Just outside of Stockton, on a well-travelled road to the foothills and Sierras, lies a well-known bar and grill whose regular patrons consist of those wearing cowboy hats and drive pick-up trucks as well as those who are clad in leather vests and ride Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Lagorio’s Bar and Grill, located in Farmington, is a quaint, out of the way place that is a very enjoyable little restaurant and bar with some excellent fare bringing travelers from all around.

Known as a great roadside stop for a beer, burger and any number of specialty sandwiches, Lagorio’s is famously known for its grilled oysters, fresh and barbecued to perfection. The food keeps their customers returning from throughout Northern California.

“They’re definitely one of the popular items on our menu,” said manager Tracy McColley, referring to the celebrated oysters. “We serve them with our pesto bread and Kathy Lagorio’s hot sauce.”

McColley described the sauce as a “sweet hot” that can be served directly on the plump shucked sensations served on the half shell.

“It’s not blow your socks off hot, but something that’s tastier with a zest,” she said.

Another popular item, not readily served in these parts of the 209, is their frog legs, served grilled with a half-loaf of their pesto bread.

“They’re pretty hefty legs,” McColley said. “It’s another favorite that has customers returning.”

Lagorio’s steamed clams with a white wine broth are another creation that McColley recommends. She also suggests using the pesto bread to soak up the juices of the broth.

Seven different sandwich creations and 10 different burgers are offered, all served on par-baked rolls or buns.

According to McColley, par-baking is a cooking technique in which a bread or dough product is partially baked before it is needed for use. It is then finished off by baking it at normal temperatures but the process creates a unique texture in the bread.

“You can’t get these in stores,” McColley said.

All sandwiches and burgers are served with Lagorio’s homemade chili.

The recipes have been in use for over 20 years, brought in by Kathy Lagorio when she opened Lagorio’s on the Fourth of July in 1996.

“We try to make as much homemade offerings as we can,” McColley said.

Lagorio’s has a full bar with five beers on tap and a selection of 15 bottled beers.

The building where Lagorio’s is located was built in the late 1800s as a blacksmith shop. According to local residents, it was converted to a bar in the front and an ice cream shop in back in the mid-1920s.

Today, dollar bills with customer messages adorn the ceiling in a classic honky-tonk atmosphere that’s suited for everyone – and the music from an actual jukebox is great, too.
What more can you ask for in a roadhouse?

25550 E. Highway 4
Farmington, CA 95230
(209) 886-5112

Open Daily
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.