BBQ in Southern California??

If you are not familiar with Phil’s BBQ in San Diego, you are missing out on one of its key landmarks of San Diego and of course missing out on arguably the best bbq in Southern California. Adam Richman and show Man vs Food would be attracted to this restaurant and would go to critic their food. I was really shocked that Adam did not evaluate the ribs because as of now that was the only thing I’ve ever thought was worth order at Phils; he ended up ordering the El Toro (a Tri Tip Burger).
I’ve decided to take my food pallet to Phils to try this “mouth watering sandwich”. When arriving to Phils, you are always expected to wait in a 20-30 minute line. It doesn’t seem that long especially with the long awaited anticipation and the coolness the barn shaped restaurants brings to your eyes. If you are starving you can’t bear to wait in line, a secret is to go inside and order togo and just eat on the hood of your car. It can get messy but you can always go back inside and wash your hands. I was really reluctant to order the El Toro because I didn’t feel waiting in line for 30 minutes was worth one sandwich but I did it. It was served very simply: tri tip, bread, and bbq sauce given to you on a red serving basket.
I dove right and I was surprised with the texture of the bread, very soft and warm and complimented the meat quite nicely. The meat was very tender and juicy but had a very sweet and tangy taste due to the bbq sauce.

My thoughts on the sandwich compared to Adam:
He calls it a “bite of heaven”, I would have it say that it’s a “bite of Disneyland”. It’s a terrible analogy but it’s probably 2nd to the amount of fun one could have. I have to agree the meat was good but I feel the sauce was just too much sweetness. I hear you can order the sauce on the side so you can get a full taste and actually appreciate the quality of the meat. I definitely recommend if going to Phils order the beef ribs, but I guess if you want a lighter yet filling snack go with the El Toro. I give the El Toro a 3.8 out of 4 stars, it’s just too simple and complexity rocks ones socks.

Unfortunately my phone died and was unable to take a picture but here’s a picture from Google.

The Battle for best Breakfast in San Diego

Man Vs Food has become one of my favorite food television show. I like Adam Richman’s choice in restaurants; they tend be affordable and serve classic, simple, delicious foods. Adam Richman filmed an episode in Las Vegas, Nevada and went to the restaurant Hash House a Go Go; where he ordered their famous one pound stuffed hamburger. The burger looked amazing and stuffed with ham, egg, and cheese it seemed like a burger I could eat for breakfast. While watching the episode with my roommates I was ecstatic to hear that there was a Hash House A Go Go in San Diego (that rhymes), and I knew it was the next place I had to check out.
Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day and in my eyes the tastiest. I’ve visited the Broken Yolk and feel that the Hash House can put up a fight.
The Hash House A Go Go is located in Downtown, San Diego that means finding parking coould be semi-hectic. But, when finally reaching the restaurant's front steps, I was really surprised with how “cute” it looked. I expect the restaurants in downtown to give off this corporate/fancy look but the building gave off this homey feel. The burgundy/dark reddish paint job gave the restaurant it's classy look. We had to wait around 25 minutes to get seated but it was a really nice day and didn’t mind. We got seated the inside, and décor matched the outside of the restaurant. They had mahogany style and colored furniture with wood-like panel floor to continue with the flow of elegance. The menu was presented on this long laminated page but it was filled with interesting, complex, and intrinsic dishes, they definitely know how to remix the typically breakfast platter. I was going to order the same dish as Adam, but seeing that I was on a date I didn’t want to get my hands and mouth all dirty with hamburger grease, and the egg Benedict plates really caught my eye. I ordered the Adam’s sage Fried chicken egg Benedict with an orange juice and my date ordered the roasted chicken dish with a coffee. When our food arrived we were surprised with large the portions were and how they were decorated with a 12 inch garnish. The food was spectacular; it had various ingredients and made it rich in flavor and taste. The Egg Benedict definitely strayed away from the classic style as it was served with mashed potatoes, fried chicken, and a very creamy chipotle sauce. It was an enormous serving size and my date and I were definitely content.
Even though I did not get the one pound hamburger, I agree with Adam in that Hash House a Go Go integrates different style of cooking to provide you a unique and different yet pleasant dining experience. The food is great and even though you’re paying $15-$20 a dish, you can definitely share with someone else or take leftovers home. I’d say pass on the $7 home squeezed orange juice because it’s not worth it. Other than that I give Hash House a Go Go 4 out of 5 stars and I’d “Go Go” to Hash House over Broken Yolk any day.

The massive 12 egg omelet!!

When Adam Richman (Man vs Food) decided to bring his show to San Diego one of the restaurants he visited was the Broken Yolk. There are a few scattered throughout San Diego, however they all have the same menu and are all infamously known for their “12 egg omelet challenge”. Adam Richman took on this challenge and completed it. I’ve decided to also take on this challenge and provide my own thoughts and judgments on this monstrous task.
This was my first visit to the Broken Yolk, located in Pacific Beach. I felt the only way I could be well prepared for this, would probably be after a night of drunkenness and debauchery aka throwing up and having an empty stomach. After waking up at 1 in the afternoon with nothing in my stomach and slight hangover I decided to head over to the Broken Yolk. The restaurant was clearly in view with its long light blue tarp and Broken Yolk flags evenly lined up on its roof. The restaurant is nicely put together, nothing to outrageous or overwhelming, it looks like a higher end I Hop or Denny’s. As I placed my order for the 12 egg omelet, I was informed that I would have one hour to complete this six pound dish, and if I complete it I would get it for free, get my name on the wall of fame, and receive a free t-shirt, however if I could not complete this dish I would have to pay for it ($25.99)
After anxiously waiting the dish finally arrived, it was served on a pizza dish. The omelet consisted of onions, mushrooms, cheese, and chili and a large portion of home fries served with two large rolls. I’m not the biggest cheese fanatic and asked for it on the side to distribute it evenly amongst my food. After about 30 minutes of stuffing bite after bite of potatoes and egg into my mouth I realized that I could not finish this challenge. 12 eggs were just too much to handle and food had won.

My thoughts on the challenge compared to Adam:
He said it was a delicious omelet, I have to disagree. It a massive omelet served with potatoes and bread two items that drain all of the moisture out of your mouth.
I definitely agree with his tactic to order guacamole at the end to help disguise the consistency of the omelet, unfortunately I was no way near completing the omelet and didn’t want to pay extra for guacamole. However, I did use plenty of ketchup and hot sauce.
My tips on completing this challenge is eating the biscuits first because they will get cold and become hard and stale, actually the entire dish gets cold, and cold eggs are no good. My overall experience at Broken Yolk was subpar I feel that the food wasn’t great, they charge too much for their food. A 12 egg omelet with simple ingredients does not cost $26 plus tip and tax. I give this experience a 3 stars out of 5.

Skip on Freds and El Torito and go to Café Coyote!!

Tuesday’s are infamously known for Taco Tuesday here in San Diego and today I am visiting Café Coyote. When I called Café Coyote to see when their Taco Tuesday started an automated message stated “winner of best Mexican Food five years straight”. Even though I have not seen any food critics visit this restaurant, I thought it was worthy of me checking out. It was my first visit to Old Town, San Diego and I must say I was shocked and surprised to see that it actual was or resembled an actual Old Town. The buildings are built with an adobe like style to give off this old fashioned Mexican look to it; the little details that went into the signs and roads alone made my trip worthwhile.
As we reach the front of the restaurant I was surprised to see that there was not a wait and we were seated right away. The restaurant floor space was quite large and decorated (both exterior and interior) nicely. The building structure resembled its neighboring buildings to give off that old fashioned Puebla look. The walls were decorated with posters and colorful confetti like banners dangled across the ceilings. As soon as we were seated the waiters brought us chips and salsa and asked if we wanted anything to drink. We order margaritas and placed our taco orders because we were extremely hungry. I ordered a house margarita and two weekly special tacos (this week happened to be California tacos), one shrimp, one fish, and one Carnitas.
We dived right into the chips and salsa because we were starving. The chips were still warm and the right about of crunchy. The salsa was great nice and fresh and had a nice mild kick to it. We waited only about 10 minutes for our foods and drinks, we were very surprised to see how big the tacos were and I definitely regretted ordering five!
The margarita was good but a little bit on the weaker side and I felt that the glass could have been a wee bit bigger. I’ve never had a California Taco and I believe its Café Coyotes own remake of the California burrito. It was really interesting to see it in this form and it actually tasted quite good. Out of the other three tacos, the shrimp was by far the best. Shrimp was rich in flavor and the sauce they used complimented quite nicely. The Fish was not bad either, it was battered nicely and the cabbage seemed quite fresh. The last and least favorite was the Carnitas. I am a huge fan of Carnitas but this one was really dry and at one point it even hurt going down my throat. Overall, Café Coyote is definitely worth the visit and it deserves two thumbs up. The overall style and décor of the restaurant and city makes one feel as if they are in Mexico. Nine different tacos all just for $2, I’d pass on the $5 margarita though.

The BEST BURGER in So Cal!!

When I heard that world renowned food critic Guy Fieri said that the best bacon cheeseburger was at Hodads, located in Ocean Beach San Diego, I knew it definitely something I had to try out. As soon as we approached the restaurant, we were not surprised to see a line formed outside the door. We waited about 15 minutes before being seated on what looked like a long wooden surf board. The menu is plain and simple; you got burgers, fries and onion rings, and drinks. I ordered a single bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions and a side of frings. As we waited for our food we looked around and appreciated the unique style and ambiance of the restaurant. The walls were covered with license plates from different parts of the country with funny or witty remarks written on them. There was also a half cut vintage Volkswagen Bus used as a booth in one corner. The overall décor and thought that went into this joint keeps the wander eye occupied. The only complaint I have was the overly loud heavy metal music blaring on the speakers.
Once our food arrived I dived into it like a savage. The bacon cheeseburger was absolute perfection. I feel the three main aspects of the burger help distinguish it from other bacon cheeseburgers: the bacon, meat, and onions. The bacon stripes are whole hearted and crispy and definitely not skimpy and skinny like other fast food joints. The meat was tender and juicy and cooked at a perfect medium. And lastly the grilled onions, we have to request them because if you don’t you get them raw. The onions are full of flavor and grilled to ideal consistency.
The onion rings and wedges: Onion rings probably the best I’ve ever had. Battered and cooked the right amount, even my friend who does not like onions loved them. The wedges were good but not the best, it’s a personal choice I prefer strings fries and don’t want to be overwhelmed with potatoes.

Overall I completely agree with Guy Fieri this is one of the best bacon cheeseburgers I've ever had. Definitely worth the price and all of the ingredients work well with each other, he did not get the burger with grilled onions but I definately reccomend it. $6.50 for a hearty, simple, tasty burger; they don’t disguise the taste of the meat with sauces and other ingredients. I give this experience a 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Hello Readers!!!

Hi Readers,

My name is Will Le and I consider myself a foodie. I love and appreciate food and enjoy going out to new restaurants to try out all the different types of food the world has to offer.  I have a huge appetite and I am a firm believer that you can get both quality and quantity for a fair price. One of my favorite things to do is watch shows like Man Vs Food, No Reservations, and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and watch these world renowned food critics take on food challenges and give their opinions on restaurants that are highly popular both inside and outside the states.  My objective for this blog: is to visit the same restaurants and give my own synopsis on these dishes and compare my thoughts and opinions. Let the eating begin!!