Hitting the Mark at the Local Spot

 The Local Spot

6200 East Pacific Coast Highway, Suite B

Long Beach, CA 90803

5K number ten was in the books, and we needed to celebrate. Since last July, Katie and I have done one race a month. It sounds more impressive than it really is, except if you take into account getting Katie up and out the door before 7am on a Sunday. A true miracle and something that rarely ever happens, even on her typical workday. We also have not broken the one-hour mark on any of these 3.1-mile races, but at least we are out bright and early, getting some fresh air, and as is the case on this morning, getting a chance to eat at a new place for us, The Local Spot in Long Beach. 

The Local Spot has been around since 2011 and comes to us from the McKee family, who also operates Eggs Etc., which has been serving breakfast to the people of Long Beach since 1977. The Local Spot started as a barbecue restaurant only open for lunch and dinner but transitioned to a breakfast and lunch spot sometime along the way. That change worked as they have an impressive four-and-a-half-star rating on Yelp with over 1,400 reviews. 

We arrived here before 9am on a recent Sunday and immediately got a table. It was a different story when we left, as waiting to be seated is typical on weekends. We were seated on their patio, and although it was a bit chilly, we made the best of it. The Local Spot menu is broken into sections of omelets, egg dishes, benedicts, griddle items, a trio of south-of-the-border offerings, and a smattering of healthier breakfast options. The prices are modest, with nothing above the $15 price point. Very reasonable. Let's check out what we had to eat after our grueling 3-mile race. 

Up first was the Country Mix ($14) that Katie selected. This consisted of three scrambled eggs, bacon, onions, and home fries. This usually comes with ham, but Katie asked to substitute bacon instead, and they kindly obliged, and there was no upcharge due to the substitution. That is not always the case at most restaurants. She really enjoyed this scramble. Plenty of bacon, the potatoes were tender, and the red salsa provided a nice flavor boost. With this, you also choose toast, tortillas, a pancake, or, as Katie got, a biscuit with gravy. The gravy here was nice and thick, but I would have liked it to be more peppery. The biscuit was good, not too mushy. Katie was pleased with her breakfast choice. 

I did not even have to turn one page of the menu at the Local Spot because this Farmer's Favorite ($14) was listed on the front of the menu under House Specials. This came with a layer of home fries on the bottom and then was topped with two fried eggs, ranchero sauce, plenty of cheese, and diced sausage, bacon, and ham. This was one of the better breakfast dishes I've had in a while. There was plenty of cheese and breakfast meats, but another egg would have taken this to the next level by giving it more balance. The ranchero sauce did not overwhelm but added just enough to make it noticeable. I went with a pancake for my side item and added chocolate chips, a $2 upcharge. I liked this pancake because it was thinner than most, and they gave me plenty of maple syrup to go along with it. It might not look like it in the picture above, but plenty of chocolate chips were on the other side of the pancake. 

The Local Spot definitely hit the spot after our 5k. They got us in quick, the service was friendly and cordial, and the food was not lacking. As is the case with about 90 percent of breakfasts that I've reviewed on this blog, it's probably not drive-worthy from more than fifteen miles, but if you live in the area or find yourself running a 5k and need a place to refuel for breakfast, The Local Spot is where you should head. 

Out of five Olympic medals (because there have been 51 Olympians born in Long Beach, and I'm sure some of them have won medals), five being best to zero being worst, The Local Spot gets a very solid 3 Olympic medals. 

The Local Spot does not have an active website, so head to their Yelp page for more information about them by clicking here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-local-spot-long-beach

Socializing at Saint and Second

Saint and Second

4828 Second Street

Long Beach, CA 90803

Katie doesn't have many friends that she hangs out with. Preferring to be with her family, playing with her nieces and nephews, and staying home to watch tv, have her eyes glued to her phone for long stretches at a time, or her favorite pastime by far, sleeping as much as she can. So, it's very rare for Katie to make plans with one of her friends, and actually keep those plans instead of weaseling out of them. That's how I know that she really enjoys someone, like her friend Diana and her boyfriend Carlos, with whom we were going to be meeting for brunch on a recent Sunday morning. 

They live in Long Beach, and since we never make it up this way, we decided to come up their way to check out the Long Beach dining scene. I had sent Diana a list of brunch spots, and let her pick where we'd be eating. She said my list was pretty good, and she selected Saint and Second, which is in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach. 

Saint and Second opened in 2015 and is brought to us by the Hofman Hospitality Group, which is under the same umbrella as Hof's Hut and Lucille's BBQ. In fact, this site used to be a Lucille's but was converted to this new concept six years ago. They are going for a restaurant experience that is comfortable, yet sophisticated at the same time. A very tough balance to achieve. Their website states that they strive for food that is local and organic, from purveyors that equal their very high standards. I was intrigued. 

Traffic from OC was lighter than usual, and we had some good, "parkma," getting a spot pretty much right in front of the restaurant. Adding to everything coming together nicely, Diana and Carlos pulled up just as we were getting out of the car. Our little quartet made our way to the restaurant and was seated to the side of the restaurant, where they had constructed some booths on the sidewalk. 

Brunch at Saint and Second is served on weekends from 9 to 2pm. The one-page menu is not going to blow you away with its diversity, but there's enough here to satisfy most people. There's six egg dishes to choose from, followed by a couple of hashes, one flatbread, and one each of pancakes, waffle, and two offerings of french toast. Prices range between $12 to $19 for entrees, which is pretty modest when you consider the area this restaurant is situated in. Let's see if Diana made a good pick from my list of brunch places in the LBC. 

Let's start things off with what Carlos had as his first meal of the day, the Classic Eggs Benedict ($14). This version of a benny uses a cheddar biscuit as a base and then tops it with thick-cut Canadian bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce as a topper. Carlos seemed pretty pleased with this meal, as it did not stay around very long. From my vantage point, the eggs looked nicely poached and the hollandaise sauce appeared to be thick. The house potatoes that came alongside this looked like they would be right up my alley, as the potatoes were different sizes, so there would be some variety in texture from bite to bite. 

Diana has been described as a spicy dish many times before, so it was no surprise to the three of us that she went with the Chicken Chorizo Avocado Hash ($18). Joining the chicken, avocado, and chorizo on this plate were some potatoes, green beans, butternut squash, two poached eggs, and a chipotle hollandaise sauce. An unusual mixture of ingredients for a breakfast hash, but one that was lighter than most, and did not sacrifice flavor. 

I got the other hash on the menu, the House Smoked Tri-Tip Hash ($19). This hearty meal combined potatoes, tri-tip, onions, broccolini, bacon, two poached eggs, and the same chipotle hollandaise sauce that was used on Diana's hash. I really enjoyed this. I thought the tri-tip was going to get lost here, but it was front and center, and very good. The poached egg and hollandaise sauce tied everything together well, and the potatoes did offer some bites with creamy potato, and others that were on the crispy side. My only criticism would be that they could have added a little extra bacon, but I'm always clamoring for extra bacon with my meals. 

The most straightforward meal between the four of us belonged to Katie, who got the Traditional ($13). This came with two eggs, she got them over hard, two strips of bacon, potatoes, and a cheddar biscuit with butter and preserves. Katie was impressed with the high quality of the food she had here, which helped set it apart from other breakfast spots. She was especially fond of the cheddar biscuit, which was worth breaking her keto diet for, at least for a few bites.  

Since I'm always fond of combining sweet and savory at breakfast, I also got the seasonal favorite, the Tres Leches French Toast ($13). The two slices of french toast were topped with caramelized banana, pecan and oat crumble, and caramel whipped cream. This was the weak link of my meal at Saint and Second this morning. It was just kind of bland, and the muted sweetness did nothing to rouse my taste buds. It would have been better with some syrup alongside it. 

Even though the french toast failed to impress, the same could not be said about the rest of our meal at Saint and Second. The four of us all enjoyed our meals and would come back again for another visit. This trip whetted my appetite to try their lunch or dinner next time. I especially have my eye on their tri-tip sandwich, signature burger, and smoked pork chop on future visits. Back to this meal though, I did not find their prices crazy expensive, which is not always the norm when you are eating out in the Belmont Shore area. Service was pretty solid this morning, as our server kept tabs on us regularly, without being too intrusive while we were busy catching up with Diana and Carlos. Hopefully, Katie will make more time for her friends as things open up more and more. 

Out of five knots, (because Belmont Shore is the site of a youth sailing program which was founded in 1929, and I'm sure they have taught many of their young sailors to tie many knots over those 92 years), five being best to zero being worst, Saint and Second gets 3 knots. 

For more information about Saint and Second, head to their website here: http://saintandsecond.com/

Feeling a Little Greece-Y in LBC

Goerge's Greek Cafe

135 Pine Avenue

Long Beach, CA 90802

Katie knows how to get me to do what she wants. It was a few days before Halloween and her friends were having a party. I'm all for hanging out with her friends, but I had to work at 6am the next day and the party was up in Long Beach. I usually like to be home before 10, but she said the magic words that made me agree to a late evening. "You can pick a restaurant to go to before the party." That's all I had to hear, and I was off trying to find a spot for us to eat.

We do not make it up to Long Beach very often, so I was a little bit overwhelmed with the vast selection that I could choose from. I decided to pick a place near where the party was going to be, so that made Downtown Long Beach the logical choice. I went to Yelp and looked for the most reviewed and highest rated restaurant, which wasn't a sushi place, and found George's Greek Cafe.

It had been a while since we had Greek food, and we were both pretty excited to try George's, which had an impressive 4 and a half stars with over 2100 Yelp reviews. After a little research, I learned that this restaurant was started by George Loizides, a Greek immigrant living in Zimbabwe, who moved his family here in 1980 and saved up money to fulfill his and his son's American dream by opening a Greek deli. After a short move of location, the restaurant transitioned into George's Greek Cafe, and they subsequently added two other spots, one in Belmont Shore and another in nearby Lakewood.

George, unfortunately, passed away at the age of 83 about a week before we made our visit. His legacy is living on with the family still serving family recipes passed on from the older generations. Their menu is pretty extensive with plenty of items that you see in all Greek restaurants, (gyros, hummus, and falafel). That's just scratching the surface though. Dig deeper and you'll find other things that you just won't find at other Greek places, (melintzanosalata, scordalia, and kleftiko which you will see in a bit). Prices seemed pretty reasonable especially considering the area, with all entrees listed in the $8 to $23 range.

We had made a reservation on a recent Friday evening at 6pm. We did not really need them, as the dining room was pretty wide open, with only the front room and bar occupied when we first sat down. The dining room did fill in during our stay though. This dining space is accented by lots of dark wood, plenty of pictures of Greece and family members along the walls, and a rather large patio that extends from the front of the restaurant to the side of it, which I imagine would be a prime people-watching spot during the warmer months. Enough build-up, let's see the only thing that really matters to me, the food.

Hummus ($6.75) is one thing we always start out with when eating in any Mediterranean or Greek restaurant. This came out rather quickly and was surrounded by triangles of pita bread. This was an ultra-smooth version of the classic dip made up of mashed garbanzo beans. It was good but could have used a flavor boost with maybe some extra garlic or some more spice. Not bad but kind of humdrum.

I guess one starter was not enough for Katie, so we also got this Spanakopita ($7.50) before our main dishes came out. This filo dough was filled with feta cheese, spinach, and spices. It also came with a little salad of tomatoes, cucumber, and onions. These were made very well, but the feta kind of overpowered here. I'm not a big feta cheese lover, so these might not have been an ideal starter for me, but Katie liked this a lot. I did like the spinach in these and liked them a bit more when I dipped them in the leftover hummus.

Katie's meal came out first. She went with the Chicken Souvlaki ($14.75) which is chunks of seasoned chicken with onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and plenty of tzatziki sauce wrapped in a pita. She really enjoyed the insides of this sandwich, which she found to be tender and flavorful, but the pita could not handle the amount they put inside of it and quickly dissolved into quite a mess. She upgraded her fries with Feta and Garlic (plus $2). The fries were nice and crisp and made even better for Katie because she loves feta cheese. A hearty meal that prepared her for the wild party that we were going to attend later.

It was a Friday evening, and at George's, that means Kleftico ($18.95). Honestly, I had never heard of this dish before I sat down here for dinner, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. The story goes that during the Turkish occupation of Greece centuries ago, the Greeks cooked their lamb in sealed underground pits to hide it from their enemies. Now at George's, they roast their lamb shoulder for six to eight hours so it comes out very tender. This was a pretty good-sized chunk of meat, with most bites being very good. The lamb was spiced well and lacked any of the gaminess you would expect when consuming lamb in some places. They also provided a nice gravy with this, which I used in alternating bites. This special also came with a Greek salad and roasted potatoes. The salad was good, but I really enjoyed the potatoes. The smaller potato cubes had a crunchiness to them that I liked, while the bigger ones were soft when bitten into. I liked the contrast. A good plate, and if you are here on a Friday and like lamb, this is what you should order. 

Although Goerge's Greek Cafe did not blow us away with their food, it still is a pretty solid spot for people who enjoy Greek cuisine. I liked my lamb and Katie enjoyed her souvlaki, but we've both had better. I thought the prices here were more than fair and the portion sizes are pretty generous for what you pay. The atmosphere at George's was very laid back and not pretentious in the least. Our server achieved that very delicate balance of giving us space and making sure we had our every need met in a timely manner. This visit has us looking forward to exploring more of the restaurants that call Long Beach home in the near future.

Out of five anchors, (because the city of Long Beach is home to the oldest tattoo parlor in the US, Bert Grimm's opened way back in 1927 and I'm sure they have done plenty of anchor tattoos in those 92 years), five being best to zero being worst, George's Greek Cafe gets 3 anchors.

For more information about George's Greek Cafe, head to their website here: https://www.georgesgreekcafe.com/

Raising the Bar for the First Meal of the Day

The Breakfast Bar

70 Atlantic Ave. 

Long Beach, CA 90802

My spring vacation was ending when Katie suggested that I join her and her friends for brunch in Long Beach the day before Mother's Day. Long Beach always seems so far away from South OC, but I figured on a Saturday morning at 10am, it wouldn't take too long to get there. Plus, they let me put together a list of brunch spots I'd like to try. Number one on that list was where we ended up, a place where Katie's friends, Herb and Diana, eat pretty frequently, The Breakfast Bar.

The Breakfast Bar comes to us from a husband and wife team, Josh and Pamela Beadel. These Long Beach locals have worked in the restaurant business in various capacities. Josh has experience in the bar and beverage side of restaurants, while Pamela works the front of the house and food side of things. It seems like the perfect combination for a brunch spot that is known not only for its food but its signature cocktails as well. Throw in their grandmother's and other family members' recipes, and you have what appears to be a hit restaurant.

Opened in late 2013, Breakfast Bar has a very loyal following, with wait times of at least an hour on weekends. Parking can be tricky in this part of town, with much of it being street parking, but you could get lucky and find a spot like Kate and I did in the Travelodge lot, which is right next door to the Breakfast Bar. Even though most people were probably going out with their moms the next day, we still had a twenty-minute wait for a table. Not too bad. We were seated on their front patio, which provided a good view for people-watching.

A full page of the menu is devoted to cocktails and beverages, including a wide variety of Bloody Marys, vodka-based lemonades, specialty cocktails, and of course, beer and wine. The rest of the menu is dedicated to food, with breakfast entrees and appetizers taking up a whole page. Not in the mood for breakfast? There's also plenty in the way of soups, salads, and lunch options for you weirdos that don't like breakfast. So let's look at what we came up with on this rare visit to Long Beach.

Since Katie drove up here, I decided I'd partake in a cocktail, but what to pick? I've always had good luck with Mai Tai's ($12), so that's the route I went with. I'd describe this one at Breakfast Bar as a grown-up version of a cocktail almost always made too sweet. This one wasn't, probably because they use three kinds of rum: orange curacao, Orgeat syrup, and some fresh lime juice. A very well-crafted beverage that brought to mind a perfect one that I had in Hawaii many years ago. 

I had never met Katie's friend Herb before, but judging from his breakfast order, I can assume he's the type of no-nonsense guy that faces the day by saying pitter-patter, let's get at 'er. So first, he had the 2 Eggs N-E Way ($11). This basic breakfast plate included two eggs with cheese, two strips of bacon, and some grilled sourdough. The menu said this also came with a potato pancake, but Herb opted for fries. Herb seemed pretty pleased with this, and he even let me have a slice of his toast and some of his fries. Thanks, big shooter. 

I snapped this picture of Diana's breakfast choice, the Beadel Burger ($19.75 with a fried egg added), before she had them pump the brakes and take it back because they forgot that she had requested a gluten-free bun. This burger is a half pound of beef and comes with a house herb aioli, cheddar cheese, tomato, arugula, and red onion. When this came back, Diana thought this burger lit the lamp with its deliciousness, even though she could not finish it all. The fries are a classic fast food, thin, fried nicely, and plentiful. This got a big Texas-sized 10-4 from Diana, the Puck Bunny.

Katie went a little more adventurous at the Breakfast Bar when she got this Breakie Sammie ($14.75 with avocado added). This good-looking sandwich came on grilled sourdough bread with roasted garlic and herb aioli, jack cheese, arugula, tomato, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Katie loved this sandwich. The crunch of the bread went well with the savory items between the slices. This sandwich had many contrasts going on with it, so it kept you interested. The smokiness of the bacon, creamy avocado, lighter-than-expected eggs, and flavor punch from the garlic aioli made this sandwich a winner. It helped Katie leave Breakfast Bar a delighted girl.

The first thing listed on the brunch menu here is Uncle Marcee's Omelet Casserole ($16.50 with add-ons), and it was what I chose to have here at the Breakfast Bar. It was an excellent choice. This recipe has been passed down for three generations in Pamela's family. It takes 24 hours to make and is baked individually. It tastes like an egg casserole that my mom makes around holiday time. It's made with bread, jack cheese, eggs, and milk. You then add any additional items that you'd like to it. I added cheddar cheese, bacon, and avocado. This was a delicious combination. One of the better egg dishes I have had. Very homey, and I liked the crisped edges running along the sides of the casserole dish. This came with a potato pancake, which was grilled on the outside and soft and pillowy inside. Wish it had been a bit bigger, but I'll probably order an extra one next time.

I always like to mix sweet and savory at brunch, so an order of Pam's Chocolate Banana Loaf ($8) was an obvious selection for me to try. I'd describe this as very subdued. It had a very understated banana flavor, as the chocolate was a bit more prominent. Not the moistest banana loaf I've had, but it was definitely not dry either. A perfect choice for people who want a slightly sweet option to go along with their brunch entrees.

I left The Breakfast Bar wishing we lived a bit closer to Long Beach, as I'd make this brunch spot a habit. Everything we had on this visit was a great way to start the day. The food was bright and fresh, which is how I'd describe the service this late morning hour. Even though they were pretty busy, every employee we encountered on this visit seemed like they wanted to be there, and they were extremely excited to show off their food and make each guest very comfortable. I'm glad we finally made a visit to a Long Beach restaurant after nearly eight years. I know it won't be that long until we make it up this way again.

Out of five skinny houses (because a dwelling in the city of Long Beach holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the skinniest house in the world, located at 708 Gladys Avenue if you want to look it up), five being best to zero being worst, The Breakfast Bar gets 3.5 skinny houses.

For more information about The Breakfast Bar, head to their website here: http://www.the-breakfast-bar.com/

Birthday Trip to the Tilted Kilt - CLOSED

Tilted Kilt

6575 East Pacific Coast Highway

Long Beach, CA 90803

It was my buddy Riley's birthday. He was turning 24, and I was trying to think of a place to take him for his big day. After reading OC Weekly's review of the Tilted Kilt, it seemed like this place was almost made for him. So we headed just across the county line to Long Beach to give it a try.

The Tilted Kilt launched in 2003 and today they have 30 restaurants in 20 states. They expect to have 80 units opened by the end of this year. The reason for the rapid expansion? It probably has to do with a term that I learned while writing this post, breastaurants. The Tilted Kilt has their waitresses dress in short, plaid skirts and matching bras, with knee-high socks and white shirts tied to show their midriffs. Easily one of the best waitress uniforms to come along in a long while. Of course, a restaurant is not judged by a waitress's attire alone, so let's check out the food.

It took us an hour in rush hour traffic to get to Long Beach, so we were pretty hungry when we got to the Kilt. So we started with two appetizers, the Mozzarella Sticks and Potato Skins. The fried cheese was good and crispy, without being real greasy. The potato skins were crisp as well, but they did lack an abundance of cheese. Both of these appetizers came out real quick. Like less than three minutes after we ordered them. I was worried that they had been sitting around, but they did come out hot.

The birthday boy Riley ordered Maggie Mae's Fish and Chips. These two pieces of cod came with tarter sauce and Cole slaw. Riley, always the clever one remarked, "these fish and chips are a 10, to match the waitresses." I think that he is hoping that one of the waitresses will read this and want to get in touch with him. Anyways, I did try these and they were pretty good. Again, they were not greasy, and the fish did seem pretty fresh.

Yes, of course, Katie came with us here, and she went with the Chicken Tender Wrap. With this, she got to choose her sauce, and she went with TK's signature sauce, which was spicy and sweet. She liked the chicken in this because it was not heavily breaded and it was tender. The only fault she found with this wrap was that the tortilla did not stand up to the contents inside. It fell apart halfway through her eating this. She also upgraded to sweet potato fries for an extra charge. She felt these were just average, and would try a different side next time.

This being a bar and everything, I of course had to get a burger, so I had the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger with the BBQ sauce on the side. This burger was cooked fine, and very tasty. The bun was fresh, the meat was juicy and the bacon cooked crisp. The fries were okay as well. I liked this but would like to try other items on their menu next time. The meatloaf sandwich and Sheppard's pie piqued my interest the most.

Since it was Riley's big day we got a free dessert, which was the Tilted Guilt. A chocolate chip cookie topped with ice cream and chocolate syrup. This was served warm and is the Tilted Kilt's answer to the Pizookie from BJ's. The only complaint I have with this was that there was not enough ice cream on this. More would have made this much better.

Comparisons to Hooters are of course going to be made in the battle for the best breastaurant. In my opinion, there is no contest. Starting with the atmosphere, the waitresses, and trickling down to the food, the Tilted Kilt beats them in all facets. The waitresses were friendly without being over-the-top flirty or trashy. The menu here is more substantial and has higher quality foods than at Hooters. At Hooters the girls are the main focus, while at TK, the girls are great to look at, but they also have better food and a better atmosphere behind them. This makes the Tilted Kilt more of a full package.

Out of five golf balls, (because this place has a Scottish theme, and Scotland is the home of golf), five being best to zero being worst, the Tilted Kilt gets three golf balls.

For more information on the Tilted Kilt, click here: http://www.tiltedkilt.com/

Sizing Up Cisco's CLOSED

Cisco Burger

620 W. Anaheim Street

Long Beach, CA 90813

My Dad had gotten a new job at the Port of Long Beach a few months back, and he wanted to show off his office, show his co-workers what a cool son he has, and also show us one of his favorite places to eat by his work, Cisco Burger.

Cisco Burger is the brainchild of owner Jesse James. If you have not kept up with your subscription to People magazine or US Weekly, he is the former husband of Sandra Bullock, a reality television star, and owner of West Coast Choppers, (a custom motorcycle company). West Coast Choppers used to be next door to Cisco Burger, but now James has packed up and headed to Austin to be closer to his kids. The only thing he has left behind is Cisco Burger, and that is where we headed.

Cisco Burger is named after Jesse's pit bull. They have been open for four years now, and have a very loyal following at lunch time. They are open daily until four, and on Sundays until 2, so do not expect to go here for dinner. Cisco Burger is also very eco-friendly, they derive most of their electricity from solar panels, participate in local recycling programs, and use real plates and silverware for dine-in orders. Let's see how the food looks on those real plates.

Cisco's is more known for their breakfasts and burgers, but my Mom and her friend Sue split the Turkey Sandwich above. They both mentioned that they liked this sandwich, and felt that it was very filling. They do have very tiny appetites. They also liked the turkey on this sandwich, and felt that it tasted very fresh.

Here is what my Dad got, the Cisco Burger with Cheese. He called this, "a four napkin burger". I think that is just because he is a messy eater. The bite that I had was just okay. I did not get the juiciness of the burger that he got. I also was not too big of a fan of the wheat bun. I will trust his judgement on this burger though. The fries here were pretty good. They came out hot, and had a small amount of breading on them that made them extra crunchy.

Jarrod had a breakfast/lunch hybrid, the Breakfast Burger. This quarter pound burger was topped with an egg, hashbrowns, bacon, cheese, and mayo. The bite that I had was pretty good. I would have liked a little more mayonnaise on this, but all together this was a good breakfast burger. Jarrod had two complaints about this, he would have wanted the hashbrowns crispier, and the burger a little more moist.

I was in the mood for breakfast, so the Cisco's Pile was my pick. This mound of food consisted of eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, bell peppers, onion, garlic, mushrooms, and hashbrowns. As with many dishes that have lots of big flavors, this one was not all that it was cracked up to be. It was hearty, but I expected real big flavor with this, and it failed in that respect. This was made much better when I added hot sauce to it, it brought the flavors alive.

Cisco's is a very clean and sleek restaurant. The staff was all pretty cool, and they got the food out to us quick. By the time we left at 12:30, the place was starting to fill up. I am not sure that Cisco's would qualify for destination dining. If I were in the area, or worked in the area, I would pop in from time to to time, but living in the OC, I do not think it was worth the drive. They did have some interesting specials on their board that maybe I would try the next time I went to visit my Dad at his work.

Out of five routers, (because the Cisco Company was one of the first companies to successfully sell routers to the public), five being best to zero being worst, Cisco's gets 2.5 routers.

For more information on Cisco's click here: http://ciscoburger.com/