Breakwater Barbecue in the El Granada station for the Ocean Shore Railroad

Our local BBQ spot here in El Granada - Breakwater Barbecue - had a soft opening this weekend in their new location.

Here's the new building. They're still working on replacing the sign from the previous restaurant occupant:

Exterior photo of a restaurant with a faded sign reading "MONSTER CHEF Fine Japanese Restaurant" the building is cream-colored with red tile roofs and large windows. It has a little bit of a railway station vibe to it if you squint at it just the right way.

It's actually our old railway station! From 1905 to 1920 the Ocean Shore Railroad ran steam trains from San Francisco down through Half Moon Bay most of the way to Santa Cruz, though they never quite connected the two cities.

The restaurant has some photos on the wall of the old railroad. Here's what that same building looked like >100 years ago.

Historical black and white photograph showing a train station with a steam train on the left and a Spanish-style station building with arched entrances on the right. It's clearly the same building, though the modern one has had a bunch of extra extensions added to it and doesn't look nearly as much like a train station.

Posted 4th May 2025 at 5:09 pm

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