favorite places to eat

Wingstop on Riverwalk – Riverside, CA

September 17, 2013 by Ole Leave a Comment

I was never a big fan of chicken wings until I visited Wingstop for the first time. I’ve tried wings at a bunch of places, including the place with a winged buffalo, but Wingstop is superior.

I’ve been to a few Wingstop franchises, and my favorite is the Wingstop on Riverwalk in Riverside. I like the people who work here, the food is consistently good, and there is a nice seating area with a fountain outside.

My personal favorites are the Louisiana Rub and Garlic Parmesan classic (bone-in) wings. Other flavors are Atomic (the hottest), Mango Habanero, Cajun, Original Hot, Mild, Hickory Smoked BBQ, Lemon Pepper, Hawaiian and Teriyaki.

I think the spicy Louisiana Rub is more Cajun than the Cajun flavor, and I love the dry rub instead of the sauce.

Louisiana Rub:

Garlic Parmesan:

Mild:

If you don’t like bone-in chicken wings, you can also get boneless wings, which are actually more like chicken nuggets or strips. Unlike the bone-in wings, the boneless wings are breaded.

Wingstop also serves boneless wing sandwiches, like these Hickory Smoked BBQ gliders. Some Wingstop locations, like the one on Katella in Orange, have expanded menus that include items such as mozzarella sticks and grilled sandwiches.

I don’t eat bread anymore, but my family says that the fresh baked rolls are pretty good.

The Riverwalk location doesn’t have a huge seating area, but there have been very few instances when we weren’t able to find a table.

If you’re a chicken wing lover, or even if you’re not, you might want to give Wingstop a try.

Wingstop
4290 Riverwalk Parkway #300
Riverside, CA
www.wingstop.com

Greek Street Grill – Riverside

April 24, 2013 by Ole 3 Comments

I am not a professional food critic. I am just a guy with a blog who writes about places I like so they will get lots of customers and stay in business. Even though I am not a pro, I never let anyone at a restaurant know that I will be writing about my experience.

I try to maintain my anonymity even after I write about a restaurant, but it doesn’t always work. This might be one of those times.

Today I am writing about Greek Street Grill in Riverside, which is one of my new favorite places to eat.

Greek Street opened its doors about a month or so ago, and I have already eaten here probably more than ten times (the first reason my cover might be blown by writing this post). The food is great, the people are very friendly and the interior is clean and modern.

My wife and sons love the gyro sandwiches, while my daughter loves the chicken pita sandwich. If you don’t know what gyro is or how to pronounce it, you need to come in and try it. I doubt that you will be disappointed. One of my sons has also tried the grilled salmon, which he really enjoyed. In fact, he ate it so fast that I didn’t get a picture.

I eat like a caveman nowadays, so I love this place because I can come in and order meat. My favorites are the souvlaki (skewers of meat), the gyro meat, and the incredibly tender and flavorful lamb chops (writing about my unique order is the second reason my cover might be blown by writing this post). I ate here for lunch today and writing this makes me want to go back for dinner… no joke.

Because it is in between the 91 and my home, I have been watching and waiting for this place to open. Now that it has opened, I hope that it never closes.

Greek Street Grill
3312 La Sierra Ave., Ste. 103
Riverside, CA
www.greekstreetgrill.com

Ramiro’s Cocina Mexicana – Riverside

November 29, 2012 by Ole 7 Comments

Welcome to tamale heaven. That is my nickname for Ramiro’s Cocina Mexicana on Magnolia in Riverside.

I tried this place for the first time about two months ago, and have already gone back half a dozen times.

I probably would have gone at least once more, but the owners went on vacation and closed down for a week. This is a true owner operated business.

Lunch always starts off with chips and salsa. I am not a fan of chunky salsa, so I opt for the red tomatillo salsa instead.

If you order a combo, you can also get a small bowl of albondigas soup or a salad before your meal is served. We have always ordered the albondigas, which is very good.

The tacos here are unique due to the way Ramiro cooks the shells. Instead of being deep fried or served soft, they are cooked on the grill with a small amount of oil, which produces sort of a soft yet crunchy taco shell. You can order the tacos with cilantro and onions or with lettuce and cheese. I go the lettuce and cheese route, and always get either carne asada or al pastor tacos.

The pork tamales are awesome, and are currently my favorite tamales anywhere. They also make chicken and chile tamales, but I haven’t made it past the pork tamales yet. The tamales are so good that I almost convinced my wife to order a bunch of tamales and serve them for Thanksgiving this year. I just might try again next year.

Ramiro’s has much more than soup, tacos and tamales, but I haven’t tried anything else yet. I would bet that everything else is good too.

Ramiro’s Cocina Mexicana
9418 Magnolia Ave
Riverside, CA
www.ramiroscocina.com

My Favorite Omelettes – Corky’s Kitchen in Corona, CA

July 29, 2012 by Ole Leave a Comment

Corky’s Kitchen and Bakery recently opened a new location in the Stater Brothers shopping center near Cajalco and the 15 in Corona. This has quickly become my favorite place for breakfast.

Corky’s is a nice, new and clean place. The first time we walked in, it was packed and people were waiting. Once we got our food, we realized why. Corky’s serves great food.

The omelettes are amazing. They are made with five eggs and are full of your chosen ingredients. Corky’s makes a point of letting you know that they “crack every egg fresh for your order”. The hash browns are good too.

My boys love the French Toast:

My wife likes the salad:

Corky’s has five locations, and is open 24 hours a day.

If you’re looking for a friendly place that serves good food, give Corky’s a try.

Corky’s Kitchen & Bakery
3811 Bedford Canyon Road #108
Corona, CA 92883
www.corkyskitchenandbakery.com

Great Sandwiches at Jersey Mike’s in Norco

July 28, 2012 by Ole Leave a Comment

We have a new favorite sandwich place… Jersey Mike’s in Norco.

What is so great about this place?

Before I answer that question, let me give you a visual… you want a sandwich so you go to Subway… you order your sandwich and then watch as the “sandwich artist” takes a hunk of pre-sliced meat out of a bin, throws some on your bread, and then tosses the unused pieces back in the bin… after adding your produce, she takes the avocado or tuna covered knife that she used to cut the last person’s sandwich and attempts to cut your sandwich… she then looks at you funny when you ask her to please clean off the knife…

This scenario has played out in front of me many times. Never again.

The first thing you will probably notice at Jersey Mike’s is that they slice the meat and cheese for your sandwich right in front of you. They literally take the meat and cheese out of the refrigerator, put it on the slicer, and place the slices on your sandwich as you watch. Every time. They also cook the meat for your hot sandwich on the grill, not in the microwave.

The bread is also great. There is white and wheat, and both are a little crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. Perfect sandwich bread.

On to the produce. Not as many choices as other places, but what they do have is fresh and abundant. They will always ask if you want the sandwich prepared Mike’s way (onions, lettuce, tomatoes, vinegar, oil and spices). If this isn’t what you want, just let them know.

I am still a fan of Togo’s, but Jersey Mike’s wins. Jersey Mike’s also beats all of the local sandwich places I have tried so far.

My personal favorites are the Club Sub (#8) and the Original Italian (#13):

I also like the Grilled Pastrami Reuben (#20) and the Famous Philly (#17).

If you want a great sandwich, go here. On second thought, go somewhere else… the line is already too long at lunch time.

Jersey Mike’s
1411 Hamner Ave. Suite 104
Norco, CA 92860
jerseymikes.com

Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler – Murrieta

April 5, 2012 by Ole 2 Comments

My first post on this site was about Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler in Corona. When the Chuy’s in Corona closed sometime around December 2010, I was bummed because this was my favorite place for tri-tip and grilled shrimp.

** Update: This location is closed too. Duke’s in Temecula is my next stop for Chuy’s-style tri-tip and shrimp. **

Lucky for me, Chuy’s still has a location in Murrieta. Since Murrieta is much farther away from me than Corona, we don’t go there often, but it is worth the drive when we do.

In my humble opinion, Chuy’s has the best tri-tip and shrimp.

The tri-tip is juicy, perfectly seasoned and always served hot. It is great on a sandwich, in a tortilla (with some of the hot salsa) or by itself. The tri-tip is not served with barbecue sauce like it is at most places, and it absolutely does not need it.

Chuy’s tri-tip and shrimp makes up one of my favorite meals anywhere.

Chuy’s also has amazing chicken and grilled salmon.

I also love the chips and salsa bar… the hot salsa is the best.

If you are fortunate enough to live near this place, you should try it.

Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler
25401 Madison Ave,
Murrieta, CA
chuysonline.com

Burger Boss – Riverside, CA

March 3, 2012 by Ole 2 Comments

This post will be short and sweet. If you want a phenomenal burger, go to Burger Boss in Riverside.

There is not much more that I can say, that this picture does not say for me:

But what if you don’t eat beef?

Get a turkey burger… or a chicken burger… or a meatless black bean burger (my wife’s favorite):

In addition to the great burgers, this place is extremely clean. The owner takes great pride in this, and it shows.

This is our new favorite place to get burgers in Riverside… maybe anywhere.

Judging by some of the crowds we have seen, many other people seem to agree.

Burger Boss
2585 Canyon Springs Parkway
Riverside, CA 92507
burgerbossonline.com

Tacos Cancun, Corona – 6th Street

February 15, 2012 by Ole Leave a Comment

A few months ago, I wrote about Tacos Cancun in The Crossings at Corona. I found out last week that the Corona Crossings location has been shut down. Too bad, because I really liked this place.

Fortunately for me, and anyone else who likes good Mexican food, the original Tacos Cancun #1 on 6th Street in Corona is still alive and kicking.

We tried out the original location, and are glad we did. The menu is a little different, but the food is still great. In fact, I think it is even better here.

Tacos Cancun #1

1530 W. Sixth St. #110
Corona, CA

Qdoba Mexican Grill – Moreno Valley

March 29, 2011 by Ole Leave a Comment

About a month ago I heard a commercial on the radio for a Mexican food restaurant that serves Mexican Gumbo. I love Mexican food and I love gumbo, so I had to give it a try. I didn’t recognize the name of the restaurant from the commercial, but a quick Google search led me to Qdoba Mexican Grill in Moreno Valley.

According to the Company’s website, Qdoba has over 500 restaurants across the country but only one in Riverside County.

If you’ve eaten at Chipotle, you might be thinking that Qdoba is very similar. It is, and it isn’t. Both restaurants prepare your food in front of you, both have similar ingredients, and both have some of the same menu items. For instance, both make great burritos and tacos, and both serve chips seasoned with lime and kosher salt, but Qdoba offers a bit more.

My favorite meal at Qdoba is the Mexican Gumbo, which is made with rice, pinto or black beans, tortilla soup, your choice of meat (or none), your choice of salsa, sour cream, cheese and tortilla strips. I prefer the black beans with steak and no sour cream. This is not a traditional Cajun / Creole gumbo, but it does have a little bit of spice and a lot of meat (check out how much steak is in this picture).

Qdoba also makes great quesadillas and nachos. One of my favorites is the chicken quesadilla. Because the chicken is so great, I opt for just chicken and cheese in my quesadilla. Since you watch them prepare it, you can ask for other ingredients to suit your tastes.

This is one of our favorite places to eat.

Qdoba Mexican Grill
12510 Day Street
Suite A-3
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
www.qdoba.com

Miguel’s – Dos Lagos, Corona

October 22, 2010 by Ole 1 Comment

If you drive on the 91 freeway through Corona, you have probably seen Miguel’s near the W. 6th Street exit. This is how we found Miguel’s when we first moved out here from Orange County. Fortunately for us, Miguel’s opened a new location in the Dos Lagos shopping center in South Corona, which is closer to our home.

Our meal always starts with fresh chips and homemade salsa. The salsa is smooth with a little bit of heat and is unlike any I’ve had at any other Mexican restaurant.

Our favorite appetizer is the Sonora Roll, which is tender chile verde pork and cheese rolled in a flour tortilla. The chile verde pork is one of Miguel’s specialties, and it makes this appetizer amazing.

I’ve tried many meals over the years. A few of my past favorites are “Los Taquitos” and “El Chimi”. Unlike the ultra hard-shelled taquitos with more tortilla than meat that you get at many restaurants, Miguel’s taquitos are thick, full of meat, and perfectly crisp. If you like taquitos, you should try these.

My new favorite is Miguel’s Carne Asada, which is also served with a tomatillo enchilada.

My wife used to order the Enchiladas de Camaron (shrimp), but she has switched to Maria’s Chopped Salad, which is served in a giant flour tortilla shell and includes chicken, tomatoes, Sonora beans and cheese. This is her favorite salad anywhere.

One of the nicest features is Miguel’s location, which is right on the lake.

There is also a nice bar area, which probably serves every tequila known to man.

In addition to the Dos Lagos location, Miguel’s has full service locations in West Corona (off the 91) and Foothill Ranch (South Orange County), along with numerous quick service Miguel’s Jr. restaurants throughout the Inland Empire.

Miguel’s California Mexican Cocina & Cantina
2715 Lakeshore Drive
Corona, CA 92883