Downtown BBQ Company-Closed

Downtown BBQ Company
11045 Downey Ave.
Downey
562-904-0447

On my way to Bob's Big Boy Broiler, I saw Downtown BBQ Company. But I wasn't sure if it was opened, the restaurant looked closed. But a quick search online, led me to a phone number and they are in fact opened. Sadly, though, that is the last good thing about Downtown BBQ Company.

When you combine bad service and overcooked BBQ, you get a bad BBQ experience.




I got the half rack of pork ribs, $10.95, with mac and cheese and onion rings. The ribs had no smoke ring or smoke flavor. These are the same type of ribs that you get from Chili's. But they were chewy, dry, tough, and fatty. Not good at all. These ribs were either cooked in an oven or under high heat on a grill. Either way, that is not real BBQ.

The BBQ sauce was pretty good, a sweeter tomato based sauce. But really nothing can save badly cooked ribs. The server wasn't helpful, I never heard the words "Thank you" and she was too busy talking to the other server. No wonder the restaurant is empty.

The mac and cheese was served cold, barely had any cheese, and lacked any seasoning. The onion rings were so salty and cold!!

Service was bad. When I walked in, a man was picking up his order and left. So I was the only customer in the restaurant.

I would never go back to this terrible BBQ restaurant again.

Bob's Big Boy Broiler- Downey

Bob's Big Boy Broiler
7447 Firestone Blvd
Downey
562-928-2627

Bob's Big Boy Broiler used to be Johnny's Broiler in Downey. This was a very popular hang out during the 50's and 60's. But as time went on, it lost it's popularity. In 2008 the owner of the property tried to illegally tear down the leftover of Johnny's Broiler. But people who care about preserving history called the police and stopped the illegal tearing down. The owner of the Bob's Big Boy in Torrance, worked out a deal to put up a Bob's Big Boy, complete with car hop service.

I went to the Bob's in West Covina, because I want to support Bob's. While the West Covina location has a modern and not the classic design, like the Bob's in Burbank, it is still nice to see Bob's making a comeback. But I was really excited to go to Bob's Big Boy Broiler since it had the classic old school design. I have heard Bob's will open an classic style restaurant in Pasadena sometime next year.

Driving on Firestone Blvd, you can't miss Bob's Big Boy Broiler!!! They have carhop service daily from 4-10pm. I got there too late for carhop service and the wait for a table was about 30 minutes, so I decided to get a table at the counter.

I got my usual super Big Boy combo, $7.99 and the chili spaghetti, $8.99. Yes, those prices are different than the prices on the carhop sign. Oh well. The super Big Bob combo was great. Fresh and hot, like it should be. The cheese was melted, the meat was cooked and seasoned correctly and the red relish had that tangy flavor. So good.

I love a five way!!! Come on now, get your minds out of the gutter. A five way the way Cincinnati chili is served. You have spaghetti, chili and cheddar cheese, beans, and onions. You can get a three way, no beans or onions. A four way, either with beans or onions. And what I love, a five way!!! Cincinnati chili is much different than chili from other regions.

Bob's does a three way using their own chili. The chili at Bob's is thinner and not spicy. But it has good flavor and taste. The spaghetti was cooked just right. A good dish that I finally tried after all the times I went to Bob's!!!

Service at the counter was very good. The server was nice and friendly and helpful. One thing I did notice, since I had great view of where the food is waiting to be picked up by the servers, the other servers were a bit slow. I saw three Big Boy combos sitting at the counter for at least 10 minutes. The other servers need to move a lot faster. My server was great, the burger was hot and fresh. But other diners that night did not get a hot fresh burger since it was sitting around for too long.

I would go back to Bob's Big Boy Broiler anytime. Such a great sense of nostalgia and good food.

McDonald's Downey

McDonald's Downey
10207 Lakewood Blvd
Downey
562-622-9248

Ok, what the hell is a McDonald's review doing on The New Diner? Well this is the oldest operating McDonald's in the world. Opened in 1953, they were not part of McDonald's corporation until 1990. The restaurant was damaged by the 1994 Northridge earthquake but reopened two years later with a museum. The museum has all kinds of pictures and McDonald's cups, wrappers, and toys. The corporation sold it to the current owner/operator in 1998.

Ray Kroc, who would buy out the McDonald brothers, visited this location to prepare for opening his own McDonald's in Illinois.

I have been meaning to go back to this McDonald's but never made the trip. But I finally made it and I'm glad I did. One of the first things you notice is that the old McDonald's logo, Speedee, is still used, one everything from the trash cans to the signs.

I got the Big Mac meal, $3.99. Everybody knows what a Big Mac is. This isn't different than a Big Mac from anywhere else. Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a seasame seed bun. The fries were McDonald's fries, salty, softy on the inside, pretty crisp on the outside. Nothing special about it.

I then got a cheeseburger, 99 cents. Again same as any other McDonald's cheeseburger.

Service is OK. They workers do not dress like they did back when it opened. Service at McDonald's has slipped overall but this location was pretty good for McDonald's. But there are some stupid drivers in Downey, well at least in this parking lot. I can't believe some stupid, fat woman drove her Mustang about 50 mph in the damn parking lot, blasting her radio for everybody to hear. Stupid.

But I loved the sense of history you get from going here. Opened in 1953, a full five years before a drunken mick, stole the Brooklyn Dodgers from their rightful home. Wrigley Field and Gilmore Field were both thriving ballparks in LA. What a treat for a kid, living in Downey, to go to McDonald's after going to Wrigley Field to see the LA Angels vs the Hollywood Stars.

This was a very cool experience. You feel as though you stepped back in time going here. I'm glad to see McDonald's has a sense of history and has kept this location open. I would hate to see this turned into one of newer McDonald's that are being built.