Burgers – Page 4

Patty’s Cafe- Greek, American, Mexican (La Mesa)

May 23, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Greek Food, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for once again stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Kirk is dealing with some connectivity issues right now, Ed (from Yuma) is recovering from a short vacation (not in Yuma) and Cathy is connected and rested, so she is writing today.

It's an El Niño year out here in Southern California and a day can range from chilly-cold to rainy to windy to hot. It's kind of fun to never know what to expect when stepping out in the morning. A few weeks ago, The Mister and I stepped out and drove a short way to have breakfast.

Patty's opened on Lake Murray Boulevard in August 2012 in the Big Lots anchored mall, across the street from the Ross Dress for Less anchored mall, on the North side of La Mesa, about two doors down from Papa's Donuts.Neat and clean, the small restaurant offers a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, has whiteboard specials and opens at 7 a.m. every day. The Gyros Omelet, made with feta, tomato and onion and served with pita , sliced tomatoes and tzatziki sauce was a whiteboard special ($8) one weekday. (It is regularly $9.95) Thick and heavy, the flavors melded well and we had leftovers to bring home. Mariana's Special Sandwich ($9.95) is a sort of craving for me. A plain, toasted bagel with cream cheese, over easy egg, ham and bacon and served with home fries (or hash browns) seems to satisfy just about every early morning craving I have, all in one bite.

The gyros and chicken salad ($11.95) is very large and served with dressing and tzatziki sauce on the side, along with toasty warm pita bread. Both the gyros and chicken are flavorful and moist.

The 1/2 lb gyros burger ($8.95) is great and adding onion rings ($2.95) makes this a meal for two. A thick patty, lightly char grilled and topped with all the gyros made each bite enjoyable. The onion rings were thick and fried properly.

We'll be back for more meals at this great neighborhood Cafe.

Patty's Cafe 6155 Lake Murray Boulevard La Mesa, CA 91942 (619)462-1922 Website Open Mon-Sat 7-9, Sun 7-3

2017 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test #1 -Tan Hoang Huong (Tustin), Copenhagen Pastry (Pasadena) and Burger Basket (Corona)

May 21, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Banh Mi, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with contributions about food consumed from various places under various circumstances. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are relaxing today. Cathy is writing about her circumstances.

Yes, it is that time of year again. The President, Theme (Echoes of Success), Marching Bands and some float designs for the 128th Tournament of Roses parade were announced not long after the 127th Parade ended on January 1, 2016. Floats are in the beginning stages of being built and a "T-1" (first float road test of mechanics and maneuverability) of floats built by Phoenix Decorating Company (who built 22 of the 44 floats in the 2016 parade) was held on Saturday morning at 7 a.m.

Listening to traffic reports, an accident had the North 5 with all lanes closed, so The Mister and I left home before 5 a.m. and stopped at Tan Hoang Huong (THH) in Tustin, since we were there before 6 a.m. (when Cream Pan (our usual stop) opens). Located just West (under the 5) of Cream Pan, it is good place to grab a sandwich and other treats. I knew about it because of several posts on CC's blog.

We ordered two egg rolls (@65¢) and a pork pate chaud (85¢) to eat while we waited for our bahn mi to be prepared. Yes, that's a 'spam' and egg sandwich ($4.25).

Fresh items, great tasting. Not the same as K Sandwiches, but very good. THH 14081 Newport Ave Tustin, CA (714)731-1366 Open Mon-Sat 5 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Sun 7 am-4 pm website

We detoured around the accident (which blocked the North 5 for more than six hours) and arrived at the Road Test just after 7 a.m.

Raymond Street is the place. The floats were lined up. The Rotary International float is in a very basic stage. You can see exactly where the driver and spotter are seated. They are communicating via headsets, as they will during the parade. The spotter on the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs float is the lady to the left in the photo. She will be seated below the floor of that gazebo-like structure. The Kiwanis float is taking shape. The City of Alhambra float has a fire engine being driven by both a fireman and a fire dog… Lions Clubs International is celebrating 100 years of Service in 2017. I can tell this float will be even more magnificent once it is decorated.

There were more details, but you get the idea. We were off to our next stop, Copenhagen Pastry (again, I knew about it from CC's blog), located East on Colorado Boulevard. The truck (and a few cars) parked in front of the otherwise quiet street made the subtle storefront easy to find. The fresh selections were so tempting- yes, that's about everything offered- We bought a loaf of Rye bread ($6) the dense, chewy style, made with rye berries, sunflower and black flax seeds, a Spandauer ($1.95) flaky pastry topped with almond paste and custard and a slice of Kringle ($1.95) also filled with almond paste, custard and sugar. We will return.

Copenhagen Pastry 3731 Colorado Blvd Pasadena 91107 Open Tues-Fri 7-5, Sat-Sun 8-4 Website

This location of Copenhagen has closed

We began heading home, stopped at a Super H-Mart for some items and then hit another accident prone area of the 91 freeway, exited and decided to stop at
Burger Basket, which we have driven past during prior sidesteps from traffic. Order, pay, have a seat…watch the char grill happen. A double cheese burger- (charred to perfection)($5.49) Gosh, I haven't had such a great burger since Sima's. My semi-usual morning order of an egg sandwich with sausage ($5.89). Let me say, this was heavy and huge with unexpectedly large tasty breakfast sausages (skin slightly burned), a lot of egg and lettuce with tomato and mayonnaise. Burger Basket has been at this location since at least 2007 and again, wish we had stopped here sooner. We will be back.

Burger Basket 1058 West Sixth Corona, CA 92882 (951) 734-1331 Open 7 days 6:30-9:30 Website

It was a long morning and we were home before noon. I hope you are having a good weekend!

Revisits – Pho Cali and Coastal Crave

March 14, 2016 mmm-yoso Burgers, Gastropub, Pho, Pubs and Pub Grub, Vietnamese Restaurants

I know, rather strange bedfellows, but here goes.

**** Both this location of Pho Cali and Coastal Crave have closed

Pho Cali:

A recent weekend morning found me in Mission Valley. It's kind of interesting, when we first moved to San Diego, our condo was in MV, but these days, other than the Missus enjoying a shopping day, we almost try to avoid Mission Valley!

The last time I'd been to Pho Cali was back in March of 2006. They've survived the test of time, though their shop in Kearny Mesa didn't last, eventually becoming Pho Nhu Y. Still, 10 am on a Saturday morning……. I thought it would be interesting to drop by Pho Cali.

Funny thing, the service is totally like any pho shop on University….as in, "what you want"……..

Haven't not been here in 10 years, I took the #49, regular, which was $7.69. Basically the proteins minus the rare steak, which I didn't think was going to be too good. What was really interesting was the plate of herbs and sprouts, which has got to be, the most stingy plate I've seen to date.

It was so amazingly stingy….I enjoy bean sprouts in my pho and have requested more on occasion, but this seemed a bit absurd. So, while waiting, I decided to count the bean sprouts…..which barely filled the palm of my hand. There were exactly 27 bean sprouts on that plate. Perhaps I could have requested more…..but really, should I have to beg for my sprouts?

So, lets get to the pho. The broth had nice hints of anise, but was lacking in richness and had way too much msg, the tendon and all the other proteins, including a decent amount of tripe was good. The noodles were a bit over cooked and mushy, but overall, it was hard to over come the amount of msg.

The service is typically perfunctory…..

Such is the state of pho in Mission Valley.

Pho Cali
1400 Camino De La Reina
San Diego, CA 92108

Coastal Crave:

So, I did Mike's BBQ, where I mentioned the beer offerings were much better than Coastal Crave's, which meant I had to return. I try to do a bit of due diligence when possible. This time, I avoided any of the dishes I had before and went with a simple burger.

But first, I can still say; there's not much craft beer here….they count Shock Top as a craft beer….

The Coastal Crave Burger?

Well, this was interesting. The burger was made to a nice medium, but the exterior was almost burnt and quite tough. Really sad, because this could have been a decent burger. Instead, it came across as being a bit bitter. The brioche style bun was good, the fried onion rings ditto….so close.

The young lady working on this evening was a joy; I believe her name is Kristin, or something like that. So maybe, maybe, since it's up the street……though they've got to step up their beers….

Coastal Crave
3065 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

2016 Rose Parade Float Decorating and other year end activities

December 26, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Chains, Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, primarily a food blog. Now that Christmas is over, Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are relaxing. Cathy is switching into overdrive, because she's been following traditions which continue until the 12th Night after Christmas Day.

On the drive home after The Mister and I had another non-traditional Thanksgiving meal, we talked about our next drive to Pasadena which was almost a monthly road trip this year. I had signed us up to volunteer to decorate Rose Parade floats back in June, choosing a Saturday in early December. When we arrived to check in, fellow blogger, Dennis, was also at the Rose Palace decorating barn of Phoenix Decorating Company, fulfilling one of many items on his "Bucket List". The view from the floor when we walked in is amazing.

There were two floats still under construction ( sponsored by United Sikh Mission, to the right in the above photo)… and this one, sponsored by Farmers Insurance. This float, mentioned/pictured in my October Road Test post will be following behind the main part of the Farmers Insurance float.

It was a day of preparation of dried flowers (so they could be pulverized in blenders and then the powder glued onto the floats), 'beaning' and 'seeding' and various jobs involving glue. More soothing and meditative, not the frenzy of fresh flower preparation (including the filling of thousands of vials with water) which begins today and continues until judging on the 31st. Taking a break, Dennis and I climbed to the catwalk (where the general public can also walk, for a fee) to take some photos…

The parade will be on television, kicking off at 8 a.m. on January 1. If you'd like to follow along and know the Order of the March, this link to the Pasadena Examiner lists each participant in order. There is also an app (it's free), mentioned on the the Tournament web site of the 2016 Parade Program. Beginning on page 39, there is a short paragraph explaining each participant and a photo of the band, equestrian unit, or the artist rendition of the float as it will appear in the parade. The Theme of "Find Your Adventure" combined with the co-sponsorship with the National Park Service (and the beginning of the NPS 100th year) is sure to make this parade one to remember!

Since this is a food blog…our meals that day…since we didn't have to leave the house at our usual 5 a.m., we had some breakfast at home then stopped in Tustin for cheesy delights; my most favorite version of ham and cheese baked into a bread and, on the left…a sort of cracker-cheese with a bit of flour; just the right amounts of each for a lightly salty, crispy pastry. Once again, we didn't purchase the delicious strawberry confections that Cream Pan is famous for. Cream Pan Bakery website

We did bring our own lunch, some sandwiches, and had those with coffee at the nearby Starbucks.

On the way home, there was one stop and then we saw horrible traffic, so ended up taking side roads to try to avoid, eventually stopping at the Etiwanda Avenue (in Mira Loma) location of Farmer Boys
Where I ordered my 'usual' breakfast sandwich (this time with bacon) and The Mister tried some sort of chicken/cheese/avocado/bacon sandwich… I have no description, except it was good as always; we were exhausted. Farmer Boys Website

Leaving the decorating barn, we had stopped at Orchard Supply Hardware in Pasadena to pick up the first of 2016 business giveaway calendars.Orchard Supply always has a train themed calendar and this year is the first time (in 85 years of calendars) when an artist's work has been featured two years in a row. The artist, Ken Muramoto, is extremely talented (and the youngest artist who has contributed to the tradition of OSH calendars). You can read about him HERE.

I enjoy the Vallarta Market calendar, because it lists the Days of the Saints in a format I can look at randomly. The Nijiya calendar is always beautiful. The Vietnamese Market Thuan Phat's calendar is HUGE and beautiful. The calendar from Lucky Seafood was…um…interesting this year. I know there are alway several designs chosen for the printing. This one we received well…I just never thought of a cartoony Asian man taking a selfie…but this calendar will be in my kitchen and I am sure it will make me smile every single morning in 2016.

The Mister and I also went to Fort Rosecrans, just after the annual volunteers from Wreaths Across America had finished placing wreaths in memoriam of our fallen military. Not every grave was covered, but each year a different section is completely filled. Volunteers will be needed for cleanup the second to last Saturday in January.
Once again, before our trek to the Cemetery, we stopped at P.L. Bagels for a buttered, toasted (available on weekends only) bialy and a (similarly prepared and available every day) everything bagel. Reasonable size, fresh made daily, seeds on the top AND bottom and sold until they run out. This family owned and run San Diego institution is great. P.L. Bagels 3704 Voltaire Street, Suite 107 San Diego 92107 (619) 223-4788 open daily 6a.m.-1 p.m.
Finally, one last local institution (more than 50 years in the same location) is closing and moving, because the land on that corner is more valuable than whatever rent the owner can get from the gas station, car wash and Mary's Donuts, combined. I've briefly mentioned Mary's in only two posts over all these years, but it is walking distance from home and since it is open 24/7…it is very much part of our 'rotation'. The new location is even a bit closer for us, but the ambiance just won't be the same…I hope the donuts are.

Mary's Donuts 9031 Mission Gorge Road Santee 92071 (619) 448-4800

I hope you are having a wonderful Season.

2016 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test #7, Quick meal at Pharo’s Burgers (Alhambra)

November 21, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, looking at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Today's post takes place North of San Diego, because that's where Cathy went to eat and do some other stuff. As you know, Kirk is on vacation. Essentially, Ed (from Yuma) is also on vacation.

What a day. The Mister and I thought we were getting a head start by leaving home at around 4:50 this morning and we hit all sorts of traffic- a horrible accident, a lot of road construction…more accidents and just backups of traffic everywhere. We zig zagged on side streets and finally got to Phoenix Decorating Company at about 7:30, just in time to see the three floats which will participate in the 127th Rose Parade being tested for safety and maneuverability today. Union Bank is back with a float this year, teaming up with the American Heart Association. Their "Union of Hearts" float celebrates both the 30th year for Union and one of the many goals of the AHA- exercise. It's a cute float…the 'female' heart waves one arm while the 'male' heart arms are alternating 'lifting weights'. This is what the float collapses down to, so it can fit along the parade route. Honda, the sponsor of the parade, will have this extremely long float at the start. We were fascinated watching it maneuver back into the decorating barn. The wheels are independent and the float seems to work like a ladder fire truck. The front part (in front of the bridge) will depict National Parks in Japan, and at the rear of the bridge,
where the driver is seated (up high) is a diorama depicting National Parks of the USA. The 2016 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade is co-sponsored by the National Park Service. The theme is "Find Your Adventure".

Western Asset has another beautiful float this year, "Let Your Imagination Run Wild". Taking a peek inside the barn, I could see the amount of work that has taken place since we were last up here…painted outlines are on most of the floats and so much is being done- Dry Decorating starts in two weeks! Here is a link to The Examiner's article about all the floats which will be in the 2016 parade.

///////////////////////////////////////

On to the food portion of this blog post.

You might recall I mentioned that the traffic today was the worst we've ever experienced. We drove a completely new-to-us route and ended up in Alhambra on the way to Pasadena, so we left the same way…and stopped here.. The corner of Garfield and Atlantic is where Pharos has been since 1994. 'Pharos' means lighthouse…see the shape of the front sign? Inside, up on top of the shelving and scattered on the counter near the cash register are a collection of lighthouses. The menu is on the wall. Order, pay, have a seat and your number will be called. Usually, my order anywhere is a 'breakfast sandwich with bacon, on rye'. It was no different today. ($5.79) A good rye toast, griddled eggs, a thick slice of tomato, folded lettuce leaves, mayonnaise and plenty of crispy bacon. A perfect meal…for me.
The Mister asked and then ordered a pastrami burger ($6.79) and also a large order of onion rings ($3.75). Charbroiled burger. Good pastrami (not peppery) on a toasted sesame seed bun. Wonderful not greasy onion rings. The food here was excellent; we brought home leftovers.

I hope you're having a good weekend.

Pharo's Burgers 1129 N. Garfield Alhambra 91801 (626) 284-2800 Website
2016 Float tests: #1 (we couldn't make it to road test #2) #3 and #4 #5 #6

This link is to the artist renditions of all the floats that Phoenix Decorating Company is producing for the 2016 parade.

The Hills-Local Pub (La Mesa)

September 11, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Pubs and Pub Grub, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is about food. It's a blog of places Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy enjoy meals. On this extremely humid Friday, Kirk is out and about, enjoying a mini-vacation while Ed (from Yuma) is staying indoors (in Yuma) avoiding heat and Cathy is at the computer, writing today's post.

Today, I will write about a pleasant adventure The Mister and I had a few weeks ago, when going out to eat did not include a factor of checking whether or not a place was air conditioned before considering (or rejecting) it as a lunch stop.The Hills is located on La Mesa Boulevard, just across from The Lunch Box (in fact that first photo of The Lunch Box post was taken from the front window of The Hills). A quiet part of town (almost a mile from where La Mesa Oktoberfest will be held) this part of La Mesa Boulevard is backed up by a quiet neighborhood area.The beer selection is updated regularly and is quite extensive. Each tabletop condiment container has the current listing.

You can click on the photos or here to see the menu.Above, my choice: Meanie Fries ($9.95). Fried potatoes (nice and crisp) topped with cheddar cheese, ortega chiles, chopped grilled chicken, "meanie sauce" (it's spicy!) and a fried egg. Technically a proper meal, due to the protein toppings. This was indeed, very good with the 'meanie' sauce part pretty much necessitating a few swigs of good, cold beer.The Mister wanted to try the Bistro Burger ($10.95, substitute salad for fries,$1). It's a 1/2 pounder, cooked to order (medium rare for us) and topped with mozzarella, bacon, fried brussel sprouts and a balsamic aioli. The flavors go very well together.Above, crispy remnants of brussels sprouts…which were cleared up after this photo was taken. {Lately been frying and using brussel sprouts leaves as a topping at our home cooked meals. This is a great idea}

I hope everyone has a safe and cool(er) weekend!

The Hills Local Pub 8758 La Mesa Blvd La Mesa 91941 (619) 741-7166 website

Yes, it's sort of an East County 'chain', with catering available.

I Sometimes Make Questionable Choices – Original Tommy’s

July 23, 2015 mmm-yoso Burgers, Chains

**** This location of Tommy's has closed

You might recall that I mentioned how uninspired and unmotivated I was when trying to decide what to eat after returning from our trip in an earlier post. I mentioned aimlessly driving up and down Clairemont Mesa Boulevard with no objective in mind….yes, here I was…the Missus was working and I was just going up and down, back and forth….wasting gas.

So finally I made a choice.

A very questionable choice……..

It had been a while since I'd been to Tommy's and even longer since I'd actually had a chili burger.

We had an Original Tommy's down the street from us in Rowland Heights. When the late night munchies would hit; maybe once every couple of months, we'd go grab a chili burger. The Missus used to love the chili but it gave Her heartburn….I was fine. For some reason, I don't recall the chili being as bland and gluey as this. In fact everything seemed to have the same texture except for the tomatoes. I asked for extra onions and even that didn't help. It was like eating mush……. The best thing about the burger was the generic bun.

I'm certain that something has changed here….that or this location does something different from the locations in LA. When did the food here get so bland? Perhaps I should have gotten the Caliente Burger.

On the good side; this was like hitting rock bottom…….the only way to go was up.

Original Tommy's
7415 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Green Acre- Revisit

June 6, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Salads, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping in at mmm-yoso!!! just to read about food. Kirk and His Missus are sad to be leaving Europe right now. Ed (from Yuma) and His Missus are happy to not be in Arizona right now. Cathy and Her Mister are in San Diego and enjoyed a lunch in an office park…

Yes, I've written a total of three other posts about Green Acre, one of our favorite places to grab a tasty, fresh (and according to the menu, healthy) lunch. This lunch was enjoyed at the Campus Pointe location. The parking is better and the restaurant seating area is larger than at the 'original' Nautilus location. It's a bit more of a walk to see the garden area, but you pass it when going to the parking area and the walk is always pleasant after a meal. Asking for water as your beverage gets you more than enough in a pretty decanter.The "Agua de Dia" (water of the day)($2) was watermelon cucumber and very refreshing. The Mister ordered a steak salad ($12) and the freshly picked greens along with beets, orange pieces and pickled onion were various and so brisk in flavor…a different green, a different taste…the side of buttermilk dressing was almost unneeded. The medium-rare cooked steak was lightly coated with a fresh chimichurri and so very flavorful. (That's a pretzel bun, served on the side) This was a Friday (when I don't eat meat) and the house made Black Bean Burger ($10) was my order. The medley of black beans with some spices and formed into a patty, served with Smoked Cheddar and avocado on a grain based bun was really tasty, fresh and satisfying. Fresh lettuce and tomato as well as pickled onions help to enhance the 'burger' flavor and there is a small side salad topped with a champagne vinaigrette, as well as a scoop of tasty quinoa salad. Still, we also ordered a side of Root Fries ($4) which come with sides of house made mayonnaise and catsup. Perfectly fried potato, sweet potato and beet cut into symmetric sticks and fried then lightly salted…the catsup reminds me more of a marinara and the mayonnaise has a distinct lemon flavor.

All in all, another nice meal in an unexpected location.

Green Acre 10300 Campus Point Drive San Diego 92121 (858) 450-9907 Website Open M-F 7am-3 pm Happy Hour 4-7. Thurs and Fri

A & R Grill in Yuma

May 19, 2015 ed fromyuma Beer, Burgers, Pubs and Pub Grub, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

It's about time for Ed (from Yuma) to post about some place Yuman. So today, Kirk gets to explore, and Cathy gets to rest, but as always at mmm-yoso, there is food on the menu.

Clearly the flavor of the year in Yuma is BEER. The newest player in the craft beer pub game is A & R Bar and Grill located on 4th Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets. They play the game pretty well:

The place has a clean, fresh decor, offset by plenty of sports memorabilia. Of course, flatscreen TVs, tables of various size, and a bar fill the smallish space:

The changing tap list is a little more limited than Pinthouse, but most folks have no trouble finding something interesting and tasty:

Tina was especially amazed by the grapefruit ale, which was remarkably refreshing and perfect for a hot day in spring:

Also interesting, though I thought less impressive, is the spicy Mango Margarita:

The menu includes tasty appetizers and salads, like the Caesar salad with chicken:

or this quesadilla with pulled pork,: but most of the menu is fairly standard bar food sandwiches, accompanied by decent french fries or with a salad or onion rings for little more legal tender. Usually, the cooks at A & R prepare the sandwiches just right and the bar clearly sources quality ingredients, making the resulting sandwich plate a cut or two above what one would expect:

I loved this pulled pork sandwich (here with a side salad, $2 more). Though not at all smoky, the pork was moist and tender and its flavor came through the sauce and accompaniments:

This chicken sandwich is a pretty standard version, but tasting of the grill and accompanied by very fresh lettuce, tomato, pickle (and cheese if you wish):

The french fries are also good, again better than one would expect.

When I ordered the turkey sandwich, the helpful and friendly waitperson said that I needed to order it with all of the accompaniments – bacon, spinach, cranberry, Swiss cheese, and tomato:

It was generally tasty, and I was happy to see that the turkey slices had been grilled, but I was a little disappointed that the chef had not spread enough the cranberry sauce.

I was also personally disappointed in the fish tacos, mostly because all of the sauces supplied were pretty spicy, but the fish filets seemed to me to need a little bit of more neutral crema help. Your results would probably differ:

In contrast, the sausage sandwich, which comes with grilled onions and two different mustards, is pretty impressive:

Made on premises, the sausage is robust with a complexity of flavors that I prefer to the old school Kamman sausage, the local favorite.

Tina and Greg both think that the sausage plate, with two large sausages and fries is even better than the sandwich, though I like me my carbs:

I realize that hamburgers don't break any culinary barriers, but A&R make very tasty burgers. I haven't tried the peanut butter and jelly burger that some folks on the Internet rave about, but this standard cheeseburger with extra crispy fries was very good. The smoky char of the patty (cooked a perfect medium rare), the melty cheese, and the super fresh condiments were all spot on (fries were good too):

Even better is the mushroom burger –with a side salad in this pic:

Inside:

I can't add much to that picture. I also couldn't add much to the A&R burger, the star of their burger selection, here shown with the ordinary onion rings:

The tomato, cheddar cheese, and bacon show up on a lot of pub burgers, but not usually paired with grilled onions, spinach, and a fried egg:

Overall, I like A&R Grill. While I don't frequent the place late at night (these days, I don't frequent much late at night), the service has always been friendly and competent; the owner (manager?) pays attention and is concerned; and the place is pretty friendly and low-key. The food is cooked to order and sometimes takes a while to prepare, but that's what beer is for.

A&R Grill, 712 S 4th Ave, Yuma, AZ 85364, (928) 783-0260

Lupita Mexican Food and Fruiteria (El Cajon)

May 13, 2015 Cathy Burgers, Fruiterias, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is extremely busy with necessary errands. Ed (from Yuma) is busy making plans. Cathy is blogging today, because she is, comparatively, not busy.

Election Day in November had me assigned by the Registrar of Voters to El Cajon, where I drove in circles, putting out fires and waiting for phone calls telling me of impending fires all day. Some of the areas I passed had interesting places to eat. Lupita Mexican Food and Fruiteria caught my eye. It shares the parking lot (around the corner) with the generically named 'Tortilla Salsa Market'. There are quite a few other businesses here also. (The signage you see from the street is 3rd photo from the end).The rather extensive menu offers the usual items. The quality is notable. The shrimp tostada ($4.19) was made with large shrimp, in a fresh salsa and served with a side of avocado. This was excellent.The al pastor burrito ($4.50) was freshly made, pretty average, quite large. I'd order it again; it's more interesting than a carne aside burrito.Ordering to eat in, a basket of thin corn chips is served, along with the house made salsas in squeeze bottles.

Above, a freshly squeezed "Popeye", medium size ($4.50) juice. Made with spinach, carrot, celery, cucumber and apple, it was just right. I like that it is just juice, no ice.

Carne asada tostada ($3.99) was quite large and very good. Tamarind raspado ($3.25)(16 oz) is nicely made here, from the whirring of the shaved ice machine in the back to the tamping of fresh tamarind pieces, each item I've ordered here has been carefully hand made and served with care. The ladies working here are very nice.Almost every visit, I've ordered a small fruit salad ($6.65) with everything (cottage cheese, raisins, granola, coconut and honey)…and have needed to take hime leftovers.Tortas here are made with a great bread which is brought up from Mexico. Above, the Lomo ($6.50) is my usual choice. Lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese avocado and a thin layer of beans surround the beef (and sometimes, pork) tenderloin, which is cured then chopped and heated for this sandwich.This is the signage you'll see from the street. Notice the bottom two lines: 'Sideways Bar'. Now, you may have noticed I've been doing quite a few posts under the "Pubs and Pub Grub" section of the blog. It seems that Sideways doesn't serve food, but the bar patrons walk to Lupita, order and pay. Then, one the order is ready, one of the ladies walks to deliver the food to the bar.

Consistently, one item seems to always be ordered. The double cheeseburger. So, you know, I had to…Behold, the double cheeseburger ($4.50). As you can see, two large patties, lettuce tomato and two different cheeses on a toasted bun. This was filling and quite good. I understand why it's an order for the bar patrons.

Another fruiteria which is locally owned and serves quality food.

Lupita Mexican Food and Fruiteria 1088 Estes (at Chase, one block East of Emerald) El Cajon 92021 (619)593-9500