tri-tip

Gol Brazilian Restaurant – Riverside

July 22, 2013 by Ole 1 Comment

If you have read any of my other reviews, it should be pretty clear that I am a meat lover. In my search for local places that grill meat, I came across Gol Brazilian Restaurant in Riverside, CA.

Gol Brazilian Restaurant is pretty new (I think it opened earlier this year) and is tucked away in a strip mall on Magnolia near Tyler. You can’t tell much about the place from the outside, but once you walk in, you will find that it is new, clean and inviting.

We have been here twice so far, and both times we were greeted and seated immediately.

Although this is a buffet restaurant, you can’t compare it to normal buffet restaurants.

Yes, they have buffet tables (very clean and neat) stocked with salads, vegetables and prepared dishes.

But, once you get to the meat station, you will realize why this is not your traditional buffet. They take meat off the grill, slice it in front of you and place it on your plate. For a meat lover like me, this is awesome.

(This blurry picture does not do the meat justice, but I just had to show the meat-slicing process.)

This isn’t like other buffets where the meat is sitting on the buffet table or under a heat lamp. This meat is hot off the grill.

Gol Brazilian Restaurant serves five meats:

Picanha (Top Sirloin) – Awesome
Frango (Chicken) – Very good
Coracao (Chicken Heart) – I haven’t tried this yet because it wasn’t ready either time I was there
Maminha (Tri-Tip) – My favorite
Lombinho com Bacon (Pork wrapped in bacon) – Pork bites wrapped in bacon… need I say more?

You can pay for your food by the pound, or pay a flat price for the all-you-can-eat option.

I like this place and will be back.

Gol Brazilian Restaurant
10436 Magnolia Ave.
Riverside, CA 92505

Shamrocks Mesquite Fired Grill & Pub – Corona

August 10, 2012 by Ole 5 Comments

Mesquite-grilled tri-tip doesn’t seem to be typical Irish fare, but it is at Shamrocks Mesquite Fired Grill and Pub in Corona.

When Chuy’s closed its doors and Austin’s took over, I was glad they kept tri-tip on the menu. When Austin’s moved on, Shamrocks took over and completely renovated the restaurant and brought in a new menu… but they kept the tri-tip.

I like this place. The servers are nice and the food is pretty good.

When they are on their game, the tri-tip is great. The pastrami and club sandwiches are also good.

Although I have only been here for lunch, Shamrocks also has a nice bar, which I bet gets crazy on St. Patrick’s Day.

Shamrocks Mesquite Fired Grill & Pub
1275 Magnolia Ave. Ste 105
Corona, CA

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

Opening Day at Bubba Jack’s – Corona Crossings

March 22, 2012 by Ole 27 Comments

Update 03/06/14: Bubba Jack’s is closed. The signs are down and we saw this posted on the door:

Bubba Jack’s Hill Country Roadhouse in the Crossings at Corona officially opened for business yesterday. Bubba Jack’s is in the location previously occupied by On The Border.

We tried it out yesterday. Although they were still working on the signs outside, the servers and the food were ready inside.

I usually don’t write about a restaurant unless I’ve visited it at least a few times, so I won’t elaborate too much other than to say that Bubba Jack’s earned a second visit. Our server was great, and everyone seemed very friendly. I had no idea what was on the menu when we walked in, but I was pleased to find some tri-tip. My wife got a Chicken Tender Salad.

In addition to tri-tip and salad, Bubba Jack’s serves sandwiches, pizza, wings, ribs, chicken, fish, chili and probably a bunch of other dishes that I forgot to mention. I think I’ll try the Rib-Eye steak next time.

It’s worth a try.

Bubba Jack’s Hill Country Roadhouse
3550 Grand Oaks
Corona, CA 92881
(951) 272-4667

Hickory Joe’s Smokehouse BBQ – Norco

January 15, 2012 by Ole 1 Comment

I like trying out restaurants that aren’t part of a large chain. Even if they don’t turn out to be good, I enjoy the experience of trying something new. Of course, I enjoy it even more if the food is good.

One place I am glad that I found is Hickory Joe’s Smokehouse BBQ in Norco.

Hickory Joe’s seems to be a single location business since there are no other locations listed on its website, but the contact information on its website is shared by a small chain of Italian restaurants. Small business or not, I like this place.

Why do I like this place? The tri-tip and the smoked sausage. Check out the smoke ring on this juicy tri-tip. The smoked sausage has just a little bit of spice and is already sliced when it is served.

Hickory Joe’s also has good sandwiches. My favorite is the Tri-Tip Deli Dip, which is essentially a beef dip sandwich made with the smoked tri-tip. I also like the BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich.

What else does Hickory Joe’s serve? Ribs, chicken, burgers, salads and a bunch of sides. I have only tried the ribs once, but my youngest son likes to order them. My wife and oldest son enjoy the BBQ Chicken. My daughter… well, she doesn’t like barbecue at all.

Hickory Joe’s Smokehouse BBQ
120 Hidden Valley Pkwy.
Norco, CA
(951) 273-7427
www.hickoryjoesbbq.com

Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler, Corona

April 7, 2009 by Ole 2 Comments

Update: The Corona Chuy’s is closed, but the Chuy’s in Murrieta ~~is still open~~ has closed too. Shamrock’s now occupies this spot.

The next time you’re driving down Magnolia and notice the great white shark sticking out of Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler, do yourself a favor and go inside the restaurant.

This is our first post on RiversideAndBeyond.com, so we wanted to start with a review of one of our favorite places to eat. We have eaten at Chuy’s many times since we first tried it about 4 years ago. We didn’t go quite as much when new management took over, so now that the original owners have returned, we go there frequently again.

I keep going back for the tri-tip and the shrimp skewers. I’m a tri-tip and shrimp fan, so I try it most places I find it. So far, Chuy’s is the undisputed champ. The tri-tip is always well-seasoned and perfectly-cooked, and is not smothered in barbecue sauce. The tri-tip meals are served with rice, beans, cabbage salad and tortillas.

Chuy’s offers much more than tri-tip and shrimp, including chicken, fish, sandwiches, soups, salads, burritos, tacos and breakfast. There are also separate meals for the kids, and a bar for the grown-ups.

The inside of Chuy’s is part comic book and beach shack. The walls and tables are covered with creative murals, and there are a few sharks that pop out of the wall.

The pricing is reasonable for the amount and quality of the food. You can get meals for about $6 – $11, and kids’ meals for about $5.

Chuy’s is one of our favorite places to eat in Riverside County. Check it out.

Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler

1275 Magnolia Ave, #105

Corona, CA