Black Oak Restaurant in Vacaville closes after more than 50 years

A popular place to stop for a plate of pancakes on drives between San Francisco and Sacramento closed its doors this month.

The Black Oak Restaurant that operated for more than 50 years in Vacaville was known for its generous portions of comfort food such as homemade buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy and Irish eggs Benedict served with a corned beef hash. Open for breakfast and lunch only, it was a longtime fixture on the I-80 corridor, and even if you never stopped in for breakfast or lunch, you certainly know the giant yellow sign that loomed over the freeway.

"It is with a very heavy heart and saddened spirit, which we must inform you that the Black Oak Restaurant will be closing permanently," a Facebook message posted Feb. 20 read. "... There have been so many wonderful memories and friendships formed at this restaurant that we are very thankful for.

"We have been fortunate to have had an amazing staff that worked very hard for us and this restaurant."

The post has nearly 400 comments from people who are saddened by the closure. "I have been eating at the Black Oak since I was a kid," wrote one Facebook user. "Then my son has been eating there with me since he was a baby and now he's 14. This is so sad. Vacaville lost a great restaurant."

"Now this is so sad!" wrote another. "I have lived [here] for 40 years and this has been a staple in this town!!! Completely crushed."

"Until the pandemic, we used to meet my son and family there for breakfast and to exchange grandkids," wrote a Facebook user. "We will really miss this place!"

The restaurant also featured a gift shop selling greeting cards and knickknacks.

"I still have a framed Koala Bear picture in my bedroom from when my Grandma bought it there when I was real little in the late 70s or early 80s," Kenneth Green, a resident of Quincy, said. "I remember getting spaghetti every time I went there. I will miss this place forever."

The restaurant was open during the pandemic when public health guidelines permitted and featured outdoor dining on a patio with red umbrellas shading tables.

SFGATE attempted to reach out to the owners of the restaurant but didn't hear back before publishing this article.