May 13, 2022 – Yes, there is a vintage condom machine in the men’s bathroom. Sure, there are no windows. Granted, there are period paintings of scantily clad women on the walls, cheap drinks behind the bar, three guys on round three at noon, and a chalkboard that says, “You smell like booze and bad decisions, come sit by me…”

So, fair enough: The King’s Den in Oldtown Salinas is a dive bar. 

But it’s also more than that. 

I asked the barkeep if I was imagining things. Nope. Rochelle, who’s been a bartender and manager there for several presidential administrations, immediately agrees it’s “different.”  

“It’s a neighborhood bar more than a dive bar,” she says. “This is where people catch up. It’s intimate. Everybody knows each other. We keep the prices reasonable. We don’t tolerate bad behavior. And it’s clean. It’s probably the cleanest dive bar I’ve been in.”

That takes me back to the bathroom with the randy illustrations on the condom machine. It’s simply spotless. How often do you see that at a dive?

The loo is shared with the adjacent Eagle Chinese Restaurant, which was the inspiration for my pilgrimage to the heart of Steinbeck country. 

Locals perpetually sleep on Salinas’ epicurean scene, but within a few blocks of Eagle I can visit my one of my favorite sushi spots (Daruma Sushi), one of the best classy dining values in the region (Patria), and the Italian restaurant that earned top honors in my piece on Best New Monterey Bay Restaurants in 2021 (Mangia Eat on Main). 

On top of that, a brave new wave of Main Street breweries—namely La Cantina, Brew-N-Krew and oncoming Alvarado Street Brewing on Main—cement Oldtown’s case as one of the best beer destinations in the area code.

The uninitiated could be forgiven for sleeping on Eagle. The storefront is small, the location tucked off Main Street, the awning a faded yellow that’s somehow plain and busy at the same time. 

But they do so at their own peril. I’d put their Americanized Chinese against anyone’s—especially given the reasonable price points. Case in point: Lunch specials with soup, appetizer and a choice of veggie fried, steamed or brown rice, to go with entrees like pineapple spare rib, asparagus chicken or combo chow mein, run $11.50.

In researching this piece, I was reminded that enough people have figured out Eagle grub is great that the same family was able to open Dim Sum Inn on North Main Street, where a massive menu stars dozens of small dim sum items, 17 fried rices and more than 100 dinner choices. Thanks to tastes like the Shanghai-style pork dumplings and pork-and-shrimp-stuffed eggplant, it’s a Found Treasure itself. 

Back in Oldtown, Eagle presents the type of old-school spot that pairs perfectly with King’s Den (where you can take your Eagle eats if so inspired). “No frills” would be one way to describe it, but I’d recommend “Priorities in the right place” instead. It’s the sort of spot where I was shocked they had a website, then less shocked when I saw how retro eaglerestaurant.net was.

The amount of attractive and all-MSG-free options proves head-spinning. I want one each of the kung pao tofu, ginger-scallion fish, Singapore rice noodles, salt-and-pepper salmon and the Eagle special. Rochelle recommends the walnut shrimp, a house specialty.

Fortunately I had veteran guidance. Longtime Oldtown resident, journalist and flavor seeker Mary Duan and her family have been eating at Eagle for decades. “They know us and we know them,” she says. She doesn’t hesitate in recommending moo shu pork and peanut wontons. 

The moo shu makes my day. The pork is tender, balanced and flavorful. The sauce tastes rich and comforting but not heavy. The blend of cabbage and onion textures gather deliciously in the soft and paper-thin Mandarin pancakes. I may be a prisoner of the moment, but I feel like I could eat this for lunch three times a week.

Meanwhile a steady stream of locals stops through for pickup and sit for business lunch. Service is attentive and graceful.

I’ll be back for the peanut wontons. 

Hunter S. Thompson once said, “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.”

I’ll paraphrase here. Windowless dive bars and decor-averse Chinese restaurants aren’t for everybody. But down on Alisal Street in Oldtown, they sure work for me.

More at eaglerestaurant.net and thekingsden.com. 

Mark C. Anderson is a writer, photographer, editor and explorer based in Seaside, California. Reach @MontereyMCA by way of Instagram and Twitter.

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