Gott's Roadside says it has been "serving the California roadside since 1999." It started as a roadside diner on Highway 29 in the middle of Napa Valley.
From Taylor's to Gott's
When the owners of Taylor's Refresher, a 50-year-old burger shack in St. Helena, decided to lease out the property, brothers Joel and Duncan Gott signed on, according to Wikipedia. It reopened in 1999 as Taylor's Automatic Refresher. In 2006 it won a James Beard Foundation America's Classics award. After a trademark dispute with the Taylor family, it was renamed Gott's Roadside in 2010.
Bay Area growth
- 2004: San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace
- 2007: Oxbow Public Market in Napa
- 2013: Palo Alto
- More recently: Greenbrae in Marin. Since 2025 it has also expanded to Los Angeles, and its site says a Santa Monica location is now open
The company is still privately owned. Wikipedia says the St. Helena original is a drive-in with red picnic tables on the lawn.
The menu
Gott's describes its food as a modern take on American roadside classics. Menu items on its site include a California Burger with a fried egg, bacon and balsamic onions, crispy ahi poke tacos and chicken schnitzel. It also has a California-focused wine and beer list. Seating is at communal benches and picnic tables, and no reservations are needed. Food & Wine called it an "idealized version of the American roadside stand," according to Wikipedia.