Walking across the planks of the pier-like entryway, diners heading into Santa Maria’s The Jetty Restaurant can imagine a restless ocean stirring just beneath their feet. Couple that sensation with an occasional sea breeze wafting in from Guadalupe, and the effect just about mirrors a ramble to a real jetty.
Located on the corner of Foster Road and Highway 135, The Jetty immediately announces its littoral intentions with a sign welcoming guests to “Pier 135.” Wooden pilings, chain swags of ship-worthy iron, and half-barrels filled with flowers provide a ready guide to the front door, which opens into an airy re-creation of a well-appointed cannery room.
Corrugated tin, heavy fish nets, and vintage floats line the walls, while wooden gulls perch, on high, and a carved old salt wearing a bright yellow slicker guards one corner. Luminous blue faux marlin and mahi mahi swim above a gallery of old photographs of fishermen from another era, and an open-work ceiling completes the dockside ambience.
For more than 20 years, The Jetty Restaurant has served up a tasty variety of fresh seafood and local favorites on the Central Coast. The menu includes everything from the famous Jetty Burger and top sirloin steak to oysters, clam chowder, and jumbo sea scallops, but it’s a combination of simple staples that forged the restaurant’s long-standing popularity.
“Fish and chips is the main thing,” declared Tracy Guggia, administrative assistant at The Jetty and 10 other area eateries owned by the Milt Guggia family. “The menu is built around fish and chips.
“We get cod from all over,” she continued, “and we get a lot of fish from Alaska. We have a company down south that we work with [and] at The Jetty, we get fresh seafood three times a week.”
Daily specials featuring fresh catch range from king salmon steaks to juicy fish tacos piled high with chopped onions and tomatoes. Original Jetty Baskets include popcorn shrimp, clam strips, and chicken strips, as well as the establishment’s iconic fish and chips, while shrimp Louie and lemon pepper chicken satisfy those who crave a big salad.
Cutlery rolled in real cloth napkins lends a touch of elegance to the light-hearted d»cor as diners dig into thick chowder, shrimp cocktail, and creamy coleslaw. Music, mercifully pitched at a conversational level, makes it easy to chat over the meal, whether it’s a Famous Fish Sandwich or a platter of BBQ’d Black Tiger Shrimp.
Milt Guggia, Tracy Guggia’s brother and a dynamic entrepreneur, started The Jetty franchise a few years after finishing college in 1974 with a degree in business administration.
“We opened the first Jetty in March of ’80 in Avila Beach,” Tracy explained. “Then Santa Maria and then one in Lompoc in ’82.
“We had an over-abundance of seafood,” she continued, “so we opened a fish market, one on Russell, that was Santa Maria Seafood Company. Then we had The Jetty Fish Company in Evergreen Plaza.”
Born and raised in Santa Maria, the Guggias have built something of a culinary empire. According to Tracy, Milt has long harbored a passion for food, restaurants, and the notion of running a string of businesses.
“Milt has always loved it,” Tracy said, “since he was little. And he’s done everything in the business. Everything we have was founded on what he did.
“I started working here when I graduated from high school in 1977,” she continued. “I started washing dishes and have worked up to administrative assistant. I started with this and I’m not going anywhere.”
The Jetty in Avila Beach has since closed, but the Guggias have gone on to acquire a number of popular local restaurants, including Shaw’s Steakhouse, Pepper Garcia’s, and the two Pea Soup Andersen’s. They purchased the A.J. Spurs chain and recently opened a location in Santa Maria at 1520 Broadway, in what used to be Central City Broiler.
“We have 10 restaurants and that keeps us real busy,” Tracy admitted, “but Milt’s nice to work for.
“We fight like crazy,” she laughed, “but it’s all for the good. There’s way more good than bad.”
The Jetty welcomes groups celebrating birthdays, weddings, or even just holding a business meeting. A semi-private nook, lit with high windows and lined with tables and a booth, will hold 25 people comfortably, while other areas inside the airy space can accommodate small receptions and special occasion banquets.
For those who are hungry and in a hurry, The Jetty offers a To Go menu that matches the offerings on the in-house bill-of-fare. The friendly staff will gladly pack up a feast for easy travel back to the office, to the park, or even to the seaside for a picnic on the pier.
The Jetty Restaurant, Santa Maria, is located at 135 E. Foster Road., 937-5144. To savor their famous fish and chips in Lompoc, head to 304 W. Ocean Ave., 735-2400.
K. Reka Badger knows the best spots to go when you’re hungry and in a hurry. Send your recommendations to rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Jul 10-17, 2008.