Eating Out in California

Big River: The Dock Restaurant, 150341 Del Rey Drive, Phone (760) 665-5516 I had forgotten about this little riverside restaurant a few miles south of Parker on the California side of the river. We ate at their Friday night all you can eat fish fry and returned for Sunday breakfast. Excellent. You can sit at a booth inside on the upper level or go down a couple of steps to the enclosed "patio" where you'll eat off paper plates with plastic utensils at picnic tables with a fine view of the Colorado River. Opens at 4PM Parker time in the winter. (2/2007) Edited: 02/2012  Still good, but the business is for sale.

Blythe: Rosita's Mexican Restaurant, 611 W. Hobson Way, Phone (760) 922-4090 Standard Mexican fare, standard décor, moderate prices (2/2005)

Sunset Grill, 9266 E. Hobson Way, Phone (760) 922-9808 Motel restaurant, food okay but a little pricey (2/2005)

Courtesy Coffee Shop, 800 W. Hobson Way, Phone (760) 922-2302 Inexpensive meals, good food, but don't expect a lot of ambiance The last time we were there the owner had a “for sale” sign up (10/2005)

Calimesa: Bob's Big Boy, 540 W. Sandalwood, Phone (909) 446-8822 Our waitress was from Michigan and therefore knew what an “Ohio-style” Big Boy was. In Ohio they use tartar sauce and dill pickles in place of the original thousand island dressing and pepper relish. However, lunch of two big boys, salad bar for Denny, onion rings for me and two drinks came to just under $18 for lunch which is definitely not “Ohio style”. (3/2005)

Royale Restaurant, 1007 Calimesa Blvd #K, Phone (909) 795-7065 Great homestyle cooking, cheap, great wait staff. Dinner with tea and dessert for both of us was just under $20 and was delicious. One of our favorites. (3/2005)

Cathedral City: Don and Sweet Sue's, 68955 Ramon Rd. Phone (760) 770-2760 Very popular on a Sunday morning, California-healthy breakfasts, moderately expensive (3/2005)

Chula Vista: Broken Yolk Cafe, 884 Eastlake Pkwy. Phone (619) 216-1144 Four egg omelets that can be split between two customers for free, fresh fruit as an option for potatoes, blueberry muffins with a cake-like texture; yum! Breakfast burritos, waffles, pancakes, Mexican style breakfasts--you have your choice. Open for breakfast and lunch only, pleasant surroundings, outdoor dining, pleasant staff and near a Trader Joe's. So we went back the next week! (02/2010)

Desert Hot Springs: All Star Burgers, 70065 Dillon Rd., Phone (760) 329-9900  The staff at our nearby campground recommended the burgers here at All Star Burgers and they are good (and big.) You order at the counter and the food is brought to your table. While they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, we were there twice for dinner only. My husband had two different varieties of burgers, both thick and good, while I tried the fried fish sandwich which was also good and the chicken quesidillas. I was a bit disappointed that the cheese was pretty scarce in the quesidilla, but they piled on the fajita style chicken which was moist and flavorful. Don't bother with the self-serve tortilla chips and salsa. A little pricey but tasty.

Capri Italian Restaurant, 10625 Palm Dr, Phone (760) 329-6833  Denny and I had an excellent meal here, he having the Italian sausage with penne pasta and I had the chicken pomodoro. The small salads had a nice variety of greens although the bleu cheese dressing was a bit lacking in bleu cheese. The garlic bread was served hot. Soup choices were ham and cheese broccoli and minestrone, both of which sounded and looked good when seen on other tables, but we thought soup would be too filling with pasta. We took home a serving of tiramisu which our waiter Neil told us was double the size it actually turned out to be so I consider that overpriced although the tiramisu itself was good. Service was terrible from our particular server, Neil, but other servers assisted us in getting to go boxes and handling our check. Neil had a bad habit of disappearing and never checked back to see how we were doing with our drinks, etc. Our view was of the resort's swimming pool and court yard which was more pleasant than seeing two TVs suspended from overhead. I thought those belonged in the bar and not in the dining area.(04/2012)

China Food House, 14220 Palm Dr., Phone (760) 329-9898 Standard Chinese fare, reasonably priced (3/2005)

Sidewinder Cafe, 66121 Pierson Blvd, Phone (760) 329-7929  Denny treats me to breakfast out every Sunday and we decided to try someplace north of I-10 this week. The Sidewinder Grill is on the northern end of Desert Hot Springs a few blocks off the main drag. There is outdoor seating for warm days but you're looking out over the parking lot.

Breakfast for my husband was his normal chicken fried steak, eggs over easy and hash browns. The hash browns are a bit different here, being cut like flat noodles instead of the skinny cut of a grater as we're used to. Still good. I had the Sidewinder omelet which was a western omelet with the addition of mushrooms. The biscuit that was included was warm and fresh from the oven and we both enjoyed our meals. Service was unobtrusive and just attentive enough.(03/2012)

Village Donuts & Bakery, 13900 Palm Dr Suite A, Phone (760) 251-8933  Okay, so this isn't a restaurant but occasionally we check out the local donut shops for an old-fashioned donut fix.  Here they have fresh, plump glazed donuts and our favorite old-fashioned donuts served plain, glazed or frosted with maple or chocolate. Nice variety of donuts and although I only chose a half-dozen donuts the lady behind the counter tossed in two more donuts free of charge. Yum! (03/2012)

Groveland:  Buck Meadows Restaurant and Bar, 7647 State Hwy 120, Phone (209) 962-5181   We ate a delayed lunch/early dinner here when we arrived in the area; Denny had the fish and chips and I had the evening's seafood special which was fried fish and three shrimp with fries and a vegetable medley along with salads. The fish was tender and well cooked, not heavily breaded, the fries hand cut and the salads were decent. The vegetable medley was heavy on the canned corn and a bit mushy to boot but fresh hot bread made up for that. On Sunday we returned for breakfast; Denny had the chicken fried steak which was very good although the white gravy was unusual in that it tasted of Polish sausage rather than standard fresh sausage. Crispy hash browns and properly fried eggs completed his meal. I had the French toast/eggs/meat combo with crisply fried bacon and the scrambled eggs were obviously cooked in butter--yum. Friendly staff, pleasant surroundings and 50s music.(05/2012)

Havasu Lake: The Landing (inside Havasu Landing Casino) 1 Main St., Phone (800) 307-3610 Good sandwiches at lunch time and a great view of Lake Havasu through floor to ceiling windows. Pricey. Take the ferry shuttle from Lake Havasu City to the casino for a pleasant afternoon ride, get discount tickets for the ferry and lunch at the gift shop by the London Bridge. (10/2005) 

 

Bad Miguel's, 1841 Kiowa Ave.#103 Phone (928) 860-0201 Breakfast was good and reasonable, nice salsa with tortilla chips. (10/2005)

Hollister:  Cafe Ella, 1709 Airline Hwy, Phone (831) 638-0338  Denny and I stopped here after playing a round of golf so it was apparently a bit early for the dinner menu, which was what the waitress handed us. We placed our drink order and then our dinner order but it wasn't explained to us that the chef didn't start cooking the evening menu meals until after 5 PM, so we had quite a wait. Denny had the artichoke ravioli which was really wonderful (he shared a bite with me) while I had the chicken parmesan. The chicken and the accompanying polenta and grilled asparagus were tasty although the chicken's exterior portion was more than a bit dry and chewy as if it had been left on the grill too long before going into the oven. Service was good, the atmosphere was quiet and nice for such a small place although at the time there was only one other person in the restaurant with us.

Cheung Sheng Chinese Restaurant, 201 6th St, Phone (831) 637-8388  Denny and I had the lunch special here; for under $6 you get either Hot and Sour Soup or Egg Flower Soup, steamed rice, TWO entree choices and tea. My husband had the kung pao chicken and vegetables and prawns while I had the kung pao chicken and the twice cooked pork. The smokey aroma of the twice cooked pork was incredible and we both enjoyed our choices even though the chicken in the kung pao chicken was just a tad chewy. The hot and sour soup was very spicy which is just how I like it, and there's a pot of chili sauce on the table to heat up anything you wish. The best part is having so much left over that we'll be able to share it for lunch a second time. We would definitely return to this restaurant.(04/2012)

Jamul: Fillippi's Pizza Grotto, 13881 Campo Rd (Hwy 94) Phone (619) 669-1080 Good pizza, basic iceberg lettuce salad, good bread on our first visit, so we went back for the Italian dinners. I tried the family combo (spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna) while Denny had the spaghetti/ravioli combo with Italian sausage. My meal came with a salad and a bowl of soup, Denny's didn't, but my salad was big enough to share, as was the soup. Plus we took a lot home with us. Friendly staff, typical pizza parlor decorations but in the fall they are moving a bit northwest up the street into a new building of their own. (02/2010)

Lake Hughes:  The Rock Inn, 17539 Elizabeth Lake Rd, Phone (661) 724-1855 After visiting the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve the volunteers there recommended we hit some back roads and drive to The Rock Inn for lunch. What a great suggestion! Rebuilt in 1929 after a fire, the Inn now houses a fun little bar/restaurant that provides music some evenings and weekends. My husband and I both had the fried fish; me on a sandwich and he with the fish and chips. We enjoyed both although we salivated a bit over the huge hamburgers that were carried past our table as we waited. Meals take a little time as they are cooked fresh to order, but we spent the time looking around at the decorations and murals and just enjoyed sitting by the embers still burning in the fireplace. Prices are not out of line for California. We would definitely return here! (04/2012)

Lincoln:  Jumbo Chinese Restaurant, 155 Joiner Pkwy Suite 100, Phone (916) 645-8018  We came to Lincoln to grocery shop and saw the Jumbo Chinese Restaurant on the way to the store. After shopping we decided to stop to have lunch and we're glad we did. Service was quick and friendly, the food was served hot and was very tasty. My husband's shrimp with hot garlic sauce had the most shrimp on his plate than any other Chinese restaurant we've tried over the past six months. I tried the chicken with hot garlic sauce and enjoyed it. I have to admit, we both added hot sauce to the hot and sour soup AND to our entrees as we like our Chinese food very spicy, but the meals were truly well prepared and very good. We would come back the next time we visit the area. Added bonus: playing peek a boo and throwing kisses to the toddler whose mother was working there this afternoon. He has the most adorable grin!  (05/2012)

 

Needles: Rita's Restaurant, 1901 Needles Hwy, Phone (760) 326-2266 Pass this one by. Since they don't have a liquor license they offer margaritas made with wine. Need I say more?

Palm Springs: Coco's Bakery Restaurant, 1909 E. Palm Canyon Dr, Phone (760) 327-2666  I had just been to the dentist to start some bridgework repairs and we had thought about having a late breakfast at Coco's but their special lunch menu sounded good so Denny had the three sausage pasta and I had the Pacific salad with tuna salad. The lunch special comes with a cup of soup and a choice of bread. We chose the French onion soup which Denny said was great and I chose the spicy chicken and vegetable soup which was not spicy at all but was tasty and filling. The breads are served hot and are good also. A pleasant place for lunch. (03/2012)

Perris: Jenny's, 1675 N. Perris Blvd. #B, Phone (951) 657-2945. A fifties-style diner, great sandwiches, lots of food for the price, always busy. (1/2005)

China Palace, 1675 N. Perris Blvd. #A8, Phone (951) 943-1867 Buffet or off the menu, standard Chinese restaurant fare but they”ll spice up your dishes upon request. It was here that we discovered Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce which I now use to make spicy buffalo wings-wow! Reasonably priced, nice selection in the buffet. (1/2005)

San Diego: Neighborhood Burger, 777 G St (at 8th) Phone (619) 446-0002 If you are an aficionado of beer, this is a good place to stop for a burger and a cold one. The menu is a bit on the eclectic side but the food is tasty, well prepared and pleasingly plated. The cafe is a tiny place on the corner, but with the huge windows opened wide on a warm day it was a nice place to have lunch and people watch. Good food, good service, California prices.(02/2010)

St. Helena:  Gott's Roadside Cafe, 933 Main St, Phone (707) 963-3486  By arriving at 11:30 AM we beat the lunch rush and there was quite a line by noon. Denny had the Wisconsin sourdough burger, I had the Blue Cheese Burger and both were large, well prepared and tasty. We split an order of sweet potato fries and each had the lemonade with refills. While the cost was more than what we folks from Ohio are used to paying for a couple of burgers we enjoyed every bite. We basically stopped by after realizing the location had been on Diners, Drive ins and Dives, but we enjoyed the 50s look and it was a beautiful day to sit outside and people watch while we ate. (05/2012) 

Tres Pinos:  Flapjacks Country Cafe, 6851 Airline Hwy, Phone (831) 628-3499 I was a bit wary about this place after reading some of the reviews, but Denny and I had an enjoyable breakfast here. He had the new special of chicken fried steak and eggs while I tried the chorizo breakfast burrito. My burrito could have used some salsa or sour cream to moisten it up a bit, but Denny thoroughly enjoyed the unusual seasoning on the chicken fried steak. Our waitress was one of the owners and once she found out I had an interest in beach/sea glass for making jewelry she told us of some good places to look for it and some restaurants to try in the Big Sur area. The surroundings were pleasant, there's a nice deck outside for eating in warmer weather that has a nice view of the flower beds and the food was good. We would return. 

Winters:  Kountry Kitchen, 11 Grant Ave, Phone (530) 795-2833   We were camped a few miles west of Winters and came into town to be able to make phone calls from our cell phone and saw the Kountry Kitchen as we were looking for a place to eat. Advertising American and Mexican food, they lean towards the Mexican with a few burgers on the menu. We had the chicken flautas and the chicken sopas both of which were filled with tender well seasoned chicken and lots of good toppings. We were also served a basket of fresh hand made chips and salsa which we enjoyed prior to our meal. The interior is pretty basic but the food is good.(05/2012)