After 45 years in San Diego, Pinnacle Peak has closed.
This is mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are taking the day off, because they can. Cathy is writing, because she can.
Even though it was only three miles away and a regular stop (from the day we purchased our California home*), I had only posted one time about Pinnacle Peak.
The Mission Gorge location in Santee has been here more than 30 years, cow on the roof, open only in the evenings…
Walls and rafters lined with the cut off neckties labeled with dates and names of patrons who come in 'dressed up' for the famous steak dinners and are subject to the clanging of a triangle and giant shears in a ceremonial removal of such formalities.
Steaks are cooked behind glass near the front door, the first 'open kitchen' concept I had ever seen.
These photos were taken on a Tuesday in June. My brother and nephew had been on their cross country drive from Michigan, driving and stopping at the same places as he and Dad had done about 25 years earlier. Pinnacle Peak was on the list.
The usual plastic checkerboard tablecloths were not on the tables. It seemed so empty. So we asked.
This location was going to be closing that Friday…soon to be relocating in Lakeside. Perfect timing to be able to share a similar memory.
Each meal now came with unlimited warm corn bread and beans (instead of the original 'buttons and bows'-white bread and beans)…
and with a simple iceberg with cucumber and onion salad.
There were four of us, but we ordered two of each of the same items: the 6 ounce filet mignon ($21.99) with a side of baked potato ($3.25)
And two orders of the 15 ounce ounce "Cowgirl" t-bone ($21.99). We shared stories with the nephew about family visits with meals here, showed him around the now almost empty building and enjoyed ourselves.
Soon enough the new location, on Maine Avenue in Lakeside, opened. The cow had moved with everything (the cut off neckties) else (and is really difficult to photograph at night). My brother was visiting a few weeks ago and, of course, he wanted dinner at Pinnacle Peak. 
Some cut neckties are up in the bar area and a lot of the ties are stacked around the waiting areas, still waiting to be placed everywhere. It was quite crowded and we were seated in the last open area (when we left there was a line waiting to be seated). The tables are new and it isn't as dark or 'rustic' anymore.
Cornbread and beans are still unlimited (I took one very blurry photo of the bowl of beans; use your imagination). 
The salad is now made with a spring mix and includes a tomato slice (no onion or cucumber) along with a choice of three dressings: the House (a lemon vinaigrette), Bleu Cheese and Ranch. 
This time, The Mister chose the 10 ounce Prime Rib ($18.99) medium rare…
The filet of tenderloin is now 7 ounces ($23.99). Large baked potato ($3.25). 
Naturally, I again ordered the 15 ounce Cowgirl (also medium rare).
It was crowded and I try not to take photos of people, didn't see an open cooking area, but will be back soon enough and take more photos. The menu is much larger (two pages instead of one side of the paper leftovers bag) with many choices including entree salads and many appetizers. The quality and service and taste is the same…just a bit more of a drive for us. 
Pinnacle Peak 9927 Maine Avenue Lakeside, CA 92040 (619) 448-8882
(*We closed on our home (a VA reposession) on the day before Thanksgiving in the late evening. On Thanksgiving Day, we drove into Santee, keys in hand, to check out the previously unseen interior, and noticed a person dressed as a clown waving in front of this Pinnacle Peak place. He held a sign 'Churches of Santee' … 'free Thanksgiving meal'. We checked out the house (knew we'd have to clean a lot before moving in) and when driving back to our apartment, saw the now sort of sad looking clown waving to us, had no plans for a meal anyhow and drove up, went inside. There were people milling about and five turkeys, sides and a rather large buffet line of food. All of the Pinnacle Peak furniture (picnic tables topped with plastic checkerboard tablecloths) was set up and we had the nicest meal, meeting new neighbors…and not knowing what the deal was with the cut up neckties or even that this was a restaurant. It was a great introduction to our new neighborhood.)
Use to be one in OC now it’s known as Brodard Chateau. I thought the place was decent and the big open pit grill as you enter was awesome.
So that’s what the other Brodard used to be; Thanks for that tidbit, Bill. We drove past the San Dimas location when on Route 66 the other day-it is a similar architecture. Yes, quite decent food here-still.
Like the old rustic look! Do you prefer this place to Black Angus for your steaks?
Nice story Cathy! Thanks for sharing…..
The other Brodard looks like a Tudor building.
For the meat, definitely Pinnacle Peak, Soo…but I really like the table side salad they make for you at Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus. I’m also looking forward to some of the appetizers and sides at Pinnacle Peak. The atmosphere of the ‘original (to us) location was so comfortable and unpretentious.
It was an unusual introduction to our new neighborhood, as well as a memorable Thanksgiving Day, Kirk. Sort of surreal, since we never saw the free meal event happen again.
Yes, I’ve seen photos of it, cc. I’m thinking the dark interior is part of the Pinnacle Peak business model…and maybe Brodard changed (or added onto) the architecture when they moved into the building.
Brodard made the place classy but I sure missed Pinnacle when it shutdown. Only place in OC for decently priced steaks.
Now that we are driving around OC on a more regular basis, I noticed there are few American style restaurants, Bill. Steakhouses are few and far between. Pinnacle Peak was taken for granted.
Nice post. Great stories. And steak. Thanks.
Thanks, Ed. A good steak used to be a standard meal, now it’s such a treat.
Thank you so much for sharing and creating this page, it really brought back some wonderful memories. As a kid in the 80’s my family lived a few blocks away down off Big Rock Road, and would go to Pinnacle Peak a few times a year for about 20 years. On occasion when the wind would blow just right we could smell the steaks grilling from our house. And you knew it was from Pinnacle Peak because it had a distinct smell to it, best steaks in the world in my opinion.
Oh, you were on Big Rock Road-so very close, Trevor; no wonder you could smell the grilling even when not inside the restaurant! Pinnacle Peak was a really great place for a good steak with ‘Buttons and Bows’ on the side! We also miss it (the area turned into a large apartment complex)for the food and the simple picnic table seating.
had a steak last night……was real taste……reminded me of a place we went to in the 70s called Pinnacle Peak. it was in Lakeside (SanDiego north-east valley) it wasn’t to far from ELCAJON SPEEDWAY a stock car track my step dad would drag us too. This was the spot if you wanted a BIG steak dinner! they plaid the Tie game…..If you wore a Tie into the place the waitress would come by and cut it off with a big pair of sizers…. i think we went there for my 12th birthday and they set me up wearing a TIE? dinner was good and allot of food i remember the whole tab with drinks was like $40.00………. thanks for the memories!