GOODBYE, GLENDORA CONTINENTAL

THE BASQUE-OWNED RESTAURANT HAS THRIVED FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY. ITS OWNERS ARE PUTTING IT UP FOR SALE.

- JEAN TRINH

DINNER is "The Basque Set-Up," a multi-course feast at Glendora Continental.

A VIBRANT SOCIAL SCENE has burgeoned on Saturday nights along Route 66 in Glendora—a sleepy suburb in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains—at Glendora Continental, a nostalgic time capsule of the local Basque community for nearly half a century.

But now the 45-year-old, family-run restaurant might be nearing its end. Earlier this year, the secondand third-generation owners put it up for sale, and are now considering offers from potential operators and developers. A cornerstone of the community, it’s a reminder of fading connections to the Basque diaspora in California. In the last decade several Basque restaurants — tied to a culture centered around sheepherding and preserving traditions through social clubs and festivals — have closed. Cafe Basque in downtown L.A., Santa Monica’s Bar Pinxtos and Pasadena’s Ración have all shuttered. In Bakersfield, where the Basque community once included many vibrant restaurants, just a handful are standing, like Wool Growers Restaurant and Pyrenees Cafe.

Now, the people who most love Glendora Continental—its owners, employees and regulars—are making lasting memories at the restaurant in its final days.

A lunch and dinner spot with early-bird specials, Glendora Continental offers a mix of Basque, French and American food. It stays open until 2 a.m. every day of the year except Christmas.

On a recent evening, every seat was filled. A five-piece cover band called the Subs performed hits from the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” to Bill Withers’ “Ain't No Sunshine” on a small stage. Several birthday celebrations took place and guests, donning cowboy hats and baseball caps, drank beer and feasted on lamb shank and prime rib.

"The restaurant is a place where everybody eventually gets to know each other," said general manager and co-owner Bernadette Sabarots, 55.