"What and Where" Fast Food Wonders

[Stupid_American]

All over this country the are little place that make the best _____ .

Often, much of the menu is marginal, but there's one or two items that keep the place open.

There's that place where you always head to get the burger special.

The little corner place that has the best potato tacos.

Maybe it's the onion rings!

Where are your favorite Southern California places and what item(s) keep you coming back?

[Chris Cognac]

Big Mikes Cheesesteaks....In El Segundo and Hermosa Beach....they are the best...Busy Bee market in San Pedro has amazing sandwichs..they have a turkey dip and a tasty link sausage sandwich...

[tissue]

I like the carnitas burritos at Poquito Mas.

[Stupid_American]

Have you tried different stores?

Unfortunately, I've found many chains to be inconsistent.

I used to love the carne asada burritos at the Laguna Niguel Baja Fresh, but found two other stores disgusting.

[hollywood]

Baja Fresh is owned by Wendy's.

[jschyun]

In OC there's this mini chain of Italianesque restaurants called Amici's. They are not particularly fast, but I like their eggplant parmesana sandwiches and their calzones are cheap, decent, and very filling. I usually get the calzone instead of pizza, so I can't comment on the pizzas, which is what everyone else gets.

[Stupid_American]

Doing a search, all the "Amici's" I find are in the Bay area.

[jschyun]

ah crap, it's spelled Ameci's. Ameci's Pizza and Pasta. I'm not saying it's on the level of Totonno's in Brooklyn, of course, but it's better than say, Brooklyn Pizza in Costa Mesa, which I personally think serves crap. On the whole, I do not believe in pizza in California, so I'm biding my time until I get to NY.

However, Ameci's is cheap, decent, local. It's been around for a while.

--But it's not NY style. I just think the best pizza I've had is in NY, which is why I mentioned NY.

Edited June 3, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[grandcru]

On the whole, I do not believe in pizza in California, so I'm biding my time until I get to NY.

Get thee to BG Emilio's, northeast corner of El Toro & Muirlands in Lake Forest. Great NY thin crust pizza. I kid you not. You can probably find better in NYC, but not without a hunt.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Crepes from Creme de la Crepe in Hermosa.

Slavko's Fried Chicken and Potatoes in San Pedro.

Versailles Roast Pork (it was fast food for me, because I could walk in, buy it to go, and be on my way in two minutes flat!)

Fat Burger's Onion Rings (damn, I miss those!)

Edited to fix the fact that I screwed up a city...

Edited June 3, 2004 by Carolyn Tillie (log)

[Joe Blowe]

Slavko's Fried Chicken and Potatoes in El Segundo.

Do you mean Slavko's in San Pedro?

[Carolyn Tillie]

Slavko's Fried Chicken and Potatoes in El Segundo.

Do you mean Slavko's in San Pedro?

Gads, yes! I'll fix that...

[jschyun]

Scratch Ameci's, you want a real neighborhood gem? This also happens to be in Irvine (sorry). I think the owners are Iranian.

Baked goods are by the pound. I've been going here for at least a year or two now. Consistently good and very cheap.

Assal Bakery: The stuff below cost me $3.80, but that's because the fruit tart is heavy. Usually 3 little cakes costs me about $2.50. The ladyfinger sandwich on the right, with whip cream filling and dusting of ground pistachios is my absolute fave.

Edited June 3, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[andiesenji]

I thought I posted this but do not see it.

Smokin' Jack's Kansas City Bar-B-Q and ACME Autoworks

N. Victory Blvd in Burbank, Calif.

The best Kansas City Barbeque take out only this side of Kansas City.

[PamelaF]

Fat Burger's Onion Rings (damn, I miss those!)

Excellent onion rings!

There is a Fat Burger in Lincoln, in the Thunder Valley Casino. This is not too far off the beaten path if you happen to be driving I-80 north of Sacramento (Highway 65 North for about 5 miles).

Because it's in the casino, it's open 24 hours a day.

Edited June 4, 2004 by PamelaF (log)

[andiesenji]

I used to visit a Fat Burger in Orange Co. whenever I visited my friends who live in Yorba Linda.

Then, hooray!! a Fat Burger opened here in Lancaster. For the first month it was open one had to wait in line for a long, long time.

Now we have a Panera Bakery and Cafe, (next door in Palmdale) one of only five in California.

OT

I think some companies like to try things out in this area because we had the first Wal-Mart in California, the first Dillard's dept. store and a few other "firsts" including other fast food places.

The last A & W Rootbeer drive-in with car-hops was here, independently owned. The food was great and the Friday "cruise" night meant that one couldn't get within two blocks of the place. You could see some fantastic cars - some from as far away as the beach cities.

[Complete2L]

Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza: Grilled Chicken Salad – Decent food, but this salad is an outstanding mix of walnuts, gorgonzola, chicken, and the best damn vinaigrette I’ve ever tasted. (I sometime just pick up bottles of the basil vinaigrette for my own salads at home.)

Any ghetto looking Mexican food restaurant in San Diego (i.e. Roberto’s, Alberto’s, Reyburto’s, Aliburto’s, you get the idea): The hot sauce (which is free) – As someone said in another post on the topic of food in San Diego said, the more ghetto looking the Mexican restaurant, the better. Forget the rest of the extensive menus at these places and stick to the rolled tacos and carne asada burritos. Just remember to ask for hot sauce. (Often the deciding factor on which one you go to and everyone has an opinion.)

As my neighbor once said disappointedly in her drunken wisdom after they forgot to put sauce in the bag, “The food is just a means of getting the hot sauce to the mouth.”

Edited June 9, 2004 by Complete2L (log)

[JayTee]

Can't find it anymore, but everytime I used to visit LA I'd make a stop at Benita's Frites. Used to be at Santa Monica Promenade, then moved to Universal Citywalk, last I heard it had closed there and had not reopened.

It was the first place I experienced true pommes frites at, and had some great dipping sauce choices too.

*sigh*

[FoodZealot]

SA,

what are some of your favorite gems and wonders?

~Tad

[lesfen]

Oohhh... how I miss the (fast) food in Southern California! It wasn't really fast, but for lunch, you couldn't beat the Katella Deli in Los Alimitos. You'd get an awesome lunch, with pickles(!), and then you could walk into the adjoining bakery and pick your poison. I have tried and tried to even come close to their roast beef melt with no success. Not even close!

[Complete2L]

I almost forgot, Johnnie’s Pastrami (Culver City): The Hot Pastrami Sandwich – I have no idea what the rest of the food tastes like as anytime I am in the area I am not going to waste a visit on a hot dog or hamburger. Greasy, messy, but so damn good. It’s not like any other pastrami sandwich you have ever had.

[bvus]

La Super Rica Taqueria in Santa Barbara (tacos, tamales)

622 N Milpas St

Santa Barbara, CA 93103-3032

Phone: (805) 963-4940

Cassell's (2/3 lb. burger, potato salad)

3266 W Sixth Street

Los Angeles, CA 90020

Phone: (213) 387-5502

Apple Pan (Steakburger w/cheese)

10801 W Pico Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90064-2105

Phone: (310) 475-3585

[Stupid_American]

Some of my favorites are on my website, Cheap Eats.

In San Diego, I really like Rosarito's in Lemon Grove (taquitos and chicken burritos).

Boll Weevils for their straightforward Steerburger. Pass on all the new stuff that wasn't on the turtle shell!

Point Loma Seafoods for F-I-S-H.

There's a little Mexican joint, just east of Magnolia, on Madison, El Cajon, the puts out good "shack Mex"

Unfortunately, with all the chains, many little guys are vanishing.

Especially with kids, it's easier just to hit the big guys.

A classic was place in Spring valley, on Bancroft, just east of Troy.

I believe it was called "Mr J's"

It was a tiny burger shack, in the middle of a residential area, that put out over a ton and a half of pastrami each month (60's).

Anybody remember the Barrett Junction family style fish frys?

[tissue]

Can't find it anymore, but everytime I used to visit LA I'd make a stop at Benita's Frites. Used to be at Santa Monica Promenade, then moved to Universal Citywalk, last I heard it had closed there and had not reopened.

It was the first place I experienced true pommes frites at, and had some great dipping sauce choices too.

*sigh*

A decent substitute is Hollywood Fries in westwood. I don't know if it's still open. BUt you can also go next door to Diddy Reese for ice cream cookie sandwiches.

[JayTee]

Hollywood Fries was a decent substitute, although I don't think they used the same type of oil that Benita's Frites and other Frites places use (probably trying to be more healthy) but I was told by a friend that it is no longer there. Diddy Reese still is there and very yummy -- can't believe how little their cookies cost.