Clocking in at the Craft Burger Company

 Craft Burger Co. 

1450 North Kramer Blvd. 

Placentia, CA 92870

I miss the days when burgers were king. When I started this blog fifteen years ago, burgers were all the rage, and new burger spots were opening everywhere. Around ten years ago, the restaurant landscape shifted from burgers to chicken sandwiches. My top three burger spots in OC from back then have all closed; Burger Parlor, G Burger, and Fuddrucker's. I'll post my top three as of today at the end of this review. Will Craft Burger Company be on that list? Read on to find out. 

Craft Burger opened its doors in December 2022 in the location that used to be home to Meat Up BBQ and Sue Ann's Kitchen before that. I have reviewed and liked both of them on this blog, which you can find by scrolling down and clicking on them if you feel nostalgic. They have not really changed too much in the way of decor since Meat Up left, but it did appear to me that they lightened things up a bit, but that might be because we sat near the window instead of sitting in the side room to the left of the drink station. 

We arrived here with my parents at 4 for an early Sunday dinner. They came before us and were directed to a table. I was surprised that this was not an order at the counter but a full-service restaurant. The menu is divided into salads, loaded tots and fries, sides, and, of course, burgers. The burgers range between $13 to $18, while the loaded fries and tots are about the same price. They have happy hour every day of the week from 3 to 6pm and all day on Monday and Tuesday. Happy hour is $2 off selected apps and $2 off beer, wine, and champagne. The four of us had looked at the menu before we arrived, so we quickly made our selections with our friendly server. 

The Onion Rings ($5.50 Happy Hour Price) got mixed reviews online, but we found them quite enjoyable. The batter on these rings was light yet crispy and did not pull away from the onion underneath, which is a big thing for me. These came with a trio of sauces; ranch, teriyaki, and sriracha aioli. I liked the ranch and sriracha aioli the best and used both in alternating bites. The teriyaki was OK, but it was too sweet for me. The picture on the menu shows these served with the sauce on top of them, and I was relieved that these came without the sauce so we could add just the right amount for our individual tastes. 

Even though we had ordered two starters, Katie pushed us to order these Chicken Potstickers ($7 for happy hour). These six potstickers came with the same sriracha aioli and teriyaki that came out with the onion rings. These were OK, but they did not rock my world. They were fried nicely, but the chicken inside was underwhelming. I'm not the biggest fan of potstickers and can never really remember being excited by any I've ever eaten. 

Now you can see why we did not need the potstickers. The Craft Burger Loaded Tots and Fries ($13) were more than enough for the four of us. We got fries and tots, an excellent option for the indecisive like us. They were topped with green onions, bacon, grilled onions, house burger spread, crispy onions, and jack cheese, a better version of the awful animal fries people rave about from In-N-Out. Unlike those fries, these were really good and crispy, even with all the toppings piled on top of them; it was the same for the tots. I enjoyed the different textures and the amount of toppings they included on this rather large tray. It was way too much for us with the other two starters we got, but I made a valiant effort to finish the tray. 

My parents decided to split the Regular Cheeseburger ($12), and the good people at Craft Burger Co. were kind enough to split it in half for them and bring it out like a burger kabob. The regular cheeseburger comes typically with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickles, burger sauce, and onions, all on a brioche bun. My parents opted for no lettuce but kept the rest of the burger intact. They seemed to really like this burger. The cheese was melted nicely to the burger patty, which was juicy and went well with the pickles and tomato. I would have asked for extra burger sauce if this was my burger, but my parents felt it was perfect for them. 

Even though this restaurant is called Craft Burger Co., Katie veered towards this Southwest Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($13.50). At first glance, it reminded me of the bacon Swiss chicken sandwich from Carl's Jr., but with better ingredients. Between the glossy brioche bun is a substantial crispy chicken patty, swiss cheese, ranch dressing, pickles, lettuce, and two strips of bacon criss-crossed. Katie enjoyed this chicken sandwich until the bun fell apart halfway through. She feels they might have added too much ranch dressing, which was unnecessary because the chicken, swiss cheese, and bacon were all delicious.  

I had a tough time picking which burger I was going to have. Craft Burger Co. has an interesting-sounding PB and J burger, a garlic burger, and another one that includes mac and cheese. Ultimately, I went more basic with the Cali Burger ($16). This is listed on their menu as the house special, which helped me decide to pick this burger. Lending to its enormous size was a plethora of toppings. Two strips of bacon, American cheese, avocado, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and plenty of burger spread were piled on here. I loved that the fried egg featured a runny yolk, but with the abundance of the burger spread and avocado, this burger was really messy to eat. The bun slid all over the place, and by the end, I ate it with a fork. The burger patty was good, and the rest of the toppings and condiments were top-notch. 

I really liked Craft Burger Co. The burgers were good, the sides were excellent, and most of all, this restaurant brought me back to a time when burgers were way more popular than they are now, and these restaurants were opening everywhere. I look forward to returning to try another one of their burgers soon. Unfortunately, they fall short of making my top three burgers in OC right now, but not by much. Hammer Burger gets my number one spot, The Cut takes second, and Pour Company in Fullerton gets the bronze medal in my Burger Olympics. I'm hoping that burgers will make a return to prominence soon. 

Out of five ketchup slides (because the town of Seymour, Wisconsin, is home to the Hamburger Hall of Fame, which has a festival annually, and one of the main attractions is a ketchup slip and slide), five being best to zero being worst, Craft Burger Co. gets 3 ketchup slides. 

For more information about Craft Burger Co., head to their website by clicking here: https://craftburgercompany.com/

JD’s, King of the Wing?

 JD's Wingz

117 East Chapman Avenue

Placentia, CA 92870

Except for pizza and burgers, I get asked most about where to find the best wings. I'm not the world's biggest chicken fan, but I like chicken wings, especially when watching sports. My competitive eating days are mostly behind me, but my last contest was with some punk from work about who could eat the most wings in one sitting. I quickly mopped the floor with the kid, and my finishing total was 71 wings in less than an hour.  

Okay, back to my point. When people ask me where to get wings, I recommend Santora's across from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, SoCal Wings in Westminster, and Krave in Irvine. This Korean fusion restaurant makes some excellent wings that will not disappoint. As for the chains, I enjoy Epic Wings and Fire Wings but try to avoid Buffalo Wild Wings at all costs. Even though they have over twenty choices of sauces and dry rubs, their chicken is average at best, and the rest of their menu is way worse than that. 

I learned about JD's Wingz through Instagram when they contacted me for a visit. We had trouble connecting, but I added them to my list of restaurants to try. A few months later, I finally made it here when I was up this way for a dentist appointment. They are located in the shopping center at the corner of Bradford and Chapman Avenues, in Placentia, right by the water tower. 

JD's opened for business in August of 2021 and is run by MMA fighter Christian Aguilera. Christian is a native of Whittier and has exchanged the octagon for this small storefront where he sells baked wings, chicken sandwiches, and sides. Yes, you read that right, baked wings. I'm always skeptical about baked wings because I like the skin to be extra crispy. I know frying is not the healthiest way to go, but wings are not something I have every day, although I would not be opposed to it. Let's see if these baked wings can satisfy like fried wings do. 

Yes, to answer your question I was eating alone, and yes, I did eat all of this while I was at JD's. Going to the dentist makes me hungry; what can I say? I got the 5 Wing Combo ($16.96), which comes with one flavor of wings, a side item, and a drink. I also got 5 Wings Ala Carte ($10.25) just for a little more variety. One ranch was free with my combo meal, while the other cost me $.80. 

I selected the OG Hot flavor with Tater Tots as my side for my combo meal. The first thing I noticed when these were placed in front of me was that they seemed bigger than other wings. There was lots of meat included here, and the manageable spicy sauce covered every inch of the wings. Maybe they were bigger because they were not fried and did not shrink up like their fried cousins seem to. The meat underneath was moist and tender, and I enjoyed how the sauce dried into the skin after cooling off so they were less messy to eat. The tater tots were baked nicely and had a slight crunch, but other than that, they did not really stand out from others I've had. Next time, I'd try their loaded tots or the coleslaw, which people love. 

My garlic parmesan wings were good, but the garlic and parm dry rub did not stick to the wing when I picked it up or dipped it in their magnificent ranch. Luckily, they put lots of the dry rub on here, which still provided plenty of flavor to the outside of the wing. I'm always partial to garlic parmesan on wings, but I'd like to try their mango habanero, creole BBQ, or lemon pepper on my future visits to JD's. 

JD's Wingz has made me a convert to baked chicken wings. There are pros and cons to both fried and baked wings, but there's room for both in the world of chicken wings. You don't get quite as crunchy skin with the baked, but the chicken underneath is more moist and tender. The sauces and rubs were a great complement to the chicken, and with 14 available, there's definitely one you're going to enjoy. Not a fan of wings. They also have a chicken sandwich and their version of boneless wings, a chicken meatball ground in-house, and topped with any rubs or sauces. Sounds interesting. I'll definitely add JD's Wingz to my response when people ask me where to find good wings in OC.   

Out of five title belts (because the owner of JD's was an MMA fighter and the goal of any fighter is a title belt), five being best to zero being worst, JD'sWingz gets 3 title belts. 

For more information about JD's Wingz, head to their website by clicking here:https://www.jdswingz.com/

Our Quest for Good Carnitas Brings Us to Q Tortas

Q Tortas

220 South Bradford

Placentia, CA 92870

People are not too keen on going to the dentist. I get it. It's uncomfortable having somebody poking around in there, leaning back in the chair, and heaven forbid the guy has to break out the needle or pull out some teeth. Yikes. I've been lucky up until this point, knock on wood, I haven't had any big teeth issues. That's probably why I'm always pretty happy to head to my dentist twice every year. Another reason I'm not bothered about going to the dentist is that I usually treat myself to a meal directly after my appointment. This time I headed to Q Tortas in Placentia.

Okay, I did not head directly there, because Old Town Placentia was preparing for the 24th annual Tamale Festival and several of the streets around Q Tortas were closed. I worked my way around the street closures, found a place to park about three blocks away, and made a brisk beeline for Q Tortas.

If you are unfamiliar with this part of town, Q Tortas is situated just south of  Chapman and Bradford Avenues, in what I like to think is one of the best Mexcian food corridors in all of OC. All in one square block resides El Farolito, El Cantarito, and Tlaquepaque. Some of the most prolific Mexican restaurants I have been to. Talk about a hard decision for dinner when you are in Old Town Placentia. I was hoping that my first visit to Q Tortas would rank right up there with these Mexican restaurant heavyweights.

Q Tortas has been around forever. I could not find out precisely how long, but most of the accounts I have found online say they are right around 30 to 35 years of being a family-owned business. The previous owner of the building had been Q Burgers, and instead of changing everything, they kept the Q part of the name and added tortas to it.

There's not much in the way of atmosphere here. The building and booths are definitely dated, I hear the drive-thru speaker doesn't work, the menu board is more reminiscent of an NCAA basketball tournament sheet you'd fill out for March Madness, with its brackets pointing to grouped menu items that are the same prices, and ordering is not done at the walk-up windows facing the street, but just inside the doorway.

The menu is what you'd expect to find at a lot of other places. Tacos, burritos, tostadas, combo meals, and even burgers are offered here. Nothing on the menu breaks the $8 barrier, with most items going for about $3. Definitely one of the most affordable spots I have been to in a while. I ordered a few things to go but took my pictures real quick before making my way back down the 5 Freeway to eat my selections at home.

When torta is in the name of the restaurant, I felt it might be a good idea to give one a try. They offer six varieties, and I picked the one that I found to be the most exotic, the Adovada Torta ($4.95). I learned online that adovada, also known as adobada is cubed pork marinated in a red chili sauce that also uses vinegar and other herbs. This torta then had onions and plenty of cilantro added to it. The telera roll used here was nice and crunchy due to a slight grilling it received. I expected the pork to be in little bigger pieces and a little more tender than it actually was. The adovada sauce was very good, with a tinge of spice, but nothing that made this anything more than mildly spicy. I ate only half of this and had the rest the next day, and maybe because it had even more time to marinate, it tasted better the day after.

Since the sign out in front of Q Tortas shows a man in a chefs hat shoving a pig into a big pot, it's a big hint that carnitas rule here. Numerous reviews on Yelp state that these are the best carnitas in town, which is a big statement to make with El Farolito situated mere steps away. So, a Carnitas Combination Plate ($7.50) was a natural choice for me. They forgot my flour tortillas, which is fine since I did not really plan on using them anyways.  The carnitas were fine, but not better than the ones at El Farloito. A few pieces were on the dry side and I missed the crispy tips that you get at other places when you order carnitas. They could have been a little more flavorful as well. The rice was okay, but the refried beans were delicious, rich and flavorful. Double beans for sure next time.

Even though I was not overwhelmed with the food that I had on this visit to Q Tortas, I'd definitely come back if I didn't have time for a sit-down meal at El Farolito or El Cantarito, and just wanted to grab some food to go. Their hard-shelled tacos look delicious and I'd probably get a different torta on my next trip, along with an extra side of refried beans to add to it. Service was fine on this early afternoon, as the lady took my order and the food was out within five minutes. I'm already looking forward to my next dental visit, but more importantly, where I'll be eating right after it.

Out of five martinis, (because the most famous "Q"  I could think of is from the James Bond movies, and 007's favorite cocktail is a martini, shaken not stirred), five being best to zero being worst, Q Tortas gets 3 martinis.

Q Tortas does not have a website, but you can see pictures of their food and find out more information on their Yelp page by clicking here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/q-tortas-placentia

The Pizza of My Childhood - CLOSED

Brooklyn Pizza Works and Italian Restaurant

1235 East Imperial Highway

Placentia, CA 92870

This is a nostalgic place for me and my family. I vividly remember having my first slice of pizza at Brooklyn Pizza Works as a kid. I must have been about ten or eleven so that puts it around 1982 or 83, and I had never had anything quite like it. It was unlike the pizzas we would typically get from Pizza Hut or Shakey's after soccer games. This is what my young self had imagined New York pizza tasted like.

My parents took the unusual step of deviating from our usual pizza haunts because BPW had won Best Pizza in OC several times from the Orange County Register in the early '80s. My parents figured they had to try it since it was so close to our house. After that initial visit, it became the pizza spot we would visit when we wanted an elevated pizza, not one of the chain spots that dotted almost every shopping center in North OC.

That was way before I had gone to New York and had pizza, but back then, I imagined this pizza was pretty close. The new owner of Brooklyn Pizza Works, Irene, reached out to me on Instagram with the offer of free pepperoni chips, and since I had a visit with my family already planned, we decided to try BPW again to see if it was just as good as we remembered all those decades ago.

We arrived at BPW at 5:30 on a recent Saturday evening. This pizza place is located deep in the recesses of this shopping center on the corner of Imperial and Rose Drive. This once bustling center features a Chuck E. Cheese, a sushi restaurant, and Paul's Country Kitchen, which has a solid breakfast. Unfortunately for BPW, all of the businesses surrounding them were closed at this early evening hour, so unless you know they are there, you won't just be coming by since they are not visible from the street.

This fact was confirmed when we entered the restaurant. We were the only people in the place, and only three other groups of customers followed us during our stay. We were met by Irene, the current owner of BPW, who is very personable. She showed us to our table and took our drink orders as we perused the menu. By my calculations, she and her family are the fourth owners of this place, which has mostly stayed the same in the decor. Old wood paneling, a wall of vintage license plates, and a dated feel to the dining room dominate the space.

The menu is impressive in size at BPW. Plenty of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, bigger entrees, and pizza are available here. Prices are modest, with very few menu items exceeding the $15 mark. There are plenty of specials, and their website offers lunch and dinner specials. We were in a rush since we would watch my niece in a school play, so we ordered quickly. Here's how everything came out for us at this restaurant that will soon turn 40 this year.

When Irene got in touch with me, she sent me a coupon for free Pepperoni Chips ($7.95). These are listed on the menu as a must-try. I had a love/hate relationship with these. The pepperoni is deep-fried, and they were very salty. I found myself returning to them occasionally, so I may have liked them in short intervals. They were a little better when dipped into the provided marinara.

Katie and my dad got Dinner Salads ($3.50) to start their meals at BPW. This simple salad came with olives, red onion, sliced tomato, a few slices of pepperoni, and a choice of dressing. Nothing earth-shattering about this salad, but the produce was fresh, and this satisfied their salad cravings for the moment.

I could not get across the table quickly enough to snap a picture of these Mozzarella Cheese Sticks ($7.95) before my niece Lillie could grab two from the plate, so imagine this plate with two extra cheese sticks. These were fried well and came out hot, which is what you want in a cheese stick. This was decent fried cheese here, but nothing that made us go wild.

Most pizza places serve Chicken Wings ($7.95), which was definitely the case at BPW. These appear to come six to an order, as this time, I did manage to make it in time to get my picture before one of my adorable nieces took a wing off the plate. When looking at them, they appeared to be overcooked, but my one was moist and juicy, with plenty of meat on it. The ranch dressing was good but unnecessary since these wings came out with a mild buffalo sauce, which lacked any definitive spice.

There were eight of us this evening, so we got two pizzas to share. I've always felt bad for my dad when it comes to pizza. Like most fathers, he likes a lot of stuff on his pizzas, but the rest of us growing up liked just the basics, like pepperoni, sausage, and, if we were feeling, wild onions. He had mentioned that this Medium Alfredo Pizza ($19.95) had sounded good, and before my mom could say no because of the mushrooms, we snuck this one by her. This white pizza came with alfredo sauce, my mom's nemesis mushrooms, onions, chicken, and mozzarella. This was a very mellow but enjoyable pizza. The Alfredo sauce was light, and they did not skimp on the toppings, especially the onions and mushrooms. There could have been more chicken on this, but my dad was pretty satisfied he got to have a pizza with more than two toppings. Father's Day came early for the big guy.

So, that brings us to this Large Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza ($21.45). When this sat in front of us, I was struck by how evenly the pepperoni spread across the pizza surface. The sausage was less prevalent, but some were on each slice. This tasted like it used to when I was a kid. A cross between pizza types here. The crust was thin but not crispy like a New York-style pizza. They offer a crust listed as crispy, so that's the one to get if you are a fan of a crispy crust. The toppings and cheese are the stars here, and each bite gets a mix of cheese and pepperoni. A good sauce-to-cheese ratio makes this an above-average pizza.

Brooklyn Pizza Works holds many memories for me and my family, and I'm happy to report that they still make a pretty good pizza. Is this the best pizza in OC? No, it's not. I'd rank it higher than the lower-end chains like Domino's, Pizza Hut, or Little Caesar's, but not as good as the pizzas at nearby Tony's Little Italy, Terra Mia Pizzeria, Cortina's, or Giovanni's. Brooklyn Pizza Works is firmly in the upper middle level of the pizzas in OC I have had so far, and it is definitely worth a trip if you are in the mood for pizza and are in North OC. I will always be thankful to BPW for showing my 10-year-old self that there was more to pizza than what I was used to at Pizza Hut, Domino's, and the local mini golf place.

Out of five mermaids (because the borough of Brooklyn is home to the Coney Island Mermaid Parade every June), five being best to zero being worst, Brooklyn Pizza Works gets 3 mermaids.

For more information about Brooklyn Pizza Works, head to their website here: https://www.brooklynpizzaoc.com/

Hoping This Restaurant Is Worth Their Salt (and Ash) - CLOSED

Salt and Ash

1390 North Kraemer Blvd. 

Placentia, CA 92870

I have become quite obsessed with lists of restaurants. For a while, I was fixated on wings. Then I went crazy trying to hit all the burger spots on another top 10 list. I'm trying to hit up as many OC Register's Restaurant Critics as possible and Brad Johnson's top 75 restaurants on the OC list. I've already been to almost half of them, but that is not good enough for someone trying to eat their way through OC. So, I've made it my mission to tackle this list until another list strikes my fancy, and I attack that one.

The food community has embraced Salt and Ash for a restaurant that has only been open for six months. Not only has it been listed as one of the top 75 restaurants in OC, but it also got a glowing review in Orange Coast Magazine. Pretty good for a restaurant that is well hidden and in the suburban spread of landlocked Placentia. When we walked in, we also spied two of our good friends and prominent members of the OC food scene, Anita from Diary of a Mad Hungry Woman and Bobby of 100 Eats. Really good catching up with them, and proof that Salt and Ash has some great buzz surrounding it. Let's see if we thought this was the case after eating here.

Salt and Ash, as stated earlier, is in an odd shopping center next to the Placentia Post Office. Lots of wood all over the place, and a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere is provided. It is not too hipster, but it still has a youthfulness about it, even though they still serve beverages in mason jars, which was so yesterday, as any hipster could tell you. They have a small bar that straddles the back portion of the restaurant and the outdoor patio. About twenty tables in this rectangular floor plan are nicely spaced, allowing conversation in this rather loud environment.

The menu includes appetizers, sandwiches, entrees, desserts, and side items. There are about five options per section, with some extra appetizer options. According to our waitress, the menu changes with the seasons, which is a bummer because the much-hyped duck empanadas were missing when we dined here. Be aware that your favorite items might take a little hiatus on your next visit to Salt and Ash. Let's look at what was on the menu during our visit.

Since my duck empanadas were unavailable, we spontaneously went with these Dry Ribs ($11). These ribs were sans sauce but seasoned with sea salt, coriander, and black pepper. There was plenty of meat on them, but the salt overpowered them and detracted from the flavor of the meat. It's not one of my favorites.

Entrees came out rather quickly, and the first one to hit the table was my dad's selection, the Coastal Catch ($20). This plate changes with what's available on any particular day, and on this day, it was Grilled Ono, served with lotus red rice, baby corn, sweet peas, and an herb crema. My dad was pretty quiet about his meal, but usually, that just means he's very intent on not raising awareness about liking his plate and having to offer bites to anyone who would want some. Very selfish big guy.

Is a Cuban sandwich on the menu? Yep, that likely means my mom will order it, and she held true to form by ordering Our Cuban ($15). If you are an avid blog reader, you know how I feel about Cuban sandwiches. They are the most balanced sandwiches ever, and a good one can be life-changing. This one was good but not life-changing. Roasted pork, pickles, mustard, and cheese are sandwiched between grilled bread. A Cuban usually includes ham, but this version did not. Still good, but the bread seemed off to me. It was a little stiff and had too much of a panini feel. We liked the house french fries that she chose as her side item. They came out with a tomato jam and a much better aioli. My mom enjoyed this sandwich and took half of it home for lunch the next day.

I was torn between the burger and the steak, and as you can see from the pictures above, the Hanger Steak ($24) won out. Hanger steak is quickly becoming one of my favorite steaks, and this one was right up there. The steak was tender and cooked to a perfect medium rare. I would have liked a more substantial sauce, as this one was too watery. The borsin mash was good, but the turnips got lost here. A solid plate, but not one that I'd have to revisit.

Katie zeroed in on the Fried Chicken Sandwich ($13) at Salt and Ash. She reported that this sandwich was inconsistent. Katie liked the crunchy breading coating the chicken, but some bites were bland, even with a chimichurri sauce and peppers between the focaccia. She absolutely loved the calabacitas that she picked as her side item. I had no idea what calabacitas was before this evening. I learned it's a Mexican-flavored vegetable side dish containing squash, queso fresco, corn, and herbs. It was unique, and Katie was pretty stoked about this.

Reviews of this place advised me to save room for dessert, so we saved just enough room to try two of their four offerings. This Layered Chocolate Cake ($9) had some of the best frostings around. Very smooth and not overly sweet, it was a great vehicle for the cake portion, which could have been a little moister. Still, it was tasty and definitely worth having again.

Salt and Ash rotates a pretty impressive selection of pies, which they feature on their Facebook page to alert guests about what they will feature on any particular day. On the night we were here, they had this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie ($8) as their seasonal pie. This fell flat for us. The texture was there, but the filling could have been more exciting. Only a little chocolate was included here, and the peanut butter needed to be more subtle. It has a good crust, though.

I had mixed feelings about Salt and Ash. I might have had it hyped up too much in my own head, with it being named one of the top 75 restaurants in OC. Based on this one visit, it was good, but I don't think it is the top 75 good. I would not consider any of the items we had on this evening to be crave-worthy. In other words, I would not go out of my way to come here again, but if my parents suggested it, I'd return and give them another try. Our server, Kaitlin, was right on top of things and extended excellent service during our stay. Now, we're off to tackle more of our restaurant wish list.

Out of five tennis rackets (because the city of Placentia was once home to Hall of Fame tennis player Michael Chang, whom I once scooped ice cream for when I worked at Baskin Robbins), five being best and zero being worst, Salt and Ash get three tennis rackets.

For more information about Salt and Ash, head over to their website here: https://saltandash.net/

Birthday Meet Up in Placentia - CLOSED

Meat Up BBQ

1450 North Kramer Blvd.

Placentia, CA 92870

I've been writing this blog for a long time when we went to the same address for two restaurants. It's happened a few times now, proving how tricky the restaurant business can be. At this same address was a restaurant we liked, Sue Ann's Kitchen, which served classic American food. The one time we were here, it was sparsely populated, but I had hoped for a better fate for them after eating their food. It was not to be, as they closed their doors in 2014.

When we showed up at Meat Up recently, they were crowded and filled up during our stay. That is an excellent sign. Meat Up comes to us from the guys behind two food trucks, The Viking Truck and the Garlicscapes Truck. I'm sure it's not a surprise to most of you who read this blog regularly, but I haven't been to either of these trucks since I'm not a food truck fan. I had heard good things about the Viking Truck and their sausage and tater tot menu. From what I've gathered, the Viking Truck is still in operation, and the Garlicscapes Truck has been taken off the road to concentrate on this, their latest venture.

We came to Meat Up early Sunday evening with my parents, who would buy me dinner for my birthday. Not only because it's nearby, but the feel of this place reminded me of Leadbelly's Barbecue, which is a few streets over. Both of these restaurants have versions of loaded fries, some great-sounding burgers, sandwiches, and meat plates. The only difference between the two is that at Meat Up, you order at the counter, and the food is brought to you, while over at Leadbelly's, waiter service is the norm, thus costing you a little more money due to tipping. We put our order in and waited for the food to be brought to their very comfortable dining area, with TVs turned to basketball. Let's see if this food would be slam dunk good or if we would have to call a foul. Sorry for being so cheesy.

As soon as I sit down and see bottles of BBQ sauce on the tables, I get excited that we will be in for a treat, and if there are multiple bottles, it's even better news. At Meat Up BBQ, they had three sauces: Habanero Mustard Sauce, Red Pepper BBQ Sauce, and Blackberry BBQ Sauce. I like knowing that the meat will come out naked, and I can use the right amount of sauce I like. I tried all three of these throughout my meal here, and my favorite was the blackberry variety, but the other two were solid. Now, on to the food.

I have yet to mention it, but Chris Burrous was here profiling this restaurant on the Channel 5 Morning News, and he raved about the garlic feta fries, but I could not resist trying these Smothered and Covered Chili Verde Fries ($7). These fries were topped with a pulled pork chili verde and generous cheddar cheese. The fries stayed remarkably crisp, even as time passed, not that they were around too long. The chili verde pork was mild, but the pork was tender, and the sauce went well with the barbecue-seasoned fries. Really good, and I can't believe more places haven't thought of putting chili verde pork on top of fries. Delicious.

My mom's go-to item at a barbecue restaurant is almost always a pork sandwich, so it was no surprise when I heard her order this Meat Up Pulled Pork Sandwich ($11). For a sandwich, this had plenty of meat included. This sandwich came with pickles, barbecue sauce, and cracked pepper, and it usually comes with horseradish cole slaw, but my mom wanted that on the side. She really enjoyed this sandwich and found it to be one of the better ones she has had recently. With each sandwich, you get your choice of a side, and she opted for the broccoli salad, which is pretty close to a salad she made when we were growing up. Meat Up's broccoli salad contains sunflower seeds and cranberry in a creamy sauce. Very tasty, and fresh produce was used in this. My mom left here pretty happy.

It's almost always a crap shoot what my dad will be ordering these days. There used to be a time when we would order a lot alike, but that hasn't happened in a while. I'm not saying I wouldn't order a burger in a barbecue place, but probably never on my first trip to a new place, but there he was getting this Smokin Reuben Burger ($11). This burger came with a house fennel sauerkraut, arugula, strips of pork belly, barbecue sauce, and Swiss cheese. My dad loved this burger. The sauerkraut was not overpowering, like a lot of them tend to be. The burger patty was cooked well and seasoned nicely, and the pork belly pushed this burger over the top in decadence. My dad made quick work of this burger. For his side, he tried the Bacon Potato Salad. This classic potato salad was made up of a mustard-mayo sauce, some pickles, and, as you can see in the picture, quite a bit of crumbled bacon. This was a delicious version of potato salad. Of course, the crumbled bacon was great, but the salad base was also good. Tasted very homemade and not too mustardy, my biggest pet peeve with many potato salads.

The OC Cheesesteak ($11) would be Katie's dinner tonight. This sandwich utilized smoked tri-tip as the protein, then they added caramelized poblano peppers and onions, avocado cream, sliced tomato, and Swiss cheese to finish it off. Definitely not a traditional cheesesteak by any means, but Katie really enjoyed it. The tri-tip was tender and flavorful, there was plenty of cheese, and the veggies were done nicely, so they snapped when bitten. The only drawback of this sandwich was that the avocado got lost here, but that's bound to happen with all of these big-time flavors vying for attention in this cheesesteak. This sandwich was a little heavier for Katie, but she managed to finish most of it.

It was my birthday dinner, so I went big at Meat Up with their 3 Meat Plate ($21). I had St. Louis Ribs, Pork Belly, and Rib Tips for my meat-a-palooza. All of the meats were solid. The rib tips were not like any I have ever had before. They were huge and full of meat, but some of the bigger ones were a little drier. I'm still unsure why these were so much bigger than I used to be, but I wasn't complaining. The pork belly was also a little different than what I was expecting. It came out in strips, like undercooked bacon, and was topped with crunchy chicharron. It's alright, but again, it's different from what I expect when ordering pork belly. The pork ribs might have been the best out of all the meats. They were tender, with light sauce, and had just the right amount of light smokey flavor, which is my preference. You get to choose two sides with a meat plate, and I tried the Hellbilly Chili and Mac and Cheese. Both of these sides were solid, with an edge to the chili. This chili utilized three different kinds of beans, beef, plenty of cheese topping it, and a touch of garlic sauce, which I mistook for sour cream when it first came out. The chili was really flavorful, and the garlic sauce did not overpower the chili like I thought it would but actually added another flavor profile to it. I can not see myself coming here without getting this chili. The mac and cheese was a step below the chili, a classic version of this dish, with a breadcrumb topping and some herbs. There needs to be something to make this side dish stand out, though. A lot of food, which I only took a little bit home for lunch the next day.

It's hard coming here and not comparing this place to Leadbelly's. Maybe it's because they are so close to each other or because they serve the same kind of West Coast barbecue, but whatever the reason, they are about equal in my book. The sides here are better at Meat Up, and I would give a slight edge to the barbecued meats at Leadbelly's, but slightly, and only based on our one visit to each. We talked to the owner on our way out, and he mentioned that their menu is still a work in progress and they are still fine-tuning their dishes, so I look forward to trying them out again. North OC is a hotbed of very good barbecue places, so they could spread the love and open one south of Irvine to feed all of us in barbecue-starved South OC. Please hurry.

Out of five tennis racquets (because one of my first brushes with someone famous was when I saw tennis great and Placentia resident Michael Chang at the supermarket), five being best to zero being worst, Meat Up BBQ gets a strong 3.5 tennis racquets.

For more information about Meat Up BBQ, go to their website here: http://www.meatupbbq.com/