Checking Out at Jon's Fish Market

Jon's Fish Market

34665 Golden Lantern 

Dana Point, CA 92629

I admit I'm off of my game. Usually, at this time of year, I have reviewed over 50 restaurants and been way more active on social media. One reason for this is of course because restaurants are only offering takeout in most cases, and I don't feel that it's entirely fair to judge a restaurant based on what their food looks and tastes like after a half-hour car ride home.

The second reason I'm a little off this year is that after a long day of working with the public, the last thing I want to do is be around more people.  It's so inviting to come home, close the door behind me, and zone out by watching one of the ten TV shows that I'm currently viewing. Getting out of this rut is important though, so when Katie suggested that we go for a walk, get some vitamin D, and grab something to eat, it started to feel like it was 2019 again. The good old days.

I met Katie after work at Dana Point Harbor on a beautiful Thursday evening. Parking, which can sometimes be a hassle around these parts was no problem at all on this day. To gear up for our walk we had a decision to make on where to eat before we started our leisurely stroll around the picturesque harbor. I remember one of the wine vendors at work, Jeffery talking about how much he enjoys Jon's Fish Market, so that's where we made a beeline to.

Jon's has a prime spot in the courtyard near where you can depart by the Catalina Express for trips to Avalon. They are a family-owned business that has been serving the community since 1980. The Mansur family started out mainly serving the fisherman and their families working in the harbor, but as Dana Point Harbor became more accessible to the general public, their legacy grew by leaps and bounds. They not only serve as a full-service casual restaurant, but they also have a small fish counter where they wrap up the day's fresh catch for customers who want to cook at home.

No cooking for Katie and myself of course, but we were seated by the hostess at one of their shaded picnic tables in the front of their restaurant. The menu at Jon's is pretty impressive. They offer a good assortment of grilled fish, fried fish, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, and more. To ensure that you know that their fish is fresh, their Instagram feed is filled with plenty of pictures of them hauling fish from their boat to the restaurant. I was excited to give them a try, and also get back to some semblance of normalcy.

We started our meal off with a bowl of Clam Chowder ($5.25). This was a fine version, with plenty of clams and potato, but it left me wanting a little more. The chowder needed to be seasoned a bit more to give it a pop. The consistency was there, but maybe some pepper or another seasoning could elevate this chowder to even greater heights.

Judging by the other tables around us, Fish and Chips ($15.40) are easily the most popular thing here at Jon's, at least on this evening. An order comes with four good-sized pieces of Alaskan cod. The breading surrounding these pieces of fish was very crisp and heavy. Just like almost every other fried fish I have ever had, the fish did get a little overwhelmed by the breading. Speaking of overwhelmed, Katie was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of fish that came on this plate. She barely got through three of the four pieces and urged me to take her extra for lunch the next day. She went without the coleslaw and fries that usually come with this plate and opted to get rice and salad, which helped lighten the meal a bit.

Sorry for the lack of diversity on this visit, but I also wanted to try some of their fried offerings. I like to try as many different things as possible, so Jon's Combo ($18.45) was a natural fit for me. This combo includes three fish, three scallops, and two shrimp. The best of the bunch was the shrimp. It really stood out more than the other two, maybe because of the natural brininess of the shrimp. The fish was probably my second favorite, and I'd probably forgo the scallops, as they were pretty bland and could not compete with either the fish or shrimp. I liked alternating both the very good tarter sauce and the cocktail sauce in different bites. The fries are your basic fast food style french fry and the coleslaw was fine but lacked that wow factor.

Jon's is a great option for these times when eating outside is the only option you have to eat at a restaurant. Their patio in the front of the restaurant was very comfortable, they spaced the picnic tables six feet apart, their employees were masked and gloved while working, and the gentle breeze from the harbor a mere few feet away was very reassuring. The fish and chips here might be the closest we can all get to fair food this year. I don't mean this in an insulting way, it's just how I felt after eating this very filling meal. Of course, it's higher quality than what you could get at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. I don't get fish and chips all that often, but these are some of the best I've had in South OC in a long time. Jon's was a good restaurant in a beautiful setting to help us forget all the things going on in the world right now, at least for an hour.

Out of five football fields, (because the worlds largest fish market in the world is the Toyosu Market in Tokyo, which is over 4 million square feet, or a staggering 84 football fields of fish for sell), five being best to zero being worst, Jon's Fish Market gets 3 football fields.

For more information about Jon's Fish Market, head to their website here: http://jonsfishmarketdanapoint.com/

No Tears Shed at the Little Onion - CLOSED

Little Onion Mexican Restaurant

14429 Culver Dr. 

Irvine, CA 92604

For this restaurant review, I reached far back on my list of must-try restaurants—nearly three years. That's when my long-ago coworker Dez mentioned a place I needed to try. That restaurant was the Little Onion, which, back in 2017, only had one location near the corner of Main and MacArthur in Santa Ana. Dez characterized it as a hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint that he and his family loved to visit from time to time. I was intrigued.

Little Onion's first establishment was founded in Hawthorne in 1963. In 1972, founder Lorenzo moved his family and successful business to OC, where they opened their Santa Ana outpost. Lorenzo retired in 2011, and his daughter Lori took over the restaurant. Under her leadership, she has added another location in Irvine, in the same busy shopping plaza as Trader Joe's, Smart and Final, Burntzilla, and Potbelly Sandwiches. This spot is also on my list.

This Irvine location would never be described as a hole in the wall. There's a lovely patio out front, which got a lot of love from customers on the early Saturday evening we visited. We sat inside the restaurant in one of the comfy booths lined by a brick wall. The dining area is reminiscent of a hunting lodge, with its exposed dark wood beams holding up the ceiling and the three large lighting fixtures hanging from above. The middle of the restaurant houses a bar, which saw little action during our visit, although they are known for their margaritas and cocktails.

The Little Onion menu is what you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant located in Southern California; appetizers, tacos, burritos, combo plates, and specialties are highlighted here. Prices hover right around the $20 price point for most entrees. Along with my parents, we made our dinner decisions rather quickly. Let's see if our maiden voyage to Little Onion was worth the three-year wait.

Upon being seated, we were presented with the traditional Chips and Salsa you get in most Mexican restaurants. Maybe because it was our first visit to a Mexican restaurant in a while, we devoured these chips and the accompanying salsa. The chips tasted freshly fried and crisp, while the salsa lacked the chunkiness that I usually like. However, the slight burst of heat used in this was right on point.

True to form, Katie ordered some Guacamole ($9) for the table. This was standard guacamole with tomatoes, onions, radishes, and some cotija cheese sprinkled in. The consistency of this was right on, but I would have liked some jalapenos or seasonings to make this pop more. This was just the right size for the four of us.

Every time we see Queso Fundido ($13) on a menu, we must try it. This bubbling cheese skillet is mixed with chorizo, poblano chiles, and a smear of guacamole across the top. We really enjoyed this version. The chorizo was not as pronounced as others but a little more understated. The Oaxacan and Jack cheeses set better as they cooled down and provided lovely ribbons of cheesy goodness as we spooned them into the flour tortillas. It was a tremendous, comforting appetizer to start off with.

My mom is not a big eater and only wanted one enchilada with beans and rice, but only 2 and 3-item combinations were listed on the Little Onion menu. Our server assured her she could get just a One Cheese Enchilada Combo Meal ($12). She ended up being very happy with this meal. The enchilada sauce had a rich depth of flavor that pleased her, with plenty of cheese inside. She also made quick work of the beans and rice as well. She might have even been able to finish a second enchilada if she had gotten one.

Enchiladas were a very popular choice this early evening, as my dad opted for the Enchilada Suizas ($19). These rolled-up corn tortillas were filled with shredded chicken and topped with plenty of cheese and enchilada sauce. I believe this usually comes with green sauce, but he asked for red, which is more to his liking. I am very happy that they were so accommodating with special requests.

Katie made it an enchilada hat trick when she ordered the Open-Faced Poblano Mole Enchiladas ($19). This exciting take on an enchilada reminded me more of a mulita in structure. It used two corn tortillas with shredded chicken and cheese on the inside and onions, crema, and mole sauce on top. Like a sandwich, but one you'd have to eat with a fork. The chicken inside was tender and flavored well, but their mole sauce made this for me. Dark and flavorful, this mole had a sweet and smooth flavor, one of my favorite characteristics of mole sauce. This came with cilantro rice, which Katie liked a lot. 

I guess it's up to me to stop the enchilada parade this evening. I followed our servers' recommendation, the Crispy Carnitas Plato ($20). I was pleased with this pork. It had a little variety; some bites were crispy, and others were softer, but every forkful was tender and moist. Not a bad bite in the bunch. Even though the menu states that guacamole is included, I did not get any, but we still had some from our guacamole appetizer. The rice and beans were nicely done.

Little Onion was a great choice for a long overdue visit with my parents during these crazy times. The Mexican food here was very solid and tasted delicious. With recipes like these, it's easy to see why they've been in business for so long. Their price point was a little high for the portion sizes we received, but that might be the new trend as restaurants navigate these trying times. Our server, Meredith, was excellent on this early evening and kept a great eye on us. For those concerned about eating out, they were doing a fantastic job of social distancing inside the restaurant. They were spacing parties out way more than 10 feet, and all employees were always masked. They also have an outdoor patio for those who prefer fresh air. We all felt very safe, precisely what you want in 2020. Thanks for the recco, Dez. I'm sorry it took us 3 years to make it.

Out of five bottles of ketchup (because I learned that the world's largest onion weighed in at over 18 pounds, and I'd imagine you'd need a lot of ketchup if you were to make that into onion rings), five being best to zero being worst, Little Onion Mexican Restaurant gets 3.5 bottles of ketchup.

For more information about Little Onion Mexican Restaurant, head to their website here: https://www.littleonion.com/

Getting a Little Dizzy on My Birthday

Dizz's As-Is

2794 South Coast Highway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Way too many things have been postponed from March til now. At first, I was pretty excited to be staying home. You might think that since we eat out so often that I love being out amongst the people and staying out until all hours. I like it in doses, and of course, I love to try restaurants, but I find myself just wanting to head home to relax, watch tv, and get a jump on heading to dreamland after a big meal. Yes, I suppose I'm getting old.

As with many during this pandemic, I had my birthday recently, just as the restrictions on restaurants were being lifted. We waited a week until Katie was a little more comfortable eating at a restaurant in a confined space. Even though we have both been working away from home during these crazy times, we, for the most part, have stayed in only going to get takeout or drive through somewhere. We only recently have made a few trips to see family and friends, with social distancing protocols of course.

Part of the reason I picked Dizz's As Is for my birthday dinner on this early Sunday evening was because of the safety measures that I knew they were following. Masks had to be worn to enter the restaurant and when you were walking about the space. Servers would be wearing masks and gloves, and they were spacing tables six feet apart. In the dining room we sat in, they easily could have squeezed in another four tables. The extra space felt wonderful, as being sat on top of people is one of my biggest pet peeves in restaurants. 

Dizz's has been around since 1977 and has been run by the Pitz family all of that time, making this the longest-running establishment with the same ownership in all of Laguna. The unusual name of this restaurant was coined when Owner and Founder Marcel Pitz bought the place alongside busy Pacific Coast Highway from a couple that could best be described as dizzy from all the self-prescribed happy pills they had taken over the years. The as-is portion of the name was added when the Pitz family grew an affection for the mismatched dishes that were left behind by the couple.

The menu seems to go along with the old fashioned vibe of the place. The food here could best be described as classic European, with stalwarts like escargot, stroganoff, and cornish game hen offered. Options that you don't seem to find at many places these days. Appetizers run between $6 to $15, ala carte options for the lighter eaters among us go for $20 on average, and entrees range between $24 to $46 for their surf and turf option. Both Katie and I zeroed in on what we were going to be having on our return to dine-in service. Let's see how it all turned out for us.

Right after we were seated we were given this complimentary Duck Pate and a shot of Vermouth. I guess this is their version of chips and salsa. A very nice touch. The vermouth was to be used as a palette cleanser. The pate was very earthy and had a tinge of smokiness to it. It spread with a little effort on the provided butter bread. This was fine, but I'm not the type to order pate on a regular basis, but I did enjoy the opportunity to have it gratis.

None of the appetizers really were in Katie's wheelhouse, except for the Garlic Bread ($6). The quartet of sliced bread was topped with garlic butter and parmesan cheese. This was fine but did not blow me away. There was very little garlic on here and a little more cheese would have been appreciated.

Both of our entrees came with either a soup or salad. I went with my usual Caesar Salad to start. This was a fair version. The dressing had a definite anchovy undertone which I liked, but the salad could have benefitted from a little more of it added. It was nice to have a salad that did not come out of a bag, like the ones I've had during our quarantine time. The fresh greens made a big difference. I don't recall what the soup of the day was, but Katie tried their French Onion Soup (a $5 upcharge) instead. This soup had a rich onion flavor to it. There was just a little bit of cheese topping this. I admit to missing the thick layer of Gruyere that blankets most versions I have had. Katie ended up liking this version a lot because it was lighter than most.

Katie was captivated by the Chicken Du Jour, which just happened to be Chicken Cordon Bleu ($25) this evening. This chicken breast was butterflied and filled with cheese and prosciutto, then served with a brown sauce covering it. Again, this was not as heavy as the fried versions I have had. The chicken was remarkably tender, but the bite I got from Katie only had chicken. Selfish. She was a pretty big fan of this plate.

I've been let down quite a few times when I 've ordered veal out recently, but this Veal Marsala ($32) helped restore my faith in veal a bit. The veal was incredibly tender and came with plenty of mushrooms and a sauce made up of marsala wine and a touch of cream. The parmesan was a nice surprise and went well with the veal. Both the vegetables and rice were just okay on their own but made better when I used them as a vehicle to sop up the extra marsala sauce.

The seven-item dessert menu was intriguing, but we went with our standard Creme Brulee ($9) as our grand finale this evening. Topped with some raspberries, the crystalized sugar crust was easily one of the most sturdy we have encountered. After a couple of taps of the spoon, it gave way to a custard base that was creamy but lacked the sweetness I was looking for. It was fine, but we should have gone with the chocolate rum mousse or the Belgian chocolate sundae. Next time.

Dizz's As-Is had a few highlights for us on this visit. Both our entrees were well executed, but the rest of the meal was on the average side. It was nice getting back out and doing some normal things for a change. The menu here, like the decor, seems a little dated, which I do not mean in a bad way. We need places like this to help us remember where we came from culinarily, and to help us realize that kale and quinoa are not essential ingredients. Even with the reduced numbers in the dining room, service was a little sporadic on this evening. Our server was MIA for some stretches of our meal, and the people that were nearest to us had not even gotten their food by the time we left, and they were here before us. Glad we could make it out for a birthday dinner.

Out of five binoculars, (because David Bushnell, who founded an optics company that brought binoculars to the average person at a reasonable price, made his home in Laguna Beach), five being best to zero being worst, Dizz's As Is gets 3 binoculars.

For more information about Dizz's As Is, head to their website here: https://dizzsasis.com/

Breakfast at Cappy's a Capital Idea?

Cappy's Cafe

5903 West Coast Highway

Newport Beach, CA 92663

Well, we finally made it inside a restaurant after a long three months, kind of. After nearly 90 days of takeout, failed cooking experiments at home, and lots of bagged salads that I consumed trying to keep the 10 pounds off that the quarantine added to almost everyone, we sat on the patio of a restaurant. Katie was still a little skittish about being sat inside, so the patio was a great first step in our return to a little normalcy.

We parked just past the Newport Beach Pier and decided to walk the nearly 2 miles each way to Cappy's Cafe on PCH. For years I have wanted to give this place a try. This blue painted restaurant has stood out to me the numerous times I have driven by it since it opened for business in 1982. What also stood out to me was the numerous mentions I had read about this diner in the dearly departed OC Weekly, OC Register, and their Yelp reviews, which give a glowing 4 stars with close to 700 reviews.

Cappy's is only open for breakfast and lunch. Their menu is predictably breakfast-centric, but they do have burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and salads for late risers. The breakfast options are plentiful, with omelets, skillets, breakfast burritos, and other egg specialties taking up two whole pages. Mostly everything on the menu will set you back near or around $14, with only the two steak and egg plates going over the $20 mark. There's also a full bar menu for those that want to start their morning with a mimosa, bloody mary, or any other cocktail to keep the party going. I was looking at a two-mile walk back to the car, so it would be iced tea for me, but let's see if the food at Cappy's is truly the best breakfast in town, like they proclaim on the side of their building.

I was a little taken aback by Katie's selection of the Avocado Toast with Lox added ($14). She's nowhere close to being a millennial and usually likes a more substantial breakfast. She later claimed that she got this on a whim, and it was better than what she thought it was going to be. Toast is used as a base and then layered with slices of avocado, salmon, an over-easy egg, and sliced tomato is the topper. She was a little skeptical that the salmon was going to be fresh, but it was, and the rest of the meal was more substantial than the usual humdrum avocado toast. She opted for the loaded potatoes for the extra $2, which meant that their homefries are topped with melted cheddar cheese, peppers, and onions. This breakfast got an enthusiastic thumbs up from Katie and gave her the energy to walk the remaining two miles back to our car. 

I've been on a real Country Fried Steak ($16) kick lately, and that's the way I leaned on this particular Sunday morning as well. This one has been the best I've had recently. The steak was breaded nicely, with a slight crunch to the outer crust. The steak inside was fine, but the gravy provided much of the flavor here. The scrambled eggs were fine, while the potatoes were pretty solid with the added cheese. Definitely worth the two extra dollars. With my meal I went with the biscuits and gravy, since I walked here, I figured I might as well treat myself. The biscuits were pillowy soft and the gravy was a nice accompaniment. Way better than sliced toast.

I haven't eaten at all of the breakfast spots in Newport, but out of the ones I have; The Galley Cafe, Haute Cakes Caffe, and Wilma's Patio, to name a few, I would say that Cappy's is right on par with all of them. So when they claim to serve the best breakfast in town, they just might. I do know it was great being able to get back inside a restaurant, even if we were seated on their side patio. It was a pleasure to be waited on by their very capable staff. Their youthful exuberance and safety measures that they employed throughout the restaurant were a welcome alternative from getting food to go, and having it require slight reheating in the microwave after arriving home. In case you were wondering, face masks and gloves were worn by all staff we came in contact with, there was a  section of their parking lot used for additional outside seating, and each party was spaced at least six feet apart. It really helped to put Katie's mind at ease. I'd classify Cappy's as good diner food, which along with us getting some much-needed exercise made this one of the better Sundays we have had in months.

Out of five cans of fruit juice, (because Cappy's is also a brand of fruit juice served in 25 countries and is owned by the Coca Cola Company), five being best to zero being worst, Cappy's Cafe gets 3 cans of fruit juice.

For more information about Cappy's Cafe, head to their website here: https://www.cappyscafe.com/

Can't Fly to Hawaii? Head to Da Hawaiian Kitchen Instead

Da Hawaiian Kitchen

9842 Adams Ave. 

Huntington Beach, CA 92646

You can only be cooped up for so long before you need to break out to spread your wings a bit. That was the feeling both Katie and I had last weekend. We would be dropping off a gift to Katie's brother and our future sister-in-law on the day they were to be married. But, of course, their special day has been postponed due to the Corona Virus. So after that brief stop, we walked in nearby Fairhaven Park, a great spot to get some much-needed vitamin D and try to get our muscles moving.

After our three-mile walk around the nearly deserted park, we were ready to pick up some food and get home to prepare for the work week ahead. As Katie rehydrated, I went to Yelp to find a spot that both of us would enjoy. One of the first spots I discovered was Da Hawaiian Kitchen, which just happened to be about 6 minutes away. So we quickly called to order and have the food ready for us when we arrived. They told us it would be prepared in twenty minutes, so we took time getting over there.

Da Hawaiian Kitchen is near Target on the corner of Brookhurst and Adams in Huntington Beach. It's hidden between a dental office and Great Clips. In the eight years they have been open for business, they have an impressive four-and-a-half star rating on Yelp, with over 800 reviews registered. They recently had another location near the Newport Beach Pier, which was shuttered during these trying times.

This is a small storefront with maybe three four-person tables during non-Corona Virus time. The menu is pretty ambitious for what I imagine is a small kitchen behind the register. They offer seven Hawaiian breakfast staples all day long and plenty in the way of the plate lunches you'd expect to see at a Hawaiian restaurant. Most prices hover right around the $12 mark, with only the Local Boy Loco Moco going for $18, but that big meal includes three beef patties, three eggs, two scoops of mac salad, and three rice. That was a bit much for me this afternoon, but I'd love to tackle it next time. For now, I grabbed our bag, and we returned home rather quickly. Let's see if the food will sweep us away to an island paradise, at least in our minds.

When you are paying at the register at Da Hawaiian Kitchen, there's a small refrigerated section on your left with some side selections sold by the pound. If the picture above does not push you to order it, I'd definitely suggest getting some Spicy Garlic Poke ($17.99 a pound) to start your meal off with. We only got a half-pound and should have gotten more. The cubed pieces were some of the freshest we have had, and the spicy garlic flavor popped. This poke was mainly for Katie, but I should have gotten my own. Don't sleep on this poke.

Since Katie did not share nearly enough poke with me, I dove into my Combo Plate ($14 with a $1 upcharge for the beef). With this plate, you get to pick two kinds of meat, two scoops of rice, and one mac salad. I went with the Teriyaki Beef and the Chili Peppa Chicken. The beef was a little on the fatty side, which some might find not to their liking, but I didn't really mind as the meat had an excellent sweet flavor and was more tender than I was expecting. The star of the plate was the chicken thigh. This was a bigger thigh than expected, and the meat underneath the breading was moist and juicy. The best part was the breading, which had a nice spice, giving way to the garlic in bursts. It's easy to see why they get so much love for their chicken. It's really excellent. The rice was okay, but their potato mac salad was another favorite. A delicious hybrid of macaroni and potato salad that I should have gotten more of, and I will next time by substituting one of the scoops of rice for it at an additional charge. A move that is totally worth it. 

Katie was feeling the Combo Plate ($13) vibe this afternoon. She had the teriyaki chicken and the Kahlua pork. She was impressed with both but loved the shredded pork better. It had a real depth of flavor that was highlighted by an undertone of sweetness overlayed with a kiss of Kahlua. I will be honest; I snuck a few pieces of this while she was not looking. The chicken was boneless and had skinless thighs that might have been pressed together to form one large piece of chicken. The chicken had the same ginger teriyaki sauce used on my beef, and the result was still excellent, although some extra teriyaki would have been appreciated. Maybe next time.

There definitely will be the next time. In the last week, Katie has mentioned our lunch from Da Hawaiian Kitchen numerous times, which indicates to me how much she really enjoyed this meal and wants to come back sooner rather than later. I concur with that. I've thought about it quite a lot and am coming up with reasons that we could be close enough to the restaurant to swing by and grab more of their poke, chili Peppa chicken, Kahlua pork, and mac potato salad. So, where does Da Hawaiian Kitchen rate among the Hawaiian restaurants we've eaten at so far? I'd describe them as a higher quality L and L Barbecue, but with smaller portions. Not as high-brow as the excellent food from the kitchen at Ai Pono in Costa Mesa. Right on par with my experiences at Hapa J's in San Clemente, but at a much more reasonable price point. I guess I'm trying to say that the food here really capped off a good day. Just what we needed in these trying times. 

Out of five billboards (because when you visit the Aloha State, you will not find any billboards lining any highways or anywhere else in Hawaii), five being best to zero being worst, Da Hawaiian Kitchen gets 3.5 billboards.

For more information about Da Hawaiian Kitchen, head to their website here: https://dahawaiiankitchen.com/

Gus's Fried Chicken Comes to Roost in Santa Ana

Gus's Fried Chicken

102 North Sycamore St.

Santa Ana, CA 92701

I admit that chicken is not my favorite protein. I shy away from it in most cases. Chicken tacos are almost always bland. Chicken baked in wine was one of my least favorite things my mom made when I was growing up. Sorry, mom. I also had a math teacher in elementary school, Mr. Taravella, who always incorporated chicken into math problems. My low math grade more than likely added to my distaste for this choice of poultry.

One kind of chicken that I do seek out is fried chicken. It seems that whoever you talk to, they have their favorite spot to head to. I hear lots of love for Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant,  Popeye's, Two Birds in Irvine, and Holdaak, a spot in Orange, which I have now added to my list of places to try due to their glowing reviews on Yelp and other spots. For the record, before this visit, my top three fried chicken spots are Buttermilk, Crack Shack, and Reunion, which has locations in Laguna and Anaheim Hills. I was hoping that Gus's Fried Chicken could supplant one of these. Let's see if that would be the case.

Gus's started out modestly off  Highway 70 in Mason, Tennessee as Maggie's Short Order in 1973 with founding owners, Ms. Maggie and Napoleon Vanderbilt. After their passing in the early '80s, the restaurant was run by their only son, and his wife, Gus and Gertrude Bonner, who renamed it Gus's in 1984.

By the late '80s, the restaurant gained a lot of notoriety when it was listed as some of the best-fried chicken in the country by major magazines and news outlets. A second location in Memphis opened in 2001, and from there Gus's spread like wildfire. By my count, they now have 28 locations in 14 states, and they have no plans to stop there.

We decided to take advantage of the light weekend traffic and called in our order to the Santa Ana location while en route. We were quoted a time of twenty minutes, which would put us here right on time to get our food and head back home. This downtown Santa Ana outpost is located on the corner of First and Sycamore, right across from Original Mike's.

During regular times they offer waiter service, but with the current situation, we just paid for our meal at the register. The restaurant seemed a lot bigger than what I assumed from the outside. The menu at Gus's is pretty straight forward. A trio of starters, chicken plates, six sides, and five pies that you can get by the slice or have the option to buy the whole pie. We grabbed our food and headed for home as fast as we could because the aroma coming from the bags was so intoxicating. Let's see if the taste was as good as it smelled from the bags in the backseat.

We started off with Fried Pickles ($5). They were heavily breaded with a dill spear buried underneath and came with ranch dressing for dipping. I found the breading a bit too heavy and I think they were left in the fryer a minute or two too long. Not anything I'd probably get again. 

Katie will start off the entree portion of this review with her selection, the Four-Piece Tender Plate ($14). Katie has an issue with eating items off the bone, so I was not surprised she went with the tenders. These tenders were good-sized, made fresh, and were a nice departure from the overly processed ones that we have come to expect when getting tenders. They were juicy and had a tinge of spice to them, but nothing that would overpower. She opted to get honey mustard as her dip of choice. Plates come with coleslaw and baked beans as your sides but you can swap out your sides for a 50 cent upcharge. The baked beans were fine, a little on the sweet side which I guess is meant to counteract the slightly spicy batter of the chicken. The best of the sides that we tried was the Potato Salad. This was a very creamy version of potato salad, with big notes of dill and mustard coming through in each bite. This is the side to get here.

Now for what Gus's is famous for, their fried chicken. I went with the Three-Piece Dark Meat Plate ($12) which consisted of two thighs and a leg. The thighs here were very big with lots of meat on them. Like the tenders above, the meat was very juicy without being greasy. The breading had a nice spice to it and the crunchy texture was very pleasing. After a few bites, I could see why they get so much love for their fried chicken. I had wanted mac and cheese and greens for my sides, but they were out of greens on this early evening, so I went with double mac and cheese instead. The mac and cheese was sprinkled with plenty of paprika, but it could not spark anything flavor-wise for me. It's kind of what I imagine Kraft Mac and Cheese to taste like, a bit boring. Yes, I know, it's weird that I've never had the mac and cheese out of the blue box.

Out of the five varieties of pies that Gus's offers, the most interesting to me was the Chocolate Chess Pie ($5). This would be my maiden slice of chess pie, which is popular in the south. I'd describe it as very brownie-like, with a cracked top. Good, but not earth-shattering to me. I'd like to try their pecan pie with ice cream when I can eat here, so I won't have to worry about it melting on the way home.

The chicken at Gus's takes one of my top three spots for fried chicken in OC, joining Crack Shack and Buttermilk. The fried chicken is really that good, and I'd probably get a half chicken the next time I'm here so I can sample their white meat as well. The sides, with the exception of the potato salad, were all kind of just average. Prices were more than fair, with no plate going over the $15 threshold. If all chicken tasted like this, I might become a chicken fanatic after all. 

Out of five Blow Pops, (because this restaurant started in Tipton County, Tennessee, which is also home to where they make one billion Blow Pop's and other candies a year), five being best to zero being worst, Gus's Fried Chicken gets 3 Blow Pops.

For more information about Gus's Fried Chicken, head to their website here: http://gusfriedchicken.com/