Horsing Around in Downtown Fullerton

 High Horse Saloon

102 North Harbor Blvd. 

Fullerton, CA 92832

No one would ever consider me a country boy. I've never been a fan of country music. In my early twenties, I took a country line dancing class, but that was to impress a girl who ultimately started dating the class instructor. If I were a songwriter, that story would make for a great country song, but that experience might have altered my view of the country music scene. My scars have healed from that event thirty years ago, enough that I had no problem entering High Horse Saloon in Downton Fullerton. 

I needed a place to have an early dinner with my parents, and as they have gotten older, I find myself picking spots closer to their home so they don't have to drive so much. High Horse gets excellent reviews on Yelp (4.3 stars with over 400 reviews), frequently helps out at community events, and was mentioned by OC Register Restaurant Columnist Brock Keeling as having one of the best patty melts in OC. I was sold. 

We met my parents at 5 pm on a Saturday, a couple of hours before Fullerton gets slightly rambunctious. We have been to this location before when it was Florentine's Grill, and even farther back, when my sister used to work here when it was Pete and Tony's. Due to the early hour, we had no problem finding parking behind the restaurant. I'm sure that's not always the case, but Fullerton has done a great job adding parking structures, which helps alleviate parking struggles. 

High Horse Saloon comes to us from Mario Marovic and Andrew Gabriel, who know a little about bars and restaurants. Their roster of spots includes Muldoon's, Malarkys, Madero 1899, Playa Mesa, Wild Goose Tavern, Country Club, and Mickey's Irish Pub, which is located right next door. Predictably, they did a great job transforming this place into a country bar/restaurant. Plenty of exposed wood, hanging wagon wheel lighting fixtures, saddle seat bar stools at the bar, and a stage that features live music most nights and a DJ later in the evening. 

We were, of course, more interested in the food scene at High Horse Saloon. The lunch and dinner menu includes starters, soups and salads, burgers, sandwiches, entrees, sides, and desserts. Items are modestly priced, all under $20, except four entrees that will set you back a bit more. Their happy hour menu is offered from 3 to 7 pm and includes many of the same food items as their regular menu but at three to four dollars less per item. I don't know if happy hour is limited to the bar area or the whole restaurant, but it's something to be made aware of. Let's check out what we had on this visit. 

I'm not the world's biggest cornbread fan, but everyone else wanted to try this Corn Bread Skillet ($9). This came to the table scalding hot in the cast iron skillet and was brushed with honey butter. I liked the contrast between the sweet honey and the cornbread itself, but the menu mentioned some jalapeno, which I did not detect. It would have been better if it had some heat to accompany the sweetness. Not a bad cornbread, though. 

Katie was not content with just the cornbread, so she ordered the Ranch House Salad ($10). For ten dollars, this was a good-sized salad. It came with a base of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, avocado, cheddar jack cheese, cornbread croutons, and a choice of dressing. She went with the blue cheese dressing, which she enjoyed, and found it was distributed evenly throughout the salad. The cornbread croutons were also a treat, but the avocado was turning brown, as seen in the photo above. However, it was not a deal breaker as Katie would get this salad again. 

These Pa's Pulled Chicken Potato Skins ($14) were listed under the starters section of the menu, but my mom had them as her entree. The potatoes were fried nicely, filled with jack and cheddar cheese, pulled chicken, green onion, and drizzled with a ranch crema. My mom generously offered me one, and I rather enjoyed it. The chicken-to-cheese ratio was on point, and the potato was nice and crunchy. I would have liked the ranch crema to be served in a ramekin instead of drizzled over the top, as it was unevenly applied. This would have allowed the guest to control how much went on each potato skin. 

I've said it before, but my dad is always a wild card when eating in a restaurant. When I look at a menu ahead of time, I'm never quite sure what he will get. This time, it was the Tri-Tip French Dip ($19). The tri-tip was piled high between ciabatta with Swiss cheese and fried scallions.  It came with a side of horseradish sauce and an au jus. The tri-tip was average by itself but made better with the cheese and sauces. I really enjoyed their bread, which held up to the contents of the sandwich, au jus, and the creamy horseradish sauce. With the sandwich, you can pick between fries and onion rings. I did not try their fries, but the onion rings are the way to go here at High Horse Saloon. They had a nice breading, seasoned well, and the onion stayed encased inside the outer shell of the breading. The provided ranch crema was an excellent dipping sauce for these rings. 

Katie also chose the sandwich route when she picked this Nashville Chicken Sandwich ($16). This large piece of chicken was joined on the brioche bun with slaw, pickles, chipotle aioli, and Nashville oil, which I just learned is a concoction of cayenne and other spices mixed with oil from the fryer and then brushed over the chicken. Katie liked that this sandwich had a muted heat, which allowed the tender chicken to be highlighted. I found this to be a very mellow spiced chicken sandwich, so if you are expecting more heat, you might be able to ask for that. The coleslaw added a good texture, and the pickles added some tanginess. Next time, a little more of the aioli could be added to the sandwich. 

Since I had just had a burger the night before, I decided to try one of their entrees. I settled on the Saloon Steak ($25). This was good for a mid- to lower-priced steak. The flat iron steak is grilled or blackened and served with chimichurri, pickled red onions, seasonal veggies, and garlic mashed potatoes. The steak was cooked nicely to my desired temperature of medium rare and was reasonably tender. The chimichurri was not as pronounced as others I have had, but still added a nice flavor boost. The veggies were seasoned well, and the mashed potatoes had a good texture but could have used more garlic. 

After reflecting on our meal at High Horse Saloon, I was delighted with everything we tried on this early evening. Food at bars is usually pushed to the background, as the primary focus is to sell cocktails and other libations. This was not the case here or at any other bars/restaurants these guys operate. The food was well thought out and surprisingly affordable. Nothing here will blow you away and demand that you return immediately, but if you are here for some country music or to soak up the pleasing atmosphere, you will not have to eat before or after you leave High Horse Saloon. We also experienced outstanding service, but I did not catch our server's name. I'm not going to be running out to buy cowboy boots anytime soon, but this visit helped me put my sorted past with country music to rest a little more. 

Out of five suits of armor (because the term "high horse" originated in medieval times when soldiers wearing suits of armor rode on high horses to show their superiority over everyday people), five being best to zero being worst, High Horse Saloon gets 3 suits of armor.  

For more information about High Horse Saloon, click here to visit their website: https://www.highhorseoc.com/

Hoping Matador Cantina Hits the Bullseye

 Matador Cantina

111 North Harbor Blvd. 

Fullerton, CA 92832

This is one of those restaurants I had to double-check to ensure I had yet to write a review. It seemed like I had been here before, but then I realized it was just for drinks and an appetizer. Adding to my confusion was the at least weekly emails I used to receive from their former PR firm. With so many emails announcing special events and new menu items, I quickly put them on my restaurant wishlist but have just made it here. 

Matador Cantina has been around just as long as this blog. Opened for business in 2009, Matador Cantina is located in one of the oldest buildings in Fullerton, dating back to 1899. From the time they debuted until about 2014, they won numerous awards for their margaritas, got lots of love for their Taco Tuesday, and had glowing reviews from many bloggers and print media outlets. 

Almost as rare as writing a restaurant review blog in 2023, Matador Cantina still has its opening Executive Chef from when they first opened their doors all those years ago. Chef Dave Dennis has even added General Manager to his list of duties. He describes his food as a fusion of authentic and contemporary Mexican cuisine, with some South American flavors thrown into the mix. We grabbed my parents for a long overdue meetup and headed to the restaurant. 

We visited on a Sunday at 4pm, just as the stragglers from the Sunday Funday crowd exited Downtown Fullerton. Parking was no problem at this time between meals. Like many older buildings, Matador Cantina is long and narrow. Coming in from the Harbor Boulevard entrance, there's a long bar to your left with TVs hung above it, showing sports when we visited. The other side featured a row of booths where we were seated. 

The dinner menu is split into starters, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, salads, and restaurant specialties. Appetizers hover around the $13 mark, while more substantial entrees range between $12 to $25. These are reasonable prices for this area of town. Tacos are listed at $6, but on Tuesdays, they offer street tacos for $2.25 and specialty tacos for $3.25 after 2pm. Matador Cantina also offers a weekend brunch, and they have happy hour every day except Saturdays from 2 to 6pm. Now that you have some background about this place let's see what we had on this late afternoon.  

As is my custom when eating in a Mexican restaurant, I'll start with a shot of the Chips and Salsa that came to the table when we were seated. The chips were fresh, and the salsa had a smokiness with a tinge of heat. It had a good consistency to it. Katie ordered the Guacamole ($11) for the table. The guacamole at Matador combines onion, tomatoes, cilantro, serrano chile, garlic, and lime. It was okay, but I expected more flavor with these ingredients. The avocado was the prevailing flavor, which is fine, but the other ingredients failed to show up in my bites. I was also not really a fan of the tostadas that this was served with. They were too over-fried, so I instead used tortilla chips that came with the salsa. A much better choice. 

Starting off the entree portion of our evening is Katie's selection of the El Gaucho Pasta ($16). Yes, pasta at a Mexican restaurant. The pasta came with a delectable cilantro chimichurri cream sauce, a distant pesto cousin, but not as oily. The grilled chicken was moist and tender, not something I usually say about chicken when eating in a restaurant. The plate was rounded out with garlic bread, which I did not try. Katie was delighted with her meal choice here. 

Also excited about his dinner was my dad and his Drunken Shrimp ($24). The shrimp was sauteed in a garlic and butter sauce that had my dad singing its praises. Joining the shrimp was some diced zucchini, which went well with the sauce. This plate was finished off with some cilantro lime rice and two pieces of the same garlic bread that came with Katie's meal. Again, not a typical dish that you'd see at a Mexican place, but my dad could not have been happier. 

So, leave it to my mom to get something I'd expected to see when we walked into Matador Cantina: a Shredded Pork Taco ($5). The corn tortilla was filled, stuffed to its gills, with pork, lettuce, and pico de Gallo. My light-eating mom struggled to finish this but gave it a game effort. She was happy with this taco but wished some cheese was included in it if they could have found some room. 

Everyone was excited with what they had ordered, and then there was my Carnitas ($16). When this was placed in front of me, I was surprised by the amount of pork included on the plate. These were some massive hunks of swine. Unfortunately, most of the bites for me were on the dry side. These carnitas lacked the fattiness that I like mixed with some lean parts when I order carnitas. There was no variety here, just dry lean pieces of pork. The cilantro lime rice was good, and the refried beans were okay, but I wish there had been more to help alleviate some of the dryness of the pork. Disappointing. 

Even with my less-than-stellar dinner selection, everyone else left Matador Cantina very happy with their meals. This is definitely a Mexican fusion restaurant, as shown in the pictures above. I would visit again, but I'd steer clear of the carnitas and try some of their specialty tacos, steak a la plancha, or seafood enchiladas. The prices here were reasonable, and they offer some excellent deals for happy hour, taco Tuesday, and other daily specials. We experienced good service on this visit, and their was not too much complaining about their service on Yelp, so that's a good sign. Now, I can officially cross them off of my restaurant wishlist. 

Out of five red capes (because matadors use capes to get bulls to charge them), five being best and zero being worst, Matador Cantina gets 2.5 red capes. 

For more information about Matador Cantina, head to their website by clicking here: https://thematador.com/

A Hidden Gem of a Pastrami Sandwich in Fullerton

 Gem Gourmet Meats and Produce

3125 Yorba Linda Blvd. 

Fullerton, CA 92831

It might make me sound like one of those elderly guys in the Pepperidge Farms commercials from back in the day, but restaurant blogging had changed a lot from when I started 14 years ago. Then, I would usually get restaurant tips from other blogs I read almost religiously. Only a few of us are still left writing restaurant reviews in blog form. Only a few are active blogs on my blogroll, which you can find on the right-hand side of this webpage. Most people stopped writing well before the pandemic and have not written a review in six months or more.   

With the tips from my fellow bloggers dried up, I have had to consult other sources. It was print media for a while, but once the OC Register put up a paywall, their restaurant critic left, and OC Weekly ceased publication, I was left with just Orange Coast Magazine. So I mainly rely on Instagram, my research, and the occasional tip from a reader for my restaurant tips. It was Instagram that brought me to where I will review today. 

In the last few months, I began following Grub with Greg. Greg does videos on the restaurants that he visits. I have considered starting to do this, but my audiobook obsession and finding the time to write this blog have prevented me from moving forward with this idea. Maybe someday. Greg does a great job showing off the food at the restaurants he visits. I recently had the pleasure of meeting him at an event, and I'm happy to report that he's just as lovely in person as in his videos. I want to credit him for inspiring me to visit Gem Gourmet Meats and Produce. 

Gem is located in the same shopping plaza as the stalwart Vendome Liquor, Mr. Katsu, and other proprietors alongside Yorba Linda Boulevard, just to the east of where it crosses Placentia Avenue. This was primarily a butcher shop with assorted produce and some dairy products for sale until recently. They have been in business for 50 years but have had more than one owner. 

You order the sandwiches at the meat counter, just to the left of the entrance. Their hot sandwich menu consists of four options, and they also make a variety of cold sandwiches which feature Boar's Head meats. The sandwiches come with macaroni salad, coleslaw, or potato salad. I perused the small store while my sandwiches were being prepared, less than five minutes. I paid at the front of the store and headed home. They did have one table outside the store if you chose to eat your sandwich on the premises. Let's see if this one tip that was worth following up on. 

I'm a sucker for a Hot Pastrami Sandwich ($13), and this is the sandwich I saw on Grub with Greg, which got me up here. The half pound of pastrami is steamed and placed on rye bread with Swiss cheese, sliced pickle, deli mustard, coleslaw, and Russian dressing. I really liked this sandwich, which was great value for the price. I'd get this without the mustard and pickles next time, as they overpowered the pastrami and the rest of the sandwich. Still solid, I enjoyed the sweet coleslaw, which contrasted nicely with the pastrami and the rest of the sandwich. I got potato salad with this which was fine but still not as good as the one from Mario's Butcher Shop in Newport. That one is still the benchmark for potato salads that I've had as of now. 

Who knew when I'd be back this way so, of course, I needed another sandwich. That sandwich would be the Hot Meatball Sub ($10). The meatballs are cradled in a French roll and joined by some provolone cheese and marinara sauce. I enjoyed that each bite included at least a part of a meatball. This sandwich had at least 5 of them. The meatballs were more dense than I would have liked, and their flavor was underwhelming. The plentiful provolone cheese did help elevate this sandwich, but it would have been better with more marinara. I upgraded my salad option to pasta salad. This was one of the better ones I have had. The penne pasta was seasoned well and sprinkled with parmesan cheese and sliced onions for an even more flavor boost. 

The pastrami sandwich at Gem Gourment is probably in my top ten pastrami sandwiches in OC, especially considering the relatively modest price compared to others on my list. The meatball sandwich could have been better, but if you are in the mood for one, this one will satisfy your craving. The sides were solid, and it's nice that they are included to round out your meal. I'll be trying the French Dip on my next visit here. Thanks for the tip about this spot Greg, and if you have any suggestions on places we should hit up, please let me know. 

Out of five Tanzanite gemstones (because this gem is the rarest and most expensive gem in the world today), five being best to zero being worst, Gem Gourmet Meats and Produce gets 3 Tanzanite gemstones.  

For more information about Gem Gourmet Meats and Produce, head to their website by clicking here:https://gemmeatsandproduce.com/

Falling in Love With Cupid’s Hot Dogs? - CLOSED

 Cupid's Hot Dogs

106 North Harbor Blvd. 

Fullerton, CA 92832

Hot dogs need to have their moment in the spotlight. Hot chicken sandwiches, bacon on everything, poke, frozen yogurt, and even kale were a thing for a hot minute a while back. What we need now are more hot dog restaurants in OC. With a few exceptions, restaurants relegate hot dogs to the kid's menu or offer one at the bottom of their regular menu as a throw-in. Hot dogs should be front and center more often. Luckily, the people of North OC now have a new option for hot dogs, and it's called Cupid's. 

If Cupid's Hot Dogs sounds familiar, you must have grown up in the Valley. They have been serving hot dogs up there since 1946 and are now being run by the third generation of the Walsh family. I did not grow up in the Valley but had heard of them when I visited PCH Dogs in Orange. Owner Scott Browning grew up there, and when he moved to OC, he missed their hot dogs so much that it inspired him to open his own place. See, the power of the hot dog is a powerful thing. 

A new family has brought Cupid's to OC, but they have been working with the Walsh family to ensure that the consistency is the same here. The menu is similar to the ones in the Valley, with the difference being that the Fullerton spot offers fries, but they don't sell soft-serve ice cream. In the six months they opened, they have amassed a perfect five-star rating on Yelp, which, along with my love of hot dogs, was enough for me to make a lunch date with my parents recently. 

Plenty of parking was in the back of the storefront, but the entrance is on the Harbor Boulevard side. When I was growing up, this was a baseball card shop, and more recently, it was a jewelry store. The long, narrow space is sparsely decorated with their logo on their white walls. A couple of tables and a four-seat counter face one of the walls. There is not much seating, so avoid mealtimes or plan ahead and order to go, as we saw several people do during our visit. 

The menu is really very simple here. They have five hot dogs to choose from, and the sixth is a build-your-own option. Sides include fries, chili, and chips. For those who care, there's no fountain drink service here, as they only have beverages in bottles. With such a limited menu, we quickly made our selections and took the one unoccupied table to wait for our food. 

Let's start out with the Chili Fries ($4.75). With the exception that Cupid's uses crinkle-cut fries, I thought these resembled Tommy's chili cheese fries. The chili had the same taste and texture but needed more cheese to help balance things. This was layered well, so I was not just left with a bunch of fries at the end. The fries stayed crispy throughout my whole time eating this. 

This Reuben Dog ($5.80) missed the mark for me. The hot dog had an excellent snap to it, but the sauerkraut really overpowered here, so I could not taste the mustard or cheese. This hot dog is misnamed, as a true Reuben has Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, not mustard and cheddar cheese. It was okay, but I'd skip this in favor of the two hot dogs still to come. 

My mom is pretty basic regarding what she likes on her hot dogs, so it was no surprise that she opted for the Make It Your Way Hot Dog ($4.85). With this option, you can choose any toppings that you wish. I don't know if this includes chili or if there are any limitations; the menu is a bit vague. My mom went with mustard and light relish on her hot dog. She loved the all-beef hot dog and the pillowy soft bun, which was spongy and held its shape well. Way better than her beloved Weinerschnitzel hot dogs that she has monthly. 

One of the better, if not the best, chili cheese dogs I have had in OC. Their namesake Cupid Hot Dog ($5.35) comes with plenty of chili, onion, mustard, and shredded cheddar cheese. What made this so good? It starts with the all-beef Vienna hot dog that they use here. Its casing really snaps when bitten into, and you can taste the high quality of the hot dog in every bite. The bun held up nicely to the meaty chili. I wish more onions were involved here or placed on top of the chili to get them more involved in each bite. Still an excellent chili cheese dog. 

Based on my chili cheese dog, I can see why people in the Valley are so passionate about Cupid's. Their menu has limited options, but if you crave a hot dog, this place will satisfy those cravings. Service was straightforward, and the price point for some of you might be higher than what you are used to paying at your local Wienerschnitzel, but these are far superior hot dogs and worth the extra dollar or so. I have doubts, but I'm still hoping this might get the ball rolling so that hot dog spots start popping up so I don't have to drive 45 minutes to visit Cupid's every time my hot dog cravings hit.  

Out of five leftovers (because when Cupid's opened in 1946, it was also the same year that Tupperware was invented, which helped keep leftovers fresher longer), five being best to zero being worst, Cupid's Hot Dogs gets 3.5 leftovers. 

For more information about Cupid's Hot Dogs, head to their website here: https://www.cupidsoc.com/

'Ono Grinds at Matiki Island BBQ

Matiki Island BBQ

1015 North Harbor Blvd. 

Fullerton, CA 92832

Sharp-eyed readers of this restaurant blog probably can infer that if I'm writing about a North OC spot for lunch, it means I'm either meeting my parents for a midday meal, or I had just gone to the dentist. On this occasion, the latter is true. I don't go to the doctor all too regularly, but I do go to the dentist every six months like clockwork, and since I'm rarely up this way in the afternoon, I usually combo my trip with a restaurant I haven't tried yet. This time it was Matiki Island BBQ's turn to dirty up my just cleaned pearly whites. 

Matiki Island was founded by Melvin and Ricki Liufau, known more commonly as Uncle Mel and Aunty Ricki. Uncle Mel was a fire dancer and Ricki was a hula dancer when they opened a dance studio together in Anaheim. When the spot was available next door to the studio in 1996, Uncle Mel decided to open up a restaurant. Since those early days they now have three other Southern California locations, and recently opened one just off the strip in Las Vegas. 

Operating five restaurants is pretty impressive in itself, but each restaurant has a 4 and a half star rating on Yelp with a lot of reviews. This, and my love of Hawaiian barbecue is what drew me here, and it was only a few miles away from my dentist. As soon as I got out of another stellar dental exam and cleaning, I called to place my order at Matiki. I was quoted just the amount of time it would take me to drive over and pick it up and be on my way. 

For a point of reference, this Fullerton location is in the Hillcrest Park Shopping Center, which is situated alongside busy Harbor Boulevard and also includes a Black Bear Diner, Wingstop, and a Ralph's. There were no hassles with getting my food, as I was off within a couple of minutes after paying for it. The only problem I could envision was the thirty-minute drive back to Mission Veijo with the smell of barbecued meats wafting through the car causing my stomach to do summersaults. Let's check out the food. 

As is the case whenever I eat at a Hawaiian barbecue restaurant, I gravitate towards combo meals, and at Matiki BBQ that meant I was going to have the #6 Chicken and Kalbi Plate ($12.75). I like getting to try as much as I can on one plate. The kalbi or short rib here was some of the best I've had at a takeout Hawaiian restaurant. Yes, they were a little fatty in parts, but these were some of the meatiest short ribs I've ever had. Usually, they are tiny, with just a little bit of meat, and not really worth the trouble. These had a good marinade on them that was sweet but did not overpower the beef. The chicken was a little hit and miss. Some pieces were delicious and tender, but other bigger pieces were on the dry side. Combo plates at Matiki come with two scoops of rice and a scoop of mac salad, but they were really good about substituting two scoops of mac salad in exchange for no rice at no additional charge. The mac salad here was on point with texture but was a little on the boring side. Still, it was better than white rice and definitely worth trying. 

From what I've seen online, this #1 Beef Rib Plate ($12.25), which is also known as Sam's Plate is the most popular thing on the menu at Matiki BBQ, and for good reason. This was really excellent. Reminiscent of the big ribs you'd see flip over Fred Flintstone's car in the closing credits of the famous cartoon, this was one very heavy to-go container. The way they were placed into the container I thought they were going to be all bone, but there was plenty of meat on these. The meat was tender and kissed with a tinge of sweetness. I did not really have to use the provided sauce on these. There was one bone that had way more fat than meat, but this plate is one of the big reasons I'll be returning to Matiki BBQ in the future. 

As far as fast-casual Hawaiian BBQ restaurants go, Matiki Island BBQ is right up there with my other favorite, Da Hawaiian Kitchen in Huntington Beach. The proteins here were pretty much all excellent, with the exception of a few pieces of chicken that were a tad dry. The beef ribs alone are worth the visit. Portions were huge, as I had plenty of leftovers for dinner the next day. Prices were more than fair when you consider the amount of food that I received. It will be hard to bypass Matiki Island BBQ when I'm up here again in six months for my next dental appointment. 

Out of five hamsters, (because I recently found out that it is illegal to own a hamster in Hawaii), five being best to zero being worst, Matiki Island BBQ gets 3.5 hamsters. 

For more information about Matiki BBQ, head to their website here: https://www.matikisbbq.com/ 

Tickled to Be at the Pickled Monk? - CLOSED

Pickled Monk

101 North Harbor Blvd. #100

Fullerton, CA 92832

I'm in awe of my cousin DJ. While I've had the same job for 32 years, lived in OC all my life, and been in cruise control for the last twenty years, my cousin DJ has been taking risks and having fantastic life experiences.

He moved to Chile on a whim, learned enough Spanish to live there for 4 years, and even started a hot sauce company while staying abroad. When DJ returned to OC in 2017, he kept the hot sauce company going and won a second-place prize at the World Hot Sauce Awards for his Gateway Green. Shameless plug for his award-winning Heatseeker Hotsauce, which you can find and purchase here.

Back to the present, and now DJ and his better half, Marci, are back on another adventure. This time, they are only moving a time zone over to Denver. Before leaving, they were going to have a going-away party with friends and family at one of their favorite places near where they live—a place I have never been to but have wanted to try for a while: the Pickled Monk.

I guess I should clarify that I have been to this address before when it was Bolu Bakery and Cafe in 2016. We were here for dessert during that visit, but I don't remember much more about it. Pickled Monk has been occupying this space since late 2018. The layout is similar, but they have made numerous enhancements to the space. There's a smallish bar to the right when you walk in, with six TVs perched on a wall showing sports. There's booth seating to the left-hand side of the restaurant, but the majority of the seating is in the bigger room down the ramp.

Ordering is done at the restaurant's center, and after you order, you are given a tracking device that alerts the staff where to deliver your food. Behind the ordering desk, there's a pour-your-own beer and wine station with a rotating selection of 30 taps to choose from. The menu starts with shareable sides and appetizers, works up to nine main dishes, and is rounded out by two salads and two desserts to end your visit. There's also weekend brunch offered from 11 to 2pm.

The chef behind the menu at Pickled Monk is David Fume, whom we became familiar with when he worked at the Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna about six years ago. Before that, he was at Temecula Creek Inn and Pechanga Resort and Casino. He's a busy guy, as he has this gig at the Pickled Monk and concurrent jobs at the Balboa Bay Resort as Executive Club Chef and at Salt Creek Grille as their Corporate Executive Chef. Let's see if the food here is worthy of sending off my cousin and his partner in crime.

With the word pickled in its name, we definitely needed to try the Fried Pickles ($5.99) at the Pickled Monk. I'm not the world's biggest pickle fan because they overpower every sandwich they invade, but I really enjoyed these. They are house-brained and battered. You still get the pickle flavor coming through, but it's muted a bit due to the thin cut of the pickle. The ranch dip was a great accompaniment. Definitely a must-try here.

Yes, Brussels Sprouts ($9.99) are on many menus all over OC. You might even be tired of them, but you should try this version at Pickled Monk before you skip these miniature cabbages. They come crispy with bacon, gochujang jam, honey, and blue cheese. Each bite kept my tastebuds interested. You have the savory bacon, the slight heat from the gochujang sauce, the sweetness from the honey, and the flavor burst from the unexpected blue cheese. The blue cheese bites were my favorites. After trying this version, the burnout from sprouts might be put on hold for many of you.

For Katie's main meal, she went with the Mediterranean-inspired Chicken and Hummus Flatbread Sandwich ($13.99). This grilled naan bread was stuffed with chicken breast, hummus, plenty of lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping. This sandwich exceeded Katie's expectations. The chicken was nice and moist, while the fresh veggies and tzatziki sauce stood out. She would definitely get this sandwich again.

Every gastropub has to have Mac and Cheese ($7.99) on their menu, which was the case here at Pickled Monk. This version has crumbled bacon and a smoked garlic emulsion joining the asiago cheese clinging to the elbow noodles. I was not too in love with this version. The cheese here was too subtle, and even the bacon did not save this for me. It was boring, and I was over it after a few bites. My sister, who seemed to like this more than I, took this home for lunch the next day.

It had been a while since I had a good burger, so I was pumped to try one this evening. Pickled Monk has two to choose from here. One is a build-your-own version with a double patty; the other is the Monk Burger ($12.99) shown above. This namesake burger comes with a dijon-mayo hybrid, blue cheese, arugula, and a bourbon-bacon jam on a brioche bun. This was an okay burger, but it did not blow me away. It needed a little more blue cheese to give it a flavor boost. The bacon jam and the dijonnaise left me wanting more, just like the underseasoned patty.

My sister called an audible at the last minute, and we also tried Skinny's Garlic Fries ($6.99). These came out tossed with plenty of garlic, seasoned with parsley, and a good amount of asiago cheese. Nice and hot when they came out, I could not stay away from them. Next time, I will upgrade to waffle fries for the extra fifty dollars, as the larger surface area of the waffle fries will make them even better. The magnificent ranch also helped out here.

There were some hit-and-misses this evening for me at Pickled Monk. I loved most of the appetizers, but my burger and the mac and cheese fell flat. I'd come back and try their bacon-wrapped bratwurst, Reuben, or French dip the next time I visit. The prices were more than fair, with nothing on the menu eclipsing the $16 mark. Service was good, although you were left to your devices once your food arrived. They were quick to clear plates and get you anything you need. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for my cousin DJ in his new hometown of Denver. I'm sure I will be in awe.

Out of five glaciers (because the TV character Monk has many phobias, one of which is the fear of glaciers), five being best to zero being worst, Pickled Monk gets 3 glaciers.

For more information about Pickled Monk, head to their website by clicking here: https://pickledmonk.com/

May I Present to You, Mr. Katsu

Mr. Katsu

3165 Yorba Linda Blvd. 

Fullerton, CA 92831

Do you hate going to the dentist? Just like you, I'm not really fond of some guy poking around my mouth, drilling into my jaw, or sucking out my spit through a tube, (sorry, I know this is not the most appetizing way to be starting off a restaurant review, especially a restaurant that I actually liked).

Going to the dentist gets me out of my normal routine a bit by placing me in North OC right around lunchtime. This, in turn, gives me a chance to try a new place for lunch. An added bonus on this trip was that my new boss was going to be joining me on this little restaurant adventure. Melissa is one hundred times better than my old boss, who thankfully was put out to pasture last year.

Anyways, we decided to meet up at Mr. Katsu, which I've wanted to try forever. It's located along Yorba Linda Boulevard, in the same shopping center as Vendome Liquor, Gem Supermarket, and a bunch of smaller storefronts. From what I've been able to learn Mr. Katus has been here since late in 2014, and in those five-plus years they have amassed quite a following. They have over 1100 reviews and a four and a half star rating on Yelp. They were also called one of the best surprising sandwiches in OC by Orange Coast Magazine.

Mr. Katsu can best be described as a Japanese fusion restaurant that takes pork cutlets and incorporates them into one of their 11 sandwiches. Not a fan of pork? They also have chicken cutlets or grilled chicken as options. Prices range between $9 to $11 for the sandwiches. They also have a version of Korean loaded fries, a Korean fusion bowl, and potato puffs. Ordering is done at the counter and then you find a seat at one of the ten or so tables. Not really anything too remarkable about the dining area, but Melissa and I were hoping that the food could be described that way. Let's check it out.

I was a little worried that these WTFF Fries ($9), AKA What The Frick Fries were going to be just a gimmicky Instagram dish, but after the first bite, I was proved wrong. The fries were your basic fast-food french fry, but the marinated beef kalbi, sauteed kimchi, and party sauce topping this elevated ho-hum fries into something magical. The short rib kalbi was nicely flavored, and the kimchi was mellower than I imagined it would be. I'm not entirely sure what the party sauce was, maybe mayo-based with some Sriracha thrown in, but it did a great job of tieing everything together. Definitely worth ordering when visiting Mr. Katsu. 

As if we did not have enough potatoes with the fries above, we also got five Potato Puffs ($3) to share. These were better than the fries. They had a decent crunchy outer shell and had an almost mashed potato feel to them on the inside. We got the regular, but I will try the curry-flavored next time I visit. The only drawback with these was that there was an odd number served, and with just the two of us, it was going to be a little uncomfortable about who was going to have the last one. Melissa ended the stalemate by snagging the last one without even offering to split it. Rude.

After the potato puff incident above, I knew there was going to be no way that Melissa was going to share a bite of her Chipotle Asiago Sandwich ($11). This pork cutlet came with chipotle aioli, asiago cheese, and plenty of coleslaw. She really enjoyed this spicy sandwich. The cheese did seem to get a little lost here, maybe due to the fact that there was so much slaw on this. The thick bread, maybe egg bread, was soft and a great vessel for the sandwiches. It did a great job of keeping everything together. She'd definitely come back and try other sandwiches next time. Just don't expect her to share.

My selection was what they claim is their most popular, the Habanero Pesto Sandwich ($10). This also came with a pork cutlet, as well as more coleslaw, pesto, and habanero aioli. This sandwich had a much bigger spicy kick than I was expecting. It did not overpower, but it lingered on the back end of each bite. I'd probably ask for extra next time. The pesto was a nice touch and made me realize that I do not have pesto nearly enough. The pork cutlet was moist and flavorful with a nice crunch to the outside of it. It's easy to see why this would be such a popular sandwich at Mr. Katsu.

This was a great find and I can see why they get so much love from everyone. Even though both Melissa and I got pretty basic sandwiches, they were delicious and pretty filling. Prices were very fair for the amount of food that you receive. Yes, the dining area is a little sparse, but you are here for the sandwiches, not the ambiance. I look forward to trying their Bacon Avocado and the Bleu Cheese Buffalo the next time I'm in the area around lunchtime, maybe in six months when my next dental appointment is scheduled.

Out of five hornets, (in honor of Fullerton College, who's mascot is Buzzy the Hornet, and it's one of the numerous JC's that I attended), five being best to zero being worst, Mr. Katsu gets 3.5 hornets.

Mr. Katsu does not have a website, but you can find more info about them on their Yelp page here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mr-katsu-fullerton-3