Checking In On the Yard House...

Yard House Irvine

Irvine Spectrum

So it has been about two years since I have been to the Irvine location of the Yard House. Whenever I am at the Spectrum I usually opt for Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, or Champs. So many great choices that Yard House kind of gets lost in the shuffle. When I was younger the sleek look and loud music of Yard House would have attracted me every time. Oh, the curse of getting old!

Yard House has 26 locations in 10 states. Each restaurant has between 100 to 250 beers on tap. So of course the bar is the main focus of the place, but we are here to sample their food, which deserves some billing also. The menu has great variety and is not your typical bar food. Prices range between 10 dollars to 30 dollars for steak and shrimp.

 

This was Katie's Mixed Greens salad. At $6.45 it was enough for both of us to share. I really liked the salad, the balsamic vinaigrette dressing was great and this was a nice way to start off our meal.

Okay here is my Blue Crab Cake Hoagie. This sandwich has some of my favorite food items all in one place. Bacon, swiss cheese, avocado, a very good spicy aioli sauce, and of course crab. The strong flavors of this sandwich all mesh together quite well to form a truly great sandwich. The fries are okay but are no match for the over-powering goodness of the sandwich. Job well done on this pick.

Next up was Katie's pick. After a long, hard decision she decided on the Mac + Cheese. This was not your typical blue box mac and cheese. This mac and cheese included big chunks of chicken, chopped bacon, mushrooms, and two kinds of cheeses. And if that does not sound rich enough for you, they also include white truffle oil. Katie had a hard time finishing it, so of course, I had to help her out. I found the dish rich and creamy. It was a really good scene. Katie also liked it.

So if we learned anything about the Yard House it should be that they are just not a bar, they actually have really good food and should not be overlooked when you are at the Spectrum. You just have to be in the mood for loud rock music and dark lighting.

If you would like to get more information about the Yard House, check them out at http://www.yardhouse.com/

Sunday Fun Day at Garf's!

Garf's Sports Lounge

3046 Bristol St.

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

So my friends and I have had no luck trying to watch football on Sunday mornings. A lot of places think that just because they have lots of TVs, that people will put up with lousy service or sub-par food. So heading to Garf's in Costa Mesa, I was not expecting much, but that was about to change.

Garf's is a rundown sports lounge that has seen better days. but they know how to treat their customers. Before the morning games start, the manager is at our table asking what games we want where. This is super cool and does not happen in very many places. The waitress, Melanie was on top of our drink orders and was also over at our table every time we had a new edition to our party. So now on to the food...

 

Katie started with the breakfast burrito with bacon. She really liked the burrito and it really filled her up. The potatoes had cheese and onions on them and tasted great according to her. I would have liked a little more flavor, but I have really been on a Tapitio kick lately.

Next, was Clay's Denver omelet. He really liked the omelet and thought that the eggs were done perfectly. The omelet had a lot of ham and bell pepper on it. He liked the potatoes but was not in awe of them. His potatoes did not have as much cheese on them as Katie's. They probably know that this guy is trouble, so they wanted to give him a hard time.

Next was Chris's chef salad. From the picture, you can see that they went really heavy on the ham and the cheese, but trust me there is salad under there somewhere. Chris did not really comment too much on the salad, but it looked appetizing from across the table. At $9.50, it looks like he got his money worth.

Next up was my patty melt with swiss cheese. Really tasty burger, a little greasy, but not too much. The fries were actually crisp, unlike a lot of places steak fries. A half-pound patty melt and fries for $8.25, is a great deal, plus you get to watch your football team win, in a relaxed atmosphere. Garf's really did make our Sunday a fun day! So three cheers to Garf's Good times!

For more information on Garf's, check out their web site at https://www.garfsbar.com/

A night out at Woody's Diner

Woody's Diner

24321 Avenida De La Carlota

Laguna Hills, CA

So on a recent visit to Lonestar Steakhouse, my girlfriend and I looked across the parking lot and saw Woody's Diner occupying the spot that had once been Islands. I, of course, was ready to give it a try, but considering that we just both had prime rib dinners at Lonestar, we decided we would wait a few days.

Fast forward to this past Thursday night, and we found ourselves out at Woody's. The place was deserted, at seven o'clock. We were met by a very cheery hostess, who sat us promptly. Our waiter got our drinks to us quickly and then we decided what to have. The menu is typical diner fare with a lot of variety. They serve breakfast all day long, but we both opted for dinner.

I started with this side salad. Pretty mediocre, nothing to write home about. I thought the 4.75 price tag was a little over the top for some iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, and three cherry tomatoes, something I could have had at home for about two dollars.

 

Here is Katie's meal. She had the BBQ chicken wrap. She liked it and thought that it had a lot of chicken. I took a bite of it and thought that it was bland tasting, but wraps are not really my favorite thing. I thought they could have used a little more BBQ ranch sauce on it, it was kind of dry to me.

Now on to my meal. I had the Bacon cheeseburger, ( I know big surprise for those of you that know me, I always love trying bacon burgers.) Anyways, when the burger got to the table it hit me, why do places always place the bacon strips in a cross? When you order a bacon burger you really want to taste the bacon in every bite, so this is how it should come out of the kitchen.....

Now that is a little better. The bacon on this burger was a little fatty, which I do not mind, but I know that some of you do. The patty was juicy, but the third-pound burger left me wanting more. You can add an extra patty for $1.50, but that makes this burger top out at a whopping $10.45! Too much for this burger.

So as we left Woddy's I felt it was an okay place, not anything too great. I hear they have better breakfasts, so we will probably give them another shot when we are in a breakfast mood.

Here is the website if you would like to check them out. The Laguna Hills location is not listed though. http://woodysdiners.com/

A Not So Great Night at Tijuana Gillies - CLOSED

Tijuana Gillies

23962-2 Alicia Pky

Mission Viejo, CA

92691

So my girlfriend and I had a coupon and wanted to stay local, so we decided to give Tijuana Gillies a try. A little disclaimer though, we had been here before for brunch, she liked it and I did not, so we decided to give it another shot. On a Sunday night at five, we walked right in and did not have to wait. In fact, the place was darn near empty, except for the three loud dudes watching the football game in their tiny bar.

I have always been told that you can judge a Mexican restaurant by their chips and salsa, so if this was the case, I knew this place was going to be in trouble. The salsa looked and tasted like canned tomato soup with onion added. The chips were mediocre.

Not to give anything away, but the highlight of the meal for me was this bland salad. It was not the salad itself that made me take notice, but the fact that it was only 1.99 with the purchase of an entree. I always enjoy it when you get a break on the salad if you are going to eat an entree. Props to Tijuana's for this!

 

Now on to those entrees. I choose the Colorado Burrito. Filled with un-savory beef and beans topped with lackluster red sauce. The only sign of life that this dish showed was when lots of Tapito was added. Rice and beans were average.

Katie decided to get Mama's Special. It consisted of a cheese quesadilla and a mini tostada. She thought it was good, but not great. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but on the other hand, she did not hate it. I did have a bite of both items and thought the quesadilla was okay and the chicken tostada had a lot of lettuce and very little chicken.

Our waitress did a great job for us. She was on top of the drinks and anything else that we needed, (of course she only had two tables the whole time we were there, but that is beside the point!). All in all, if you are looking forward to a bland evening of Mexican food give Tijuana Gillies a try. I will bypass this place and head to the Del Taco down the street. For more information, check out their website http://www.tijuanagillies.net/

Welcome Back Bob! - CLOSED

Bob's Big Boy

1623 West Katella #101

Orange, CA 92867

So, I started this blog with one of my favorite childhood places, Bob's Big Boy. They are back in Orange County for the first time in years and plan on opening more units soon. The first Big Boy is in Orange, in the Stadium Promenade shopping center on Katella and Main.

So when I walk up to Big Boy and see Bob proudly holding up his hamburger namesake, it instantly transports me to my childhood years. During this visit, I will meet up with my girlfriend and parents before the Duck's opening night at the Honda Center. The place is packed, but the wait is less than five minutes. It is big, with many tables and plenty of wait and support staff.

So now on to the thing that has kept bringing people back to Big Boy for all these years, the food. I immediately knew what I was having for dinner: a Big Boy with fries and an extra Big Boy. I know there is a lot of food, but I have been looking forward to this, and the burger does not disappoint. The double-decker burger has two patties and a great combo of mayo and their famous red relish. A masterpiece on a bun! The burger is as good as I remember. The fries are average but are not meant to be the show's star.

For dessert a hot fudge cake to share, (Sorry no photo available). Kind of skimpy on the hot fudge, but still a great way to top off the nostalgic meal! The service was excellent, and we will definitely be back.

For more information about Big Boy, visit their website: http://www.bigboy.com/

Coming Soon: Eating My Way Through OC!

Hey now! I am a regular guy that loves eating. Looking forward to sharing my dining experiences with all of you, or the two people who stumbled upon this blog looking for Erin Andrews nude photos. So sit back and enjoy the food coma, that will be Eating Through OC.