Dine and Dish: The Runway Cafe in Tulare County

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Simple and "plane," we're here to give "props" to The Runway Cafe next to the Woodlake Airport in Tulare County.

The Café is popular among pilots, but most people drive for their daily dose of comfort food.

Gloria Vargas was happily having breakfast with her daughter, Sabrina.

"How long have you been coming to this place," I asked.

"Over 30 years. I'm glad you made it. What took you so long," Vargas said.

"And you know what, Dale, I would describe it as a hidden gem here in the Central Valley, where it's at," customer Sabrina Ruiz.

"The community likes the food, but they also like the service. The customers are like family," said Runway Café co-owner Charlotte Tindle.

The fish and chips are always a good choice, as the beer-battered fish has a nice crunch to it and comes with homemade tartar sauce.

"People ride in on their bikes and fly in from all over the Valley on Fridays to get the fish and chips," co-owner Steve Tindle said.

I asked Charlotte what people on the coast are saying about your clam chowder.

"That it's better than what you can get on the beach," she laughed

The work never ends for Charlotte's son, Brandon, who is the master mind behind the café's clam chowder.

"Yeah, it's busy. It's overwhelming sometimes, but you can't complain," Brandon said.

But it's not just the chowder. Brandon's chicken fried steak is a winner, winner.

"That chicken fried steak is hard to beat. Biscuits and gravy are off the hook," Steve said.

"I didn't have my biscuits and gravy. I was going to go light because of your camera here. I wanted people to see I eat healthy, but I don't," Vargas laughed.

The Runway Cafe pays tribute to flight.

"All of our pictures inside are airplanes that have flown here," Charlotte

Here, you run into hometown heroes, like former big leaguer, Ron Robinson.

"The service is always good, they're always so friendly and the food is very tasty," customer Susan Welch said.

Take the popular chile verde with eggs. It's a great way to start the day, and it has a nice little bite. You can pair it with their orange juice nicely.

"The orange juice is made locally. It's squeezed right here in Woodlake," Steve said.

Because of the café's small size, customers sometimes must wait outside until a table is available.

"It's worth the wait," Ruiz said.

"It's been here for as long as I can remember. Back in the 60s, it was referred to as The Outpost."

This is the kind of place where everyone knows your name.

"The customers are like family. And everybody knows everybody," Steve said.

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