The Famed California Restaurant That Still Doesn't Use Freezers

California is a foodie paradise, being home to both America's oldest Italian restaurant and one that Paul Newman called the best restaurant in the world, among tens of thousands of others. Despite its name, The Old Place isn't even close to the oldest restaurant in the world — that's an Austrian monastery that's been around since 803 AD — and is only on its second generation of ownership, having initially started serving patrons in 1970. Still, the history of The Old Place is baked into the Golden State. It is housed in a wooden building almost 200 years old that has, in its time, served as a post office and a general store. The Runyon family, for which California's iconic Runyon Canyon is named, has kept The Old Place in the family. And its existence helped revitalize the small town of Cornell, California.

From a culinary perspective, however, what makes The Old Place unique and noteworthy is that it doesn't utilize freezers at all in its food prep. All its dishes are cooked from fresh ingredients over the wood-fired oven in the kitchen, and, when a dish runs out, that menu item is 86'd for the day. If you are excited about a specific dish, like the iconic noodle bake that, with its melange of parmesan, goat, and mozzarella cheeses, is like an elevated mac 'n' cheese, you'd do well to make a lunch reservation.

On Yelp, where The Old Place sports an impressive rating of 4.3/5 stars with over a thousand reviews, diners gush about the large portions and impressive menu, proving that the restaurant's "no freezers" boast isn't just a gimmick. "If you happen to be in the area or close by you must 100% check out this place," one commenter gushed. On the website California Through My Lens, blogger Josh was similarly entranced by both the lunch and dinner, specifically shouting out the rib eye. "As I walked out the door [...] I thought to myself, I probably won't have an experience like this again for a while," he mused. Hannah of Plate and Compass was yet another diner who fell in love: "Y'all... I have found the perfect little escape from busy LA life! From the moment we arrived at The Old Place I knew it was special," she gushed. (Her favorite? The skillet cinnamon rolls.)

Whether you make the journey to Cornell and The Old Place for the Wild West theming, the excellent service, or the jaw-dropping steaks and cobblers, it's a safe bet that your first visit won't be your last. In 2022, 90% of restaurants reported using frozen food on their menus — if nothing else attracts you to The Old Place, the novelty of fresh food with no freezers might be worth the trip all by itself.