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Dave Good
Marty Graham
Moss Gropen
Andrew Hamlin
Dorian Hargrove
Garrett Harris
Ken Harrison
Patrick Henderson
Tam Hoang
Eve Kelly
Dryw Keltz
Eva Knott
Thomas Larson
Ken Leighton
Matthew Lickona
Mike Madriaga
Bill Manson
Scott Marks
Bob McPhail
Walter Mencken
Joseph O'Brien
Sheila Pell
Ian Pike
Matt Potter
H.G. Reza
Dave Rice
Elizabeth Salaam
Jay Allen Sanford
Julie Stalmer
DJ Stevens
Matthew Suárez
Amanda Tascher
More writers
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Ken Harrison
Ken Harrison
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Quick Wok
Great lunch specials, good portion on the dinner menu. You can see them prepare everything fresh right in front of you. Large selection, much better than most traditional Chinese places. (Way better than Chin's) Differently a once a week place! (if not more).
— July 21, 2009 8:40 p.m.
Davina's Cabo Grill
While the food doesn't really live up to the price, the atmosphere and the view make up for it. The restaurant is upstairs on the roof - Baja cantina style. Most dinner items $11 - 14. Watch it - Cokes are $3 bucks (way too expensive). $2 bucks for a basket of chips with salsa (should be free). Typical burrito, enchilada, fajitas type place. I also didn't care for the excessive rules on the menu, "no separate checks", "extra plate charge $2.00", "18% tip added to parties of 6 or more" (by law you may tip what ever you'd like, but don't mention it until you're finished eating or a restaurant can refuse service.) And cash only unless over $20.00. Downstairs bar (street level) has a separate $5 "street taco" appetizers menu. Full bar upstairs too. Probably a cool place hang out on Thursday night for street fair/farmer's market that goes on out on the street right below.
— July 21, 2009 8:26 p.m.
Norte Mexican Food
Fidel's family split up the empire last year, so this location is now know only as "Norte's", but same great menu and recipes. If you are looking to take out of town guests for best example of real mexican food, and their not impressed by taco shops, this is the place. Great taste and quality for all menu items. Not a bad choice on the menu. Most order full combos and get too much food. We order ala carte items. Full bar for a late afternoon Margarita. Patio dinning, around the fire pits is fun in the summer. Very crowded on weekends and most summer weeknights - no recession going on here - with little parking in the area they share with the Carlsbad Inn hotel/timeshare. Here's what I crave . . . the salsa! Not really a "salsa" more of a hot sauce, but one of kind and the best. I need it at least once a week, sometimes the white trash comes out in me and I'll sip the salsa rather than dip. Only negative, almost $3 bucks for soft drinks - even with refills - too much, so save some dough for the Margaritas - and drink water.
— July 18, 2009 1:26 p.m.
Thai Pan Express
If you crave Thai food (by that statement alone, you know who you are) this is the place, without the price. As you know a lot of Thai places get too fancy and end up pricing themselves out of our budgets. Lunch specials are $7 - 8. Dinners $8 -10 for regular items. Good sized dinner portions to share (I don't share, because I crave everything I order and eat it all myself.) Seems busy every time I'm there, but I hope these folks make it - they're in the old Albertson's center where it seems like everything else is going out of biz, but they are a draw in their own right, because of the great taste and quality.
— July 18, 2009 10:35 a.m.
Cap'n Kenos
This place is an Encinitas tradition since owner Jerry Sova opened it up with his Keno winnings in 1970. It separates those that love great inexpensive food, with the snobs. The snobs walk in, take one look at the place, and walk out. OMG - it's not like a Dennys? Thank God! The rest of us enjoy great breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, salads (with home made dressing recipes), and soups all for around under 5 bucks a person. Huge portions served on cafeteria style plastic plates. Self serve coffee, water, and soup. Adult beverages are served in the bar. You can get breakfast items all day long. The most expensive thing on the menu is steak - $11.95. All you can eat spaghetti for 3 bucks! Only bummer is no free refills on soft drinks. My family of 4 can eat for under $20. You order at the front counter and they'll bring it to you, even in the bar. On Saturday night is "service" night. If you want to be served at your table, you select from BBQ Ribs ($12), Prime Rib ($12), or King Crab Legs ($15), served with salad, potato, warm bread, and vegetable. This is a classic greasy spoon and proud of it! PS - The owner and his close friends cook over 300 Thanksgiving dinners each year for the nearby seniors. They ask for $3 each, but usually give away more dinners than they collect from. Jerry's a great guy!
— July 17, 2009 5:36 p.m.
Pizarro's Pizza
Got a few slices for lunch. What made this place stand out was this pizza was really good. They have a chewy thick crust, unlike most by-the-slice places, good sauce, and plenty of toppings. I'll go back again. The architecture and decor is upscale for a pizza place, left over from the previous italian restaurant that dropped a ton of dough (get it) into the place. The only weird thing was, at 2:00PM, no napkins, salt or pepper were on the table. They were all sitting by the coke machine as if someone forgot to set the tables up.
— July 11, 2009 9:03 p.m.
Joey's Smokin' B-B-Q
Good Q, with two kinds of sauces, sweet or spicy. I got the three sandwich sliders, the chicken was a little dry, the pork to die for, the beef - average. Great choices of sides, more than just traditional BBQ with fries and slaw. Will I go again? You betcha!
— July 9, 2009 11:29 p.m.
Sunrise Super Buffet
Although I had eaten here several times years ago, I was drawn back because of the Reader ads for lobster on the Sundays. In Asian buffets, a place is either good, okay, or horrible. It was an "Okay+." I wasn't disappointed, but it wasn't great (no buffet can ever be "great, its a buffet, serving mass quantities of food in warming trays.) The lobster was chopped up, but still in the shell. Good if you can find a piece of the tail with meat in it. Most of the pieces are the claws, and usually were picked over by other dinners. Frog legs were a treat, don't see those often. Plenty of yummy choices for anyone. It did seem that the kitchen was a little slow restocking some of the popular items, like crab legs or oysters, but we were eating at 1:30 on a Sunday, a little after the Sunday brunch/lunch rush. I would go again, best in the Convey area that I've tried so far, but there are better buffets around town. Also like most buffets, I don't understand why they give you the thinnest, one use napkins on the world. Does it really pay to have your customers go through a whole pile of napkins because they are so thin?
— July 9, 2009 12:27 a.m.
Auggie's House of Crab
I've never been to a traditional "crab shack" before, but met Auggie at a Chamber of Commerce Expo, in his booth, where I sampled his shrimp burger. Finally got into the restaurant and I loved it! My wife had the Shrimp Burger and wants to go back again. I had the pound of mussels, with shrimp and Louisiana sausage. When it arrived, it was dumped out of the serving bowl directly on to the table, which was covered with white butcher paper. I was provided a bib to wear. I guess this is standard fare for a "crab shack" style place, but my first experience, but not my last.
— June 18, 2009 12:32 a.m.
Pepper Tree Frosty
In my review (#1 )that should read "dessert" of course Peppertree Frosty would be good in the Desert too.
— June 6, 2009 9:09 a.m.
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Marty Graham
Moss Gropen
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Dorian Hargrove
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Ken Harrison
Patrick Henderson
Tam Hoang
Eve Kelly
Dryw Keltz
Eva Knott
Thomas Larson
Ken Leighton
Matthew Lickona
Mike Madriaga
Bill Manson
Scott Marks
Bob McPhail
Walter Mencken
Joseph O'Brien
Sheila Pell
Ian Pike
Matt Potter
H.G. Reza
Dave Rice
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Quick Wok
Great lunch specials, good portion on the dinner menu. You can see them prepare everything fresh right in front of you. Large selection, much better than most traditional Chinese places. (Way better than Chin's) Differently a once a week place! (if not more).— July 21, 2009 8:40 p.m.
Davina's Cabo Grill
While the food doesn't really live up to the price, the atmosphere and the view make up for it. The restaurant is upstairs on the roof - Baja cantina style. Most dinner items $11 - 14. Watch it - Cokes are $3 bucks (way too expensive). $2 bucks for a basket of chips with salsa (should be free). Typical burrito, enchilada, fajitas type place. I also didn't care for the excessive rules on the menu, "no separate checks", "extra plate charge $2.00", "18% tip added to parties of 6 or more" (by law you may tip what ever you'd like, but don't mention it until you're finished eating or a restaurant can refuse service.) And cash only unless over $20.00. Downstairs bar (street level) has a separate $5 "street taco" appetizers menu. Full bar upstairs too. Probably a cool place hang out on Thursday night for street fair/farmer's market that goes on out on the street right below.— July 21, 2009 8:26 p.m.
Norte Mexican Food
Fidel's family split up the empire last year, so this location is now know only as "Norte's", but same great menu and recipes. If you are looking to take out of town guests for best example of real mexican food, and their not impressed by taco shops, this is the place. Great taste and quality for all menu items. Not a bad choice on the menu. Most order full combos and get too much food. We order ala carte items. Full bar for a late afternoon Margarita. Patio dinning, around the fire pits is fun in the summer. Very crowded on weekends and most summer weeknights - no recession going on here - with little parking in the area they share with the Carlsbad Inn hotel/timeshare. Here's what I crave . . . the salsa! Not really a "salsa" more of a hot sauce, but one of kind and the best. I need it at least once a week, sometimes the white trash comes out in me and I'll sip the salsa rather than dip. Only negative, almost $3 bucks for soft drinks - even with refills - too much, so save some dough for the Margaritas - and drink water.— July 18, 2009 1:26 p.m.
Thai Pan Express
If you crave Thai food (by that statement alone, you know who you are) this is the place, without the price. As you know a lot of Thai places get too fancy and end up pricing themselves out of our budgets. Lunch specials are $7 - 8. Dinners $8 -10 for regular items. Good sized dinner portions to share (I don't share, because I crave everything I order and eat it all myself.) Seems busy every time I'm there, but I hope these folks make it - they're in the old Albertson's center where it seems like everything else is going out of biz, but they are a draw in their own right, because of the great taste and quality.— July 18, 2009 10:35 a.m.
Cap'n Kenos
This place is an Encinitas tradition since owner Jerry Sova opened it up with his Keno winnings in 1970. It separates those that love great inexpensive food, with the snobs. The snobs walk in, take one look at the place, and walk out. OMG - it's not like a Dennys? Thank God! The rest of us enjoy great breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, salads (with home made dressing recipes), and soups all for around under 5 bucks a person. Huge portions served on cafeteria style plastic plates. Self serve coffee, water, and soup. Adult beverages are served in the bar. You can get breakfast items all day long. The most expensive thing on the menu is steak - $11.95. All you can eat spaghetti for 3 bucks! Only bummer is no free refills on soft drinks. My family of 4 can eat for under $20. You order at the front counter and they'll bring it to you, even in the bar. On Saturday night is "service" night. If you want to be served at your table, you select from BBQ Ribs ($12), Prime Rib ($12), or King Crab Legs ($15), served with salad, potato, warm bread, and vegetable. This is a classic greasy spoon and proud of it! PS - The owner and his close friends cook over 300 Thanksgiving dinners each year for the nearby seniors. They ask for $3 each, but usually give away more dinners than they collect from. Jerry's a great guy!— July 17, 2009 5:36 p.m.
Pizarro's Pizza
Got a few slices for lunch. What made this place stand out was this pizza was really good. They have a chewy thick crust, unlike most by-the-slice places, good sauce, and plenty of toppings. I'll go back again. The architecture and decor is upscale for a pizza place, left over from the previous italian restaurant that dropped a ton of dough (get it) into the place. The only weird thing was, at 2:00PM, no napkins, salt or pepper were on the table. They were all sitting by the coke machine as if someone forgot to set the tables up.— July 11, 2009 9:03 p.m.
Joey's Smokin' B-B-Q
Good Q, with two kinds of sauces, sweet or spicy. I got the three sandwich sliders, the chicken was a little dry, the pork to die for, the beef - average. Great choices of sides, more than just traditional BBQ with fries and slaw. Will I go again? You betcha!— July 9, 2009 11:29 p.m.
Sunrise Super Buffet
Although I had eaten here several times years ago, I was drawn back because of the Reader ads for lobster on the Sundays. In Asian buffets, a place is either good, okay, or horrible. It was an "Okay+." I wasn't disappointed, but it wasn't great (no buffet can ever be "great, its a buffet, serving mass quantities of food in warming trays.) The lobster was chopped up, but still in the shell. Good if you can find a piece of the tail with meat in it. Most of the pieces are the claws, and usually were picked over by other dinners. Frog legs were a treat, don't see those often. Plenty of yummy choices for anyone. It did seem that the kitchen was a little slow restocking some of the popular items, like crab legs or oysters, but we were eating at 1:30 on a Sunday, a little after the Sunday brunch/lunch rush. I would go again, best in the Convey area that I've tried so far, but there are better buffets around town. Also like most buffets, I don't understand why they give you the thinnest, one use napkins on the world. Does it really pay to have your customers go through a whole pile of napkins because they are so thin?— July 9, 2009 12:27 a.m.
Auggie's House of Crab
I've never been to a traditional "crab shack" before, but met Auggie at a Chamber of Commerce Expo, in his booth, where I sampled his shrimp burger. Finally got into the restaurant and I loved it! My wife had the Shrimp Burger and wants to go back again. I had the pound of mussels, with shrimp and Louisiana sausage. When it arrived, it was dumped out of the serving bowl directly on to the table, which was covered with white butcher paper. I was provided a bib to wear. I guess this is standard fare for a "crab shack" style place, but my first experience, but not my last.— June 18, 2009 12:32 a.m.
Pepper Tree Frosty
In my review (#1 )that should read "dessert" of course Peppertree Frosty would be good in the Desert too.— June 6, 2009 9:09 a.m.