Iconic CA Roadside Restaurant Closes

CASTROVILLE, CA — A California roadside icon known for artichokes of both edible and artistic varieties has closed.

Giant Artichoke Restaurant, located in the 11200 block of Merritt Street in Castroville and highly visible due to the enormous artichoke statue attached to its storefront, closed on Wednesday.

Restaurant leadership of 25 years welcomed hundreds of customers this week to say goodbye, serve up the final fried artichokes, and start selling decor and equipment, according to Facebook posts from the business.

The building is listed for sale or lease on Loopnet, with the roughly 3,700-square-foot structure priced at about $1.9 million. The restaurant’s operator is retiring, according to the listing.