Cheers of Ramona

Finally got in to Cheers of Ramona to see how the new ownership is going! I have to say, the new woodwork is just breathtaking! Really classes the place up. It diminishes some of the dive bar feel but not so much that it loses the familiar charm. I’d say it’s a nice balance. Before, I felt like I needed a tetanus shot before going in… Not any more. Some of the old, unkempt, disheveled booths are gone, but seating at the bar is ample and comfortable with high back, padded seats.

The menu is easier to understand and handle now. Down to a large, single two-sided sheet with many of the old favorites. All burgers now come standard with a side of fries! I ordered The “Horseman” for $13.99. Made with a quarter pound burger topped with American cheese (I subbed Swiss), a pile of pastrami, grilled onions, pickles and hot mustard sauce. Overall this was an outstanding burger. I think the grilled onions were missed, but that’s ok. The generous portion of thick sliced pickles made up for it. The quarter pound patty was pretty thick which made its circumference disproportionately small to the size of the bun. I discussed with the chefs and we all agreed that a thin, flatter patty would be best in this case, particularly when piling pastrami on top of it. The bun seemed to be a fresh, high quality brioche style that held this hot mess together flawlessly. It had a nice chew and mouth feel.

Service from everyone was just phenomenal! We felt so welcomed and taken care of. If you haven’t been to Cheers in a while (or ever), do yourself a favor and check out this smartly improved bar sometime. A bar that happens to serve some very good food.

Jack in the Box

JIB makes the best egg rolls in fast food! Better than some Chinese restaurants I’ve been to.

Pei Wei Asian Diner

The outstanding fried rice bowl is probably my favorite thing to order at Pei Wei. Perfect with their lean, flavorful, thin sliced steak. Just a great all around meal in a bowl. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of fried rice.

The Par Lounge

Outstanding pizzas and cold draft beers at The Par Lounge!!

Plaza Grill

Outstanding California roll Sushi at Barona Resort & Casino!

La Cocina

I’ve eaten flautas all over town and I’m happy to say that none have been terrible. Flautas at La Cocina however have been a remarkable standout! Standard order of two (beef or chicken) is only $4.99 and comes topped with shredded cheese, sour cream and an excellent, fresh tasting guacamole.

I usually order beef, but this time tried the chicken. These were rolled up with a ton of seasoned, shredded chicken. Probably the chubbiest flautas I’ve had it town.

Outstanding service, as always, at La Cocina.

333 Pacific

One of my favorite restaurants in San Diego county’s north coastal region is 333 Pacific. Here’s their remarkably good mac & cheese made with orecchiette pasta! Check them out next time you’re in Oceanside. Right on the Pacific with a beautiful view of the beach and pier.

Ramona Lisa Pizza

Outstanding pepperoni & Italian sausage pizza from Ra-Mona Lisa!!

Rubio’s

Living in SoCal, I’ve been eating burritos pretty much my whole life. In fact, I dearly adore them! Lately though I’ve developed a fondness for the so-called “wet burrito”. Here’s an outstanding version from Rubio’s with their Baja Grill chicken burrito. Basically you take any burrito and blanket it with a liberal amount of enchilada sauce, verde sauce, etc. Some places use a ranchero sauce or even a creamy queso type sauce. What sauce is best usually depends on what kind of burrito is under it.

Chick-fil-A

Outstanding spicy chicken sammich at Chick-fil-A! My favorite thing to order every time I go. Love the added pickles and an extra squeeze of mayonnaise.