California’s famous giant artichoke restaurant closing after 25 years

California’s giant artichoke is leafing the state.

Iconic Castroville restaurant The Giant Artichoke will officially close its doors this week after 25 years under its current owners.

In a Monday Facebook post, the restaurant confirmed that Wednesday, September 30 will be their last day of operation.

“We’ve had the Restaurant for 25 years and it’s been an honor serving our community and faithful customers, buts time to move on,” the post read.

“The building owners are selling the building and we are willing to sell our recipes no one though has really stepped up though. We still have some fried artichokes and when these finish that’s it, sorry for the late news and Thank You.”

Fans mourned the closure in the comments.

“I don’t need a recipe, but what did you use for dipping the Fried Artichoke Hearts in??” one wrote.

“I’m so sad to hear this. I am 64 y.o. and remember going there when I was a kid. It was a special occasion when that happened! It’s a landmark. Sorry you had to make that tough decision,” another commented.

The Monterrey County eatery was known for its distinctive 20-foot-tall artichoke statue that stood near its entrance. The sculpture dates back to 1963, when the restaurant was operated by its original owner, local businessman Ray Bei.

In April of this year, building owner Daniel Boudreault told KSBW that the building was available for sale or lease. He also said the restaurant’s operators were looking to retire.

A real estate listing shows the 3,726-square-foot property is asking is $1.8 million for purchase, and $9,500 per month for lease

The restaurant served a largely artichoke-themed menu, including artichoke & angel hair pasta, fried artichoke hearts, artichoke bread, and an artichoke burger. They also served soups, nachos, pasta and enchiladas.

But their may be a silver lining for those heartbroken over the closure. The Great Artichoke’s operators say they’re open to selling their recipes, though no one has stepped forward yet.

The closure follows the cancellation of Castroville’s annual artichoke festival, which dates back to 1959.

Dubbed the “Artichoke enter of the World”, the is known for artichoke farming, producing nearly two thirds of the artichokes consumed in the US.

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