China Max
4698 Convoy Street
San Diego, Ca
We've been meaning to check this place out for at least a couple of years now and finally made it this morning, after my monthly visit to the VA in La Jolla.
It's on Convoy, San Diego's Asian restaurant row and it's a nicely kept building.
As we were there fairly early (just after 10:30 AM), we had Dim Sum (lunch starts at 11:00 but hey, it's Dim Sum!).
We had a nice hot pot of black tea (neither of us can have green tea), Lotus rice, Crispy fried spring rolls, Pork shu mai, Shrimp shu mai and Sugar cane deep fried shrimp balls with the standard dipping sauces (soy sauce, hot mustard, chili oil and some sort of sweet & sour)...
The total with tax was $23.98, throw in a fiver for tip, leave the change, out the door for $29.
We'll be back to taste from the regular menu the next time we're over that way.
Their web site: http://www.chinamaxsandiego.com/
No. 206
San Diego Soup Shoppe
We saw this place mentioned in The Reader and decided to check it out. It's right on El Cajon Blvd (at Utah) and they've been open 2 months now. It's small (6 seats inside), with a fair amount of outdoor seating and a small menu (6 soups, 4 salads, 2 appetizers and 8 paninis, several bottled drinks, period).
The wife had the Italian Wedding Soup which she says is the best she's ever had. She's lactose intolerant and can't have beans either so she was mildly disappointed with the fact that she can only have that and one other soup on the fixed menu.
We spoke to one of the owners about it and offered to share a few of our recipes that we've already tested here at home such as a creamless tomato soup, a great recipe for Mexican corn soup, etc.but the young woman said they'd rather do it "their way".
OK, just trying to help...
And in the interest of fairness, we should mention that we've been thinking about getting into the soup biz for at least the last 10 years. If you look at the wife's recipe blog, it would go a long way in explaining all of the soup recipes we test drive.
While we're on the subject, we had also intended to tell them a bit about promotion, our menu strategy and a few tweaks to the drink menu, having been in the restaurant business before either of them were born.
But apparently, they already know it all so best wishes, this won't be the first place we've offered to help, only to see them spiral down the drain when they don't listen...
See the web site here: http://sdsoupshoppe.com/
We saw this place mentioned in The Reader and decided to check it out. It's right on El Cajon Blvd (at Utah) and they've been open 2 months now. It's small (6 seats inside), with a fair amount of outdoor seating and a small menu (6 soups, 4 salads, 2 appetizers and 8 paninis, several bottled drinks, period).
The wife had the Italian Wedding Soup which she says is the best she's ever had. She's lactose intolerant and can't have beans either so she was mildly disappointed with the fact that she can only have that and one other soup on the fixed menu.
We spoke to one of the owners about it and offered to share a few of our recipes that we've already tested here at home such as a creamless tomato soup, a great recipe for Mexican corn soup, etc.but the young woman said they'd rather do it "their way".
OK, just trying to help...
And in the interest of fairness, we should mention that we've been thinking about getting into the soup biz for at least the last 10 years. If you look at the wife's recipe blog, it would go a long way in explaining all of the soup recipes we test drive.
While we're on the subject, we had also intended to tell them a bit about promotion, our menu strategy and a few tweaks to the drink menu, having been in the restaurant business before either of them were born.
But apparently, they already know it all so best wishes, this won't be the first place we've offered to help, only to see them spiral down the drain when they don't listen...
See the web site here: http://sdsoupshoppe.com/
No. 205
Coop's West Texas BBQ
Last July, we checked out Barnes BBQ in Lemon Grove but apparently (inadvertently) transposed the name with Coop's West Texas BBQ, not far from there (my bad).
Today, we ate at Coop's and have to say we liked it better than Barnes.
In our review back then, we noted that we couldn't taste the smoke but that's not the case with Coops as we're still tasting it a couple of hours later (mesquite).
Today, we ordered the 2 meat meal with 2 sides (slaw and beans & rice) and corn bread and our total was $18 and coin, make it an even $20 when I dropped the change into the tip jar.
So far, we've tasted the ribs and brisket and will have to go back several more times for their sausage, ham, pulled pork and rib tips, then we'll update this review.
They also have beef ribs, hot links and chicken but as the son of a chicken farmer, I won't be trying that one out so let me know what you think...
Other sides include baked beans, collard greens and potato salad.
For dessert, there's Sweet Potato Pie, Buttermilk Pie and Peach Cobbler.
They serve the Pepsi product line and sweet tea, which means I had a bottle of water.
I should probably also mention that my eyes are so bad (BTW, I ordered my first set of glasses yesterday), that I couldn't read the chalkboard menu but will try the cobbler the next time.
The menu also includes 1 meat, 2 meat, 3 meat and larger meal options as well as sandwiches (your choice of meat) in both large and small sizes.
The web site: www.coopsbbq.com
Last July, we checked out Barnes BBQ in Lemon Grove but apparently (inadvertently) transposed the name with Coop's West Texas BBQ, not far from there (my bad).
Today, we ate at Coop's and have to say we liked it better than Barnes.
In our review back then, we noted that we couldn't taste the smoke but that's not the case with Coops as we're still tasting it a couple of hours later (mesquite).
Today, we ordered the 2 meat meal with 2 sides (slaw and beans & rice) and corn bread and our total was $18 and coin, make it an even $20 when I dropped the change into the tip jar.
So far, we've tasted the ribs and brisket and will have to go back several more times for their sausage, ham, pulled pork and rib tips, then we'll update this review.
They also have beef ribs, hot links and chicken but as the son of a chicken farmer, I won't be trying that one out so let me know what you think...
Other sides include baked beans, collard greens and potato salad.
For dessert, there's Sweet Potato Pie, Buttermilk Pie and Peach Cobbler.
They serve the Pepsi product line and sweet tea, which means I had a bottle of water.
I should probably also mention that my eyes are so bad (BTW, I ordered my first set of glasses yesterday), that I couldn't read the chalkboard menu but will try the cobbler the next time.
The menu also includes 1 meat, 2 meat, 3 meat and larger meal options as well as sandwiches (your choice of meat) in both large and small sizes.
The web site: www.coopsbbq.com
No. 204
Giorgino's
"Best cheesesteak in town"
This place is on the opposite corner of the block I lived on way back when (1970), literally a stone's throw from the edge of Balboa Park. They've been in business 5 years now but we only recently heard about it ("City Beat").
It's clean and neat inside, staff was personable, there's the obligatory big screen TV on the wall and we noticed half a dozen beer taps as well.
They carry a number of East Coast brands (Amoroso rolls, Tastykakes and half a dozen different sodas).
I had the mushroom cheesesteak with extra American cheese, a couple of Frank's sodas (Grape and Black Cherry) and the wife had the pastrami on sour dough. The cheesesteak was every bit as good as any I ever had (my cheesesteak creds go all the way to Philadelphia - 1969) the Black Cherry soda was a nice surprise and the wife liked her pastrami as well.
Will we go back?
In a second!
Their web site: www.giorginosdeli.com
"Best cheesesteak in town"
This place is on the opposite corner of the block I lived on way back when (1970), literally a stone's throw from the edge of Balboa Park. They've been in business 5 years now but we only recently heard about it ("City Beat").
It's clean and neat inside, staff was personable, there's the obligatory big screen TV on the wall and we noticed half a dozen beer taps as well.
They carry a number of East Coast brands (Amoroso rolls, Tastykakes and half a dozen different sodas).
I had the mushroom cheesesteak with extra American cheese, a couple of Frank's sodas (Grape and Black Cherry) and the wife had the pastrami on sour dough. The cheesesteak was every bit as good as any I ever had (my cheesesteak creds go all the way to Philadelphia - 1969) the Black Cherry soda was a nice surprise and the wife liked her pastrami as well.
Will we go back?
In a second!
Their web site: www.giorginosdeli.com
No. 203
El Zarape
3201 Adams Avenue
San Diego, Ca.
We read about this place in "City Beat" recently and decided to check it out this morning, while I put a few miles on Number One Son's Ford Ranger, testing out the new tires and front end alignment.
El Zarape is conveniently located a couple of blocks off of 805, it's on the corner, very visible, has off street parking in the lot behind the place and is handsomely appointed inside. The place is a riot of color, acres of nice tile work, a lot of wrought iron and folk art wherever the eye lands. If I wanted to open a Mexican restaurant, I'd want to hire this designer...
It was mentioned in City Beat as a favorite for cheap eats and we started off with the free chips, salsa and guacamole sauce. The guacamole sauce had a nice, spicy note to it but the salsa was a bit too tomatoey. The chips were cold and hard so I only had a couple as I had burned the roof of my mouth pretty severely a couple of nights ago (homemade bean & cheese burritos) and haven't been able to eat a lot of things lately due to their textures.
I asked for iced tea and The Darla had her usual, ice water (she almost never drinks with her meals).
The ice tea had passion fruit in it so I asked for a Coke instead, which had the strong taste of line cleaner in it (I had The Darla taste it too)...
I wanted a beef taco & enchilada combo but evidently they don't believe in having it my way so I chose the 2 carne asada tacos (the traditional shredded beef isn't an option so it was either the carne asada, chicken or fish). The Darla decided to try the Poblano Mole, which comes with side orders of beans and rice and a basket of steamed tortillas. She's only had Mole once before and doesn't have a lot to compare it to but this was extremely sweet (I tasted it too). She played with it by adding some of the salsa, guacamole sauce and rice in a tortilla but ultimately only had a couple of bites at most.
My tacos had a large amount of meat, a bit of pico de gallo and chunks of semi-mashed avocado. The tortillas arrived almost wet, sitting flat on the plate so I put some of the excess carne asada into one of the extra tortillas that came with The Darla's meal and made myself a drier taco and The Darla did the same.
Our total was slightly over $18 and with tip, it was exactly $23.
Will we come back again?
No, there are way too many places to eat pretty fair Mexican food around here to frequent a place where you didn't find anything you liked on the menu (although it is a damn attractive building)...
Web site: http://elzarape.biz/
3201 Adams Avenue
San Diego, Ca.
We read about this place in "City Beat" recently and decided to check it out this morning, while I put a few miles on Number One Son's Ford Ranger, testing out the new tires and front end alignment.
El Zarape is conveniently located a couple of blocks off of 805, it's on the corner, very visible, has off street parking in the lot behind the place and is handsomely appointed inside. The place is a riot of color, acres of nice tile work, a lot of wrought iron and folk art wherever the eye lands. If I wanted to open a Mexican restaurant, I'd want to hire this designer...
It was mentioned in City Beat as a favorite for cheap eats and we started off with the free chips, salsa and guacamole sauce. The guacamole sauce had a nice, spicy note to it but the salsa was a bit too tomatoey. The chips were cold and hard so I only had a couple as I had burned the roof of my mouth pretty severely a couple of nights ago (homemade bean & cheese burritos) and haven't been able to eat a lot of things lately due to their textures.
I asked for iced tea and The Darla had her usual, ice water (she almost never drinks with her meals).
The ice tea had passion fruit in it so I asked for a Coke instead, which had the strong taste of line cleaner in it (I had The Darla taste it too)...
I wanted a beef taco & enchilada combo but evidently they don't believe in having it my way so I chose the 2 carne asada tacos (the traditional shredded beef isn't an option so it was either the carne asada, chicken or fish). The Darla decided to try the Poblano Mole, which comes with side orders of beans and rice and a basket of steamed tortillas. She's only had Mole once before and doesn't have a lot to compare it to but this was extremely sweet (I tasted it too). She played with it by adding some of the salsa, guacamole sauce and rice in a tortilla but ultimately only had a couple of bites at most.
My tacos had a large amount of meat, a bit of pico de gallo and chunks of semi-mashed avocado. The tortillas arrived almost wet, sitting flat on the plate so I put some of the excess carne asada into one of the extra tortillas that came with The Darla's meal and made myself a drier taco and The Darla did the same.
Our total was slightly over $18 and with tip, it was exactly $23.
Will we come back again?
No, there are way too many places to eat pretty fair Mexican food around here to frequent a place where you didn't find anything you liked on the menu (although it is a damn attractive building)...
Web site: http://elzarape.biz/
No. 202
Hilltop Deli
El Cajon, Ca.
This place is in a business park overlooking Gillespie Field on the border of El Cajon and Santee.
We've driven right by there at least 100 times and never realized it was there until we read about it on several web sites (Yelp, etc) and made it over there this morning. It's a small place (18 seats) and I'd classify it more as a sandwich shop than deli. It's neat and clean and the employees get generally good reviews from the customers, but...
I ordered the Italian Sub with a bag of chips and can of Coke and The Darla had the hot pastrami on toasted sourdough with a side order of potato salad. I didn't taste the pastrami or the potato salad but The Darla says the potato salad had a sweet taste, like they'd used Miracle Whip and she cut the inside of her mouth on the toast. As for the pastrami, she say's "It's no Antonelli's (deli)", one of her favorites here in East County.
My sandwich came on an oversized torpedo roll (way too much bread) and the cheap cold cuts (mortadella and Genoa salami) were mediocre at best. Standard toppings also include green leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, slivered peppers, sliced black olives, vinegar, oil, mustard and mayo.
I spent slightly over $14 and tossed the change and a couple more bucks into the tip jar.
Would we come back?
Not very likely.
No web site
El Cajon, Ca.
This place is in a business park overlooking Gillespie Field on the border of El Cajon and Santee.
We've driven right by there at least 100 times and never realized it was there until we read about it on several web sites (Yelp, etc) and made it over there this morning. It's a small place (18 seats) and I'd classify it more as a sandwich shop than deli. It's neat and clean and the employees get generally good reviews from the customers, but...
I ordered the Italian Sub with a bag of chips and can of Coke and The Darla had the hot pastrami on toasted sourdough with a side order of potato salad. I didn't taste the pastrami or the potato salad but The Darla says the potato salad had a sweet taste, like they'd used Miracle Whip and she cut the inside of her mouth on the toast. As for the pastrami, she say's "It's no Antonelli's (deli)", one of her favorites here in East County.
My sandwich came on an oversized torpedo roll (way too much bread) and the cheap cold cuts (mortadella and Genoa salami) were mediocre at best. Standard toppings also include green leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, slivered peppers, sliced black olives, vinegar, oil, mustard and mayo.
I spent slightly over $14 and tossed the change and a couple more bucks into the tip jar.
Would we come back?
Not very likely.
No web site
No. 201
Mama Rosa's Italian Restaurant
1773 E. Main Street
El Cajon, CA 92021
619-442-0231
I've driven by this place dozens of times and never knew it was there, despite the sign on the backside of the building, which can be seen from our freeway off-ramp. It's literally within a stone's throw of this house (OK, maybe I could hit it with an arrow) but had to see it on Yelp (there were a number of good reviews) before I made my way over there late this afternoon.
Incidentally, Marechiaro's (our go-to pizza place since Tommy's folded several months ago) is closed on Mondays, which is why I Googled "pizza" and "El+Cajon"...
There actually was a Mama Rosa, according to the woman who served our meals, and she was the mother on one of the two owners, long deceased.
I had the small cheese pizza, very reasonably priced at $6.95 plus an additional 75 cents for pepperoni. The wife ordered their cup of soup (minestrone) and small side salad. For drinks, I had an iced tea and the wife had a glass of ice water. My pizza was pretty good, with a nicely done thin crust and a fair amount of cheese. The wife really liked her soup, telling me it was thick with good vegetables and the salad was nicely manicured with a home made dressing. Our total was a little over $18 and with tip, we were out the door $22 lighter.
The place is small and clean, service was swift and precise and the place is located in a nondescript strip mall on El Cajon's East Main Street, across from the 99 Cent store and the local CHP offices.
Would we go back?
An unqualified "yes" as it's so close to the house (closer than Marechiaro's), open on Mondays (unlike Marechiaro's) and better priced than Marechiaro's as well. They aren't open on Sundays (unlike Marechiaro's) and the one thing I didn't care for was the beaker of what I suppose is ground red pepper flakes, that, and maybe they should consider adding calzone to the menu...
Their web site: http://www.mammarosaelcajon.com/
1773 E. Main Street
El Cajon, CA 92021
619-442-0231
I've driven by this place dozens of times and never knew it was there, despite the sign on the backside of the building, which can be seen from our freeway off-ramp. It's literally within a stone's throw of this house (OK, maybe I could hit it with an arrow) but had to see it on Yelp (there were a number of good reviews) before I made my way over there late this afternoon.
Incidentally, Marechiaro's (our go-to pizza place since Tommy's folded several months ago) is closed on Mondays, which is why I Googled "pizza" and "El+Cajon"...
There actually was a Mama Rosa, according to the woman who served our meals, and she was the mother on one of the two owners, long deceased.
I had the small cheese pizza, very reasonably priced at $6.95 plus an additional 75 cents for pepperoni. The wife ordered their cup of soup (minestrone) and small side salad. For drinks, I had an iced tea and the wife had a glass of ice water. My pizza was pretty good, with a nicely done thin crust and a fair amount of cheese. The wife really liked her soup, telling me it was thick with good vegetables and the salad was nicely manicured with a home made dressing. Our total was a little over $18 and with tip, we were out the door $22 lighter.
The place is small and clean, service was swift and precise and the place is located in a nondescript strip mall on El Cajon's East Main Street, across from the 99 Cent store and the local CHP offices.
Would we go back?
An unqualified "yes" as it's so close to the house (closer than Marechiaro's), open on Mondays (unlike Marechiaro's) and better priced than Marechiaro's as well. They aren't open on Sundays (unlike Marechiaro's) and the one thing I didn't care for was the beaker of what I suppose is ground red pepper flakes, that, and maybe they should consider adding calzone to the menu...
Their web site: http://www.mammarosaelcajon.com/
No. 200
Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
This is an East Coast Chain (Delaware), with outlets in 12 states. They have slightly north of 80 locations (I counted them), with approximately half of them in Delaware and Nevada. Capriotti's specializes in roast turkey and hand pulled roast beef, use the Pepsi product line and the full range of chips stretches from the front door to the order station.
I ordered the cold roast beef sandwich with mayo only as I wanted to taste the beef but unfortunately, it was still slightly frozen in the middle. The wife had The Italian (also cold), which had generic lunch meats, the lettuce was not properly manicured and there was way too much bread which was slightly past its' prime, verging on stale. I suspect the bulk of the customers order hot sandwiches, which may explain the day old bread (you can't tell after it's been heated).
It was also comparitively expensive ($19.03) for 2 small sammies, 1 bag of chips and 1 small drink) and there was only one other customer in the place.
Notice that there are no sizes or prices on the web site menu (link below) or on the full-color printed brochure, either.
The building on the corner of El Cajon and College Avenue is new, clean, nicely constructed but I'm not fond of the aluminum chairs and there isn't a lot of parking
Capriotti's web site: http://www.capriottis.com/
This is an East Coast Chain (Delaware), with outlets in 12 states. They have slightly north of 80 locations (I counted them), with approximately half of them in Delaware and Nevada. Capriotti's specializes in roast turkey and hand pulled roast beef, use the Pepsi product line and the full range of chips stretches from the front door to the order station.
I ordered the cold roast beef sandwich with mayo only as I wanted to taste the beef but unfortunately, it was still slightly frozen in the middle. The wife had The Italian (also cold), which had generic lunch meats, the lettuce was not properly manicured and there was way too much bread which was slightly past its' prime, verging on stale. I suspect the bulk of the customers order hot sandwiches, which may explain the day old bread (you can't tell after it's been heated).
It was also comparitively expensive ($19.03) for 2 small sammies, 1 bag of chips and 1 small drink) and there was only one other customer in the place.
Notice that there are no sizes or prices on the web site menu (link below) or on the full-color printed brochure, either.
The building on the corner of El Cajon and College Avenue is new, clean, nicely constructed but I'm not fond of the aluminum chairs and there isn't a lot of parking
Capriotti's web site: http://www.capriottis.com/
No. 199
Pupuseria Salvadorena
El Cajon
This was a quick tasting as the wife was totally unfamiliar with the likes of pupusas, plantains, etc.
We ordered a puerco (pork) pupusa, pork tamale and fried plantain. I had a bottle of soda and the wife also ordered a small guacamole. The plantain (Empenada de Plantano) came with sour cream and beans and the woman who took our order delivered a bowl of pickled veggies to the table - curtido - cabbage, mild onion, carrot & jalapeno (think cole slaw / kim chee Salvadoran style) and some hot salsa. Our total was $8 and coin.
I should also mention that the airconditioning seems to not work and it was hot enough that the woman pointed the fan at us. I should also mention the ants crawling up the wall right beside our table...
I tasted a bit of almost everything, the wife did the major sampling and was largely indiferent to it all.
No web site.
El Cajon
This was a quick tasting as the wife was totally unfamiliar with the likes of pupusas, plantains, etc.
We ordered a puerco (pork) pupusa, pork tamale and fried plantain. I had a bottle of soda and the wife also ordered a small guacamole. The plantain (Empenada de Plantano) came with sour cream and beans and the woman who took our order delivered a bowl of pickled veggies to the table - curtido - cabbage, mild onion, carrot & jalapeno (think cole slaw / kim chee Salvadoran style) and some hot salsa. Our total was $8 and coin.
I should also mention that the airconditioning seems to not work and it was hot enough that the woman pointed the fan at us. I should also mention the ants crawling up the wall right beside our table...
I tasted a bit of almost everything, the wife did the major sampling and was largely indiferent to it all.
No web site.
No. 198
China Super Buffet
National City, Ca.
We've seen their TV advertisement for years but finally made it over there for lunch today. The ads only say "off the 54" and I often wondered why they didn't post the address (because you can literally see it from the freeway)...
And it doesn't look anything like you'd expect from the commercial, either. It's an older building with a supermarket next door. Inside, it's basically 5 long buffet tables with a side area for desserts. The carpet is close to being shabby and the Formica table tops are showing another color where they've been worn through due to years of wiping them down.
It's more buffet, less China and certainly not super...
Demographically, the clientele is (in order) Asian, Mexican, Obese-Americans (Porko-Americans?) and senior citizens.
The wife and I tasted broadly across the menu; salt & pepper chicken, orange chicken, teriyaki chicken and jalapeno chicken, several types of shrimp, beef & broccoli, BBQ short ribs (tough), stir-fried green beans, bean sprouts & green onions, egg rolls, fried rice, crispy noodles, fried wontons, steamed dumplings, miso soup, hot & sour soup (it had a nice bite) and a slice of very mediocre pizza. It's an all-you-can-eat thing so our total was just over $16 including my iced tea ($7.99 per person for lunch, $9.59 for dinner).
We also tried some crab & cream cheese wontons (I thought they were awful and don't understand why a lot of people seem to think they are wonderful). Also, the shrimp and the brownie had almost no flavor at all. Additionally, I wasn't too pleased with the way they stack bus carts full of customer's dirty dishes less than 10 feet from the steam tables and in plain sight (several people also mention the dirty dishes in a number of Yelp reviews). The wife also had a Chinese donut and says it was light & fluffy but all she could taste was the sugar.
As it was before 11:00 AM, we didn't check out a lot of other menu items (the ads show crab legs but we didn't see any) but the dessert bar features soft serve ice cream, cookies, fried bananas, brownies and several other items and the steam (and iced) tables also feature sushi, octopus, salads, clams, fresh fruit, etc as well as American fare including french fries, pizza and corn on the cob.
The wife liked most of what she had and says she'd go back but I've never been a buffet guy and with the 16 mile drive each way, I doubt I'd ever visit them again.
And apparently they have no web site.
National City, Ca.
We've seen their TV advertisement for years but finally made it over there for lunch today. The ads only say "off the 54" and I often wondered why they didn't post the address (because you can literally see it from the freeway)...
And it doesn't look anything like you'd expect from the commercial, either. It's an older building with a supermarket next door. Inside, it's basically 5 long buffet tables with a side area for desserts. The carpet is close to being shabby and the Formica table tops are showing another color where they've been worn through due to years of wiping them down.
It's more buffet, less China and certainly not super...
Demographically, the clientele is (in order) Asian, Mexican, Obese-Americans (Porko-Americans?) and senior citizens.
The wife and I tasted broadly across the menu; salt & pepper chicken, orange chicken, teriyaki chicken and jalapeno chicken, several types of shrimp, beef & broccoli, BBQ short ribs (tough), stir-fried green beans, bean sprouts & green onions, egg rolls, fried rice, crispy noodles, fried wontons, steamed dumplings, miso soup, hot & sour soup (it had a nice bite) and a slice of very mediocre pizza. It's an all-you-can-eat thing so our total was just over $16 including my iced tea ($7.99 per person for lunch, $9.59 for dinner).
We also tried some crab & cream cheese wontons (I thought they were awful and don't understand why a lot of people seem to think they are wonderful). Also, the shrimp and the brownie had almost no flavor at all. Additionally, I wasn't too pleased with the way they stack bus carts full of customer's dirty dishes less than 10 feet from the steam tables and in plain sight (several people also mention the dirty dishes in a number of Yelp reviews). The wife also had a Chinese donut and says it was light & fluffy but all she could taste was the sugar.
As it was before 11:00 AM, we didn't check out a lot of other menu items (the ads show crab legs but we didn't see any) but the dessert bar features soft serve ice cream, cookies, fried bananas, brownies and several other items and the steam (and iced) tables also feature sushi, octopus, salads, clams, fresh fruit, etc as well as American fare including french fries, pizza and corn on the cob.
The wife liked most of what she had and says she'd go back but I've never been a buffet guy and with the 16 mile drive each way, I doubt I'd ever visit them again.
And apparently they have no web site.
No. 197
Anny's Fine Burgers
Santee, Ca.
Someone should tell Anny that that's very likely one of the worst burgers we have ever had.
The burgers are half pounders (Angus) but totally flavorless and greasy (it's sitting in my stomach like a lump as I write this). The bun was also too heavy and chewy (the wife said it was "like a bagel"), the mushrooms flavoreless, the beer battered onion rings were overcooked (and greasy) and the soda machine had the taste of that line cleaner in it (we were the first customers in the door, which would explain that). Besides the 2 burgers, we split an order of O-rings and a soda. Our total was slightly over $18 and we won't be back.
The huge pictorial menu board (which nearly covers the entire wall) advertises 30 burgers but what it really is, is a combination of approximately 20 toppings, a burger patty (or two), a chicken breast or a slab o' tilapia. There's also a vegetarian patty, whatever that is, and 5 variations of skinless Kirkland (CostCo) hot dogs...
There are also a few kid's meals, fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, the Coke product line and milk shakes.
Santee, Ca.
Someone should tell Anny that that's very likely one of the worst burgers we have ever had.
The burgers are half pounders (Angus) but totally flavorless and greasy (it's sitting in my stomach like a lump as I write this). The bun was also too heavy and chewy (the wife said it was "like a bagel"), the mushrooms flavoreless, the beer battered onion rings were overcooked (and greasy) and the soda machine had the taste of that line cleaner in it (we were the first customers in the door, which would explain that). Besides the 2 burgers, we split an order of O-rings and a soda. Our total was slightly over $18 and we won't be back.
The huge pictorial menu board (which nearly covers the entire wall) advertises 30 burgers but what it really is, is a combination of approximately 20 toppings, a burger patty (or two), a chicken breast or a slab o' tilapia. There's also a vegetarian patty, whatever that is, and 5 variations of skinless Kirkland (CostCo) hot dogs...
There are also a few kid's meals, fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, the Coke product line and milk shakes.
No. 196
Lisko Artisan Deli & Fish Market
It's just off of El Cajon Blvd (@ Rolando) and I've driven by there a number of times, always meaning to stop by soon...
The place seats 8 inside, a dozen outside and 4 huge blackboards cover 2 full walls with the menu, etc.
And there are only 2 parking spaces (one for disabled) and a portable smoker in the 3 slot parking lot.
I didn't notice any on street parking, either.
They specialize in smoked fish and sustaniable, locally grown, organic products.
Besides sandwiches, salads and smoked fish, there are locally grown fruit and veggies for sale, a few baked goods, and a handful of juices.
All of the sandwiches are served on Ciabatta bread.
The Darla had the swordfish sandwich with Greek salad with hot house cucmbers and kalamata olives (the tomatoes were not much to speak of)...
I had the Little Italy (it isn't on the online menu) - salami, ham, pepperoni and provolone with olive spread on ciabatta, with an Izze sparkling blackberry juice and a Coke.
The Izze soda wasn't cold enough so the wife bought a 4 Pak of their Clemetine flavor at the local Albertsons and after icing them down a couple of days...
I spent $19.85 and the wife tossed in the $1.15 tip.
Their web site: http://liskoartisandeliandfishmarket.com/
It's just off of El Cajon Blvd (@ Rolando) and I've driven by there a number of times, always meaning to stop by soon...
The place seats 8 inside, a dozen outside and 4 huge blackboards cover 2 full walls with the menu, etc.
And there are only 2 parking spaces (one for disabled) and a portable smoker in the 3 slot parking lot.
I didn't notice any on street parking, either.
They specialize in smoked fish and sustaniable, locally grown, organic products.
Besides sandwiches, salads and smoked fish, there are locally grown fruit and veggies for sale, a few baked goods, and a handful of juices.
All of the sandwiches are served on Ciabatta bread.
The Darla had the swordfish sandwich with Greek salad with hot house cucmbers and kalamata olives (the tomatoes were not much to speak of)...
I had the Little Italy (it isn't on the online menu) - salami, ham, pepperoni and provolone with olive spread on ciabatta, with an Izze sparkling blackberry juice and a Coke.
The Izze soda wasn't cold enough so the wife bought a 4 Pak of their Clemetine flavor at the local Albertsons and after icing them down a couple of days...
I spent $19.85 and the wife tossed in the $1.15 tip.
Their web site: http://liskoartisandeliandfishmarket.com/
No. 195
Bunz on Hotel Circle
We looked forward to checking this place out but...
It's on Hotel Circle, 2 doors down from where the wife worked briefly several years ago (Seven Seas Cafe) and is in the former location of Pam Pam (the wife once applied to be the General Manager there).
The web site: http://www.bunzsd.com/
Supposedly, they specialize in upscale Angus beef burgers but we were wildly disappointed on a number of levels.
The place isn't very attractive (the color scheme needs to be seen to be believed), it is clean, there's plenty of indoor & outdoor seating, but it was freezing inside (the air-conditioning was on).
We ordered a burger, WELL DONE, with a side order of Frings (fries & onion rings), their Cuban style sandwich and an iced tea for me.
We got an almost bloody burger and the sandwich, with the cheese on the side, not properly melting as it should be (we had asked for the cheese to be on one side of the sandwich as the wife can't have it but suspect the server did it that way so as not to confuse the cook). They use cheap pickles and the green leaf lettuce wasn't properly manicured. The fries were similar to McD's shoestrings only with way too much salt (my bad; I forgot to order "no salt") and the O-rings were very likely frozen. We weren't too impressed with the Cuban sandwich either (cheap ham, no flavor).
Most of the half dozen or so customers appeared to be tourists.
Our total was $21.75 ($25 after the tip) and we won't be back.
We looked forward to checking this place out but...
It's on Hotel Circle, 2 doors down from where the wife worked briefly several years ago (Seven Seas Cafe) and is in the former location of Pam Pam (the wife once applied to be the General Manager there).
The web site: http://www.bunzsd.com/
Supposedly, they specialize in upscale Angus beef burgers but we were wildly disappointed on a number of levels.
The place isn't very attractive (the color scheme needs to be seen to be believed), it is clean, there's plenty of indoor & outdoor seating, but it was freezing inside (the air-conditioning was on).
We ordered a burger, WELL DONE, with a side order of Frings (fries & onion rings), their Cuban style sandwich and an iced tea for me.
We got an almost bloody burger and the sandwich, with the cheese on the side, not properly melting as it should be (we had asked for the cheese to be on one side of the sandwich as the wife can't have it but suspect the server did it that way so as not to confuse the cook). They use cheap pickles and the green leaf lettuce wasn't properly manicured. The fries were similar to McD's shoestrings only with way too much salt (my bad; I forgot to order "no salt") and the O-rings were very likely frozen. We weren't too impressed with the Cuban sandwich either (cheap ham, no flavor).
Most of the half dozen or so customers appeared to be tourists.
Our total was $21.75 ($25 after the tip) and we won't be back.
No. 194
Via Moto
This Santee restaurant has been open since early last summer but we just heard of it recently. It's off the main drag (Mission Gorge Road), behind a string of stores and it's huge.
They specialize in pizza, pasta and panini, locally brewed beer and a have a fair selection of wines as well. We visited it on Saint Patrick's Day, shortly before 4:00 PM and we were the only customers in the place.
There is seating for maybe a couple of hundred customers, a nice bit of outdoor seating and a fire pit as well. There's also a garage size roll up door behind the bar and 4 large, flat screen TVs, which dominate the bar area.
I had a medium pepperoni pizza and an iced tea while the wife had the minestrone soup. The crust was nice and thin but got more brittle as the pizza cooled. They are known for their home made mozzarella and I would have liked to have had a little more of it on my pizza (and a little less sauce) but overall, it was a good meal and we'll be back at least once more to check it out again (this time, with more mozzarella and a little less sauce). Our total was just under $22.
Their web site doesn't seem to function very well so hopefully they'll fix it soon (I've been trying to get in for 3 days now): http://www.via-moto.com/
This Santee restaurant has been open since early last summer but we just heard of it recently. It's off the main drag (Mission Gorge Road), behind a string of stores and it's huge.
They specialize in pizza, pasta and panini, locally brewed beer and a have a fair selection of wines as well. We visited it on Saint Patrick's Day, shortly before 4:00 PM and we were the only customers in the place.
There is seating for maybe a couple of hundred customers, a nice bit of outdoor seating and a fire pit as well. There's also a garage size roll up door behind the bar and 4 large, flat screen TVs, which dominate the bar area.
I had a medium pepperoni pizza and an iced tea while the wife had the minestrone soup. The crust was nice and thin but got more brittle as the pizza cooled. They are known for their home made mozzarella and I would have liked to have had a little more of it on my pizza (and a little less sauce) but overall, it was a good meal and we'll be back at least once more to check it out again (this time, with more mozzarella and a little less sauce). Our total was just under $22.
Their web site doesn't seem to function very well so hopefully they'll fix it soon (I've been trying to get in for 3 days now): http://www.via-moto.com/
No. 193
Carnitas Snack Shack
2632 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104
Phone: 619-294-7675
We had been meaning to get over here several times, even stopping by too early one rainy morning recently (they open at Noon). University Avenue is very busy there and there is no on-street parking so after circling through the tiny 3 space parking lot and alley several times, a space opened up and we walked into the patio area at the rear of the building.
There is no printed menu or menu board other than a small chalkboard at the front window at the sidewalk. An employee explained that they change it every day and it's posted online if you want to see it before you get there.
And there isn't a lot of seating either, 6 four top tables and a counter with maybe 6 bar stools. It's the kind of layout you could quickly go broke unless the food is spectacular.
It's not the least bit ADA friendly either (slanted and cracked sidewalks, no ordering from the patio) and as I wasn't able to walk around front and stand in line, I had to pass this time.
And I couldn't see the wife from where I sat and given her condition, it gives me concern for her safety...
The Darla ordered the Snack Shack Pork Sandwich which had pulled pork (no BBQ sauce), Wienerschnitzel and bacon, chopped pepperoncini and their sauce on a toasted poppy seed bun. She says she immediately noticed the smoke from the pulled pork and the Wienerschnitzel was excellent. There was also a small side dish; a ramekin of something similar to cole slaw with corn. She also ordered a fairly interesting side order of fries "McD style" only with a fairly salty seasoning in a small brown paper bag.
We will go back again.
The web site: http://www.carnitassnackshack.com/
And forget the Chicken Pot Pie Shop, which I walked into after leaving the Snack Shack. It's been here forever and I had been meaning to check it out for several years now. After a quick look, I immediately turned around and left (I just couldn't do it)...
2632 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104
Phone: 619-294-7675
We had been meaning to get over here several times, even stopping by too early one rainy morning recently (they open at Noon). University Avenue is very busy there and there is no on-street parking so after circling through the tiny 3 space parking lot and alley several times, a space opened up and we walked into the patio area at the rear of the building.
There is no printed menu or menu board other than a small chalkboard at the front window at the sidewalk. An employee explained that they change it every day and it's posted online if you want to see it before you get there.
And there isn't a lot of seating either, 6 four top tables and a counter with maybe 6 bar stools. It's the kind of layout you could quickly go broke unless the food is spectacular.
It's not the least bit ADA friendly either (slanted and cracked sidewalks, no ordering from the patio) and as I wasn't able to walk around front and stand in line, I had to pass this time.
And I couldn't see the wife from where I sat and given her condition, it gives me concern for her safety...
The Darla ordered the Snack Shack Pork Sandwich which had pulled pork (no BBQ sauce), Wienerschnitzel and bacon, chopped pepperoncini and their sauce on a toasted poppy seed bun. She says she immediately noticed the smoke from the pulled pork and the Wienerschnitzel was excellent. There was also a small side dish; a ramekin of something similar to cole slaw with corn. She also ordered a fairly interesting side order of fries "McD style" only with a fairly salty seasoning in a small brown paper bag.
We will go back again.
The web site: http://www.carnitassnackshack.com/
And forget the Chicken Pot Pie Shop, which I walked into after leaving the Snack Shack. It's been here forever and I had been meaning to check it out for several years now. After a quick look, I immediately turned around and left (I just couldn't do it)...
No. 192
Aunt Emma's Pancakes
National City
Since 1959
This is an ersatz Denny's with two locations (National City & Chula Vista). The clientele appears to be mainly families and military.
We were there on a car parts deal with Roman Diaz, an easily likable fellow VW hobbyist. Roman had suggested Aunt Emma's as it is close to his home. After we drove around lost for a few minutes, we realized that the place was on National City Blvd, not National Avenue...
The bulk of the menu consists of breakfast and burgers while the sandwich menu is based on chicken, turkey and roast beef. The burgers are half pounders and come with a side order of slaw or fries. Other sandwiches include the club, French dip, Philly, Reuben, tuna, BLT & grilled cheese
Roman had crepes and juice, The Darla ordered ham, eggs, pancakes and hot tea while I went for the mushroom burger, fries and a Pepsi (No Coke!). The burger wasn't bad (Angus beef, my best guess), the fries were the usual generic, crinkle cut frozen fare (they were hot), and the total was $32 plus tip (another fiver).
Their web site: http://www.auntemmaspancakes.com/
National City
Since 1959
This is an ersatz Denny's with two locations (National City & Chula Vista). The clientele appears to be mainly families and military.
We were there on a car parts deal with Roman Diaz, an easily likable fellow VW hobbyist. Roman had suggested Aunt Emma's as it is close to his home. After we drove around lost for a few minutes, we realized that the place was on National City Blvd, not National Avenue...
The bulk of the menu consists of breakfast and burgers while the sandwich menu is based on chicken, turkey and roast beef. The burgers are half pounders and come with a side order of slaw or fries. Other sandwiches include the club, French dip, Philly, Reuben, tuna, BLT & grilled cheese
Roman had crepes and juice, The Darla ordered ham, eggs, pancakes and hot tea while I went for the mushroom burger, fries and a Pepsi (No Coke!). The burger wasn't bad (Angus beef, my best guess), the fries were the usual generic, crinkle cut frozen fare (they were hot), and the total was $32 plus tip (another fiver).
Their web site: http://www.auntemmaspancakes.com/
No. 191
The Habit Burger Grill - It came from Santa Barbara
"There's no substitute for quality"
Est 1969
We stopped by yesterday afternoon, after the wife ate next door (King's Fish House). I can't have anything I like on the Fish House menu (shrimp, lobster & crab mainly), so I had to check this place out. The manager tells me they've been open since October.
And although they're called Charburgers, it really doesn't say that on the menu ("100% fresh ground beef with crisp lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, mayo and pickles on a toasted bun"). But again, I couldn't taste any smoke (the wife and I tracked down a Dairy Queen brazier recently with the same results).
Besides the burgers, they also sell other sandwiches such as chicken breast, Tri-Tip, albacore tuna, a veggie burger and chicken club).
The menu also has fries, O-rings, sweet potato fries and a line of salads (Garden Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, BBQ Chicken Salad, Santa Barbara Cobb Salad, Caesar Salad, a side salad and side Caesar salad).
The menu also features shakes, malts, 99 cent ice cream cones and sundaes. They use the Coke product line (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Barq's Root Beer, Minute Maid Lemonade, Dasani water) and they have regular and decaffeinated iced tea
The Kids menu also has a grilled cheeses sandwich and chicken nuggets.
On the burger menu, there's the Charburger, Double Charburger, Teriyaki Charburger, BBQ Bacon Charburger and Mushroom Swiss Charburger, which is what I ordered, along with fries and a Coke. It was done nicely, the fries were OK and I would stop by again. The total was $8.03, the place was clean and service was on top of things.
Their web site: www.habitburger.com
UPDATE:
We tasted across the menu on our second visit, starting with the plain charburger with everything on the side (I couldn't taste the char, again).
We also tried the Teriyaki Charburger (not bad) and the BBQ Bacon Charburger (hold the sauce), also not too bad (the bacon was crisp and salty). The onion rings, on the other hand, were generic and room temperature when they arrived. And I had a Coke. Our total this time was $15.25.
"There's no substitute for quality"
Est 1969
We stopped by yesterday afternoon, after the wife ate next door (King's Fish House). I can't have anything I like on the Fish House menu (shrimp, lobster & crab mainly), so I had to check this place out. The manager tells me they've been open since October.
And although they're called Charburgers, it really doesn't say that on the menu ("100% fresh ground beef with crisp lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, mayo and pickles on a toasted bun"). But again, I couldn't taste any smoke (the wife and I tracked down a Dairy Queen brazier recently with the same results).
Besides the burgers, they also sell other sandwiches such as chicken breast, Tri-Tip, albacore tuna, a veggie burger and chicken club).
The menu also has fries, O-rings, sweet potato fries and a line of salads (Garden Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, BBQ Chicken Salad, Santa Barbara Cobb Salad, Caesar Salad, a side salad and side Caesar salad).
The menu also features shakes, malts, 99 cent ice cream cones and sundaes. They use the Coke product line (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Barq's Root Beer, Minute Maid Lemonade, Dasani water) and they have regular and decaffeinated iced tea
The Kids menu also has a grilled cheeses sandwich and chicken nuggets.
On the burger menu, there's the Charburger, Double Charburger, Teriyaki Charburger, BBQ Bacon Charburger and Mushroom Swiss Charburger, which is what I ordered, along with fries and a Coke. It was done nicely, the fries were OK and I would stop by again. The total was $8.03, the place was clean and service was on top of things.
Their web site: www.habitburger.com
UPDATE:
We tasted across the menu on our second visit, starting with the plain charburger with everything on the side (I couldn't taste the char, again).
We also tried the Teriyaki Charburger (not bad) and the BBQ Bacon Charburger (hold the sauce), also not too bad (the bacon was crisp and salty). The onion rings, on the other hand, were generic and room temperature when they arrived. And I had a Coke. Our total this time was $15.25.
No. 190
Mandarin Chef
We were in Rancho San Diego, driving around looking for something, anything different for a very early dinner (we're old!) when we saw this place. It's in RSD's only shopping center and after checking out the menu out front, the Darla gave me the signal and I walked into the place. I had parked in a handicapped space, maybe 10 feet from the front door.
It's a fairly big place, especially for the location and the dining room appears to have been painted sometime in the 90's (pink and teal). There was only 1 other customer in the place, just before the dinner rush
After studying the menu (it's fairly large), the wife decided to have the Szchewan beef, a combination dinner served with egg roll, shrimp toast, fried chicken wings, fried rice and your choice of egg flower or hot and sour soup ($9.99). She opted for hot & sour soup and fried rice while I ordered fried dumplings. I wasn't feeling well (tooth ache) and didn't eat but I did have several cups of hot tea.
She liked the soup and the beef but says the egg roll, shrimp toast, fried chicken wing and fried rice were mediocre.
Our total was $18 and coin; an even $22 with tip and yes, she would come back (it's a lot closer than our regular Chinese place)...
Their web site: http://mandarin-chef.com/
We were in Rancho San Diego, driving around looking for something, anything different for a very early dinner (we're old!) when we saw this place. It's in RSD's only shopping center and after checking out the menu out front, the Darla gave me the signal and I walked into the place. I had parked in a handicapped space, maybe 10 feet from the front door.
It's a fairly big place, especially for the location and the dining room appears to have been painted sometime in the 90's (pink and teal). There was only 1 other customer in the place, just before the dinner rush
After studying the menu (it's fairly large), the wife decided to have the Szchewan beef, a combination dinner served with egg roll, shrimp toast, fried chicken wings, fried rice and your choice of egg flower or hot and sour soup ($9.99). She opted for hot & sour soup and fried rice while I ordered fried dumplings. I wasn't feeling well (tooth ache) and didn't eat but I did have several cups of hot tea.
She liked the soup and the beef but says the egg roll, shrimp toast, fried chicken wing and fried rice were mediocre.
Our total was $18 and coin; an even $22 with tip and yes, she would come back (it's a lot closer than our regular Chinese place)...
Their web site: http://mandarin-chef.com/
No. 189
Sea Rocket Bistro
We saw a feature about this place on "Hook, Line & Dinner", the Cooking Channel program. In this series, the host travels around and catches his own fish before having it prepared at a local restaurant.
See that clip here: http://vimeo.com/27467647
Sea Rocket Bistro features locally produced, sustainable ingredients and is in the former Linkery building in North Park.
I had been meaning to take the wife there for quite some time and we finally got around to it late Saturday afternoon. The wife had the Sardines a la Italiano (3 grilled sardines on a bed of Broccoli Rabe with a small cube of lardo and blistered peppers). I wasn't feeling too well and had an iced tea.
Our total was $15 and coin; make it an even $20 with tip.
She loved the sardines as well as the side of veggies and we'll definitely be back soon.
Their web site: http://www.searocketbistro.com/
We saw a feature about this place on "Hook, Line & Dinner", the Cooking Channel program. In this series, the host travels around and catches his own fish before having it prepared at a local restaurant.
See that clip here: http://vimeo.com/27467647
Sea Rocket Bistro features locally produced, sustainable ingredients and is in the former Linkery building in North Park.
I had been meaning to take the wife there for quite some time and we finally got around to it late Saturday afternoon. The wife had the Sardines a la Italiano (3 grilled sardines on a bed of Broccoli Rabe with a small cube of lardo and blistered peppers). I wasn't feeling too well and had an iced tea.
Our total was $15 and coin; make it an even $20 with tip.
She loved the sardines as well as the side of veggies and we'll definitely be back soon.
Their web site: http://www.searocketbistro.com/
No. 188
Brazen BBQ
This place has an excellent location, at the very end of 5th Avenue at Washington in Hillcrest.
And it's a beautiful building, at least on the outside, but the barn like interior could best be described as Early Chevys, with a high, open ceiling, polished concrete floors, rough wood paneling, exposed beams, brick wall and metal table tops. There are at least 100 seats, some at 2-tops, others at booths, a couple of very long picnic tables and a number of stools at the bar. There's also a lot of outdoor seating as well as a giant pass through window to the bar. Unlike a lot of modern eating places, there are only 3 large screen TVs and they are all in the bar area...
Brazen BBQ has been open for a couple of months now and we were unable to find a parking space close by until today, early Sunday morning, when we grabbed one of the disabled parking spaces in the 10 space parking lot on Washington, right around the corner.
After looking over the menu board, the Darla stepped up to the counter and ordered Bolt's Build-Your-Own-Platter which came with 2 types of meat, a couple of side orders and a square of jalapeno corn bread. She also ordered a third meat for another $3.99. If you look at their online menu, for a penny more, we could have had a third side dish...
They deliver the food on cafeteria style trays covered with a sheet of paper and set out a couple of square plastic plates for you. Each table top has a couple of types of sauce, catsup, hot sauce and a roll of paper towels. Besides Handi-Wipes at the condiment counter, there's also a sink to wash up in the middle of the dining room.
The pork ribs literally fell right off of the bone, we liked their brisket better than Phil's (we like Phil's sauce better), neither of us are chicken wing fans, the slaw was good, the smoked kernel corn medley (with red bell pepper and jalapeno, our best guess) was a fun change and the corn bread was a little too sweet. We both agreed that the meat was great and the sauce is totally unnecessary and I would like to see them add Frings (Onion rings & fries) to the menu. The soda machine still had a taste of the stuff they use to clean the lines with so I ended up with iced tea, despite the cold, rainy weather today...
Finally, the portions were pretty large and after we both ate, there was enough brisket (and 3 chicken wings) left over to have another meal at home.
Our total was $23 and coin; an even $25 after we tossed the change and a buck into the tip jar.
We didn't get to the BBQ tacos, hot link, pulled pork, catfish, stuffed pork loin, their bacon wrapped meatloaf sandwich, chili, gumbo, fries & onion rings so we have to go back again soon...
Their web site: http://www.brazenbbq.com/
UPDATE (25 Nov 2011):
For our second visit, the wife had the brisket ends sandwich, an in-house specialty order which came with a side order (their fries this time), and I had half a pound of the hot links ($6) which turned out to be 2 nicely smoked links (as compared to the full one pound order, 4 links for $11.95) and an iced tea. Our total was $17.74.
We tried to strike up some sort of deal to at least taste an onion ring but they weren't budging and at $8 a pop, neither are we...
The fries were generic, the wife loved the brisket sandwich, the hot links were very good (but not as spicy as ours) and similar to our first visit, I still smell like smoke several hours later...
This place has an excellent location, at the very end of 5th Avenue at Washington in Hillcrest.
And it's a beautiful building, at least on the outside, but the barn like interior could best be described as Early Chevys, with a high, open ceiling, polished concrete floors, rough wood paneling, exposed beams, brick wall and metal table tops. There are at least 100 seats, some at 2-tops, others at booths, a couple of very long picnic tables and a number of stools at the bar. There's also a lot of outdoor seating as well as a giant pass through window to the bar. Unlike a lot of modern eating places, there are only 3 large screen TVs and they are all in the bar area...
Brazen BBQ has been open for a couple of months now and we were unable to find a parking space close by until today, early Sunday morning, when we grabbed one of the disabled parking spaces in the 10 space parking lot on Washington, right around the corner.
After looking over the menu board, the Darla stepped up to the counter and ordered Bolt's Build-Your-Own-Platter which came with 2 types of meat, a couple of side orders and a square of jalapeno corn bread. She also ordered a third meat for another $3.99. If you look at their online menu, for a penny more, we could have had a third side dish...
They deliver the food on cafeteria style trays covered with a sheet of paper and set out a couple of square plastic plates for you. Each table top has a couple of types of sauce, catsup, hot sauce and a roll of paper towels. Besides Handi-Wipes at the condiment counter, there's also a sink to wash up in the middle of the dining room.
The pork ribs literally fell right off of the bone, we liked their brisket better than Phil's (we like Phil's sauce better), neither of us are chicken wing fans, the slaw was good, the smoked kernel corn medley (with red bell pepper and jalapeno, our best guess) was a fun change and the corn bread was a little too sweet. We both agreed that the meat was great and the sauce is totally unnecessary and I would like to see them add Frings (Onion rings & fries) to the menu. The soda machine still had a taste of the stuff they use to clean the lines with so I ended up with iced tea, despite the cold, rainy weather today...
Finally, the portions were pretty large and after we both ate, there was enough brisket (and 3 chicken wings) left over to have another meal at home.
Our total was $23 and coin; an even $25 after we tossed the change and a buck into the tip jar.
We didn't get to the BBQ tacos, hot link, pulled pork, catfish, stuffed pork loin, their bacon wrapped meatloaf sandwich, chili, gumbo, fries & onion rings so we have to go back again soon...
Their web site: http://www.brazenbbq.com/
UPDATE (25 Nov 2011):
For our second visit, the wife had the brisket ends sandwich, an in-house specialty order which came with a side order (their fries this time), and I had half a pound of the hot links ($6) which turned out to be 2 nicely smoked links (as compared to the full one pound order, 4 links for $11.95) and an iced tea. Our total was $17.74.
We tried to strike up some sort of deal to at least taste an onion ring but they weren't budging and at $8 a pop, neither are we...
The fries were generic, the wife loved the brisket sandwich, the hot links were very good (but not as spicy as ours) and similar to our first visit, I still smell like smoke several hours later...
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