101 on the 101

(Courtesy of Oceanside Historical Society)

 

Million dollar condo's line the Southern California coast.  Parents underneath umbrellas on the scolding sand put sunscreen on their children. Pelicans whistle a few tunes while fishermen and women seek their fortunes along Oceanside Pier . A few blocks east on Coast Highway, also known as historic US 101, is a 85 year old stucco building that has catered many beach goers, fishermen, residents and visitors, the 101 Cafe.

 

Immediately greeting the guest is a chrome polished diner booth Jukebox with selections ranging from Bob Segar to The Beach Boys.

 

A historical collage decorates the plastered walls around the cafe. Hungry guests, maintaining their focus on their food and company, ignore the awesome array of Oceanside and US 101 history.

Moments later, a blonde waitress with piercing blue eyes greets the customer, "Hello. Find a seat anywhere." After moving around back and forth from the kitchen to a table in a lighting bolt shaped manner, she adds, "Would you like you something to drink?" A Diet Coke with no ice was requested. Moments later, co-owner John Daley, wearing a faded white Hanes T-shirt, comes out of the kitchen and sits next to the customer.

His blue eyes magnify through his glasses as he gets into the history of the establishment.

The 20-seat diner with metallic counters opened in 1928 by the Ekegren family. It was named for the famous highway due to its proximity on the route. In the 1940's, Greyhound stopped right in front until a bus station was located downtown. The diner was enjoying the traffic generated by Highway 101, which was the main access from Los Angeles to San Diego. However, in 1953, the route was relocated to the present location of Interstate 5.

Hudson Dealership on US 101, three blocks from the café

(Courtesy of Oceanside Historical Society)

 

During this period, local businessman, Lucky Lackey found a successful restaurateur in John "Bushie" Graham to operate the latest in eateries, a drive-in called "Grahams" and ran it quite successfully until the early 1970's.

(Courtesy of Oceanside Historical Society)

 

Graham also ran two other drive-ins in Oceanside, located at Seventh and Hill Streets and Clementine and Mission Avenue. Grahams' reputation as a hot spot for local teenagers spread far and wide. When the new drive-throughs like McDonald's began to rise to prominence, drive-ins no longer prospered. Graham adapted by selling to-go items and changed the format to a coffee shop. 101 Cafe when it was known as Graham's Drive-In All along, the Cafe has been a favorite of locals and tourists looking for friendly service and great food. About 10 years later, a new owner changed the name to Randy's Coffee Shop. Today it is owned by Daley and Dave Ranson.

"After a while people were calling me Randy and I got tired of it so I changed the name to 101 Café," says Daley. "They could call me an asshole, but not Randy."

As the jaws chew on the last piece of plain and dry hamburger, an African American young man and his mother, decorated in a purple silk pants outfit walk in. "Are you open?" the young man says. After Daley replied the place was closed, the young man went into a mini fit, but his mom tells the owner that he is having a rough time. Moments later, Daley asks them, "What kind of shakes do you want?" They got their chocolate and peanut butter shakes to go as smiles and gratuity followed them out.