Rocco's Italian Market and Deli-Closed

Rocco's Italian Market and Deli
1761 N Vermont
Los Angeles
323-403-0900

Rocco's Italian Market and Deli is located on the same street as House of Pies Restaurant & Bakery,  Fred's 62, and Palermo Ristorante Italiano.  I heard they served great sandwiches, so I decided to drop in.

Rocco's is a long narrow deli, with a large selection of Italian meats and pastas.  There are a few tables inside and outside, but this is mostly a take out place.

Rocco sandwich, $9.25, mortadella, capocollo, sopressata, provolone, giardiniera, prezzemolo spread, arugula.  I got mayo inside of the prezzemelo spread.  The giardiniera had cauliflower, onions, and celery and was spread on the bottom piece of bread.  Added a pleasant tangy flavor to the sandwich.
The meats and cheese were excellent quality.  The capocollo had so much flavor.  The bread was a soft Italian roll that had a nice texture.  A very good sandwich. 

Service was good.  The young lady who helped me was nice and helpful.

Some Italian delis and restaurant use average quality meats in their sandwiches, but Rocco uses very good quality meats.  Now, at $9.25 for a sandwich, that buys a pretty good amount of mortadella, capocollo, sopressata, provolone, so I can make my own sandwich.  But, overall it's a fair price for the quality sandwich.

Ribs To Spare-Closed

Ribs To Spare
506 N Citrus Ave
Covina
626-472-3493

Just a block south of Nick's Taste of Texas is a fairly new BBQ place, Ribs to Spare.  I'm surprised Nick's Taste of Texas is still open, because the BBQ at Nick's isn't good.  Anyways, Ribs to Spare opened in November 2012 and seems to be doing a steady business.  Ribs to Spare has a very small dining area, about three tables, so get your food to go. 

Side order of beef ribs, $12.50.  Three ribs come in an order. Maybe the best beef ribs I've ever had.  Very meaty, pretty tender, well smoked-with white oak, and well seasoned!!  The sauce is a mild tomato based sauce that they only use for the beef ribs. 

Side order of pork ribs, $6.   Three ribs come in an order.  As great as the beef ribs were, the pork ribs were mediocre at best.  First they were reheated in the microwave, which isn't the way to go.  They had decent flavor and tenderness, but there was nothing outstanding about it.

Service was pretty good.  The first lady who took my order was clearly new, because she didn't know how to ring up my order.  But, she got help from the other lady-who is the owner or wife of the owner, and they got the order correct.  It took awhile to get the food, the great beef ribs made it worthwhile.

I would go back to Ribs to Spare only for the beef ribs.  They were wonderful, among the best I've ever had!

Rancho To Go BBQ-Closed

Rancho To Go BBQ
665 N Tustin St
Orange, CA 92867
(714) 502-4053

Just a little north of Arthur's Resturant, is Rancho To Go BBQ.  The owner won some BBQ competitions and has two trucks and also runs this restaurant.  The restaurant is located in a medium sized strip mall, and is set off the street so, it is easy to miss.  They are only opened Wed-Sat and ribs are not served until about 4pm.

Half rack of St. Louis spare ribs, $11.95.  The first thing I noticed was the very salty rub, maybe the most salty ribs I've ever had.  There was good smoke flavor, but I can tell these ribs were "leftover" from the day before.  It wasn't "fresh," smoked ribs from that day.  The ribs were also too tender,  there needs to be some chewiness and this was just way too tender.  Maybe he has to cater to the idiots who live in OC, who wouldn't know real BBQ if it hit them in the face.  But, fall off the bone is not a good thing when it comes to real BBQ ribs.  The ribs were smoked with white oak and should have been taken off the BBQ about 30 minutes earlier.

Service is good.  The owner is nice and friendly. 

I was looking forward to trying the BBQ at Rancho To Go, but I was disappointed in the BBQ.  The owner is very friendly and I wish him well.  While I haven't been there in a long time, the two best places for real BBQ ribs in Orange County is Blake's Place in Anaheim and BBQ Bistro in Huntington Beach.

Mom's Tamales-Closed

Mom's Tamales
3328 Pasadena Ave
Los Angeles
323-226-9383

Mom's Tamales has been featured in the Food Network show; Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  Now I can't stand that loudmouth jerk host of the show.  Him yelling at the camera and playing a clown, just drives me up the wall.  Most of the time the food looks great on the show, but honestly some of the other restaurants in LA that have been featured on show have been underwhelming.  This is a list of the restaurants I've reviewed that have been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives; some of the restaurants I went to long before there was a bleached blonde loudmouth jerk, yelling at people on The Food Network.

Restaurants I liked: Don Chow Tacos, Brats Brothers, Polka, and Fab Hot Dogs.

Restaurants that I was underwhelmed: Jaybee's BBQ, Baby Blues Bar-B-Q, Chili John's, Mac's Fish and Chip Shop, and Oinkster.

Well add Mom's Tamales into another underwhelming restaurant featured on the show.  Located in the Lincoln Heights area of LA, Mom's is really the covered patio of a house.  It is surrounded by other houses and easy to miss when driving by.  There is a good sized seating area, but I got my tamales to go.  All tamales are $1.84.

Spinach and cheese, fresh spinach, stir fried together with tomato, onions and spices topped with monterey jack cheese.  The first thing I noticed after cutting into the tamales was the terrible masa to filling ratio.  There was way too much masa compared to the filling.  While the masa was soft and moist, there was just too much of it.

The filling was very good.  Lots of flavors going on with the spinach, tomatoes, and cheese.  This was by far the most flavorful and best tasting tamale that I ordered.

Pork-  Again that terrible masa to filling ratio.  What little pork in this tamale was cooked in a red sauce that was too bland and lacked flavor.  The pork was a bit tough and chewy.  This was my least favorite tamale.

Green chicken. I normally do not fix any photos. I just place The New Diner 2's watermark and post them. I was an accurate picture of the food. But, the picture for the green chicken tamale was too bright. So I darken the picture. Again, the masa to meat ratio was terrible; way too much masa. The chicken lacked flavor and the green sauce, a tomatillo jalapeno sauce wasn't spicy at all.

Service is overall was good until I got my order.  I was greeted by a nice older man when I walked in, who promptly got a server to take my take out order.  The young lady who took my order was nice and friendly.  But another young lady who brought my order lacked people skills and should not work in customer service.  She didn't take my order, so she doesn't know who I am.  But, she handed me a bag and said very rudely, $5.52.  When she got my change, all she said was "Here you go."  No thank you for coming?  No, "Come back soon?"

The tamales here are pricey and not worth the prices because it's about 80% masa and 20% filling.  There is no reason for me to come back here again.  Another underwhelming restaurant on Triple D. 

Johnson's Hot Dogs-Closed

Johnson's Hot Dogs
813-A W Foothill Blvd
Upland
909-920-6800

I still can't believe the horrific events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.!  I can't believe anybody would want to harm so many innocent children!  How can America allow a mentally ill person access to guns?  I can't believe 26 angels didn't get a chance to celebrate Christmas.

I know most kids love hot dogs, so to honor those 26 Angels, I decided to give Johnson's Hot Dogs a try.  Johnson's has been open for a little over a year.  Located across the street from Upland High School,  in your typical suburban strip mall, they have indoor seating for about 20 people and about four tables outside.

The $1.50 hot dog or Polish sausage at Costco has really hurt the chances of hot dogs restaurants of succeeding.  When hot dogs at restaurants are over $3, just for the hot dog, most people in the suburbs aren't going to pay that, when they can basically get two hot dogs and two sodas from Costco for that price.  The suburbs do not have enough foodies, who are willing to pay more for a hot dog, to keep a hot dog restaurant in business.  Of course there are many exceptions to this theory.  Windy C's Chicago Hot Dogs, being the biggest surprise, where somehow terrible customer service keeps that place in business.

Chicago hot dog, $4.04, mustard, onions, neon green relish, tomatoes, pickle, and sport peppers.  I read that Johnson's used to use the same hot dog for all their hot dogs.  They learned that a Chicago hot dogs requires an all beef natural casing hot dog, so that's what they are using now.  I know it's no a Vienna Beef hot dog, but it was still a good hot dog, well seasoned and balanced.  But, the hot dog has been in the steamer for way too long.  Which made the casing tough and chewy.  This would have been a good hot dog if fresh.  The toppings were all fine, except for the sport peppers which weren't fresh.  The bun had the poppy seeds that are standard on a Chicago hot dog.  But, the bun came straight from the bag.  It should have been steamed.

Service is good.  The owner is a nice man who wants the best for customers.

I don't know how well Johnson's is doing but I hope they stay around for a long time.  The restaurant had only two people when I walked in and two people came in just as I left.  Again, the suburban mentality that the $1.50 hot dog at Costco is better than the $4 hot dog at a restaurant.

While there are somethings Johnson's needs to improve upon, like keeping hot dogs fresh in the steamer, I would give them another try.  The hot dogs they use are very good quality and worth the price. 

Ranch House Cafe and Grill-Closed

Ranch House Cafe and Grill
21130 E Golden Springs
Diamond Bar
909-598-5359

Ranch House Cafe and Grill is owned by the same company that owns Carrows and Coco's. They are a steakhouse that follows the Sizzler way of ordering at the counter. All entrees and burgers include unlimited trips to the salad bar.

The salad bar is your standard salad bar; iceberg or romaine lettuce, spinach, and lots of other fresh veggies. They also have a pasta, potato and macaroni salad. The items are all fresh and they are restocked quickly.

The most interesting part of Ranch House is that the servers are NOT allowed to accept tips! It says so on your receipt. They are paid differently than a regular server, but I can't believe that makes up for the lost tips. But, who knows?

Rib eye with mashed potatoes and crispy onion strings, $18.99. I asked for my steak medium, it was more medium rare, which is fine, but a steakhouse should cook a steak perfectly every time! Anyways I'm not expecting this steak to be prime and it wasn't. But, it was pretty good and tender. It could have been seasoned a little better, but otherwise it was fine. It was worth the $18.99 especially considering the unlimited trips to the salad bar.

The onion straws were clearly sitting under heat lamps, because they had lost their crispiness. The mashed potatoes could have been good if they were hot, you can see the unmelted cheese on top.

Service, when ordering was fine. The guy was nice and friendly. The steaks were brought out quickly by a friendly server.

I wanted to try out Ranch House and I came away fairly impressed. Their sides need to improve but their steaks are worth the price. I would come back again.

Lil B's Urban Eatery-Closed

Lil B's Urban Eatery
2611 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104
619-296-8268

Lil B's Urban Eatery is owned by the former owner of Brian's American Eatery. The word is the two business partners had a falling out and closed Brian's. I don't get into any feuds and was happy to hear that Brian's will continue in some form.  The main differences I noticed was that Lil B's had a smaller menu, more update interior, higher prices and better parking.

Half chicken caesar salad, $8.99.  This was a pretty good salad of a chicken caesar salad.  The romaine lettuce was fresh and crunchy.  The chicken was served warm and had a few too many char marks.  It was basically flavorless and was missing salt.  The dressing wasn't as thick as other caesar but tasted just fine.  I liked the fact they didn't drown the salad with dressing.
 

Side of mac and cheese, $2.49.  This was a blend of three cheeses and very well cooked macaroni.  I hate it when the macaroni is mushy.  It was good, but quite frankly, a rip off at $2.49 for such a small portion.  Two to three spoonfuls and this was done.

Service was friendly but lacking.  We were seated and it took forever for our server to even come by.  At first I thought she was the only server, but there were at least two other servers working.  Not sure what was going on, but I was hungry and wanted to get my order in!  She also wasn't refilling drinks quickly.  The ice had already melted and still no refills.

I had high hopes for Lil B's Urban Eatery and I came away disappointed.  Going to Brian's was always something I looked forward to when visiting San Diego.  Now with Lil B's Urban Eatery opened it maybe a long while before I return. 

Hard Times Pizza-Moved

Hard Times Pizza
2664 Griffith Park Blvd
Los Angeles
323-661-5656

Silver Lake has some very good pizza places; see my reviews of other pizza places in Silver Lake-Tomato Pie Pizza Joint, Nicky D's Wood-Fired Pizza, and Garage Pizza. I've passed by Hard Times Pizza tons of times, in fact I ate at the Cafe Ravo that used to be next door.  So I was in the area and decided to finally stop in for a slice of pizza.

Hard Times Pizza is located in a small strip mall next to the now closed Cafe Ravo.  Parking can be tough to find with it's small parking lot.  It's a small place with a few tables inside.   One wall is filled with Polaroid pictures of customers.  Why?  Who knows.

Regular thin crust cheese slice, $2, and Sicilian cheese slice, $2 .  Normally I hate ordering slices because you don't know how long the slices have been sitting around.  Anyways the regular thin crust was a bit too well done when they reheated it.  You can see the char marks.  But, the sauce was pretty good, it's heavy on the oregano, but I like it.  The was a good amount of cheese on the slice.  Now the crust wasn't good.  They say thin crust but it's really a regular crust.

The Sicilian cheese slice had the same charred marks.  But, the crust was pretty soft and had a nice texture.  Of course it had the same sauce.  This maybe worth getting freshly made.

Service was below average.  The kid never greeted me.  I wish restaurants who properly train their employees on customer service.  Greet the customers is basic customer service.  "Hi, how can I help you?"  Simple and easy.  I mean a 70 year old is greeting customers are Wal Mart, a punk kid can't do the same at a restaurant?  He wasn't helpful or friendly.  I mean who owns this damn place and/or trains their employees?

I know I have tough standards for customer service but I don't apologize for them.  It's terrible that so many restaurants don't train their employees well and/or just don't care.

While the Sicilian slice had potential, the bad service will keep me from coming back.  I can go to Tomato Pie or Nicky D's and get better pizza and much better service.  Why would I come back to Hard Times?

Dorados Ceviche Bar-Closed

Dorados Ceviche Bar
440 S Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
626-282-8784

After my visit to Guisados I knew I wanted to try Dorados Ceviche Bar as soon as I can.  Well, I was driving back from LA, and saw the exit for Atlantic Blvd. and decided why not go to Dorados Ceviche Bar.

Dorados Ceviche Bar is a good sized place, but their signage is pretty small!  They only sign that mentions Dorados is on the window just to the left of the front door.  It would be tough to see if you're driving on Atlantic.  But, it reminded me of Cooks Torta, with it's small signage. Yes, Cooks Tortas, Guisados, and Dorados are owned by the same owners.

Ecuadorian Ceviche tostada, $4; fish-talilpia, shrimp, and imitation crab with corn and cummin.  There wasn't that much imitation crab meat or corn but overall this was good.  All the flavors blended well together.  The ingredients were all fresh.  This was sweet and less tangy than other ceviche but I liked it. 

Shrimp Ceviche tostada, $4.  This had shrimp, tomatoes, cilantro, red onions, and lime juice.  This was good, but nothing outstanding or great.  Maybe I was expecting too much, but I wasn't overwhelmed.  I could have gone to many other places and gotten the same quality of ceviche.

Service was good.  The young lady who took my order was nice, friendly, and helpful.  She knew the menu-knew what was in each ceviche and took the time to answer all my questions in a friendly manner.

I enjoyed Ecuadorian Ceviche tostada, but the shrimp ceviche tostada left me underwhelmed.  I wouldn't have any real problems going back, but I wouldn't rush back.

At Last Cafe-Closed

At Last Cafe
204 Orange Ave
Long Beach
562-437-4837

At Last I have tried At Last Cafe!! I first knew about At Last Cafe shortly after they opened in 2008 and it's been on my list of places to try. But, I still didn't go try it. I've heard good things about At Last Cafe and I was looking forward to having dinner here with a friend I haven't seen in over two years.

When At Last Cafe opened, it was a very small restaurant and you needed reservations. But, they recently expanded and while I would still suggest reservations, you maybe able to walk in and get a table without waiting too long. But, parking in the area is a tough to find. There is only street parking and it's a crowded neighborhood.

Green Goddess Salad, $5.75, avocado, cucumber, and herb dressing. This salad was awesome!! This was a mixed green salad that was very fresh and the dressing was out of this world. A light buttermilk type dressing with good flavor. A huge portion that makes it perfect as an entree salad. Luckily my friend and I split this salad, otherwise I wouldn't have room for the entree.

3 Cheese mac and cheese, $8.75. I had heard lots of great things about their mac and cheese. While the macaroni was cooked perfectly, I thought this was bland and they were pretty stingy with the cheese. Some parts of the macaroni was just the pasta, very little to no cheese. Sure, it's a big portion, but not worth the price and didn't come close to living up to the hype.

Stir Fried Fresh Vegetables, $8, broccoli, squash, eggplant, spinach.

I hate egg plant and I asked the server what kind of vegetables came in this dish. He mentioned squash and broccoli. Then I asked "Is there eggplant?" He said no. Well out comes my dish and it's filled with broccoli, squash, a few leaves of spinach, and EGG PLANT!! If my friend didn't love eggplant, I would have sent this back. My friend ate most of the eggplant. The veggies I ate were well cooked and seasoning in a soy sauce. They were a bit undercooked, they could have cooked for about 2-3 more minutes. This dish was ok, but if you take out the eggplant, this was a pretty small portion.

Service was good, except for the fact that the server didn't know the menu and what comes in the stir fried veggie dish. I asked the server if there was any eggplant in my stir fired veggie entree and he said no. But, in fact there was a ton of eggplant. I don't really care if they don't know the answer when I ask. But, they should go and find out the answer. Isn't it pretty easy to go to the kitchen and ask the chef what comes in a certain dish? What if somebody had a food allergy? Not to eggplants, but nuts or something else that could seriously injury or even cause death?

I was looking forward to my trip to At Last Cafe but I was underwhelmed. The green goddess salad was my favorite by far. The other two items I ordered missed the mark or was just ok. While the prices are good and the portions are big, I won't be going back to At Last Cafe. Very overrated!!

Kaido-Closed

Kaido 2834 Santa Monica Blvd Santa Monica 310-828-7582 I know what am I doing on the snotty west side of LA? I hate the pretentious jerk people on the west side, who are so full of themselves. But, a friend suggested we have dinner at Kaido and I figured why not since it's rare that I have sushi on the snotty west side! Shrimp tempura roll-$8, spicy tuna roll-$7.50, and veggie roll-$6. While the shrimp tempura roll was the best of the three rolls, it was only average compared to other sushi places I've tried. The shrimp wasn't that crunchy, I'm betting it was frozen, and the other ingredients were only ok. The spicy tuna roll just tasted a bit off. Not spoiled but just off. It had the texture of tuna, but I didn't care for it. I've never had a veggie roll, and this roll was 10% veggies surrounded by 90% rice. It was ok but nothing outstanding about it. Service was good. I realize this is the west side and rent is pricey, but I didn't think Kaido was a good value. I wasn't impressed with Kaido and I wouldn't go back!

BBQ Bistro-Closed

BBQ Bistro
16691 Gothard St
Ste K
Huntington Beach
714-842-8919

BBQ Bistro was the first stop on a two stop BBQ ribs taste test in Huntington Beach. My second stop was BT's Southern BBQ.

BBQ Bistro is located in an industrial area on Gothard St. There are many businesses in the area, that hopefully are keeping BBQ Bistro busy!! If you're trying to find BBQ Bistro, look for the red umbrellas on the west side of Gothard St, or if you get there early enough, follow your nose!!


Half slab of St. Louis ribs, $12.39.

I really wasn't expecting too much from BBQ in Huntington Beach. Most BBQ places in Orange County are terrible. But, I was pleasantly surprised at BBQ Bistro. These ribs were great!! They were huge, meaty, a nice bark, good smoke flavor, very little fat, and just wonderful. The ribs were smoked with hickory and apple wood and the pit master does a great job. The BBQ sauce is a tomato based sauce, pretty good but the ribs were so good, you don't need sauce at all!!

Service is pretty good. The guy who took my order greeted me when I walked in and was pretty helpful.

I would go back to BBQ Bistro anytime. The ribs were very good. They are not open for dinner, since they cater to the surrounding businesses, which, I assume, close about 5pm. My BBQ ribs taste test was off to a great start!!

BT's Southern BBQ-Closed

BT's Southern BBQ
7144 Edinger Ave
Huntington Beach
714-841-7016

After my BBQ ribs taste test in Huntington Beach got off to a great start at BBQ Bistro, my second stop was at BT's Southern BBQ.

BT's Southern BBQ is about a mile away from BBQ Bistro, right across Edinger from Golden West College. It's a bit tough to find, but it's the same shopping center as the Toys R Us-who knew they were still in business! Once you find it, you will see a small restaurant with about 10-12 tables and a bar area inside, and two tables outside.


Full slab spare ribs, $17.95.

After a great example of real BBQ ribs, I get a bad example of real BBQ ribs. The best way to ruin real BBQ ribs, is to finish them on the grill!! Come on, the best way ruin any real BBQ by putting them on a grill!! You took the time and effort to slowly cook the ribs, but now you ruin them by putting them on a hot grill! You can see the grill marks on the ribs.

The ribs were thin, dry, lacked flavor, and just not worth it. I got more meat from the five ribs from BBQ Bistro, than I did from these 10 skinny ribs at BT's Southern BBQ.

Service is pretty good. The girl who took my order was pretty nice and helpful. When she dropped off my ribs, she told me about all the BBQ sauces they had on the table, including two sauces that were in a yellow and a red squeeze bottle, I thought they were ketchup and mustard. After a little while, she came outside and asked how everything was.

I saw many people order BBQ sandwiches, so that maybe the way to go here, but when I go to BBQ, I get spare ribs. So, I wouldn't go back to BT's Southern BBQ, especially since BBQ Bistro is only a mile away.

Empanada's Place-Closed

Empanada's Place
3011 Harbor Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-825-0100

Empanada's Place is a few doors down from Moscow Deli is an Argentinian restaurant, that serves empanada's. Duh!! It's a cash only operation and there are a few seats, both inside and outside, for you to enjoy their great empanadas.

All empanadas are $2.99 with a dozen for $29.99.





I got two empanadas; corn-sweet cut corn with melted mozzarella cheese and white sauce; and chicken-fresh California chicken with peas, carrots, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, herbs, spices.

The first thing I noticed about these empanadas was the size- they were huge.

I loved the corn!! It had a perfect blend of sweet, creamy and salty flavors. The outside shell was buttery and flaky, just perfect.

The chicken was also good. Well seasoned, perfectly cook, moist white meat chicken, with lots of good veggies. Another winner at Empanada's Place!!

Service is very good. The ladies welcome you to their store with a smile and a warm hello!! They answer questions patiently and in a friendly way.

I would go back to Empanada's Place any time. They have a location in Culver City that I may try, if I could stand being in the snotty west side!

Cafe Cola-Closed

Cafe Cola
180 W Sierra Madre Ave
Azusa
626-969-5500

I've read a lot of glowing reviews about Cafe Cola and wanted to give them a try. Cafe Cola are known for their fresh food, no freezers or microwaves, and the burgers. So I head up to Azusa and find Cafe Cola in a small strip mall. It's a small place with about six tables and a counter with about 3-4 seats. It is very busy and crowded the day I went, which is always a good sign.




After my trip to the East Coast, I was craving a cheesesteak. So I got that instead of their burger, $6.95 with provolone cheese, onions, and mushrooms. While waiting in line I saw them prepare other cheesesteaks, and they were slicing a fresh rib eye into thin pieces. A very good start. I also heard the owner say they use Porto's Bakery rolls, another good thing. So my cheesesteak comes out, and I take a bite. It's very greasy, and some pieces of rib eye are charred. Not what I was expecting. The provolone cheese, onions and mushrooms were fine, but I couldn't get past the greasiness of the cheesesteak. The rolls, which has a nice firm texture, did hold up very well to the greasiness, soaking up a lot of that grease.

Service is very good. The owner is nice and friendly. But, the wait for the food seems a bit long. I think we waited about 15-20 minutes for our food. I wasn't in a hurry but I thought the food could come out quicker.

Cafe Cola for the cheesesteak didn't meet my expectations, I think Philly's Best is better, but I will come back and try the burgers.

Dillon's Pit Bar-B-Q-Closed

Dillon's Pit Bar-B-Q
2232 D St
Ste 101
La Verne
909-596-0777

BBQ in and around the Pomona Valley isn't very good, now that Phillips BBQ in Chino has closed. I willing to give Dillon's a try, but I knew before walking in, I should have save me money.

BBQ, real BBQ, isn't about cooking meats at high heat on a grill. It's about cooking meats at low heat and for long periods of time. When I walked up to Dillon's I was them GRILLING chicken, you can see the grill in the picture above. I should have turned around and gone somewhere else.



I got the half rack of spare ribs, $13.05. The ribs were very fatty and mushy, they were overcooked because the meat should not be mushy. They were fatty because they were grilled and not BBQ. If they were really BBQ'd they fat would have rendered off and added flavor to the meat. The ribs lacked seasoning and weren't good at all.

There are two BBQ sauces on the tables, a Texas sauce-tomato based that is sweet with some hint of heat, and a Carolina sauce-mustard base-very tasty and not for me.

Service is good. The people there are nice and friendly.

I wish Dillon's Pit Bar-B-Q the best, but I won't be going back there again.

Soul Burgers-Closed

Soul Burgers
1035 S Prairie Ave
Inglewood, CA 90301
(310) 419-7685

Soul Burgers is known for their soul food in a bun concept!! They have been on TV from Food Network to local tv shows and have quite the following. The other thing to know about Soul Burgers is that ground turkey is used for their burgers. They also have a pork chop, fish, and chicken burger. While they do offer beef, get the turkey burgers.


James Brown Soul Burger, $8.50.-Filet Fried Chicken Breast, turkey bacon, topped with greens and yams, egg, cheese, special spicy sauce. My favorite soul food dish is fried chicken, with mac and cheese. While Soul Burgers didn't have mac and cheese on this James Brown Soul Burger, I ordered it anyways.

The fried chicken filet was white meat, tender, flavorful and juicy. I loved it. But, the first thing you notice about this burger, is the yams. Now, I'm not a yams fan at all; just too sweet for my tastes. Everything else worked. I was a bit hesitant about the egg on top, I hate runny egg yolk, but I was told the eggs are more like a crepe. The greens were nice and tender and flavorful. The turkey bacon was a thick piece of bacon, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. I didn't taste any of the spicy sauce because the yams just overwhelmed the burger. There is a good amount of yams on this burger. I will order this with no yams, the next time I go to Soul Burgers.

Since this was my first time at Soul Burgers, I figured I should try the three mini soul burgers, $8.50, to get a variety.

Down-Home Turkey and Dressing-Turkey patty layered with turkey bacon, homemade dressing, egg, thin layer of greens and cranberry sauce, cheese, special spicy sauce. This is like a Thanksgiving dinner in a bun. The turkey patty was well cooked and seasoned, flavorful and juicy. The toppings worked well, and this comes from somebody who doesn't like cranberry sauce. A good burger to order.

Southern SMO-Turkey patty with smothered gravy and grilled onions, special spicy sauce and cheese. This was my favorite burger. Again the turkey was well seasoned and cooked. But the toppings just made this burger awesome!! The gravy was fantastic with a hearty flavor. The onions were grilled perfectly and added a nice sweetness to the burger.

Tasty Turkey Combo-Seasoned juicy turkey patty layered with turkey bacon, egg, greens, yams, special spicy sauce, cheese. The problem with this burger is the overwhelming amount of yams, which makes the burger too sweet. If I order this, it will have no yams. This can be a good burger without the yams.

Service is good. The owner is very friendly and helpful. She takes pride in her business and makes the customer feel at home.

I was very impressed with Soul Burgers and can't wait to go back there again!!