Restaurant Review: Denny's Restaurant in Pacifica, California

I'm a bit surprised to find myself reviewing a Denny's, but inspiration comes in the oddest places. There's definitely something worth mentioning about my recent dining experience at Denny's. It's partly to do with the food, and partly to do with the total experience. I hope I can do it justice.

Pacifica, in case you are not familiar with it, is a laid-back city offering the visitor "three beaches, rolling hillsides and close proximity to San Francisco Bay Area points of interest." It's also home to many Bay Area surfers who just can't stand to live too far from the waves. It's about a twenty minutes' drive just south of San Francisco, and as you descend towards the coast you are greeted with a grand view of the Pacific Ocean, dotted with restaurants and business establishments along the shoreline. Pacifica is usually foggy and a bit overcast. So the sunlight is not direct - there is a pearly quality to it that is quite charming.

I have not eaten in many restaurants in Pacifica, save a kids' birthday party or two at Sea Bowl (and I'm not sure that qualifies as a dining experience). On this particular occasion, my son and I were driving up north towards Pacifica after a fruitless several-hour drive to Santa Cruz and back. I will not go into the particulars, other than to say that we were both ticked-off and hungry. My son is a month away from turning thirteen, and I was looking for a place to eat that would satisfy both of us. We spotted Denny's and decided to pay it a visit.

We sat down and placed our order. I think our waiter knew from the beginning that we were not going to leave a lot of money there, although that was not our intent walking in. I ordered a cheeseburger with mushrooms and my son ordered an appetizer of Buffalo chicken strips. For beverages, I went with my usual cup of coffee and my son ordered a "Fusion" drink, which I believe is a combination of several fruit juices. It had an interesting pinkish-orange color to it, and although I did not taste it, my son commented at length on how good it was and basically inhaled it. We had fun observing some of the other drinks at Denny's. There was an interesting, futuristic-looking drink that they serve in an opaque plastic orb. Apparently there are two different drinks contained in the one orb, in case you are a diner who really cannot make beverage decisions that day.

My cheeseburger was pretty good. It was definitely a few steps above both Burger King and McDonald's. The cheese was of good quality and the mushrooms tasted fresh. It came with a substantial side of fries. My son's Buffalo chicken strips had the usual hot sauce-vinegar dressing with a dipping sauce as well, and quite a few celery sticks on the side. My son insisted I try one of his chicken strips, and it was really tasty - the perfect balance of spicy and sour. I wanted to give my son some of my fries and requested a small plate. The waiter brought it immediately and obligingly. He then asked if we wanted refills on our drinks. Although we both responded in the negative, he insisted on bringing over the pot of coffee and refilling my cup. He then put a pink, fizzy-looking tall glass of something in front of my son, saying, "here - drink this. It's free." (My son was delighted.) Overall, the service at Denny's was flawless. It was really flattering to have someone go to great lengths to make us happy.

My guess is that the current state of the economy is encouraging most dining establishments to go out of their way to bring in customers and then to keep them coming back. I think that was one of the reasons for the great service, although I like to think that there were others as well. At any rate, it elevated what could have been just another diner visit to something extra.

The décor at Denny's is a bit underwhelming. To give you an example, the banquette at our table had little strips of duct tape sealing the punctures in the faux leather. The restaurant looked somewhat tired and downtrodden, but that's exactly what many people enjoy when they go out to eat. Artistically-inclined people often feed off of that kind of ambience. As an example, please recall Jack Nicholson's performance in the movie "Five Easy Pieces" (the diner scene). If the décor takes back stage, it gives one the freedom to sort out the mess in one's head. In this age of "dining as theatre," there is no shortage of obtrusive décor in restaurants. Not everyone likes that, and for those people who don't, Denny's is a slice of Heaven. (Or hot fudge and caramel sauce cheesecake.)

By the way, I think Denny's deserves a shout-out for serving its free Grand Slam breakfast recently to all takers. Although I did not partake in this experience, as a restaurant veteran (I waited tables for a year after college), the thought of a thousand people lined up for a free breakfast gives me heart palpitations. Denny's took on the task and fed lots of hungry, out-of-work people, and they deserve a commendation for that.

So if you're in Pacifica and you need someplace to go for lunch or dinner, you might want to check this place out. Denny's is located at 500 Linda Mar Blvd., Pacifica, CA 94044. The telephone number is (650) 355-0874. (It's open twenty-four hours a day, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.) And then afterwards you can take a beautiful walk on the beach.