Best Restaurants of 2024

Well, here we are again. I never really believed my parents when they would tell me that the years go by faster as you get older. I now know that they were right. It feels like just a few weeks ago, I was sitting at this computer writing my best restaurant list for 2023. 

This marks the 15th year of this blog. My last restaurant review was number 1100, and I have many more on the way for all of you. I averaged one review weekly this year, which is way better than in recent years. I could have done more, but other interests like audiobooks, watching my pitiful sports teams, working my day job, and family obligations got in the way of writing time. 

Another thing that prevented me from reviewing even more restaurants was the time it took me to create an interactive dining map of the restaurants I had reviewed. It took me nearly two months to make the map as I went through and checked the status of all 1100 restaurants to ensure they were still open and operating. If they weren't, I noted it not only on the map but also on my review. You can find that map by clicking here: Eating My Way Through OC Dining Map, or you can find it on the header of this blog, near the top left-hand corner of the homepage. 

Thanks for taking the time to read or at least look at the pictures of the food on the blog. I love the interactions I get from you guys and enjoy sharing the great food I've enjoyed eating over these years with all of you. My hope for this blog has always been to be a resource for you guys to find excellent restaurants to eat at and avoid places that are below average. 

Without further ado, here are the best OC restaurants I reviewed this year. 

#10 - Irv's Burgers - Newport Beach

When a place has been serving burgers for the last 78 years up in LA, and they open an outpost at one of my favorite spots in OC, the Balboa Fun Zone, it excited me. I got even more excited after my first bite of their burger and chili dog. We've lost many fantastic burger spots in the last few years, so it was great to have one added to the OC dining scene for a change. 

#9 - Shorebird - Newport Beach

Staying in Newport, there's no shortage of good brunch spots in this beachside paradise, and you can add Shorebird to that list. A nice harbor view, a great menu with plenty for you to choose from, and a lively atmosphere are a winning combination for any good brunch spot. Plus, their crab benedict was the best breakfast item I had all year. 

#8 - Carnitas Uruapan - Santa Ana

I'm a carnitas fiend, so when my friend and I visited Carnitas Uruapan, I was surprised to find out it had been in business for 29 years—this was my first visit. I need to make up for lost time. This was some of the best pork I have had in years, and every taco was a winner.  

#7 - Benchmark - Santa Ana

Another spot in Santa Ana that impressed me was Benchmark. It's the first restaurant we visited during OC Restaurant Week, and it started my seven restaurants in seven days off right. Everything we ordered was a delight to consume, and we are already planning another visit to explore more of this restaurant that celebrated its 5th anniversary this year. 

#6 - Baekjeong Korean Barbecue - Irvine

I've had some mediocre Korean barbecue experiences until this year, but Baekjeong got me out of my Korean barbecue funk. This is not an all-you-can-eat spot, and it can get quite pricey, but this is the best quality of meat I've experienced to date. An added bonus is that they cook it for you at the tables, so everyone can enjoy their meal.  

#5 - Tijuanazo Birrieria - Anaheim

2024 is the year that birria became mainstream, and the best I had this year was Tijuanazo, which opened its first OC location in 2023 and has been racking up plenty of five-star reviews on Yelp. They do one thing here, birria; however you want to have it, it will be delicious. I suggest always going for the quesabirria, birria ramen, or having it in a quesadilla. You can't go wrong here. 

#4 - Hammer Burger - Santa Ana

Hammer Burger has been on my best-of list before, but now they have their own restaurant in Downtown Santa Ana. Smash burgers are all the rage right now, and this is the best I've had in OC so far. They also feature a burger of the month and do not sleep on their chili cheese dog, which was also excellent. It is well worth the drive from anywhere. 

#3 - Trattoria Trullo - Aliso Viejo

Ready for some real, authentic Italian food? Head to Aliso Viejo to experience Trattoria Trullo. There are no heavy red sauces or huge portions that will require a nap after eating here. Chef Marco Criscuolo serves up the food of his native Puglia, Italy. Make sure to start with their fantastic focaccia, and anything you pick for a meal after that will transform you into Italy, but without the 14-hour flight.  

#2 - Webb's Grainworks - Aliso Viejo

Webb's was another restaurant I visited during restaurant week, and after eating there, I could not stop raving about it. Hidden next to an ice skating rink on a sleepy street, Webb's has a great backstory and serves fantastic burgers, sandwiches, and the only version of Cincinnati chili I can think of in OC. I never thought I'd include two Aliso restaurants in my top ten, but here we are. 

#1 - Bloom Restaurant and Bar - San Juan Capistrano

The best restaurant I ate at this year comes from the guys that brought us Ironwood, Vine, Olea, and Sapphire. The hits keep coming with Bloom, which is directly across the street from the Mission. My bacon-wrapped meatloaf was delicious, and everyone else's meals were first-rate, but the skillet mac and cheese with bacon added was the best mac and cheese I've had in the 15 years of this blog. It's been eight months since I've had it, and I still think about it. 

Have a delightful new year, and I look forward to sharing my dining adventures with all of you as we enter 2025. Now get out there and eat!

Want a Great Sandwich? Grab a Seat at Jeff’s Table

 Jeff's Table

5900 North Figueroa Street

Los Angeles, CA 90042

Predictably, it was a late night/very early morning for us up in Burbank at a family party. We scrambled to make ourselves somewhat presentable before our checkout time of 11 a.m. We gathered our things hastily, Katie scrambled to place her Starbucks order, and I quickly searched for somewhere to eat on the way home. 

I was in the mood for sandwiches, and LA is a great sandwich town. I checked out Eater LA's Best Sandwich list and looked for something close to the freeway that would not be too out of the way. A half dozen filled the bill, but some were eliminated because they were vegan or closed on Sundays. When I saw the picture of the Pastrami Reuben at Jeff's Table, I knew we'd be making a beeline to Highland Park. 

The Jeff behind Jeff's Table is Jeff Strauss. He grew up in the delis of New York and moved to LA for a career writing and producing hit TV shows. Tired of the showbiz scene, he opened this place in the back of Flask Fine Wine and Whiskey in late 2019. His love of smoked meats and the cuisine of Los Angeles is apparent when you glance at the menu here. A potato salad that features Wasabi, a ham sandwich paired with kimchi, and a gruyere crisp inserted into the Reuben show that these are not just your run-of-the-mill sandwiches. This uniqueness has made Jeff's Table one of the most talked about sandwiches in all of LA. 

We were ready to get home after the rowdy weekend in Burbank, so we ordered our sandwiches to go. The Jeff's Table website was easy to navigate, and ordering was a snap. Our food was ready and waiting near the front door at the promised time. For those ordering here, step inside Flask Fine Wine and walk to the back of the store, where you'll find Jeff's behind the beer cooler. There's no seating inside, but I spied a couple of two-seat tables out front. We picked up our bag and returned to OC to prepare for the upcoming workweek and enjoy our sandwiches. 

Katie and I got two sandwiches each since we did not know when the next time we'd be up this way would be. The first of Katie's sandwiches was the Dirty Baby on Rye ($17.45 with avocado added). This one starts with a chicken salad that is equal parts smoky and spicy and is not like your mom's ho-hum chicken salad you grew up with. This is a flavor bomb that also includes both fontal and gouda cheeses, crispy shallots, a chili crisp, and pickled red onion on a very sturdy rye. The textures and flavors that are included here are amazing. I loved the crispy shallots and chili crisp as they added texture that contrasted with the creamy avocado and the cheeses. The chicken salad added a punch of spice, but not in an uncomfortable way. Even those sensitive to heat could eat this with no problem. The rye did not fall apart as expected; it held its integrity. A really excellent sandwich. 

Katie's second sandwich was the Big Brekkie ($15.95 with avocado added). We had skipped breakfast because we were scrambling to exit our hotel room before checkout, so Katie got this to remedy that. The sesame-studded roll included a folded chive egg, crispy ham, manchego cheese, a little bit of aioli, and arugula. This was the most straightforward of our sandwiches, but it hit the spot for breakfast-loving Katie. She liked the egg's creaminess and the sandwich's lightness, but she mostly appreciated that this was a unique breakfast sandwich.  

I'm enticed by Cuban sandwiches, and I almost always order one when I spy it on a menu. I definitely had to try the version at Jeff's Table, which is called the Jubano ($14.95). No surprise, but this version is not your traditional Cuban. Sliced pork is joined by not ham but pastrami, while the Swiss cheese is swapped out in favor of comte cheese, which is very melty. Pickle slices, mustard, and aioli round out this sandwich. I really enjoyed this sandwich. It had the balanced feel of a Cuban, but the pastrami provided a big flavor boost. Maybe too much mustard and not enough of the aioli for my taste, but it's an excellent version of one of my favorite sandwiches. 

I really enjoyed my Jubano sandwich above, but the must-get one visiting Jeff's Table is The "Jeff's Special"  Reuben ($14.95). Again, this is not a traditional Reuben, but this could be my sandwich of the year. Hand-sliced pastrami on griddled rye bread with Comte cheese, sauerkraut, a slightly spicy Russian dressing, and, just for good measure, a piece of crispy Gruyere cheese placed in the middle of it. Wow, this thing was good. A great crunch to the bread, the savoriness of the pastrami, and the melty, creamy cheese was a winning combination.  I had planned on eating only half, but I could not stop and ended up eating the whole thing in one sitting. 

The sides, like the sandwiches, are not your standard deli sides. We tried two of the three available. The JT Slaw ($5.95) and the Wasabi Tobiko Potato Salad ($6.95). I was not excited about the slaw, a combo of cabbage, fennel, and red onion mixed with a black pepper/bread and butter dressing. The fennel threw me off, and the dressing was used too sparingly, so all I tasted was cabbage and fennel. I was much happier with the potato salad. The wasabi flavor was present but not as intense as in sushi restaurants. I was hesitant about the tobiko, which is flying fish roe, but they were so small that I did not even notice them. The creamy potato texture and the dill made this side a pleasant surprise.  

It was an absolute pleasure having the sandwiches from Jeff's Table. Their uniqueness, fantastic textural elements, and flavor profiles make these some of the best sandwiches we've encountered in LA. There was not a dud in the four that we tried. Even though it's not a convenient location for us, the ease of ordering online and the promptness of the order being ready, when promised, helped ease the burden of getting to Highland Park, an area we want to explore even further in the future. A great last-second choice by me, but next time, we won't be able to dig into these sandwiches before heading back to OC.  

Out of five puppets (because Highland Park is not only home to this deli but also to the world-famous Bob Baker Marionette Theater, where puppets have entertained over a million people in the last sixty-one years), five being best to zero being worst, Jeff's Table gets 4 puppets.   

For more information about Jeff's Table, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.jeffstablela.com/

It’s a Win-Win if You Eat This Burger in Glendale

 For the Win

1200 South Brand Blvd. #3

Glendale, CA 91204

It was family time again up in Burbank. This time, the occasion was a college graduation party for Amanda, Katie's cousin's daughter. She graduated from USC with a degree in Music Industry and a minor in Sports Management. She's bright, focussed, and a lovely girl, and I'm not just saying this to suck up because there might be some complimentary concert/sports tickets in my future. 

As is our custom when spending the night in Burbank, we always try to sneak in a place to eat on our way up and back home. For the Win has been on my list of places to try forever, so it was not even a question that we'd be visiting here on this trip to try their very much-hyped smash burger. I have yet to read a smash burger best-of list that does not mention their burgers at all. I was pretty excited. 

For the Win was born out of the pandemic. Papilles Bistro was an award-winning bistro, but when lockdown orders came down, the owners pivoted from French food to smash burgers and chicken sandwiches. After many months of tinkering, they created a smash burger with crispy edges but still juicy in the middle, an excellent sauce to compliment the beef and cheese, and the perfect soft potato bun to hold everything together. The chicken sandwich was also a labor of love, and it took a lot of time to get it right. 

Their customers must love their burgers and chicken sandwiches because they have nine locations operating, along with two cloud kitchens in Echo Park and West LA. Unfortunately, they have no OC locations, but the closest one is in Whittier. Their menu is simple to navigate. They offer single, double, or triple burgers, with or without cheese and chicken sandwiches. Sides include fries, sweet potato fries, brussels sprouts, and loaded fries, which are topped with grilled onions, cheese, and fry sauce. Shakes are also available in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors. Their online menu differs from the menu in-store, as you can not order a chicken sandwich online, and the shakes are available online but not on their current menu at this location. Confusing. 

We arrived at For the Win's Glendale spot just after 1pm on a Saturday. They are located in a small shopping plaza, with only 15 or so parking spots, so it might be challenging to find parking during peak meal times here. There's little in the way of a dining room here, too. They had two small tables outside and a tiny counter space inside, fitting four patrons snuggly. Even with a steady stream of people coming through the door, it only took us ten minutes to receive our food. Here's how everything turned out for us. 

For the Win is mainly known for their burgers, so of course, I'm going to start off with their Fried Chicken Sandwich ($12). This sandwich was dressed simply with pickles and mayo on a pillowy soft potato bun. I'm usually partial to chicken sandwiches made of a single piece instead of pieces, as they are generally easier to eat, but this one stayed together well. The chicken was juicy, but I wished for a little more crunch to their breading, which was nicely seasoned. They could have had a heavier hand when the mayo was applied. It's a good chicken sandwich, but it's not crave-worthy.  

What is crave-worthy are the burgers at For the Win. From my first bite, I was enthralled with this burger. I knew I would be eating at our upcoming family party in the coming hours, and it took all my willpower not to order another burger right away. I ordered the Double Cheeseburger ($12.50 plus $1.95) for bacon). The burgers here come with pickles, fry sauce, and grilled onions. Tomato, lettuce, bacon, and jalapenos are an upcharge of fifty cents to $1.95. The double patty option hit my sweet spot, as it had an outstanding balance of meat, cheese, bacon, and bun. The potato bun is soft and pliable and keeps its structural integrity for the short time it took me to inhale this burger. The beef patty had crispy edges, and the center was juicy in the center, which is not always the case when ordering smash burgers. The cheese was gooey, and even though I'm not the world's biggest fan of pickles on burgers, they worked here to add a little tang to each bite. My one knock on this burger was that it needed some extra sauce, but I'll order more the next time I'm here. This burger is definitely worth the trip. 

For some odd reason, I was not feeling like fries, so we went with Brussels Sprouts ($6) as our side item. This was a very generous serving size, but I quickly got bored with these. They were fried crisp and seasoned with a little too much salt. I would have liked a sweet sauce to help break up the salt and natural bitterness of the sprouts. Not my favorite side, but for people who want a slightly healthier option than fries, this might be more to your liking. 

Okay, I did have some minor misses with the sprouts and the chicken sandwich, but that burger is definitely in the running for one of the best smash burgers I have had to date. It was so good that since we visited, I'm trying to find reasons to come back up to have that burger again. This location of For the Win is not the most convenient to eat at, as there's limited seating, and it's more conducive to takeout orders, but these smash burgers are worth the hassle. I'm looking forward to the day that they enter the OC market. I'll be the first in line. 

Out of five streetcars (because this restaurant is on Brand Boulevard, named after Leslie Brand, a city leader in the early 1900s who was instrumental in getting streetcars to Glendale), five being best and zero being worst, For the Win gets four streetcars. 

For more information about For the Win, head to their website by clicking here: https://forthewinla.com/#

Jacked Up to Try Jack’s Woodside Grill

 Jack's Woodside Grille

30065 Suite A Alicia Parkway

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

It was vacation week for Katie and me, so we took this rare opportunity to walk at the beach, get our house in order, go through the mail, and eat. We both have full-time jobs, so we only have one day a week to try a breakfast restaurant. During football season, that number dips to zero, as football takes up our entire Sunday from 10 a.m. until the last whistle of the Sunday night game, usually around 8 p.m. Yes, we are a little obsessed. 

We have wanted to try Jack's Woodside Grille since it opened in March of this year. In those eight months, Jack's has amassed a very impressive 4.7-star rating on Yelp and has a weekend wait for tables of anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the day. In the fifteen years I've been writing this blog, this address was the location of Legado Bar and Kitchen and Beach Pit BBQ, and before that, it used to be a Pick-Up Sticks.  

Jack's Woodside Grille is named after Jack Holder, a World War II veteran who opened his first breakfast restaurant in 1957. As the years passed, he and his children opened several other restaurants in Northern California. Jack Holder passed away, but his legacy lives on in the form of the restaurants his children have continued to run, including this one named in his honor and the first one in Southern California. 

Only open from 7 til 2pm, the menu here is geared towards breakfast, but they offer some lunch options, including burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The breakfast portion of the menu is broken up into egg dishes, griddled items, specials, omelets, classic breakfast plates, and benedicts. The average price per item on the menu's breakfast side is around $17, which is reasonable nowadays. Katie and I quickly made our selections, and here's how everything came out for us during our maiden visit to Jack's Woodside Grille. 

Katie took longer to decide what to order than usual, and I wonder if it was because so many things looked good or if she was just extra indecisive this morning. She finally selected the Jack's Special ($16). This scramble came with two scrambled eggs, ground beef, spinach, mushrooms, onion, and jack cheese. She stated that she would generally shy away from ground beef when having breakfast, but she found this to be very much to her liking. She enjoyed the lightness of the eggs, felt the ingredients were fresh, and loved the rye bread that came with her meal. Her only complaint was that the cheese was not melted, and there needed to be more of it sprinkled on top. 

When I eat breakfast out, I tend to look for the items on the menu that have the most breakfast meats. At Jack's Woodside, that meant I would be having the Supreme Omelet ($17). This omelet came with four kinds of meat: sausage, ham, bacon, and linguica, which is joined by some mushrooms, bell peppers, jack and white cheddar cheese, and Spanish sauce. The omelet had a souffle-like feel that I enjoyed, but I was not in love with this plate. The breakfast meats were cut too small to be noticeable, the Spanish sauce was bland and tasted like jarred spaghetti sauce, and the cheese needed to be melted. The outer portion of the hashbrowns was nice and crisp, but the inside lacked seasoning. I always enjoy it when a restaurant allows you to sub out toast for pancakes, and these were pretty solid pancakes. The buttermilk flavor came through, and they had maple syrup on the table, so you could add your desired amount of syrup instead of asking the server for extra. 

No, I did not have two meals on this visit; I returned recently with my friend to try their Chicken Fried Steak ($21). This was better than my omelet. I mixed my hashbrowns and eggs this time and added a good amount of pepper, making them automatically better than the first time I visited. The chicken-fried steak was good, but I would have liked the outer portion of it to be crunchier. The delicious country gravy helped save this from being just your run-of-the-mill chicken fried steak. The Swedish pancakes get a lot of love online, but I failed to see their attraction. They came out lukewarm at best, and the lingonberry butter did not add much flavor. They were okay, but the pancakes are the better option at Jack's.  

I really wanted to give Jack's a glowing review. The service has been stellar the two times I've been here, and the management team has been very hands-on in ensuring everything runs smoothly. Unfortunately, the food has not been up to the same standard. Even though the price point and portion sizes are more than fair, I have not found anything that has wowed me here, and the only thing left on their menu that intrigues me still is the Crab Benedict and maybe something off of the lunch menu. Jack's is okay, but not in my top 3 breakfast spots in Laguna Niguel. In case you were wondering, my top Laguna Niguel breakfast spots are still Mollies Country Kitchen, Plumeria Cafe, and Snooze. 

Out of five wildcats (because the sports teams for the Woodside High School sports teams are called the Wildcats), five being best to zero being worst, Jack's Woodside Grille gets 2.5 wildcats.  

For more information about Jack's Woodside Grille, head to their website by clicking here: https://jackswoodside.com/

Blow the Whistle, We’re at Penalties Sports Bar and Grill

 Penalties Sports Bar and Grill

469 Magnolia Avenue, Suite #101 

Corona, CA 92879

There are many things I love about Katie. Everything about her is lovely, but when we first started dating, one of the things I liked the most about her was that she had a big family. She is one of four kids in her immediate family, but what struck me was how close all her cousins, uncles, and aunts were.  Coming from a family of four with only one uncle and a couple of cousins, it was a little overwhelming initially, but I loved every minute of it. 

I met Katie's cousin Alyson at one of my first big family parties. She was awesome, and we have seen each other a few times through the years. As people usually do, we follow each other on social media, which helps us stay in touch and keep up to date with what's happening in our lives. As luck would have it, I was on vacation for the week and planned on meeting my good friend Ozker for lunch in his hometown of Corona. Alyson works at a sports bar nearby, so meeting at Penalties Sports Bar and Grill was natural. 

Penalties opened in April 2023 and has quickly become one of Corona's favorite places to watch sports. As we walked in the door, it was easy to see why. Wherever you sit, lift your head, and you'll have access to at least four TVs within your eyeline. Whether you choose to post up at the bar, a high-top table, or a booth, you won't miss any of the action on the field. When we visited at noon, many people were watching soccer and Dodger baseball. After an introduction between Alyson and Ozker and ordering drinks, it was time to get down to business and eat. 

The Penalties menu will not surprise anyone who has eaten in a sports bar before. Wings, nachos, and mozzarella sticks are prominent on their appetizer menu, while the compact entree portion features a burger, a couple of sandwiches, tacos, and two salad options. No entree is more than $20, and starters are modestly priced at $15 or less. Let's see if the food would be a touchdown or a fumble out of bounds. 

Ozker is a big fan of chicken wings and considers himself a connoisseur of all things chicken. Naturally, we started out with the Penalties Kickin Wings ($18). A boneless version is available, but bone-in is the way to go, according to Ozker. These came ten to an order, and we chose the traditional buffalo sauce to coat these rather large drums and flats. They also offer BBQ or a mango habanero, which I will try next time. These wings were fried well, had a perfect crunch, and the meat inside was tender and juicy. It's one of the better wings I have had in some time. The buffalo sauce could have had more heat, but it was worth getting these. Solid ranch, too. 

After the wings, our entrees were out next. First up was Ozker's choice, the Philly Fans Cheesesteak ($16). He eats like a three-year-old sometimes, as he ordered this without onions and peppers, and it came out by mistake with them. I quickly snapped a picture before Alyson took it away to remake him another one. This cheesesteak is made with grilled ribeye, provolone cheese, onions, and peppers on a hoagie roll. Ozker liked this once it returned to the table sans onions and peppers. From across the table, it looked like it had a good amount of beef, and the bun was soft, holding the sandwich's contents well. 

I asked Alyson what her favorite item on the menu was, and she claimed the Penalties Burger ($18) was the way to go, but with her favorite modifications. She always adds avocado and grilled onions, a $3 upcharge for the avocado. They use a short rib/ brisket mix for their patties, then pile on the sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and burger sauce. A delicious, straightforward burger. The beef was juicy, and the avocado and cheese added a nice creaminess to each bite. Unfortunately, they don't offer bacon, which would have made this an even better burger.  

This was a great meetup with Alyson and, of course, Ozker. We stayed for two drinks each, and then it was back home for me. Penalties is the kind of sports bar most people wish would be in their neighborhood. I wish it was closer to where I lived. It is a chill spot to catch a game and have some excellent bar food. I would like them to expand their menu, add a hot dog, patty melt, or more sandwiches. Even though Alyson was the only one working when we were here, she handled things like a pro and seemed to have a good relationship with many of her customers, many of whom I imagine to be regulars. I'm thrilled that Katie and her big family brought us to Penalties Sports Bar and Grill.  

Out of five whistles (because the sure sign that a penalty is being called is to listen for a referee's whistle), five being best to zero being worst, Penalties Sports Bar and Grill gets 3 whistles. 

Penalties Sports Bar and Grill does not have a website, but you can find out information about them on their Yelp page by clicking here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/penalties-sports-bar-and-grill-corona

Coming up With the Goods in Carlsbad

 The Goods

2965 State Street

Carlsbad, CA 92008

This is a little added bonus Carlsbad restaurant review. Usually, when we pick up a birthday present for Katie, we eat at a restaurant and head back up the 5 Freeway home. This time, however, we did not eat dessert at the restaurant where we celebrated her birthday, so we both craved something sweet. A quick Yelp search yielded many results, but one stuck out a bit and was within walking distance. After a nearly six-minute walk, we found ourselves at The Goods. 

The Goods is an artisan doughnut shop smack dab in the middle of Carlsbad Village. They have been around since 2017 and serve what I term fancy doughnuts. These are places like Sidecar Doughnuts, Oliboli, and JD Flannel Donuts in San Juan Capistrano, where a dozen doughnuts can set you back at least $30 or more. Conversely, Old-school donut places can be found in every neighborhood, and they serve very straightforward, no-nonsense donuts. I love both, although I have a soft spot for the old-school donuts I grew up with. I appreciate the finer doughnuts on occasion when my wallet allows them. 

We arrived at The Goods just before 2 p.m., which is usually when bakeries are selling off their remaining inventory and shutting down for the day. Although they listed their closing time as 4 p.m., they still had a good amount of stuff in their case when we walked into their small storefront. Doughnuts are priced in the $4 range, other pastries are $7, and they have a slew of coffee beverages that go for an average of $5. No coffee for me, as I was all about the baked goods. 

Here's a quick overview of what we ordered while at The Goods. We got them boxed to go, but we did have a doughnut and cookie here for research purposes only. Katie also got an Americano, which she enjoyed on the way home. In total, we spent just shy of $40. Let's take a closer look at everything we had. 

It's a doughnut spot, so of course, I'll start with the Cinnamon Roll ($7). This roll was about the size of my outstretched hand and featured cream cheese frosting. I liked this but had wished it had more cinnamon inside, as it lacked the gooeyness of other cinnamon rolls. The icing struck the right balance of cream cheese to sugar ratio, making people who like cream cheese frosting and those who don't both happy. The base was sturdy and well-made and got a little softer when heated. 

I'm always a sucker for cookies, so I got their Chocolate Chip Cookie ($3) as well. I liked this cookie more than the cinnamon roll. It had the perfect amount of chocolate chips spread evenly through the cookie, and the light touch of sea salt added a nice touch. The outside edge had an excellent crunch, while the center was chewy. The way a chocolate chip cookie should be. I ate this before heading home and should have gotten one for the road to heat it up in the microwave for that just-out-of-the-oven feel. Next time, for sure. 

Katie picked our first two doughnuts. She almost always veers towards fruit-flavored doughnuts. Her first pick was this Seasonal Berry Jam ($4.50). It's a yeast-raised doughnut with berry icing and filled with a jam made up of three seasonal berries. I'm guessing the three berries used were blackberry, boysenberry, and strawberry, but I'm unsure. The doughnut part was soft and had a slight chew to it, the icing was not overly sugary sweet, and the jam inside was a little too tart for my tastes. This was a grown-up version of the jelly donut you can get at your neighborhood donut spot. Very high quality. 

Next up was the Strawberry Shortcake ($4.75). Again, this was a yeast-raised doughnut with strawberry glaze topped with mascarpone, graham cracker crumbs, and a sliced strawberry. Like the doughnut above, this was not overly sweet, but the strawberry flavor was loud and clear. I'm not that big of a fan of mascarpone, so I left most of this doughnut for Katie, who liked this one the best.

The best doughnut I had at The Goods was this Brown Butter Doughnut ($4.25). It was a cake doughnut with a slight crunch when bitten into, a toasted brown butter glaze, and a touch of sea salt. I could have just had this one thing and left very happy. I'll have to try more of their cake doughnuts next time. They are delicious and satisfying. 

This simple Chocolate Ganache ($3.65) was another yeast doughnut dipped into a plain-tasting chocolate ganache. The chocolate on this was too muted for me, and after a few bites, I was bored by it. It was not awful, but I want it to be sweeter if I have a doughnut and the calories to go along with it. 

The Goods truly does make good doughnuts. After a few bites, you can tell they are crafted well and utilize high-quality ingredients. It might have been because we got here late in the afternoon, and they were out of the better doughnuts, but only the brown butter doughnut really popped for me and made me take notice. If we had gotten here closer to their opening, I would have liked to try their apple fritter, Boston cream, Nutella buttercream, or the churro cruller on my next visit. The girls working the counter were lovely and answered all of the questions we had about the doughnuts. Are these the best doughnuts in Carlsbad? We will have to wait until next year for Katie's birthday to find out. 

Out of five creatures (because the city of Carlsbad is home to three lagoons, sadly, none of them include a creature like in the 1954 3-D monster movie Creature from the Black Lagoon), five being best and zero being worst, The Goods gets three creatures. 

For more information about The Goods, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.thegoodsdoughnuts.com/