As soon as you come around the hill from out east, THERE THEY ARE! Their red barn style building stands out like an oasis in a desert! We stopped just to get gas and explore originally but as soon as we got out the car we were transfixed! The location is sublime and very inviting. We went inside and got a few sandwiches which we ate outside on some bails of hay. Out of the entire drive from Colorado to California this was by far the best place we stopped at.
Right along Highway 58, very well marked by highway signs, is Murray Family Fruit Farms. You can purchase fuel outside. Inside the building is hot food, snacks, beverages, restrooms, lots of pickled things, fruit. Prices are a little high. Outside there is a corn maze, a butterfly house, several peacocks in a cage, goats, chickens, hayrides, etc. Lots to do for the whole family! Some of the outdoor things were free, like viewing the peacocks, but most of it you had to pay for.
I plan my trips carefully because of the gasoline used just getting there, but love to go here anytime I can. They have unusual fruits grown by combining two others - for instance, banana melons. The doughnut peaches are heavenly - much better than doughnuts. Prices can be a little high, but the freshness and quality warrant them.
We almost drove by and I'm so glad we didn't! The staff were sooo friendly and accommodating. They gave us samples and we drove away with an enormous Oro Blanco, tasty limequats, mandarinquats, mandarins, pistachios and died apricots. The kids loved then all. What a treat! (Bonus: clean bathrooms :-))
Traveling to San Jose this was a delightful surprise to find on highway 58. We stoped in before and after our trip to San Jose. The fruit was fresh in season and the prices couldn't be beat. They provide free samples of all their fruits and are very knowledgeable about them. Get the $45 all you can fit crate for the best value. Don't be afraid to fill it up. The better you are at jenga the for fruit you can get. They have a petting zoo for the younger kids. Don't forget to have a fry pie. Delicious
Murray Family Farms is on highway 58 between Bakersfield and Tehachapi, California. It's a great place to stop and take a break and relax. Inside has a nice selection of fruits,and sundry items with food for purchase. I especially enjoyed sampling several different varieties of oranges. They have several kinds of oranges sliced for one to sample. Outside is quite nice with a farm area one can tour for a fee. There are fowl, peacocks, goats, etc. There is also a gas station on site.
My Son and I stopped here for a bite to eat, I have been stopping by here since they have been open. I usually enjoyed previous visits, but not this time. We got in the food line wanting a sandwich . The food line was very disorganized . The staff kept shuffling us around like cattle. I finally asked one of the servers if the served turkey sandwiches , she said sure. I kept waiting for someone to take our order . When the server walks up and hands me two turkey sandwiches wrapped in plastic , with stale lettuce and expiration date of the next day. WTH ? We didn't even get to order what went on the sandwhich . 30 minute ordeal for a stale sand which . We paid walked out the door and tossed the food . Drove a couple miles down the road to a subway. I think Murray farms has fallen victim to $$$ over customer satisfaction.
A bit pricey, but the okie-frye pies were quite tasty and unique to myself and my husband. He got the pulled chicken and I got the chicken fried steak. We got some fruit and dried veggies for our journey, and I got a few things to mail to my dad for Father's Day. If you want to splurge a little from the wallet for some tasty treats, stop here and enjoy. If not, keep moving along.
We found this family farm store on the way North and made sure to visit again on the way home. There is a small selection of fresh produce, tempting jams & jellies, a wide array of honeys as well as may snack foods.
We've stopped here numerous times over the years and did so once again this past Thursday. Its a good place to stretch your legs if you're traveling a good distance (we were making our usual run to Sacramento from Los Angeles) and they do have a decent bathroom. They have fruit samples, which are tasty, I just wish that the peaches we bought had been sweet and tasty (they were rather bland). They do have drinks and sandwiches available for purchase, along with some snack items, however, on this trip, we just bought the peaches so you'll need to look at other reviews with regard to their sandwiches.