaurant was pleasant. Service . Food . Sadly. They used to be good. But. Charge for a soda CMON GET IT TOGETHER. Learn to cook too. Geeeez. This was the place to stop. Not again!!! read more

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If you like the food at Ikea's food court ( I know I do! ) well then you will find the food at Andersen's quite appealing, especially if you're driving down South on the i5 from Washington State and haven't eaten the whole day. Really like the decor here, reminds me of Solvang...well it's Danish, duh~ Had a really great first time experience here, loved the Pea soup despite it my being canned, the Danish Sausages weren't too heavy, and the Danish meatballs and Sauerkraut Red Cabbage complemented each other fairly well. At first it was sort of too rich for my palate, but then with each bite, it just grows on you. Shout-out to Monica, and the front of the house host, for their professionalism. This restaurant is definitely worth stopping by along the i5. Well considering I was going to park at the Harrish Ranch Steakhouse down in Coalinga, but then found out they stopped allowing big rigs to patronize the place. Nevertheless, this was a worthy stop trucking through and taking a break for the brief moment! Food: 3.5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 read more

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Highly recommended that we stop over here and have the Traveler's Special : AYCE Pea Soup. Has a separate areas for a Cafe Lounge , Bar Lounge, and Dining Lounge . It has a bakery shop, cheese shop and gift shop! Was seated at the Coffee Lounge for a late lunch! Very large eating area at this lounge with booths set up for big groups as well. Soup special came with 3 pcs of dinner rolls and a choice of ice cream, coffee or soda. Hubby chose coffee! Service was ok with our server still have to be flagged down for another bowl of soup, water refill and coffee. Was surprised for server to add coffee on hubby's half filled cold cup !!! Instead of offering a new fresh cup !! so that made it lukewarm instead of giving another new hot cup of coffee!!! No bueno!! I had the Danish Style Meatloaf. Seasoning tasted so different with the one I am accustomed to . This Danish style had the dill taste which I am not fond of !!! But hubby finished the rest ! read more

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The atmosphere is great! The decor transport you to German or Amsterdam! Menu is extensive from the famous pea soup to much more. Pea soup is fresh and there is a vegetarian one too. Very satisfying! read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - Outside the restaurant - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

Save your money. Just buy the cans from the store and get your own bread or sourdough rolls. I'm a fan of their split pea soup in cans and have wanted to try them in person for decades during the drive up and down from northern and southern California. Unfortunately, it was disappointing. With current pricing, for $38 I got a 16 oz coffee cup of split pea (cans are 15 oz), a large cut Sourdough roll, a seasoned slice of bread, and the Danish sausage... which was pretty much lot of onion slices with small sausage, sliced and soaked in SpaghettiOs sauce. I didn't expect much, but I expected more for what I paid. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - Receipt for bread bowl and danish sausage - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

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This place is average at best. The service was lacking and the food was average. It's more a tourist location than anything else. Also, being served a dirty knife is horrible. It means someone physically handled the item and didn't pay enough attention to it when preparing to serve it at a table to notice that it was filthy. I posted the picture. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - A dirty knife wrapped in a serving napkin. - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

Pea soup is great, service was efficient. Definitely love the decor. Great pit stop and gift shop. read more

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I have been coming here every couple of years since I was a kid and it was always tasty. We stopped for lunch today while traveling and it has gone so far downhill. While we looked at the menu, I got a water, and even the water tasted musty! Like if you had tap water in a glass for days, it was so awful I had to order a coke. Our waitress seemed grumpy and rushed even though there were hard,y any diners. I got the oriental chicken salad and it was icky. The size was good, but they dumped a ton of this gross, too sweet dressing all over it. All I could think of was food in a nursing home. I did love their little gift shop, so we will still stop there occasionally, but pass on the food. read more

Pea soup was ok, a bit too salty. Danish meatballs were very dry. The parsley potato and red cabbage were alright. The fries are not very crispy, nothing special. The vibe is nice though, and the staff was friendly and prompt. We went on a Monday for lunch and it was not crowded but not empty. Plenty of parking. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - Danish meatballs - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

I have driven by this place so many times, I can't even count. Finally, after all these years, I was able to stop in and try their famous pea soup. Unfortunately, it was served lukewarm and it was a tad bland. However, it did improve after I put some toppings on it. I added diced ham, green onions, cheese and croutons. It cost an additional five dollars but worth it. Also, it was enough to share with another person. Their patty melt was much, much better. It was meaty, cheesy, buttery delight on rye bread. Overall, this place is a nice stop if you're on a roadtrip. Besides the restaurant, they have store, bakery, and the restrooms were clean. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - Pea soup and half a patty melt - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California

Great food! The pea soup is excellent and so is the chicken fried steak. Fun atmosphere as well.

Whoa my chicken and waffles is the cover photo sweet. I was thinking who else had that dish but it was just me. Good old Pea Soup Andersens with an E. Sadly my doggos couldn't join me on this trip. I was gonna try the app combo this time but went with a slightly cheaper meat lovers omelette special since I'm trying to keep carbs out lately. Ham, bacon, sausage, jack cheese. Don't come here for salad by the way. The salads looked all nasty no offense. It may sound healthy but that is not their specialty. It's diner food. read more

Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant - Chicken and waffles! Actually not too great but glad they made this combo for me :D - American Near Me - Santa Nella, California