Roscoe's Famous Deli

As you step inside, you feel like you’ve just walked into a roadside diner, only a little more upscale and a lot cleaner. Motorcycles, road signs and other automotive paraphernalia adorn the room.

Chino Hills is the latest outpost of this chain, with the flagship located in Fullerton. For a deli, however, the menu is rather limited as far as the selection of sandwiches go. If you are a meat lover though, this is the place for you. All of their sandwiches come with 9 ounces of meat and a choice of one side.

The Italian Beef Sandwich, come with layers of thin, juicy slices of seasoned beef topped with Mozzarella cheese and pickled peppers and carrots. The menu says it comes on a French Roll, but it’s more like an Amoroso Roll. A side of au jus comes with the sandwich for your dunking pleasure.

The Curly Fries are the same ones you’d find in any other restaurant. Although these are some of my favorite types of fries, this version would have been much better if they were hotter and crisper. Nothing seems to ruin fries more than having them lukewarm and soggy.

While Roscoe’s is a more than decent choice, it doesn’t compare to the better deli’s in the Southern California area.

Roscoe’s Famous Deli
14700 Pipeline Avenue
Chino Hills, CA 91709
(909) 597-3304

Thai Original BBQ

I’ve never been to Thailand, so I wouldn’t know what authentic Thai food is like, but it seems like most Thai restaurants are rather “Americanized”. I’m sure you can find an authentic dish or two at any restaurant, but most menus seem to hold back on the spice and punch of flavor that could send it on another plane.

The Tom Yum Kai, is the quintessential hot and sour soup. Both spicy from chili and sour from lime juice, this soup is laden with tender cuts of chicken, straw mushrooms, carrots and cilantro. The heat and pungency will clear your sinuses in a heartbeat.

The Beef & Broccoli seems out of place in a Thai restaurant since most people expect this dish to be in a Chinese restaurant. The beef is tender and flavorful, the broccoli crunchy and the oyster sauce gives it a delicate sweetness. While I don’t really consider this a Thai dish, I’ve seen it served in just about every Thai restaurant I’ve been to.

The Thai BBQ Chicken is a half chicken that is moist on the inside and a delicate yet crunchy skin on the outside. The charred skin adds a smoky nuance to the chicken. The dish is served with a sweet and spicy sauce that adds another dimension of flavor. Served with some rice and this dish is a winner.

Certainly not up to par with Thai Nakorn, but Thai Original BBQ certainly fits the bill when you have a craving for Thai food. And it isn’t too bad for a chain.

Original Thai BBQ
2911 Chino Avenue
Chino, CA 91709
(909) 590-1009

Badbobs BBQ

Badbobs BBQ is a fairly new restaurant in the area. It is a franchise of Bobby Grooms, who has had some impressive showings at the BBQ Championship in Memphis in May, and other state competitions. Their specialty is whole hog, but they also make some very good pork shoulder and brisket. This is Memphis style BBQ. It is dry rubbed and smoked. You then have the option of having it sauced when you order, or you can always add your own.

The Beef Brisket is fall apart tender, and is very juicy. Although it does have a somewhat smoky taste, there is no hint of a smoke ring. I have a feeling that the meat is smoked then “rests” in its own juices until ready to serve. That serves two purposes: It keeps the brisket very moist, almost to the point where it almost “too juicy”; and it helps to add some extra added flavor. The brisket is so tender that it almost melts in your mouth. The BBQ sauce is not overly sweet and has a little tang to it. It could use some more heat for my taste, but is one of the better sauces I’ve had.

The BBQ at Badbobs is pretty good, and I’d like to explore their menu a little bit more since they specialize in pork, and I’ve yet to have the pork shoulder or baby back ribs.

Badbobs BBQ
3210 Chino Avenue, Suite A
Chino, CA 91709
(909) 591-8470

Chicken Box

The Chicken Box has been around for as long as I can remember. I have passed it on numerous occasions without even giving it a second glance. Recently, I started paying closer attention to the sign, and lo and behold, I see that they serve broasted chicken. What is broasted chicken and what makes it so special? It’s a method that sort of like deep frying in a pressure cooker. That results in a method that uses less fat to fry chicken with comparable results.

The end product at the Chicken Box gives a nice, crunchy exterior and a very moist and juicy interior. The chicken is nicely seasoned, and although it lacks that real heavy coating found on most fried chicken, it still produces a resounding crunch that reverberates through your teeth. The chicken is not greasy in the slightest bit.

The broasted potatoes are cooked in the same fashion, although the end result is sadly not the same as the chicken. The potatoes are rather limp in comparison and really lack any seasoning.

There are a couple of caveats about the Chicken Box. It is take out only, so unless you live really close or plan on eating in your car it is likely to get cold and lose some of that valuable crispiness. They also cook the chicken once you order it, so be prepared to wait at least 25 minutes unless you call in your order. They are also closed on Wednesdays.

Chicken Box
330 E. Whittier Blvd.
La Habra, CA 90631
(714) 525-1345

Porky's BBQ

BBQ seems to be something that everyone can associate with. There are various types of BBQ, something to fit everyone's tastes. Porky's has been widely regarded as one of the best BBQ restaurants in Southern California. They specialize in pulled pork and pork ribs, but also serve beef and chicken. Their BBQ is dry rubbed and smoked for up to 20 hours over hickory wood.


The pulled pork sandwich is overflowing with luscious, slowly smoked pork butt that has been dry rubbed. It is topped with coleslaw and just a hint of BBQ sauce. The sauce is a little tangy and not too spicy. The sandwich has to contain at least a half pound of smoky pig. There is just enough fat on it to glisten your lips and give it that extra flavor. The only thing that could be better was if the meat was hot, but they take it right off the smoker and serve it at that temperature, otherwise that juices would evaporate with the added heat.

The yams are very Southern style, loaded with butter and brown sugar. There was just a little too much butter for my taste, and its heavily seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. It's almost like a mini dessert in a bowl.

They even have Golden Bird Fried Chicken, and chicken and waffles for adventurous types.

Porky's truly is one of the best BBQ places in town.



Porky's BBQ
801 E. Manchester Blvd.
Inglewood, CA 90301
(310) 671-2900

Portillo's

Chicagoan's rejoiced when an outpost of their very own opened up in California. Throngs of faithful diners lined up non-stop to relish one of the things they missed most, the Chicago hot dog. Even though Portillo's has been open for a while now, it always seems to be crowded.

I came here wanting a taste of something truly original, the Chicago hot dog with the works. For Chicagoan's nothing can seemingly be beat. For Californians it seems like an odd mix of ingredients to pile onto a hot dog.


The Classic Hot Dog comes adorned with mustard, relish, onions, sliced tomatoes, Kosher pickle slice and sport peppers loaded onto a steamed poppy seed bun.


The hot dog has a natural casing for those who like that snap. The hot dog itself is very good, nice and juicy although a bit on the smaller side. The combination of all of the ingredients just didn't work for me though. There was way too much going on. I didn't realize it was a sweet relish, and though the Kosher pickle's saltiness was a flavor contrast, I went into cucumber overload. The cornucopia of toppings just seemed to hide the taste of the hot dog, which is ashame since the hot dog should be the main character and not just another role player.

I would certainly give Portillo's another try, but would tone it done and have it "California style".





Portillo's
8390 La Palma Ave.
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 220-6400

Brodard Restaurant

Brodard Restaurant is neatly hidden away behind a shopping center. So many people have gotten lost trying to find it that getting to the restaurant seems to be like being invited to a secret club complete with complicated stealth handshake and all.

Brodard’s is known for their spring rolls, particularly the pork ones. Although they do serve other types of Vietnamese dishes, the spring rolls are what keep people coming back.

The Chai Gao, or Eggrolls, are filled with pork, shrimp and crab along with vermicelli noodles and vegetables served with a chile lime fish sauce. The eggrolls come steaming hot, clearly right out of the fryer. When bitten into, a nice resounding CRUNCH can be heard and felt. The balance of ingredients work well together. The addition of vermicelli noodles is a Vietnamese twist on the Chinese classic and may catch diners off guard if eating them for the first time. The eggrolls are served with pickled daikon and carrots in addition to the chile lime fish sauce. The sauce is not overly hot, but it helps to cut through the richness of the oil.

The Nem & Chao, Hai Cuon Moi Loai, or Mixed Spring Rolls, come two to an order. This is split between the infamous shrimp and pork spring rolls. These are not made with distinguishable pork or shrimp, but instead is a paste with a slightly sweet taste. The first thing you notice about the spring rolls are their size. These are, by far, the biggest spring rolls that I have ever seen. In addition to the sausage like pork or shrimp paste filling, each spring roll contains lettuce, carrots, mint. Cucumbers and spring onions that stick out one end of the spring roll like antennae. The spring rolls are served with a “house special sauce”, which is an Oompa Loompa orange and is a mystery as to what it contains.

The Bun Bo Xao is a meal in a bowl. It contains sliced beef over vermicelli noodles with crushed peanuts, shallots and greens. The dish is very refreshing and is almost like a noodle salad. The dish is served with a chile lime sauce that gives an acidic punch to the dish but not much heat. Like most Asian dishes, the amount of protein in this dish is minimal compared to an American counterpart, which is my only complaint about this dish.

Brodard’s is definitely a destination restaurant for their spring rolls. Although the other dishes are okay, it’s the spring rolls that keep people coming back for more.

Brodard Restaurant
9892 Westminster Avenue, Suite R
Garden Grove, CA 92844
(714) 530-1744