Hole in the Wall Burger Joint-Closed

Hole in the Wall Burger Joint
11058 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles
310-312-7013

Competition is what drives the restaurant business. Foodies are the winners in the these restaurant competitions. While I'm not sure if The Counter, was the first of it's type to open in the LA area, it has competition with Hole in the Wall Burger Joint!! Hole in the Wall Burger Joint is more casual than The Counter, where it's more of a sit down restaurant. But, hell when you have the name, Hole in the Wall Burger Joint, are you really expecting a sit down restaurant? It's a bit hard to find, the store front is actually on Missouri, though the street address is listed as Santa Monica. Look for the shopping center with Winchell Donuts and Hole in the Wall Burger Joint, is behind that Winchell's.

Like The Counter, you fill out your burger order on a sheet of paper. All protein are 8oz portions, and include beef, turkey, spicy chicken and veggie. I got a turkey burger on a whole wheat bun, with onion mayo, cheddar cheese, red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard pickle relish, $8.95. They offer a pretzel bun and a burger in a bowl, but I passed on those.

I really liked this burger. A turkey burger is usually going to be a bit drier than a beef burger, because of the low fat content in turkey. But, this burger was juicy, full of flavor and just wonderful. The turkey was cooked perfectly and was well seasoned, very important. The toppings were fresh, though I took off the mustard relish after the first couple bites, I just wasn't a fan. For a great topping, on their condiment bar, is their version of ranch dressing and it's great. Next time I go, I'm getting my burger dry and just add their ranch dressing.

Service is good and the burgers came out quickly, hot and fresh!! But, it's a cash only operation, so be prepared. They have an ATM on site, but of course, we'll get dinged by your bank for not using their ATM's!!

I would go back to Hole in the Wall Burger Joint, any time.

Juicy Burger-Closed

Juicy Burger
6340 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles
323-465-8429

When I went to 25 Degrees, back in May, 2011, I walked east on Hollywood Blvd to see if Skooby's was still open, it is!! Anyways, walked past Juicy Burger, which has long been on my list of places to try, and decided I needed to go there soon. It's November, and while that isn't soon, at least least I made it to Juicy Burger.

I heard Juicy Burger was a gourmet burger restaurant. So I wanted to see how they compared to other gourmet burger places like 25 Degrees, Father's Office, Umami Burger in Hollywood, Umami Burger on La Brea, and 38 Degrees.

Located at the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Ivar, Juicy Burger, is much like The Counter, where you check off what you want on your burger. After placing my order, I found a seat, and this was among the dirtiest restaurants I've ever been in. The tables were dirty and in serious need of being wiped off. The floors were dirty and needed to be swept. No wonder everybody was eating at the counter and not the tables!!

Anyways, I ordered the 1/3lb beef burger, cooked medium, with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, mustard ketchup, and 1000 island dressing, on a bun, $5.75. The first thing I noticed was the bun, which is very much like the buns at Umami Burger. A chewy soft texture with a golden brown dome. The burger was cooked to medium, was very juicy, maybe on the side of greasy, but good flavor and well seasoned. I asked for the toppings and the 1000 island dressing was very tangy, which I like. I bet they use Miracle Whip to make their 1000 island dressing. The other toppings were fresh and tasty. While the burger was good, there wasn't anything gourmet about them. It's a good diner style burger at a good price, nothing more and nothing less.

Service is good. The young lady is very nice and helpful. But, as I mentioned before, the place is just a mess. The workers should stop texting and clean the tables.

I had pretty high expectations of Juicy Burger and I came away pretty underwhelmed. I'm not saying the burger isn't good or it's not a good value, they are, it's just not gourmet-which I was led to believe, and there isn't anything really outstanding about it.

The Market Grill-Closed

The Market Grill
525 S Shamrock Ave
Monrovia
626-303-4314

Have you ever had great expectations about something, but they didn't live up to expectations? Maybe it was a date with a beautiful woman, but during the date you found out she had the personality of a lugnut and the IQ to match? Or maybe you were expecting a great vacation and all you got was rain and a bad tour guide?

Well, that's the way I feel about The Market Grill in Monrovia. I heard some great things about The Market Grill and had great expectations. But sadly, my expectations were not met.

Located in a market, duh-thus the name, Market Grill serves up burgers, sandwiches, soups, and hot dogs. There are about six tables and a few counter spaces to dine in. It wasn't that crowded when I went on a Saturday afternoon around lunch time.

I ordered the 1/3lb. bacon burger, $7.25, with cheese, add 50 cents, with fresh fruit. The burger comes with lettuce, tomato, red onions, pickles and 1000 island dressing. I asked for no pickles. They ask how you would like your burgers cooked, I asked for medium rare, I got a burger that needed to be on the grill just a little longer. Nothing too bad, but I would like the burger cooked how I asked for it.

Anyways, the burger was fine. The meat was well seasoned and moist, it was messy and a bit greasy, what a burger should be. The toppings were all fresh, the bun was your standard bun. But, there wasn't anything mind blowing or outstanding out it. It wasn't something I would drive out of my way for. You could get this burger from any greasy spoon, in any neighborhood. I read that things are freshed baked here. I saw bread with the label from Costco. The burger buns were from a package, that looked like a food service package. Somebody has wrong information.

Service is very good. You are greeted once you enter the restaurant, whether by a cook or the person taking orders. Very nice, something many restaurants need to improve upon. The guy taking my order was nice and helpful. After asking me if I wanted everything on my burger, he listed everything that came on the burger. Some cashiers and servers don't know their own menu, and have no idea what comes on their burgers. So it is good to see this staff is well trained and knowledgeable about their menu.

Again, the burger was fine. I don't want to give the impression that The Market Grill was bad. It's just that I heard some many great things about The Market Grill and it just wasn't outstanding or worth the trip.

25 Degrees

May 1, 2011. At 7:46pm, I got a text message saying that bastard had been killed by U.S. Navy SEALS!!! I'm always proud to be an American, but some days, that pride shows more. I was overjoyed with happiness when I heard that American military forces killed that bastard!!!!!



The bullet that killed that bastard, was brought to him COURTESY of the RED, WHITE, and BLUE!!!!!!

After I heard the news last night, I drove around town and looked at all the banners honoring those who are serving in the military. I drove by the local fire station. I had Toby Keith's Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue playing. I am not ashamed to say I had tears running down my cheeks. There were times I thought I would never see this day. But, I'm so glad that justice has been done!!!



But really, it's a bitter sweet day. I think about all the families who lost a son or daughter in the wars after 9-11. I think about all the families who still have a son or daughter, fighting overseas and wish they come back home safe and soon!!! Of course, I think about all the families who lost a loved one, on 9-11. I hope now, with that bastard being killed, all the families affected by 9-11 can start healing.

So, today May 2, 2011, I wanted to go into Los Angeles. I wanted to see that skyline. I wanted to be around a large group of fellow Americans.

But, the first place I went was the Los Angeles Fire Department's training center, near Dodger Stadium. The center has a Memorial, a piece of steel from the South Tower of the World Trade Center, to honor the 343 New York City firefighters who lost their lives on 9-11.





Then I wanted to have a burger. There is nothing more American, than a burger. So I decided to finally go to 25 Degrees, which is in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Another entry in the gourmet burger battle of LA.


25 Degrees
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
7000 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles
323-785-7244






Burger #1, caramelized onions, bacon, 1000, arugula, crescenza & prelilbato gorgonzola cheese, $12. This is a great, great burger. The first thing I noticed, was the two huge strips of bacon, pointing out of the burger, that's always a plus. And this bacon was awesome, thick cut, full of smokey flavor and just wonderful. The meat used for the burger is some good quality beef. Moist and full of flavor. The thing I loved about the meat was it was served hot, I could feel how hot the burger was. Nothing was prepared and sitting under heat lamps.

The bun was a bit too well done, the crust was like a French roll that crumbling, but the bun held up very well to the all the toppings.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of onions on my burgers, but these onions, along with the two cheeses, crescenza & prelilbato gorgonzola cheese, just made a wonderful combination. The crescenza had a sharp taste to it, when the prelilbato gorgonzola added a salty flavor to the burger. I thought they put a bit too much of the cheese, sometimes you can get too much of a good thing. But, the large amount a cheese, helped hide the taste of arugula, which I hate. But with with some of the minor flaws, this is a wonderful burger.

Now, the server asked what side I wanted, and I picked the onion rings, which are normally $4. The way the server asked about the side, it seemed as though a side came with the burger. But, I noticed other people did not get a side with their burger. Then I noticed, I wasn't charged for the side. So, it maybe a special on Monday or she just forgot. Anyways, the onion rings were lightly battered and fried to a golden brown, they were wonderful!!! This is well worth the $4 price tag and a steal at the $2 happy hour price.

Service was OK. The server came quickly to my table and was very nice and friendly. She answered all my questions, I didn't realize the Hollywood location is opened 24hours and she said try the sausage for breakfast. Hell, I love the bacon, so I may just have to have both the bacon and sausage for breakfast.

But, after she brought my drink, she stopped at a table with a guy waiting for his to go order, and stood there and talked to him for about ten minutes. That is very unprofessional. Yes, it didn't really affect me, my drink had just been delivered, my food when it arrived was served hot and I didn't have to wait any longer than normal for the food to arrive, but it may have affected other people in the restaurant.

I would go back to 25 Degrees for the burger, anytime. I may build my own burger, their other two burgers don't sound appealing to me; one has prosciutto and pesto-two things I hate, and the other has green chili. I will go back for breakfast.

Chez Melange/Bouzy-Closed

Chez Melange/Bouzy 1611 S Catalina Ave Redondo Beach 310-540-1222 Chez Melange is the name of the restaurant and Bouzy is the name of the gastropub, that is in one building. This review is only for Bouzy, the gastropub. Yes, it is a weird setup, but of well. The interesting thing, as you can see, is that there is no sign for Bouzy, just Chez Melange. A good friend told me about Bouzy and we finally got a chance to try Bouzy. Now, she was telling me about the Pancho burger-bacon, avocado, chile relleno, and Frank's hot sauce vinaigrette. But, I'm not a fan of chile relleno, so I didn't order it. My friend did and the smell of Frank's hot sauce was a bit overwhelming. I'm glad I didn't order it. I did get the Bouzy burger, $8.90, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar, and mayo. I asked for and get a burger cooked medium rare. The meat was only OK, it lack a bit of seasoning. The toppings were fresh. This burger was ok, but nothing outstanding. This tasted more like a burger you got a chain restaurant, than a burger from a gastropub. Service was a bit lacking. The server greeted us about five minutes after we were seated by the hostess. That's not too long of a wait, but he must have passed us ten times during that time. He should have at least acknowledge we were at the table. Then after taking and bringing our drink orders, he forgets my ice water, he doesn't come back to the table for at least ten minutes. He knew we were going to order food. We got menus from the hostess. He was slow at refilling drinks, taking empty drinks and plates away from the table. He was nice, but needs to get better at being a server. I wouldn't go back to Bouzy, again. I wasn't really impressed with the burger, again it was just average, and the service was a bit lacking.

Congregation Ale House

Congregation Ale House
201 E Broadway Ave
Long Beach
562-432-2337

Congregation Ale House, located on Broadway, just east of the hectic and every changing Pine Ave, maybe the first gastropub in Long Beach. They opened in October, 2010 and seems have to attracted a good following. Their happy hours are called "mass" and "mass" is served up all day Monday. During mass all beer is $1 off and burgers are $6.

As you enter Congregation Ale House, you go to the cashier, place your order, both drink and food, and then find a seat. You can keep a tab open with a credit card, and a server will come by your table and bring your second round of drinks.

A bit different setup, but it helps prevents dine and dashers, which Long Beach is filled of.




Grilled rib eye and white cheddar burger, regular $8, $6 during "mass." The burger comes with roasted roma tomato, grilled onions-which I asked to leave off, arugula mixed greens, and rosemary garlic mayo, on what looked like a potato bread.

The burger was pretty good, though it wasn't that juicy, since rib eyes do not have that much fat. The burger was tender and the meat, itself, had good flavor. But the rosemary garlic mayo just overpowered the burger for me. A plain mayo, even a garlic mayo would work, but not that rosemary garlic.

The burger is fairly small but for $8, it's a decent sized burger.




I wanted to try the turkey burger $6 during mass, so I got a turkey burger with white cheddar cheese, an extra 50 cents more, and the regular toppings; roasted roma tomato, arugula mixed greens, and rosemary garlic mayo, on what looked like a potato bread. This time I left the grilled onions on.

The turkey pattie was white, like a processed turkey pattie. Not what I was expecting. The turkey pattie was a bit dry, this needed more of that rosemary garlic mayo. I was surprised the rosemary garlic mayo didn't overpower this turkey burger,but actually complimented the burger well.



Fries are $2 during mass, so I figured what the hell, order a batch and see how they are. All fries comes with your choice of two dipping sauces, I got the sweet chili sour cream and a chipotle mayo.

The fries were nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. But they were short fries, like I got the leftovers or something. I know they grow potatoes much longer. The sauces were a nice touch, if you picked a good sauce. The chipotle mayo was very good, nice and creamy with a good kick. But the sweet chili sour cream, just didn't work, even mixed together.

Service at the cashier, is below average. They aren't really that friendly or welcoming. They certainly didn't tell you about any specials and didn't ask if you wanted fries with your burger.

The worst part is, around 9pm, some guy who is suppose to be a priest of burger or something starts talking to the entire bar. Well, the servers and cashiers come around and asks, can you hear that guy talk. WTF is that? They need to inform customers about this "tradition" Personally, I don't want to hear some blowhard talk about beer. I'm there to enjoy the company of my friends, not to hear somebody yelling about beer.

I doubt I would go back to Congregation Ale House. The food is slightly above average. But with the service being below average, there are other gastropubs to try.

Slater's 50/50 Burgers-Closed

Slater's 50/50 Burgers 6362 E Santa Ana Canyon Rd Anaheim 714-685-1103 Slater's is known for the 50/50 burger patties. 50% of the patty is beef and 50% of the patty is bacon!! Yes, bacon!!! So I knew I wanted to give Slater's a try. I have been to many gourmet burger places in Orange County, in fact Slater's maybe my first. Slater's offers their line of signature burgers, a burger of the month; it was a chili cheese topped with Frito's, the day we went, and a build your own burger. The burgers come in 1/3lb, 1/2lb, and one pound sizes, and those sizes are after cooking. The signature burger at Slater's is The 50/50, but I'm not a fan of a fried egg on top of my burgers, so I got the Old Timey. The Old Timey, $9.45, has American cheese, grilled onions, green leaf lettuce, tomato and 1000 island dressing. It normally comes with an all beef patty, but I got the 50/50 patty instead, no extra charge. The 50/50 are cooked to well done, because of the bacon, but the patty has a lot of pink inside. I was wondering how a burger that is 50% bacon and 50% beef would taste. Now, I understand why they have to cook the burger through. But, I thought the 50/50 was a bit dry. Though, it is easy to notice the difference in flavors. You know you're not eating just beef. I liked the 50/50, but I wouldn't call it the best burger I've ever had. They could have put a bit more 1000 island dressing, but the toppings were fresh. Service, from the hostess to the server was outstanding!!! The hostesses were young, maybe high school aged girls. Whenever I see hostesses like that, I assume they are just there for the money and could care less about customer service. But, the hostess who helped me was great. She greeted me, which many other restaurants do not do, and was very nice and friendly. The server we had was great. Her name was Laura and she was very helpful and attentive. I don't think my glass of water ever went below half full, because she was always refilling drinks. Now the burgers did take a bit longer than I would expect, but that's not always the server's fault. And, besides, something like this can be overlooked, when the service was outstanding. I would go back to Slater's and try a beef burger or maybe, even try the 50/50 burger.

Peter's Gourmade Grill-Closed

Peter's Gourmade Grill
16851 McFadden Ave
Tustin
714-599-3866

Update Dec 26, 2010: The owner of Peter's Gourmade Grill threatened to get my Yelp account taken away. Why? They got my Yelp review taken away, when I gave Peter's Gourmade one star because they never answered their phone. Now, stupid Yelp, gave the reason, I didn't have first hand experience with the business. Well, trying to call, during listed open hours, and not getting an answer is first hand experience. If you call a restaurant or any business and they do not answer the phone, what are you thinking? They are closed, right?

As I mentioned in my review, the day I went, the lady was talking to a friend, who was sitting at the bar. Why they can't answer their phone is beyond me. What is worse is all the excuses she gave me, we're busy.

The fact that any business owner can get reviews changed or removed from Yelp, proves Yelp reviews are not fair and unbiased.

I will not go to Peter's Gourmade again. Bad service isn't something I want to return to. They need to learn about simple customer service, answering the phone.

Update: Since writing this review, the owner contacted me. We talked about them not answering the phone during business hours. She assured me, they are open during their listed hours, even though they do not answer the phone. Their hours are 11am-3pm and 6pm-10pm. That means they are closed from 3pm to 6pm. They also have a website: Peter's Gourmade.

I find it refreshing that an owner wants to do things right and cares about customer service. I've always said, it's not so much making a mistake, it's how you handle the mistake. Since I love the burgers, I will be back soon.

When I first heard about Peter's Gourmade Grill in the Orange County Register, and I was looking forward to trying it. A gourmet burger place, in a gas station, sounded like a great hidden gem.

The owner is a classically trained chef, who worked at some top restaurants and then opened up his own restaurant.

There are about five chairs for people to eat, but this is mainly a take out location.



I got the swiss mushroom, bacon burger, $4.75, angus burger with swiss cheese, mushrooms, lettuce, and onions.

WOW, this burger was great. I loved it. But, the first bite was a bit bland. But the next bite, a huge burst of flavor. The swiss cheese, the tender mushrooms, the bacon, the angus beef just worked so well together. The bun helped up well to the burgers and all the toppings. Some parts of the bacon was undercooked, but otherwise, this was a great burger.

Service, was very good while ordering. The lady, greeted me when I walked up and was nice and friendly.

My issue with Peter's Gourmade is that they never answer their phone. I always call before trying a new place, to make sure they are still in business and/or opened. I've learned because there were some restaurants on my list, that by the time I wanted to go there, the restaurant was out of business.

But, I tried to call Peter's Gourmade, three times last week, during the hours listed on Yelp, and on their answering machine; but all three times, nobody answered the phone. Tustin is a bit far for me to drive for nothing. But, today I figured, I would go and if they were not opened and there was no sign saying why they were closed, I would take pictures and then give a bad review. Luckily, they were open.

But, while I was waiting for my burger, the girl was talking to one of her friends, who was sitting at the counter. If she has time to talk to a friend, she needs to find time to answer the phone. I went around noon, and it was a bit busy but I can't imagine it was that busy the three days I called last week, that they couldn't answer the phone.

I did find out, the phone number listed is a cell number and you can text in your order. That's fine, since I've already been there, but if it's your first time it's hard to know what you want, since there is no online menu. I was informed by the owner, that Peter's Gourmade, does have a website: Peter's Gourmade.

I'm a big fan of Peter's Gourmade and I love their burgers. I believe it's the best burger in Orange County. I will be back, but if they are closed, at a time when they are suppose to be open and there is no sign, you can be sure I'll let readers of The New Diner know about it.

Original McDonalds

This is the original sign. One of two original items left from the first McDonalds.



This is the original storage and office space of the first McDonald's. The second original item left from the first McDonalds.



The city of San Bernardino, also recognizes it's place in history.



When the McDonalds brothers sold the franchise to the jerk, Ray Kroc, they gave up the rights to the "Golden Arches." The deal with the jerk, did NOT include the original location. Thus the jerk, was really upset that he was too stupid to have the original location included. So the McDonald brothers had to put a big M, on the store.

Original McDonald's
1398 North E St
San Bernardino
909-885-6324

When I was looking at the map to find I went to Bobby Ray's BBQ, I noticed that Bobby Ray's was very close to the location of the first McDonalds. I knew the actual McDonalds building, which was an octagon shape, had been torn down years ago, but there is a McDonalds museum on the site. So I decided to drop in.

The McDonalds Corporation doesn't even recognize, this location as the first McDonalds. But true historians know this is where the McDonalds brothers started the chain, and Ray Kroc turned into a greedy corporation. What that jerk corporation considers "the first" McDonalds, is the first that was franchised and the ninth McDonalds ever built. It is in some dump city near Chicago.

The oldest McDonalds that is still in operation is the McDonald's in Downey, which is the fourth McDonald's ever built.

The museum is a blast. So much history. But something they are missing is the styrofoam containers for the Big Mac, Filet O Fish, and the Mc DLT!!! If anybody has those styrofoam containers, please contact the museum.

A brief history of this site, after the brothers sold the restaurant. Bakers-another start up burger restaurant, bought the site. The building was torn down, and a new building was built for a music company. The music company sold it to a performing arts company. The performing arts company, sold it to the owners of Juan Pollo, a fast food chicken restaurant. The owner of Juan Pollo, knows history and wanted to honor the site of the first McDonald's. So he created the museum.



This is a the actual piece of flooring at the original McDonalds.



This multi mixer is what got the jerk Ray Kroc, interested in how the McDonalds brother's business.

Father's Office- Los Angeles

Father's Office
3229 Helms Ave
Los Angeles
310-736-2224

I went to the Father's Office in Santa Monica about four years ago. I heard Father's Office opened another location at the old Helm's Bakery, where LA and Culver City meet. So I decided to give them a try.

Father's Office is in the city of LA, but if you cross Washington, which is about 25 yards behind Father's Office, you would be in Culver City, hell the sidewalk has Welcome to Culver City. But the correct address is LA.




I got the Father's Office burger, $12.50, with caramelized onions, bacon, gruyere, maytag blue, and arugula. There are no deletions or substitution. The burger was good but I asked for it medium rare and it was a bit undercooked, more towards rare. I also thought there was too much maytag blue, which just overpowered the burger.

Service here, is order everything at the bar and runners will bring your food to your table. Service was fine but one of the runners said "No taking pictures of the food." Of course, I continued to take pictures of food. I don't know what the hell they are worried about, if you're proud of your food and stand by it, you should be happy people are taking pictures. I also noticed three pages of pictures of the food at FO, on another review site. Hmmmmmmmmmmm

This FO location isn't as pretentious as the Santa Monica location but the no picture policy is stupid and I will not return to FO again.

FO started this gourmet burger craze in LA. They do a good job, I didn't notice any difference between the LA and the Santa Monica location. But they are full of themselves. There are other restaurants who joined battle gourmet burger and they are proud to have pictures taken of their food. No reason for me to go back to either location of FO.

Cassell's Hamburgers-Moved

Cassell's Hamburgers
3266 W 6th St
Los Angeles
213-480-8668

I first heard of Cassell's Hamburgers after reading this, LA Times Story. The writer seemed confused because from the pictures Cassell's isn't a gourmet burger, it is a diner style burger, much like Apple Pan or Russell's. I consider gourmet burgers to have all these fancy toppings, like, truffles or gruyere, not regular American cheese, or iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, or onions.

Anyways I decided to try Cassell's and judge for myself. As I walked in, I knew right away this wasn't going to be a gourmet burger. This is your standard diner-style restaurant. Nothing fancy or gourmet about it. The burgers are cooked on a special double broiler, with the heat coming from the top.




I ordered the #23, a 1/3lb American cheeseburger, $6.95. With each order, you get their "buffet" which is really their condiment table. There are many choices on the table, including a relish that was very close to Bob's Big Boy; your standard mustard, mayo, and very fresh veggies. I got the relish, lettuce and tomato. The burger is big but not thick. They are cooked well done, which is fine, but the burger was dry. There was no flavor to the meat at all. There wasn't anything special about this burger, certainly did not live up the hype of that LA Times story. The toasted bun was a nice touch, the relish is almost exactly the same as the relish on the Big Boy double decker burger, and the veggies were chilled and very fresh. But I couldn't get over the dryness of the meat.

Service is good. The cooks greet you right away and you place your order with them. They are nice and helpful, if this is your first time. The cashier, who I believe is the owner, is also nice and helpful.

I wouldn't go back to Cassell's. The burger is ok, but certainly not outstanding. Also my first reaction; Cassell's is not gourmet burger, proved true.

Mike's Sandwich Shop-Closed

Mike's Sandwich Shop
1717 S Soto St
Los Angeles, CA 90023
(323) 264-0444

I heard about Mike's Sandwich Shop and their famous hockey burger and decided to give them a try. Mike's is a diner style restaurant, in an industrial area off of Soto, not far from that old Sears building.

Not sure what the hockey connection is, but there were photos of movie stars including what looked like most of the cast of Dallas.





So I ordered the hockey burger, $3.85, cheeseburger, with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and a hot dog on top. The burger was a thin patty, pretty moist, the lettuce and tomato was fresh and the bun was nicely toasted. The hot dog has a spicy bite to it. An interesting combination but nothing special. I could get this type of burger from any local burger place.

Service was bad. I walked in, went up to the counter but was never greeted. The old hag taking my order was cold and unwelcoming. Can't you say Hi and greet your customers?

I wouldn't go back to Mike's Sandwich Shop. Rude service, average food. Why bother?

Bob's Big Boy-Pasadena-Closed

Bob's Big Boy-Pasadena
899 E Del Mar Blvd
Pasadena
626-793-2627

This Bob's Big Boy is owned by the same owners as the Bob's in Burbank, and this location used to be a Baja Fresh. This is the smallest Bob's I've ever been in. But this does have a more classic dining area, much like Bob's Broiler in Downey, without the car hop service.

While there are many Bob's opening up, the newer locations like the Bob's in West Covina, just do not have that old time feel. When eating there, you feel as though you're eating at any chain restaurant.

But thankfully, the Bob's in Pasadena gives you that old time feel. I got the Big Boy combo $8.29, with ranch dressing on the salad. The salad was your normal everyday salad, iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, red cabbage and crutons. Fresh, served chilled but could use more dressing.

The Big Boy was a served luke warm. I don't know what it is about Bob's and serving the Big Boy, lukewarm. There is a piece of unmelted cheese, isn't that burger patty hot? Shouldn't it melt the cheese? Oh well, the burger was very good dispite not being served hot. I love that red relish they top the Big Boy with, better than than no so special sauce on a Big Mac.

Service was GREAT. My server's name was Amy and was among the best servers I've ever had. Nice, friendly, helpful, attentive, and really cared about providing a good dining experience. I was never lacking for anything, though another server refilled my drink, she came back to my table at least five times to ask how things were going. I also ordered the chili spaghetti to go, and she was great about putting in the order, later, so that it would be warm and not sitting under heat lamps, while I was eating.

This is the classic example of how servers should act, even if the restaurant isn't that busy. I would say there were about 20 people at Bob's and there were about six servers. When restaurants aren't busy, this doesn't mean it is gossip times for servers. It means that people in the restaurant should get very good service. Amy, gave me great service. I couldn't have asked for better service.

I'm a big fan of Bob's Big Boy. I think the Big Boy is better than a Big Mac. I wish Bob's would improve the way the Big Boy is cooked and served, so it comes to the table hot. I like this Pasadena location because the dining area has an old time feel to it. At the new location they have a corporate feel. This Bob's has the feel of the older Bob's Big Boy. I hope this Bob's does so well, they have to expand. I know if your server is Amy, you will get great service.

Frisco's-Closed

Frisco's
18065 Gale Ave
Industry
626-913-3663

Frisco's is a popular bar and grill. It is a 1950's diner style restaurant, with waitresses in roller skates. This location has been here for as long as I can remember.

There have a burger combo special, with fries and a drink, $4.95. I had them put cheddar cheese for $5.70. The burger is a half pound burger with lettuce, tomatoes and onions. The burger was served warm, not hot. The burger is fresh ground beef, not a frozen pattie but they put way too much salt on the burger, very very salty. But the burger was lacking flavor. Just too bland and salty. The bun wasn't toasted but was find. The lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. Overall there was nothing special about this burger. It is a great deal but nothing else.

The fries, which I asked to be well done, were also served warm. I ask for well done fries so I can get fresh hot fries, not fries that have been sitting under heat lamps forever.

Service was below average. The server was nice but I never got any silverware, not that I really needed any silverware. She didn't come by my table other than to take and deliver my order. She was more concerned about other tables than mine. I think she took the attitude that I only order the $6 special and her tip wasn't going to that much. Her attitude should be if I provide good service, I my get this customer to come back and order something else on the menu.

I think Frisco's appeals to people's sense of nostalgia but the food is average and server is below average. Not a good combination. There is no reason for me to go back to Frisco's.