STRAYCAT’S DOGGONE BLOG

FAVORITE RESTAURANTS

Here are a few of my favorite places to eat. I’ll be adding more as I think of (or “discover”) them. I list them in alphabetical order for your convenience. I provide a synopsis of my experience and/or a brief history of each establishment. For more detailed information, “click” on the restaurant’s name. I’ve provided a link to their respective website(s) at no additional cost to you.

Bahama Breeze
I discovered this small chain of restaurants in Las Vegas. It is located on the corner of Paradise and Flamingo, diagonally across the street from Terrible’s Casino. The menu features Caribbean fare, Duh!! It is interesting. I had the Coconut Shrimp appetizer and West Indies Ribs for my entree. Both were excellent. They have a wide variety of items on the menu; Chicken, Seafood, Beef, Pork, etc, etc. All are cooked with a Caribbean flair. Quite good.

Bill Lee’s Bamboo Chop Sticks
This restaurant is in my ‘hometown’ of Bakersfield, CA located on the corner of 18th and “M” St. It is the restaurant I use as a standard when judging other Chinese restaurants. Few measure up. The standards of quality (of food) and service here are consistently high. I eat here often whenever my travels take me through Bakersfield. My favorite item on the menu is the No. 1 Dinner, a combination plate. These dinners are made for 2 or more, but for an additional $.50, they will make it for 1 person.

Black Bear Diner
Black Bear Diner is a small chain of family restaurants, located in some pretty out of the way places. The one in Las Vegas is located in a shopping center on the northwest corner of Tropicana and Jones. This is ‘good ole’ home cooking. Being a ’steak and taters’ man, this is the place for me. The food is top quality and the portions are generous. They make an excellent Chicken Fried Steak, but I have not yet found anything that i’ve tried on the menu to be lacking in any way. I eat at least one meal here every time I come home to Las Vegas. This is the “Cadillac” of family restaurants.

Black-eyed Pea Restaurant
Black-eyed Pea restaurants are a small chain located in throughout Texas and Colorado. They serve home-style food. The quality is excellent, the portions are plentiful, and the price is reasonably cheap. I got out for about $15.00, less tip. That price included an entree, two sides, desert, and an extra side of Black-eyed Peas (why go somewhere without trying the signature dish?). It also came with plenty of dinner rolls and/or corn bread. I’ve been to a few of these restaurants in the past, and the quality never varies. A good bet if you are traveling in Texas or Colorado.

Bootlegger Bistro
Bootlegger Bistro is a bit off the beaten path, located on south Las Vegas Blvd, near Blue Diamond Rd. You would never guess by the name, but this is one of the premier Italian Bistros in Las Vegas. The food is excellent. They have entertainment nightly, including one of the most ‘cheesy and stereotypical’ Vegas lounge acts i’ve ever seen. Another thing I like about it is that (weather permitting) they have outdside dining so I can smoke.

Cheddars Casual Cafe
Cheddars is a small nationwide chain with about 60 restaurants. I like the food here. Their Potato Cheddar soup is almost as good as mine (ha, ha). Mine is better merely because I can get a lot more of it. The atmosphere is casual and it is similar to Bennigans or Ruby Tuesday in clientele, a younger crowd, but we “fogeys” can still enjoy ourselves.

Dewar’s Candy Shop
Another ‘hometown’ Bakersfield favorite located at California Ave and ‘I” St. They are famous for their candy, but they also make the best ice-cream I’ve ever had. In fact, ice-cream is the main reason I go there. Life gets no better than delving into a “Black and White” Sundae (chocolate and vanilla ice-cream layered between marshmallow and hot fudge, with nuts on top). They also have “peppermint stick” ice-cream (vanilla ice-cream made with real pieces of peppermint candy). It makes a dandy milkshake. Their candy is premium quality too. They make taffy (chews) in 5 different varieties, and chocolates as well. The minute you walk through the door, your olfactory sences go into “hyper-drive”. If Heaven has a smell, this must be it.

Famous Dave’s Bar B Q
I discovered this restaurant chain in Kansas City, KS, but they are a nationwide chain. The food is excellent. The waitstaff was friendly. When you order, they include gratis what they call a “sauce tour”. It is about 1/2 an order of steak fries which you can use to sample their 6 different varieties of Bar B Q sauces. The atmosphere is relaxed. All the employees wear T shirts with different slogans on them such as “Get Sauced”, “It ain’t Bar B Q if you didn’t get any on you”, or my favorite, “I’m saucy, are you”.

Farmer Boys
Farmer Boys is a local franchise of fast-food restaurants located throughout the Los Angeles Megalopolis. They offer freshly made food in good portions at a reasonable price. Some have limited parking for trucks which is another reason for my stopping here. “Truck friendly” restaurants are rare in the LA area.

Golden Corral
This is a chain of Buffet restaurants which feature Steak on the menu. The quality varies greatly depending on the location, but all i’ve tried have been at least good. If you walk away hungry, you just weren’t trying. They feature a wide variety of Entrees and Sides (besides Steak) and good Salad and Desert Bars. They are reasonably priced.

Harris Ranch
Harris Ranch is located on I-5 between Bakersfield and Sacremento (about 100 miles north of Bakersfield). Their specialty is BEEF, Duh!! They raise and process their own. The restaurant is clean and nicely appointed. The food is top quality. The prices are moderate. I go here for the Chicken Fried Steak. It’s the best I’ve ever had.

Hofbrauhaus
The Hofbrauhaus is located in Las Vegas at the corner of Paradise and Harmon (diagonally across the street from the Hard Rock Cafe). This is an authentic German Biergarten. The fare is genuine Bavarian and, of course, they have many varieties of Beer available which are consumed by many of their patrons in great quantities. The food is good and moderately priced. “Boarding house” seating makes for a convivial and festive atmosphere. Naturally the experience would not be complete without an “oomph band”, which they have every night. This is a fun place!!

Luby’s Cafeteria
This is a chain of Cafeterias, mostly in Texas. The food is good and the prices are reasonable. Everything on the menu is a la carte, but I usually get enough to eat including dessert and drink for less than $15.00. They have a wide variety of entrees, a good selection of salads, and generous sized desserts. Their Chicken Fried Steak is well above average.

Marie Calendar’s
This is a nationwide chain of restaurants whose main claim to fame is their pie, but all their food is excellent. I’ve tried a variety of their menu items, and have never been disappointed. Their Potato Cheese Soup is excellent (almost as good as mine, naturally). Their Corn Bread is also worth mentioning. It’s delicious. No matter what you order, don’t forget to save room for a piece of your favorite pie (or get one ‘to go’). It’ll be worth it.

Outback Steak House
Another Nationwide chain. I always like my visits here. The food is consistently good from location to location. I’ve eaten at several in my travels across America. I usually have the rib eye steak with crab legs or shrimp scampi, (which they will add to any steak order for an additional $6.95). It comes with a baked potato and soup or salad. I usually order a Caesar salad, although their potato soup is also delicious. Their bread is freshly baked and excellent. I’m usually out of there including drink and tip for under $35.00.

Pea Soup Andersen’s
This is a California institution. I has been in business for over 80 years . The original restaurant was, and still is, in Buellton, CA (on CA-101 just north of Santa Barbara). As the name implies, their specialty is Split-Pea Soup. One can easily make a meal out of just that, but they offer a full menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Much of their food is grown or produced locally, so it always is fresh. My travels usually take me to the newer restaurant on I-5 in Santa Nella (between Bakersfield and Sacremento).

Perkin’s Family Restaurant
This is a small chain of Family Restaurants similar to Marie Calender’s. They specialize in baked goods, but all their food is good. They offer a wide variety of muffins, a reason to go there in and of itself. I usually have breakfast here. It is consistently good. I did have one instance of bad service at their Hamilton, MT location, but that was all on the server. She was just clueless. The incident did not alter my opinion of the chain as a whole. They offer good portions at a good price.

Sonic Drive-in
This is one of my favorite fast-food restaurants. I like the food and especially the frozen treats. I can’t stop here without having a milkshake, float, sundae, or cone. They have good breakfast sandwiches as well. The MMM especially enjoy the french toast sticks, as do I. Their prices make them affordable and offer good value for your dollar.