Trying Taquiero Taco Patio in Irvine - CLOSED

Taquiero Taco Patio 

4517 Campus Drive

Irvine, CA 92612

Being a restaurant reviewer during these crazy times has been a little dodgy. I have found myself a bit depressed and uninspired to write very much during these unprecedented times. A large part of the restaurant experience is inside the restaurants, experiencing the environment and how the food is presented and seeing the pride that the servers and other employees have in the place where they are employed.

Writing a scathing review of a place in these challenging restaurant times would also be unfair and mean. Restaurants are struggling financially, and one report I saw claimed that a quarter of restaurants will not make it through this. That's a lot. This is my 872nd different restaurant review, and if that report is to be believed, it means that 217 of the restaurants I've visited in the last ten-plus years will cease operations. Unbelievable. 

During this quarantine time, Katie and I have been getting a lot of takeout from the restaurants around us. It's no surprise, but we don't cook much at home. Sometimes, I make an odd meatloaf, or if Katie prods me enough, I make her favorite pasta, carbonara, which I made for her on one of our first dates. We had grown tired of our local places, so we decided to branch out by getting some takeout from Taquiero Taco Patio in Irvine.

I had heard some good things about this place that opened in the Campus Plaza, tucked inside UC Irvine. In just over a year of business, they get a respectable four-star rating with over 600 reviews on Yelp. They have been mentioned in several best-of lists in Irvine and were featured in the OC Register as helping to end the taco famine that has plagued the city for a long while. Most impressive to me, though, was that after eating here, one of OC's original food bloggers, Griffin, from Griffin Eats OC, was so inspired by the food he consumed here that he wrote a restaurant review after five years of radio silence on his blog. This spoke volumes, and I tried them while taking advantage of the light freeway traffic.

Taquiero Taco Patio was started by two guys, Sean and Roberto. Roberto was born and raised in Tijuana; from what I can tell, he's the food guy. Sean grew up in Irvine but lived in Mexico for ten years. Both men saw a need to bring the tacos they loved south of the border back to Sean's hometown. They are doing things the right way, with house-made tortillas, salsas made fresh daily, and meats prepared to honor their Tijuana roots. Let's see if they accomplished their mission.

All of this talk about Tijuana, and we start with something more a specialty of San Diego, rather than Tijuana, Al Pastor Fries ($10). This begins with a serving of french fries and is then topped with marinated pork fresh from the trompo, cheese, chipotle sauce, sour cream, and avocado sauce. This was a pretty solid effort, but it was the item that suffered the most from our 20-minute commute back home. The first few bites were magical, with the splendid pastor pairing nicely with the other toppings and fries. Then the fries got a little soggy, and all the toppings were on the top layer. As we dug deeper, we only had fries left over, which were getting less crisp by the minute. I look forward to trying these again when we can eat inside the restaurant, hopefully soon. 

During the pandemic, Taquiero Taco Patio offered their tacos at Taco Tuesday prices, a dollar off their usual $3.50 price tag. A nice touch and an added incentive to try them out. I got the Conchita Pibil Taco and a Carne Asada Taco. I liked both of these, but I'd give the asada taco edge slightly. It came with onions, cilantro, and guacamole, which is always a bonus. The beef was tender, and they did not skimp on the amount they included. The pork taco was dressed with pickled onion and plenty of Yucatan-styled pork. The pork was tasty but went up with the addition of their green salsa. The tortillas did a great job of holding everything together. They were thick but did not get in the way of letting the contents become the show's star. I'm intrigued by their fried cheese tortilla option, which I will try on my next visit.

If you are new to Mulitas ($6.75), they can best be described as an unfolded quesadilla. Think of it as a sandwich, but instead of bread, two corn tortillas are used to create it. The inside of this one was filled with chicken, onion, cilantro, and cheese. I've had several mulitas, and this one wins the prize for being the most stuffed by a long shot. The chicken was nicely seasoned, and the cheese was present but did not overpower like a traditional quesadilla. The price might be steep, but this will satisfy most appetites.

Taquiero Taco Patio really reminded me of the Taco Stand in Orange. Their menus are very similar. Both specialize in al pastor, which they cook on the vertical spit, and their price points are nearly identical. The Taco Stand has more options with proteins, sides, and breakfast. I liked our takeout meal at Taquiero Taco Patio. It helped break the monotony of the places we have had over the last two months of sheltering in place. I look forward to returning here again to enjoy a meal inside the restaurant and see how the food holds up without the twenty-minute drive home.

Out of five digital thermometers (because this restaurant is trying to emulate the food from Tijuana, and that city produces 80 percent of the world's digital thermometers), five being best to zero being worst, Taquiero Taco Patio gets 3 digital thermometers.

For more information about Taquiero Tao Patio, head to their website here: https://www.taquierotaco.com/

Hammering Away at Burgers in Orange

Hammer Burger 

Pop Up Event

Orange, CA

The times have definitely changed over the first part of this year. To say that the restaurant industry is facing some uncertain times would be an understatement. There's talk about closures, twenty-five percent capacities, and safety for employees and customers alike. Things I never thought I'd be writing about on my little restaurant blog.

I also never thought I'd be writing about pop up restaurants. To be honest, I find them to be a little too much trouble. Much like the food truck craze of the early 2010s, I find pop up events to be inconvenient. When I feel like I want to eat something, I just want to go and have it. Instant gratification is what I want. With pop-ups, I have to wait until they are serving, there are usually long lines, and there's almost always crowds present at these events.

So why am I writing about a pop-up? I changed my tune after having Heritage Barbecue a few months ago. Even though it took nearly three hours of my day to get my food, it was so worth it. It's also satisfying to get in on the ground floor before a place really takes off. That barbecue was the best I've had in OC, and I look forward to Heritage Barbecue opening in San Juan Capistrano this June. Fingers crossed.

Back to Hammer Burger. It was the perfect storm. I was off work for a week and saw on their Instagram page that they were going to be serving up burgers the following Saturday. I instantly went to get my credit card so I could reserve mine. This was on Monday. By Wednesday most of their slots had been filled and I think they were sold out the next day.

I tortured myself that whole week while I waited for Saturday to come by checking out their pictures on Instagram. I don't really know the whole story behind Hammer Burger. I know that when I ordered my burger I had to go pick it up in a residential area of Orange, near the 22 Freeway. Their barebones menu consists of a single, double, and triple cheeseburger, chips, Mexican Coke, and Topo Chico, which is a sparkling water from Mexico. That's it.

With my trusty GPS as a guide, I pulled into the dead-end residential street. I saw the easy up in the driveway, and a couple working feverishly behind the flattop smashing burgers. There was a table set up at the end of the short driveway with bags all ready to go. One had my name on it, and as quickly as it had taken me to get here, I was off with the aroma of my burger quickly filling my car. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it all the way back home to South OC, so I pulled over in a nearby industrial area to snap a few pictures and indulge.

This Double Burger ($8) came dressed very simply with two slices of American cheese, some translucent onions, house-made pickles, and Hammer sauce, which I'd describe as a light mustard sauce. Because this was a smash style burger, it was not as heavy as other double burgers. Due to the increased surface area of the patty to the heat source, the edges are crisped a bit, which is my favorite part of the smash burger experience. All aspects of this burger really worked well together. The cheese and beef patties melded together nicely, while the onions, pickles, and Hammer sauce were all mellow enough to allow the beef to be the star of the show. The bun was nice and soft while doing its job of keeping everything together. A very well put together burger.

As I inhaled my burger on the side of the road, I realized two things. One, I should have gotten two burgers, which I could have eaten very easily. Two, and more importantly, I do not need bacon or any other add-ons to enjoy a classic, well-made burger. This was a well-executed burger made from high-quality ingredients. Not to be corny, but you could taste the care that went into it. It really reminded me of the burgers from LA favorite, Burgers Never Say Die. The only distinguishing factor between the two is that these burgers only use their sauce, while Burgers Never Say Die adds ketchup and mustard. With the system that Hammer Burger has set up, it didn't take as long to get our burgers here as it did at the always busy BNSD. I guess I also learned one more thing from this burger experience. I'm now way more willing to go through the hassle of pop-ups, as long as the burgers taste this good. 

Out of five bald eagles, (because the city of Haines, Alaska is home to a Hammer Museum, and that city also has the highest concentration of bald eagles in the world), five being best to zero being worst, Hammer Burger gets 3.5 bald eagles.

For more information about Hammer Burger and when you can get yours, head to their website here: https://www.hammerburger.com/

An Anniversary Dinner From Descanso Five Years in the Making

Descanso - A Modern Taqueria

1555 Adams Ave. #103

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

I've come to the conclusion that Katie and I are not, "make food at home people". This is probably a good thing considering that I love to go to and write about restaurants. Before the stay at home order, we probably would run our dishwasher about ten or so times a year, if that. To emphasize that we like to eat out, we still have multiple kitchen wedding gifts unopened in their original boxes. Yep, home cooking is not something that we do too much, until the last month.  

We were coming up on our fifth wedding anniversary, and instead of making another boring meal at home, fate stepped in. Descanso in Costa Mesa reached out to see if we wanted to give their Family Taco Meal ($45) a try. A night that I did not have to do dishes and Katie did not have to pretend to like what I made for her? I could not say yes fast enough. 

For those of you that are not familiar with Descanso, they are located in Costa Mesa near the corner of Adams and Harbor, in the same shopping plaza as Vons and CVS. They've been open for business for one and a half years now. When we are in more normal times, they have quite a unique concept. They cook your meal right in front of you, on a traditional plancha, think of it as a Mexican style Benihana, but with way better food. Sorry to all you Benihana fans out there. 

Anyways, back to the present. The planchas are all sitting silently, along with all the dining rooms in this and all other restaurants for as far as the eye can see. That's why it's so important for people to get out and support the local places that have provided us with great food and drinks, along with giving back to communities whenever we ask them, whether it be sponsoring our kid's sports teams, donating gift cards or food to charitable causes, and providing excess food to our local food banks to help feed the hungry in our communities. 

It could not be easier to get food to go from Descanso. They are operating with the limited hours of 4pm - 8pm Monday thru Thursday, and 2pm - 8pm Friday to Sunday. Ordering is done by calling or texting 714-486-3798, or if you would like, online ordering is available here: https://www.toasttab.com/descanso-restaurant-1555-adams-ave-suite-103/v3  They also are on Doordash if you are inclined to order through that third-party app. 

The food menu is pared down a bit, but plenty of your favorites remain. They have appetizers, salads, tacos plates, quesadillas, alambres, a California burrito, and others. specialties, including the aforementioned Family Taco Meal which you will see upcoming. There's also a beverage takeout menu with assorted beer and wine, margaritas, cocktails, and a tequila bottle special. Lastly, with Cinco de Mayo only a couple days away, they have family platters of wings, nachos, alambres, and margarita specials. They're going to be open from noon to 9pm on Tuesday, May 5th for all your Cinco de Mayo needs. Enough info for ya so far? Let's see what the family taco meal we had was all about. 

Here it is, in all of its glory. The Family Taco Meal ($45). With this kit, you get two pounds of meat, and you can choose from carnitas, chicken, steak, or al pastor. We went with the carnitas and steak. You also receive a quart of each refried pinto beans and Mexican fried rice, 15 tortillas, a pint of pico de Gallo, and a half-pint of salsa Verde, salsa frita, and lime wedges. We also made the very wise decision to add the Clasico Guacamole ($10). 

Both types of meat were good, but I'm always partial to carnitas, which I enjoyed better on this evening. There was a great variety with this shredded pork. Some pieces were crispy, while others had a little bit of fat incorporated into some of the bites. It made for a flavorful experience. Katie and I had a difference of opinion when it came to whether the beans or rice was better. I liked the refried beans, which I added to all of my tacos for a little moistness. Katie loved the rice, which was a departure from the Spanish rice that is served at almost every other Mexican food restaurant around the county. I would have liked to have tried this with the spicy mayo sauce that they usually put on during regular service. Salsas both had rich deep flavors to them but lacked a kick of spice I was hoping for. The guacamole is definitely worth ordering here and went way too quickly between Katie and me. 

The Family Taco Meal from Descanso was a great option for our 5th wedding anniversary dinner. We both ate way too much but had plenty left over for the next nights' dinner. I've even used the salsa with other things we have eaten since our anniversary. Not only was this a great deal, but it's a great chance to support local restaurants, which is more important than ever during these times. 

Thanks so much to Owner Rob Arellano, Chef Sergio Ortega, and all of the essential workers at Descanso who are coming to work to feed the community. It's much appreciated. 

For more information and updates about Descanso, head to their website here: https://www.descansorestaurant.com/

Reeling in a Good Meal at Fly N Fish?

Fly N Fish Oyster Bar and Grill

2304 West Ocean Front

Newport Beach, CA 92663

Well, this is my last restaurant review for a while, where we actually did eat inside a restaurant. I have finally caught up with all of my reviews after this one. I feel bad it's taken me this long, but my work has been pretty crazy.

For those of you that don't know, I've been in the grocery business for 32 years now. I have never seen anything like we have been experiencing since the early part of March, I'd describe it as a tidal wave of people. Buying everything in their path. Even the stuff that normally doesn't sell, like vegetarian hot dogs in a can, (yes, it's a real thing).

Those first few weeks included some very long days and lots of overtime. Towards the end of March, things started to slow down thanks to the addition of plenty of new employees, many of whom are refugees from our area restaurants. The fact that a lot of products weren't coming in and that a lot of people over-bought earlier in the month also contributed to an easier workday for me.

The first part of April saw the stimulus checks make their way into customer's bank accounts, along with the Easter holiday, which also provided another bump in business and some busy workdays. I guess I'm telling you all of this to ease my guilt a bit for neglecting you and the beloved restaurant blog that I've enjoyed writing these past ten plus years.

Anyways, back to this restaurant review. This visit to Fly N Fish was during Orange County Restaurant Week, which this year ran from March 8th to the 14th. Katie and I decided to take advantage of a beautiful Sunday afternoon to have lunch near the coast and walk afterward. As we approached the restaurant we were met with what was quoted as a 45-minute wait, so our walk would be moved to before our meal, which suited me just fine on this picturesque Southern California day.

Fly N Fish is situated off by itself on the north end of the Newport Beach Boardwalk, in the area right by Mutt Lynch's, and sandwiched between Beach Burger and the Newport Beach Hotel. The restaurant, which opened in 2012, is pretty small, with a cozy bar on the right-hand side of the dining room, high top tables in the center, and partial booth seating lining the left side of the space. Be warned, you will definitely get to know your neighbors, as the tables are spaced close together, and the vibe here could be described as raucous, especially during this Sunday Funday time we chose to visit.

The man helming the kitchen is Executive Chef Julio Hawkins, a Seattle native who has been at Fly N Fish for a considerable amount of time now. He's very present in the dining room getting feedback from diners on what he calls food that is simplistic and honest, with little bursts of flavor. His one-page menu runs the gamut from small plates, oysters, soups and salads, fried fish platters, sandwiches, and house specialties. We were here for the OC Restaurant Week $20 lunch menu, so let's see how that all worked out for us.

Before we get to that restaurant week menu, Katie really wanted to try their Spicy Ahi Tuna Poke ($20). Not the wisest of moves. This poke dish was comprised of cubed poke, avocado, tomato, cucumber, toasted macadamia nuts, green onion, and black sesame seeds. It was garnished with ginger and a dollop of wasabi, along with five white dots of some indistinguishable sauce that lacked any flavor. This was one of the mildest of poke dishes we have ever had. Not sure why it's called spicy poke on the menu, as bland poke would have been more appropriate. You're better off getting poke at you local build your own poke place at your nearby shopping center.

Now onto the OC Restaurant Week $20 menu. Course number one was their award-winning cup of Clam Chowder ($7). I was not sure what award this has won, I could not find it on their website, but it was a pretty solid rendition. This white chowder had plenty of chopped up leeks, potato, bacon, and of course clams. I liked that the clams were left in good-sized pieces and the base of this was creamy. It could have been a little thicker for my taste, but it's easy to see why they go through 10 gallons of this a day during the summer tourist season.

In lieu of the usual dessert course that comprises many restaurant week menus, at Fly N Fish they forgo the sweets and give you both soup and salad, which I liked a little bit better. This Organic Mixed Greens Salad ($7) was pretty basic with its fresh mixed greens, sliced cucumbers, tomato wedges, shredded carrots, red onion, and four sourdough croutons, (yes I counted). I was hoping that the roasted pear white balsamic vinaigrette dressing could liven things up here, but it was poured with such a light touch, that most bites did not include any dressing at all.

Katie opted for the New Zealand King Salmon with Angel Hair Pesto as her lunch entree. This was pretty good-sized for a lunch portion. Salmon can sometimes be tricky, but this was done wonderfully. Katie really enjoyed the oven-roasted tomatoes but found the spiced walnuts kind of misplaced here. The excellent angel hair pesto helped me realize that I do not have pesto nearly enough.

I really have enjoyed sand dabs when I've had them at other places, so I chose the Macadamia Crusted Oregon Sand Dabs on this late afternoon. The sand dabs themselves were a little on the dull side. There was no pop of flavor, and the wilted spinach, microgreens, or lemon broth(?) did not help things out at all. I should have probably had the fish and chips, which I spied on our neighbor's table, which looked like a better option.

Restaurant week is a chance for a place to put their best foot forward and showcase what they are all about. I think Fly N Fish did that this afternoon. Chef Hawkins, as mentioned earlier, wants to serve food that is simplistic and honest, with little bursts of flavors. Unfortunately, the bursts of flavor did not come for us on this visit. Save for the clam chowder and the salmon dish, everything else was very humdrum. Service was rushed because they were so busy but very professional. I'm glad that we had the chance to partake in OC Restaurant Week, as it's a great chance to try restaurants that you've wanted to try forever. I look forward to dining in restaurants again, once we are allowed to.

Out of five escalators, (because the nearby Dory Fish Fleet Market at the Newport Pier started in 1891, the same year as the escalator was invented), five being best to zero being worst, Fly N Fish gets 2.5 escalators.

For more information about Fly N Fish, head to their website here: http://www.flynfishoysterbar.com/

Genuine Grub at Gonzalez's Restaurant

Gonzalez's Restaurant

1740 West Chapman Ave. 

Orange, CA 92868

It had been about two months since we had dinner with my parents. A long overdue meetup was much needed. When we see my parents, we like to rendezvous in the middle of both of our places. That usually means a spot in Orange, Tustin, or sometimes if Katie and I don't want to drive that far, maybe even Irvine.

Every time I think I have exhausted all of my options for restaurants that my parents will like in these cities, I find another one that I somehow had overlooked. This time it was Gonzalez's Restaurant in Orange. I told my parents that we'd see them there at 6:30, and true to form, they were there a half-hour earlier than our mutually agreed upon time. Very predictable.

It's easy to see how Gonzalez's Restaurant gets overlooked. They are located in the back of a nondescript strip mall off this very busy portion of Chapman Avenue. The big landmark to look for when coming here is to find the Donut Star sign and turn in that driveway. There's also a Salvadorian restaurant, which appears to be very popular, at least on this evening.

Unlike their next-door neighbor, Gonzalez's Restaurant was not exactly packing them in. When we arrived here. we were the only ones in the joint. During our entire visit, there was only one more party that dined in, but a few to-go orders were given out during our stay. The dining room was well lit and comfortable. At first, I thought you were supposed to order at the counter, but we were alerted to find a table and a server would be right with us.

Gonzalez's Restaurant has been in business for nearly three years now. It was started by Ricardo Gonzalez, who started out as a taco catering business, and fulfilled his dream when he opened his first brick and mortar. The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, as they have a four and a half star rating on Yelp, with over 500 reviews. The menu is pretty much what you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant, but they do offer some unique items, like the pambazo sandwich and an alambre, which you will see shortly. Let's check out the culinary scene here.

First up are the Chips and Salsa. The chips were fine and did a good job of being a vessel for the pretty solid salsa. I'd like a bit more heat personally, but it had enough to keep me going back for more. Maybe because I was pretty hungry.

I'm not sure, but this might be my parent's first time having Queso Fundido ($7.50). If it was, this was a great introduction to one of my favorite Mexican restaurant appetizers. A blended mix of cheeses with plenty of chorizo on top all ready to be mixed together and added to a folded tortilla. Kind of like a do it yourself quesadilla, with stretchy cheese. This one was not as oily as others, which was a plus in my book. An excellent rendition. 

The food started making its way out to our table in waves, starting with this Cochinita Pibil Taco ($1.49). Both Katie and my dad got one of these. I snuck a piece of the pork while Katie wasn't looking. It had a nice, citrus-tinged marinade covering the tender pork underneath. Katie loved the homemade tortilla and pickled onion topping this taco. It makes her wish we lived closer to take advantage of their 99 cent taco Tuesday deal.

I've never been a big fan of chile Rellenos, but my dad loves them a lot. It wasn't shocking to me that he ordered this Chile Relleno Combo ($12.99) on this evening. The poblano chile at Gonzalez's Restaurant is filled with queso fresco, tomato sauce, sour cream, and more cheese. He loved this plate, as he inhaled it in record time. One of the better ones he's had. He felt the beans and rice were good too.

The enchilada combo meals at Gonzalez's Restaurant come with three enchiladas, which is just way too much for my light eating mom, so she opted to get a Single Cheese Enchilada ($2.99) and a side of Beans ($2.50) and Rice ($2.50). Another winning plate in my parent's opinion. The enchilada sauce was to my mom's liking and the inside had just the right amount of cheese.

Katie is always trying to find a chicken mole enchilada that will take over as her favorite one from El Maguey is San Juan Capistrano. These Enchiladas de Mole ($12.99) fell just a bit short in taking over her top spot. The mole sauce here was very well made with a complex layer of flavors coming through in certain bites. The chicken was moist and tender, while the sour cream cut the richness a bit. Mole lovers, this is your go-to dish here at Gonzalez's restaurant.

I asked our server what the best taco to get here was, and she replied that the Carnitas Taco ($1.49) was the best to try. I took her advice and ordered one. Even though this was street taco sized, it had plenty of pork placed on the corn tortilla. I liked the carnitas but felt they kind of lacked that pop of flavor that I was expecting. Not bad, but I liked the other taco better. I'm getting their pastor next time.

Now the famous Mixed Alambre ($18.99) as promised earlier. I do not see this on a lot of menus around OC. It's basically a mashup of almost everything in the kitchen. This one starts with beef, chicken, and shrimp, and then peppers, bacon, ham, and cheese are blanketed over a scalding skillet. Think fajitas, but without all the steam and with more than just one protein. From what I have read this is a popular dish in Mexico City and Oaxaca. I enjoyed the half of this that I ate this evening, but I don't think that I'd get it again. It might have had too much stuff in it, which is not always such a good thing. It was kind of overloaded with flavors competing for my attention. I'd probably go with a pambazo or a burrito on my next visit.

Gonzalez's Restaurant was a very solid spot for Mexican food. I'm sure they get overlooked a bit because of their location and because they are situated so close to Instagram darling Cali Tacos, and long time Mexican restaurants nearby like the Chili Pepper, Anepalco's, and others. They definitely deserve a visit from anyone wanting Mexican food at a more than fair price. The service was very good as well. Our server Stephanie, one of many family members that work here, was awesome and checked back on us regularly, and did not seem too upset when we lingered at the end of our meal. As soon as all of this quarantine craziness is over I look forward to having dinner with my parents once again. I'll be looking forward to finding another spot I have overlooked.

Out of five TVs, (because almost directly across the street from this restaurant was the long-departed Adray's, where my parents bought a TV when I was a kid), five being best to zero being worst, Gonzalez's Restaurant gets 3.5 TVs.

For more information on Gonzalez's Restaurant, head to their website here: https://gonzalezsrestaurant.business.site/

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/

Real Texas Barbecue Coming to OC Soon

Heritage Barbecue

31727 Camino Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

I admit I'm a little obsessed. I check Instagram about ten times a day. No, I'm not stalking Instagram models, checking to see how many people have unfollowed me, and no, I'm not keeping tabs on Katie's whereabouts. My usual first stop on this photo-rich social media platform is usually Heritage Barbecue.

I had started hearing raves about Heritage Barbecue about a year ago when they had transitioned from running a catering company to doing pop-ups in a wide assortment of breweries in Long Beach and Orange County on weekends. They grew legions of fans at these pop-ups which included hour-long lines, and the disappointment of having your favorite meats sold out before you could make it to the front of the line. Just based on word of mouth, their Instagram following has ballooned to over 20,000 and climbing.

The husband and wife duo behind Heritage Barbecue is Brenda and Daniel Castillo. Daniel graduated from the culinary program at Orange Coast College. From what I can tell from stalking them on Instagram, the weekends they did not have brewery dates, it seems like they were always in Texas learning more and more about barbecue from their barbecue friends at some of the best barbecue spots in the country. The couple was soon making more money on weekends selling their very in-demand barbecue, so the decision was made to forgo catering and go all-in on the barbecue.

It was announced last year that they would be opening a spot in San Juan Capistrano, right across the street from the mission, in the old Mission Grill spot. As is the case with most restaurant openings, delays are to be expected. What was originally an opening date in the fall of last year, is still in a holding pattern, but we have heard things are getting closer.

I could not wait to try Heritage Barbecue, so in late February, Katie and I trekked up to Bruery Terreux in an industrial area of Anaheim. Being that this was our first time attempting to have Heritage, we showed up at 12 noon and were met with a line. Service was to begin at this time, so we decided to not drive up here in vain, and decided to wait it out.

As the minutes turned into hours, I was starting to wonder if this was all worth it. I did have one beer while waiting in line, which did take a little of the edge off. We also made small talk with the people in line around us. Some who have had this barbecue before, and others who were like us, Heritage Barbecue virgins. By the time we had made it up to the menu board, two and a half hours in, the hunger pains became really strong. A stinging jolt rattled through me every time they announced that they had run out of an item, with the biggest punch to the stomach being when they ran out of brisket.

The brisket, alas would have to wait for another time, with me already planning on arriving at least an hour or two before they were going to be serving food the next time I attempted to have Heritage Barbecue. As we arrived at the ordering station, we had a limited selection we could order. We decided to get everything we could but made the mistake of not ordering the Chili Cheese Sausage, due to my extreme hunger pains by this point. We hastily grabbed our tray of portioned out food, found a place to sit, I quickly took some pictures with my hands shaking from hunger, and we finally dug in. Let's see if Heritage Barbecue was worthy of all the hype and the hours in line.

Here was the tray we waited close to three hours for. I loved the splashes of color on the tray, which resembled a painters palette to my hunger hallucinated eyes. When you are up at the front don't forget to ask for bbq sauce, mustard, white bread, pickled onions, peppers, and pickled cucumbers if they have them. Let's take a closer look at each item. 

First up is the Pulled Pork ($12 for a half-pound). Pulled pork is tricky meat for a lot of barbecue spots to master. It's hard to get it right because the pork can come out too moist, or very dry like sandpaper going down the hatch. Heritage hit the sweet spot between these two ranges. The shredded meat was tender and had just the right smokiness to it. I also liked the little shards that took a little more effort to chew through. Really good pulled pork.

Due to the hunger pains, I have mentioned numerous times in this post, and the excitement of actually having the food in front of us, I did not take a detailed picture of the Pork Ribs ($12 for a half-pound) that we also consumed way too quickly. The ribs came lightly brushed with just a small amount of barbecue sauce and a flavorful dry rub coating the outside of them. The meat underneath had just the right amount of smokiness to it, just like the pulled pork. It pulled off the bone with just a little tug, which is what I like in my ribs. Not that it needed it, but I used alternating bites of the pork with the provided bbq sauce and mustard. The bbq sauce was not overly sweetened like a lot of places make the mistake of doing.

Listening to the people around us, some were dissing the Green Chili Mac and Cheese with Chicharon ($4). I thought it was pretty sold. I mean it was not the best I have had, but I liked it. The cheese was not overpowering and clung to the noodle nicely, while the green chili kept things interesting. An added bonus was the crumbled chicharron for texture and the cubed rib tip perched on top, which was heavenly.

Maybe if pressed, I'd have to say the El Rancho Potato Salad ($4) was the weak link on this tray, but I even liked this. It had a great consistency to it, I liked the peppery bits, and even though I'm not a big celery fan, it added a nice crunch. Yes, another pop of flavor would have helped, but this was not too bad.

This long visit to experience Heritage Barbecue just whetted my appetite for when they eventually open in San Juan Capistrano. Just based on their pork offerings that we had on this afternoon, and the fact that they are known for their wildly popular brisket and beef ribs, I'm going to go out on a limb and proclaim that Heritage Barbecue is going to be the best barbecue that OC has to offer. Yes, a lot of people will be turned off by the fact that you have to wait in a long line, that they run out of items that you want, and it's not going to be the most convenient restaurant to eat at. After your first few bites, all of those negatives will melt away, and you will yearn for your next visit. If that's not the case, maybe Lucille's or Dickey's might be more up your alley. That'll be at least one less person in front of me in line.

Out of five school busses, (because I think every kid in every school in OC has visited San Juan Capistrano on a field trip), five being best, to zero being worst, Heritage Barbecue gets 4 school buses. 

For more information about Heritage Barbecue, it's probably best to check their Instagram page by clicking here: https://www.instagram.com/heritagebarbecue/?hl=en