The Local Food and Drink Hangout Spot
From Ranch to Table at Mount Shasta Craft House…
When Bobby Malanga and Alyssa Williams bought a longtime Mount Shasta staple known as Sparky’s, they knew one thing immediately: they wanted something that reflected not just their tastes, but their lives.
That idea led them back to Williams’ family ranch in Weed, a property her great-great-grandparents purchased more than a century ago. That kind of snowballed into us theming the whole space basically off the ranch,” says Malanga. Now, the aptly named Mount Shasta Craft House is directly tied to the land, with the restaurant’s beef and pork coming from animals raised on the ranch by the couple themselves.
That same hands-on philosophy defines the restaurant. The word “craft” isn’t branding so much as a rule. “Everything we do is craft. Our meat is craft, our cocktails are craft,” says Williams. And, once they committed to doing one thing well, it expanded, Malanga explains. “Sauces, syrups, ingredients. We do nearly everything in-house. We also got into making pizza from scratch, experimenting with dough, timing, and fermentation. We make fresh dough every day,” says Malanga.
According to the pair, there’s no single centerpiece dish. Instead, everything is given equal attention, a balance that mirrors their partnership. Before meeting, Williams owned a restaurant while Malanga came with a cocktail background. Their first joint project was the Mount Shasta Craft House, which they decided to open just a few months into dating. “I called her and said, ‘Hey, we’re buying a restaurant,” says Malanga with a smile. Williams laughs in response. “I was like, ‘What is wrong with you?’”
At first, working together required adjustment. “We are both used to doing our own thing, so it took us a second to find our footing. But we have and it’s a great match. Everything that he hates to do, I love, and everything I hate to do, he’s great at,” says Williams. That balance shows up in the details, from the menu to the space itself. They completely redesigned the interior, closing off the back-of-house and creating a more intentional guest experience. A mural anchors the room, painted by an artist from Chico. “The mural is pretty significant. It’s a silhouette of my great grandparents. There are also some of our pigs on there and the actual tractor that my great-grandpa used to cut hay,” explains Williams. More than anything, they wanted the space to feel alive. “We just really wanted to give it a heartbeat,” Williams adds.
That personality extends beyond aesthetics. It’s in the full-circle process of raising animals, preparing the food, and serving it to customers. Malanga spends much of his time on the ranch, managing feed, repairing equipment, and caring for livestock. For a while, that work felt disconnected from the restaurant itself. But moments bring it together. “He doesn’t always get to see the full circle. But when he comes in, and he gets to see the chefs take pride in it, and the customers saying how good it is, it’s just a great feeling,” says Williams. To both of them, they’re not just running a restaurant; they’re trying to control quality in a food system they feel is slipping. “We know the meat quality in America is tanking, and so we are trying to at least control this aspect,” notes Williams. And, despite the scale of what they’ve taken on, the core idea remains simple: make things carefully, and make them well.
For guests, that care translates into an experience that’s both elevated and grounded. Williams recommends starting with the spicy queso dip, made with pork from their ranch, paired with a lavender lemon drop or an Old Fashioned made with house syrups. From there, she points to the burger. “The burger is built from high-quality cuts rather than scraps, so it tastes really good. And if it’s a date night, sit at the bar,” Williams adds.
For Malanga, who grew up in Southern California, Mount Shasta offers something different. “The mountain is probably the most special part, because you can see it from everywhere.” For Williams, it’s the quieter moments on the ranch. “It’s like a mini oasis. You’re super close to town, but you feel so far away.” Together, those elements shape what they’ve built. Not just a restaurant, but something more personal. Something with a heartbeat. •
www.mountshastacrafthouse.com
