Deetjen’s

A rustic escape along the Pacific Coast Highway

By Patrick Janelle

California State Route 1, better known as the Pacific Coast Highway, hugs a majority of the state’s coastline. About 20 miles south of Monterey, the path juts inward, as the seaside cliffs and Santa Lucia mountain peaks become too steep and unruly for paved roads. Taking a turn from breathtaking, sparsely-populated coastline into dreamy, dense forests, the highway becomes punctuated with mom-and-pop establishments, anchoring the nebulous region known as Big Sur. While a string of log cabin motels line the highway, there’s one particular property that exudes the sort of rustic charm that stops you in your tracks.

Deetjens, a charming roadside getaway, is composed of a series of quaint cottages seemingly stacked atop one another, just around the bend from a duo of five-star cliffside getaways. The rooms are cozy and rustic (the most basic restroom set up is akin to one you’d find in an RV camper), but the floral bedspreads, timber-hewn furniture, and potbelly stoves make up for any lack of luxury.

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Pro Tips

Pro Tips

• Vibe

  A cozy, rustic roadside getaway that would be picture perfect for a classic ‘30s film.

• Things to know

  If your room has a pot-belly stove, ask the staff to get the fire going while you’re at dinner and come back to an even more cozy abode.

• Best for

  A romantic retreat in the middle of a long road trip.

• Favorite drink

  Order a bottle of wine at dinner, then save the last few glasses to take back to your room and enjoy in front of the fire.

The on-site restaurant also doubles as hotel reception, situated within a maze of low-ceilinged dining rooms, each crammed with a handful of tables. Cotton print cloths cover the tables, and candle sconces, shaped into animal figures, adorn every wall. In one main room, an oversized stone fireplace keeps out the chill and fills the air with that familiar smell of burning wood.

The menu changes seasonally; you can expect elevated country comfort food like braised lamb shanks, grass-fed filet mignon, and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, with hearty salads to balance out the meal. The wine menu makes good use of the neighboring wine country, with a solid list of bottles from nearby Napa, Sonoma, and the adjacent Central Valley. By certain standards, Deetjens might fail to reach aspirational status. But it’s the casual air of unrefined comfort that firmly plants the property in the ranks of a must visit.