Dine and Dish: Dos Okies in Caruthers

CARUTHERS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Classic comfort food draws a crowd in Caruthers.

Surf's up at Dos Okies on Tahoe Avenue.

"Everybody asks about the surfboards," says owner John Bamping. "I tell everybody that we were on our way to the beach to open a burger place on the beach, and this is where our truck broke down."

"It's a very open community," says baker Elaine Bamping. "I really love this community because they welcomed us."

They come for the burgers.

John Bamping stacked one high with crispy onions and BBQ sauce.

But this is not a typical burger stand.

You can have meatloaf with mashed potatoes.

"We'll do the meatloaf sandwich special, which is very popular," John said. "We probably sell out within an hour when we do the meatloaf."

You can only get the meatloaf sandwiches on Wednesdays people.

Elaine makes an incredible peach sweet tea.

"I just put them on the stove and reduce them down, put a little cinnamon nutmeg," she said. "I just tell them it's just like having a peach pie in a glass. That's exactly what it tastes like."

Elaine's salad is full of chicken and locally grown produce.

Caruthers High is a few blocks away.

Students love the hot Cheeto chicken strips, the country fried chicken strips and boneless buffalo wings.

Elaine is always baking pies or cobbler.

Dos Okies was known as the Walk-Up back in the 1930's.

As for the catchy name?

John ran a restaurant inside the old Cedar Lanes bowling alley in Fresno. Diners loved his Mexican food.

Dos Okies is a walk-up spot, but they do have some seating in the back.

Keep in mind they are closed on weekends.

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