Abalone Farm, Inc. - Cayucos

Ok I'm reviewing the Abalone Farm because it's a very cool hidden gem, and even if I told you how to get there you'd probably miss it. The other review is 100% accurate about the tour, the farm is a commercial operation that sells sustainable abalone meat to restaurants such as Hoppe's Bistro in nearby Cayucos which was my original intention for a review. I used to get awesome abalone steaks at La Fonda Beach Hotel in Baja but its getting harder and harder to find abalone these days. Which is were the Abalone Farm excels in bringing a valuable food to the market. And as fickle as the Central Coast is you wouldn't know but there is also a great surf break right below the farm, long walk but sometimes worth it.

Very informative tour with Carlos We had two under 12 children and they enjoyed the visit, too. Tasting was a bonus and seeing the creatures that sometimes creep in with the baby abalone was also intriguing.

Abalone is King Neptune 's gold, also California 's Gold, says Huell Howser. Yes, he featured this farm on one of his classic TV segments. Draped in secrecy, we could barely find this place. There are no posted signs to guide you in. Intentionally. They don 't want tourists traipsing over their property and endangering their delicate operation. And yes, there is security. So when we called and asked for directions we were asked why? . Huh? We were coming for your Thursday tour? You do not need reservations, but the tour is only given on Thursdays, from June through September. To get there, you must follow a dusty old road that shoots off Hwy 1 a few miles north of the small coastal town of Cayucos. Call. They will tell you how to get in. The No Trespassing , Private , Keep Out signs are intimidating. After a rough start, you will see a rare sight. The self sufficient, completely isolated farm is a cluster of rusty buildings, pumps, and rows after rows of connected rectangular bubbling pools located on crumbling cliffs overlooking the ocean. You are looking at the on-land nurseries for those baby abalone to nurture and grow. We were told not to get out of our car until the last minute, so we sat and watched a line of low flying pelicans as they flew north and the large beds of seaweed bobbing in the ocean swells. They claim to be the only land farm. There are other abalone farms on the West Coast, but their farms harvest from the ocean. This land farming is a very complex operation, but the payoff is a much higher yield of marketable abalone. You can expect a one hour tour with some moderate climbing up a dusty road. Wear decent walking shoes. $7.50 per person. And no, you do not get to sample the abalone at the end. This is a farm who sells wholesale to distributors and select high end restaurants. THIS IS NOT A GOOD TOUR FOR SMALL CHILDREN OR THE DISABLED OR PETS. They are very protective of their operation. These little fellows are actually sea snails, feelers and all, with beautiful shells and divine meat. They are ready to harvest after about 4-5 years and will provide about 1 ounce of meat each. Our tour guide allowed us to hold one about the size of a quarter (fun! they will suck themselves onto your hand), but if you want to experience an abalone steak, you must go into town to a few restaurants, or buy the frozen medallions at a local fish market, Giovanni 's, in Cayucos. While hard to find, there are other distributors in California and other states, but you should call the farm if you wish to know them. And it is most certainly an expensive indulgence. My 3 oz. serving (three medallions) at nearby Hoppe 's Garden Bistro in Cayucos was $45 and came with a small plate of vegetables and bread. Lightly breaded and sauteed oh so quickly in butter, yes, it was wonderful. This is not a sanitized tour with displays and videos like the Tillamook Factory. It is rough around the edges, but informative and interesting, and will give you a new insight for why they cost so darn much. And, even though it may not be chocolate, cheese, or wine, your tastebuds will thank you if you give abalone a try. Here is a nice link with great pictures (since I failed to take any): [hidden link]

Delivery is overnight with gel packs and include handling instructions. Despite the closure of commercial harvest due to loss of habitat, over-harvesting, and pollution, this company is 41 years old. I never heard of these as an aphrodisiac but they have a delicate taste that goes well with almonds or butter. Sold by the pound, California red abalone are vacuum packed as four piece portions of ready-to-cook steaks in oxygen-filled bags. There are about 4-5 per pound in styrofoam containers. These take five years to before they're selected from harvest tanks. Used for sashimi and sushi, they're 3.5 inches long but they look like soft pinkish pearls because they've been tenderized and trimmed.

We buy abalone from this great place and love the service and quality. Love having Brad as our sales rep, he does a great job delivering product as soon as possible.