Hodads

This review is for those who do not know what a TV is. This restaurant has been reviewed in many channels and many shows and everyone has agreed that this restaurant has the best burgers in the nation. I present Hodad’s burgers, which can be found in Pacific Beach (5010 Newport Avenue, San Diego). I just had to mention this place because it a crown jewel in San Diego and people around the nation will come to this place to eat a mouth watering, delicious burger.

I personally recommend getting a Single Bacon Cheeseburger ($6.25). I have seen several of my friends getting the doubles and they said that is doesn't have that tasty factor, but it has the big factor. In the Single Bacon Cheeseburger, it has the common toppings like the lettuce and thick juicy onions and tomatoes. Then it has the extras, like the sizzling bacon, the melted cheddar cheese and the slab of succulent  beef. The bacon bits overpower the burger (which is a good thing) combined with the juice of the meat in the burger. On a side note the tomatoes and onions were cold. Everything in the burger; the cheese, the tomatoes, onions, and bacon had an amazing combination.

The next thing i ordered was the vanilla milkshake ($4.75). The milkshake had big scoops of vanilla ice cream. The texture was creamy and was more on the solid side and not liquid. This milkshake is a excellent one, and a delectable treat.

 I cant forget about the FRIES!!! There are two types of fries they have: the Seasoned Fries ($4.25) and Onion Rings ($6.25). The onion rings have a crunchy oily batter. The onions that they choose are humongous. The onion itself was pretty good and soft. They give you a savory creamy white sauce you can dip your onion rings in. This sauce heightens the flavor of the onion rings. The seasoned fries had an outer crunch and a soft inside. The fries are lightly seasoned with salt and peppers.

The atmosphere is a total new atmosphere that I have never encountered before in a restaurant. The inside looks like a car enthusiast’s garage with licence plates decking the walls. The background music was blaring hard rock music. Also, you seat yourself  and a waiter will come to you. I recommend being there early before the lunch crowd, because there is usually a long line getting in the restaurant.

Overall, Hodad’s is a place you want to put on your bucket list. Anything you order will be delicious, and if you don’t like the atmosphere, you can always take your lunch to go. Once you go to Hodad’s, you can understand why everyone in America loves the Hodad’s burger.


Taste: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Overall: Amazing


Critic: Joshua Villalpando
Editor: Mikery Hatfield



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Azucar

I want to just say that I am sorry for not posting as usual, since April was a very busy month for me. For this month I will only be able to put one review, but do not fear, I will have more reviews next month. So lets eat...

When I think of Cuba, I think of Fidel Castro and Cuban cigars. Then I went to this cafe, that opened my eyes to Cuban cuisine. At 4820 Newport Avenue San Diego, CA 92107, Azúcar is the perfect place to start off with Cuban cuisine. It is all about Cuban specialities, especially pastries. This cafe is all about pastries, but they also serve sandwiches for a nice light lunch. As Vivian (the creator of Azucar) noticed, San Diego needs “more tropical style desserts.” She infused Cuban food with her European training to create fresh, fantastic desserts.

The first thing I had was Pastelito de Guayaba y Queso ($1.75). The pastry was soft and had a fluffy and flaky texture to it. The pastry was so airy, it was so puffy. This pastry was all Cuban with ingredients of cream cheese (the Queso) and guava (Guayaba). The combination of the guava and cream cheese had a complete taste, both sweet and creamy. The pastry was given to me warmed up which added the experience of all the senses.

The next thing that I had was candy with a twist. The Hard Chocolate Sea Salt ($0.50) was hard, stretchy and HAD salt. The thing is that when you add salt to a sweet treat, the salt enhances the flavor. The actual flavor was chocolate  with a caramel taste. These flavors are then heighten by the salt topped on the candy.

This restaurant is truly a unique place to eat and enjoy some  good food. What is really amazing is that the pastries cost about the same amount at Starbucks, but they are fresh and baked daily. If you love pastries, you will definitely enjoy Azucar.

Taste: 5/5

Quality: 5/5

Service: 4/5

Overall: Excellent

Critic: Joshua Villalpando

Editor: Mikery Hatfield

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Pinkberry

I never liked yogurt, because to me its a tarty,  tasteless version of a smoothie. When I found out they made a frozen version, I thought it was a bland substitute to ice cream. That is,  until I went to a frozen yogurt store called Pinkberry, found at 209 5th Ave  in the heart of downtown San Diego. Ever since, I have come to  love the simplicity and taste of Pinkberry’s frozen yogurt.  In my opinion, Pinkberry  is the best yogurt chain to eat frozen yogurt.

I have always enjoyed their pomegranate flavor, but this is a  seasonal flavor (its on vacation, so you cant order it anymore). Blood orange is another flavor that adds further merit to Pinkberry’s reputation. I ordered the medium blood orange ($4.50) with strawberries, mochi, and kiwi. All the fruit toppings were superb because they were fresh and delicious. The strawberries were firm and ripe, and the kiwi was really soft. The mochi did not disappoint (this of course is a acquired taste), being powdered and chewy. The actual yogurt had a subtle tangy taste. The yogurt was light, sweet and very fruity. With the combinations of the toppings, I really enjoyed this yogurt and recommend this frozen yogurt chain shop.

The only thing I hate about frozen yogurt chains is that they emphasize tons of flavors as a good thing. Pinkberry doesn't do that. Instead they only give four flavors, and changes two of them about  every four or five months. These other chain restaurants give 15 other flavors with no flavor or tartness. Even certain yogurt chains don't even have fresh fruits or high quality toppings. That’s why to me Pinkberry is the best frozen yogurt chain to eat at. If anyone can prove me wrong, I would like to hear other options of a frozen treat, because I enjoy a delicious dessert.

Taste: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Overall: Fantastic

Critic: Joshua Villalpando
Editor: Mikery Hatfield


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Family House of Pancakes

1900 East Plaza Boulevard National City

 When I think of a restaurant that has the name Family House of Pancakes, I think of a cozy mom and pop shop. The idea of mom and pop shops gives off heavy, big, and satisfying food. So this review was tricky. I visited the Family House of Pancakes twice, and oddly had two very different experiences, due to the fact that I ordered two very different things. The first time I went, I enjoyed their banana walnut pancakes. No problem. The second time,The restaurant was only able to fulfill two of out of the three ideals of the mom and pop shops. It was missing the satisfying part. I tried their Denver Omelet...and unfortunately thats where the problems began. So I will endeavor to share with you the details of both visits in order for you to make your own informed decision about the Family House.

I actually visited two different Family House locations for this review (1900 East Plaza Boulevard National City, 562 Broadway Chula Vista). I first ate at the National City location, where I ordered their banana pancakes ( $8.50) and a coffee ($2.50). I thoroughly enjoyed this meal. The pancakes were huge, almost as big as the plate they were served on! This is exactly what I expected from a place with the name 'Family House': a nice, homemade meal with large portions, just like mom would make. The bananas were fresh and made the pancakes nice and moist. The nutty flavors gathered from of the walnuts combined wonderfully with the sweetness of the bananas for an all around party for my palate. The pancakes were also lightly garnished with a bit of butter and powdered sugar. All together, my first visit to the Family House of Pancakes was excellent, and I eagerly awaited my next opportunity to try more of the menu.

Soon enough, that opportunity presented itself. This time I visited the Chula Vista location. With fond memories of my last Family House meal, I searched the menu with excitement and joy, looking for something that would be even better than the banana pancakes. I decided to take the omelet route, since I had not yet tried their omelets, and I already had their pancakes. It was time to switch things up a bit. Therefore, when our dear little waitress inquired of our orders, I echoed the words I wish I could take back even to this day. If only I could go back in time, before the moment when I asked for the Denver Omelet, things would be better. But I cant. So here's what I experienced:

1) The Cheese: The cheese was repulsively disgusting. Think Velveeta... it was a greasy, processed mess. This was the biggest strike against the omelet.
2) The Veggies and Ham: The flavors of the vegetables and the ham seemed to be drowned out by the thick, goopy cheese previously discussed. I would have like to have had more ham and veggies present in my omelet...but I guess thats just not the way they do things at Family House.
3) The Potatoes: The omelet came with a side of potatoes and buttermilk pancakes. The pancakes were fine. The potatoes, however, were terrible. They were undercooked, but the fried parts were burnt. Not even ketchup could help these potatoes!

As you can see, there was no party for my palate this time around, just a cheesy disaster. This was unfortunate, since I enjoyed the banana walnut pancakes so much before. Overall this restaurant is not a good place to eat at all. Even the decorum made me feel sick. It looks like a old dusty house. The upholstery of the furniture cries ancient. Therefore I suggest that you just stick to the pancakes if you decide to go. The only reason someone would come to eat at this restaurant is their Banana Pecan Pancakes. I just don't think this justifies coming to eat at the Family House of Pancakes.

Taste: 3/5
Quality: 2/5
Service: 2/5
Overall: Not so Good

Critic: Joshua Villalpando
Editor: Mikery Hatfield


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TJ Oyster Bar

One thing I really liked about Rubio’s was their 99 cent fish tacos on Tuesday. Then one day they raised the price to $1.50. Instead of getting three tacos for three dollars, I can only get two for the same price! To me, this was an outrage and I was not happy at all. I then started on  a journey to look for the most tasty, fulfilling 99 cent fish taco. In my search, I came across the perfect fish taco at 4246 Bonita Rd.,  Bonita, the home of  TJ Oyster Bar.

The fish in the taco is dipped in a batter that once  fried has a crunchy golden texture. The fish itself is fluffy and flaky, giving it a soft texture. The fish taco is covered with lettuce, tomatoes and a secret white sauce, all in a corn tortilla. When you first take a bite, it has a mild taste, then it has a full blend of flavors from the tomatoes, the white sauce and the batter itself. This delicious taco cost only 99 cents EVERYDAY; a great taco with a great price.






This restaurant focuses mainly on pure Mexican seafood, serving everything from fish tacos to octopus to ceviche ( and of course, oysters!). For a restaurant that only focuses on seafood, they are very diverse in their  preparation, serving the seafood either in a burrito, taco, cocktail, or a tostada. The only problem about this place is actually a testimony to their greatness. This restaurant is always packed with people! If you want to eat a quick meal, it will be really hard at TJ Oyster Bar because of the cramped area and so many people. However, if you are willing to wait, you will have the best fish tacos in San Diego!


Taste: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Overall: Fantastic


Critic: Joshua Villalpando
Editor: Mikery Hatfield




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Mission Valley Corner Bakery Café

There are so many chain bakeries and coffee shops rising today, like Panera Bread and Starbucks Coffee. They each provide pastries and their own twist on coffee. In San Diego there are 100 Starbucks stores that serve their pastries generic, but make really delicious coffee. There are around 14 Panera Bread restaurants in San Diego with really good pastries and sandwiches, but ok coffee. How about a chain restaurant with only one restaurant in San Diego? At 1025 Camino De La Reina, there is chain bakery and coffee shop called Mission Valley Corner Bakery Café.



At Corner Bakery Café, I ordered the Cinnamon Crème Cake ($2.59), Lemon Pound cake ($1.99) and a cup of coffee. The first thing I ate was the cinnamon crème cake, which was nice and crumbly, like coffee cake. Each bite was moist and very delicious. It was also fresh from the oven. It definitely had alot of cinnamon; the cinnamon was in the cake and even on top of it. Besides being topped with cinnamon, it was also sprinkled with powered sugar. The cake was a real compliment with the coffee. This cinnamon crème cake was a hybrid of coffee cake and crumb cake. The coffee was pretty good, but I don’t think it was quite as good as Starbucks coffee.

The next item does not go with coffee, but is still really good; a nice thick slice of lemon pound Cake. The cake was soft and its texture was thick. It was a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness and it was not dry at all.

In the end this is a really good coffee and bakery shop. They also allow you to refill your coffee cup on the same visit. They have so many lunch combos, from salads to sandwiches to paninis. Corner Bakery has managed to retain it's uniqueness while still being a chain restaurant. Being the only one in San Diego, this bakery-slash-coffee shop has what it takes to keep us all coming back for more!

Taste: 4/5
Quality: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Overall: Really Good

Critic: Joshua Villalpando
Editor: Mikery Hatfield



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Tea n' More

Hey boba fans, I have another really good restaurant that serves boba drinks. At 7380 Clairemont Mesa Blvd #111, Tea n More is a busy, bubbling tea and coffee shop. This is a  place where all the college students meet up not only to complete arduous homework assignments, but also to share a common love, and that is boba.

At Tea n More, I ordered a Mint chip and Oreo with boba ($4.75 ). To me the Mint chip and Oreo with boba is a refreshingly delicious drink. The mint definitely stands out in the drink, and I love it mixed with Oreo. The drink's texture is creamy and icy. The best part is that the Oreo and the ice were finely blended, which really impressed me. The boba itself is smooth, sweet and chewy. This is certainly one of the best drinks in San Diego.

What I didn’t have a chance to review is the  food at Tea n More. The bottom line is that this is a neat spot to hang with friends and enjoy good drinks.So  next time you have a craving for boba, be sure to stop by Tea n More and see for yourself how deliciously refreshing they are!



Taste: 4/5
Quality: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Overall: Amazing


Critic: Joshua Villalpando
Editor: Mikery Hatfield



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