The 58 Restaurant & Off Ramp Bar

Friends and family who are helping to get the restaurant up and running. Top L- R: Jerry, Cher, Fabby, Marshall McCullough, Bottom L- R: Geo, Baby Kalaiah, Gonzalo Higareda, Elaine, Felicity Q.

by Adam Bailey and Susan Palm

Tehachapi’s newest eatery and lounge, The 58 Restaurant and Off Ramp Bar, are opening at the end of July. Partners Marshall McCullough and Gonzalo Higareda are setting the bar high to provide dining and entertainment that Tehachapi can be proud of and is unique to our town.

The 58, located at the old Cattleman’s Restaurant on Steuber Rd. next to the La Quinta Hotel, will be a great place to enjoy fresh food with family and friends; and will have a diverse mix of entertainment at the Off Ramp Bar. Their focus is on fresh food, customer service and providing a safe and fun atmosphere.

Marshall, who has been a general manager and owner of several bars in Bakersfield and the Los Angeles area, brings over 20 years of experience in customer service, guest relations and business management. He specializes in customer care.

Gonzalo, who helped set up and wrote the menu for the Keene Cafe in Keene, Calif., has a background in Diners and most recently, he was the executive chef at the Oak Tree Country Club in Bear Valley. He has a lot of restaurant experience and writes great menus.

They are really excited about their extensive menu offering Country Diner and Tex–Mex favorites as well as vegetarian options. The menu will include country items like homemade fried chicken, chicken fried steak, biscuits and gravy with fresh made cathead biscuits (big fluffy biscuits the size of a cat’s head that will remind you of your southern grandma’s kitchen) and your choice of three kinds of gravy –  red-eye gravy, sausage gravy or bacon gravy. Mmmmm, is anyone else getting hungry?

Breakfast will be served all day so you can order steak and eggs anytime the craving hits. South of the border choices will include chili verde, carne asada, pollo asada, a variety of burritos and Mexican breakfast favorites like huevos rancheros, chorizo con papas as well as huevos and chili quilies. Remember, served all day.

The burgers will be 1/3 pounders with all the great pairings like bacon, mushroom and pastrami. Another instant hit will be the Texas sized potatoes – huge potatoes stuffed with your choice of fillings. With all these choices and more, including daily specials, you can’t go wrong at The 58.

After experiencing a truly spectacular meal you can wander over to the Off Ramp Bar and relax with a cocktail or take in the entertainment. They plan on having karaoke, live country and classic rock bands – as well as Banda (for a more Latin influence).  Marshall, who has worked with all of the Bakersfield radio stations, plans on bringing up some of his great DJ friends as well.

As local residents, Marshall and Gonzalos want the 58 and the Off Ramp Bar to represent what Tehachapi means to them. “This is where we call home,” says Marshall, “we enjoy it because it’s a nice small town that’s comfortable for us and the people here are amazing.”

Sounds like The 58 and the Off Ramp Bar is guaranteed to be a place that Tehachapi is proud to call our own.

Don’t miss their Grand Opening on July 27, 2012.