In-N-Out Burgers Inc.

Smashburger Opens Its First Two OC Restaurants

Five Guys, In-N-Out, meet Smashburger. I believe you already know The Habit. Smashburger has opened its second planned restaurant last week in Aliso Viejo after debuting one in Mission Viejo weeks before, on November 20th. The latter was the first outlet in Orange County for the Denver-based ... More >>

On The Line: Geeta Bansal Of Clay Oven, Part One

Geeta Bansal doesn't sit still. Her travel plans to visit chefs Europe are around the corner, and they've just finalized plans for another dinner collaboration-- and that's just for October. Most recently, they served wild boar at Taste of Newport. Plans to prep their signature Thanksgiving turkeys ... More >>

On the Line: Pascal Olhats, Part One

"I think it's time that Orange County made its mark in the country by being a restaurant scene. It's going to take some time. . . It's simmering, but we need to make it boil."It's unfair to associate Pascal Olhats with only one establishment, since he's spent the last 20-something years parlaying hi ... More >>

Game of Burgers: Dominion of Diners, First Round!

Let's get down to it shall we? My first round has four battles between eight contenders in the division we're calling the Dominion of Diners. We have Pee Wee's versus Red Robin; Memphis versus The Catch; Mick's Karma Bar versus The Rider's Club; Yellow Basket versus A's Burgers.So without further ad ... More >>

No. 87, Polenta Board at CUCINA Enoteca

A memorable meal can be layered in flavor or simple in taste. In the case of our polenta board, it leans towards the latter. The fewer the components, the more a kitchen focuses on precise execution. Call it the In-N-Out school of thought: When an item is made well, it need not be fussy nor possess ... More >>

On the Line: Ryan Adams of Three Seventy Common Food Drink, Part One

When interviewing a chef at their establishment, there's always the possibility that we'll be interrupted by one of their staff and our meeting will be cut short. In the case of Ryan Adams, it was quite the contrary. He assured us that interruptions wouldn't occur in their private dining room (a.k.a ... More >>

Deer Tick Want You

To be politically aware, frolic in sandals (if you're a girl) and avoid Mitt Romney

The Riders Club Cafe Goes Back to Basics

This San Clemente dive makes a damn-fine burger

This Week In Food: Shit Vegans Say, New Girl Scout Cookie, Starbucks & Molotov Cocktails

So the first week of January was pretty good to us, food-wise; Star Wars burgers, the best sushi in OC, and famous lesbian movie scenes as depicted by hot dogs. Read all about this amazing week on the blog!

This Week In Food: Gustavo's New Book, Best Chocolate Chip Recipe Ever, And Portola Coffee Lab

Portola Facebook​What with our early deadlines crunch and best stuff of 2011 lists soon to be popping up on our blogs, the Weekly is about ready to wrap up the year. But we still have three weeks of the year of the Rabbit, so here's a wrap-up of this week in food instead.

Stick a Fork In It Reacts to the 2011 OC Weekly Readers' Choice Awards

​It's Best Of time . . . you have your dead-tree copies, right? No? Go get one . . . we'll be here when you get back.Unfortunately, whoever was supposed to tabulate the Reader's Choice poll this year into one easy-to-read guide must have had a huge hangover because it's nowhere to be found online- ... More >>

This Week In Food: RIP The Helm, Slater's 50/50, Free Food From Seabirds Truck

RIP the Helm :-(We lost several good men this week including Costa Mesa's the Helm bar, Sassoon Chicken in Orange, and South Coast Winery in Santa Ana, to name a food. But our news wasn't all bleak this week. See our good news of the week after the jump!

On the Line: Joe Youkhan of Chef Joe Youkhan's Tasting Spoon, Part One

Photo by Meranda Carter​South County is represented this week, as we sit down with Joe Youkhan and discuss his Italian-inspired, Rancho Santa Margarita-based luxe lonchera, Chef Joe Youkhan's Tasting Spoon. An East Coast transplant, he loves his butter, salt and vino. Learn how this father of two ... More >>

On the Line: Christian Murcia of Crepes Bonaparte & Brats Berlin, Part Two

Photo by Laila Derakhshanian​Our conversation with Christian Murcia continues as we discuss family, animal-style fries and Crepes Bonaparte's stint on The Great Food Truck Race. To read up on yesterday's installment, you can click here. For a savory cooking lesson, come back tomorrow.Hardest lesso ... More >>

No. 73: G-Style Fries at G Burger

Edwin Goei​Welcome to the Weekly's list of our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2011! Tune in every day until we get to número uno! Now, on to the latest entry.George Makri's G-style fries is a superlative mound of food that has a drive-thru origin but a sit-down pedigree. If it cribs a bit from In-N-Out' ... More >>

On the Line: Hung Tram of La Creperie Cafe, Part One

Photo by Laila Derakhshanian​It helps to have a sense of humor when you're launching two restaurants. Just ask Hung Tram. A couple of months ago, he opened one in Chino Hills; this month, the second La Creperie Cafe welcomed diners off Pine Avenue in Long Beach. Hung found time between commutes to ... More >>

On the Line: Dave Dennis of Matador Cantina, Part One

Photo by Amy Kaplan​A man who loves his turf as much as surf, Dave Dennis banged out our questionnaire in one day (Thanks, Dave!). Is he hungry to discuss his views or just starving all the time? Only one way to find out what the chef at Matador Cantina is thinking . . . and rocking out to.What ar ... More >>

On the Line: Brent Palmer of Mesa, Part One

Photo by Amy Kaplan​When Mesa first opened, it was like the Skull and Bones Society: a secret society with no calling card, website or markings on the building. Now, the vibe is LA hipster without the commute and better food. Chef Brent Palmer helms the back of this house, and he has allowed us ac ... More >>

On the Line: Jared Cook of St. Roy Chef's Pub at Vine Restaurant, Part One

Phot by Kevin Lara​Can a name for our featured chef be more appropriate than Jared Cook? Nah. The man in the kitchen at St. Roy Chef's Pub offers us his thoughts on foodies and how he likes to spend his free time. On the Line, Part One, begins below.What are six words to describe your food?Real, c ... More >>

On the Line: Manuel Gonzalez of TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Part One

Kevin Lara​We head north this week to visit with Brea mainstay TAPS, which locals frequent for Sunday brunch. This is the domain of Manuel Gonzalez. His heart belongs to pho, and his weirdest customer request is NSFW. This certainly makes for an interesting start to On the Line. (Stay tuned for pa ... More >>

The District in Tustin Sees A Lot of Restaurant Turnover

Edwin Goei​If you're not In-N-Out, Chik-fil-A, or one of the other proven local stalwarts like Lucille's Smokehouse or JT Schmid's, the only sure thing of doing business as a restaurant at The District in Tustin is that someone will take your place soon after you're gone. In its four short years o ... More >>

Pee-Wee's Is Beach Burger Bingo

[Hole In the Wall] This Huntington Beach fave offers great burgers and hot dogs, and its regional specialties are even better

Do We Really Need a Jack In the Box Food Truck?

From JIB's Munchie Mobile Facebook Page​Carl's Jr. has one; so does In-N-Out.  Last week, ball-headed Jack got a truck of his own. Jack In the Box's so-called "Munchie Mobile" is tricked out in side graphics featuring the typically business-suited mascot all muscled-up in a He-Man pose and ri ... More >>

Alex Pettyfer Gets Some In-N-Out

Who's Alex Pettyfer? That's the same question I'm asking, but the E! side of the celebrity universe is pumping him up as the next It Boy--good for him.For our purposes, though, we only care that the Brit ate at In-N-Out.

Top Five Cheeseburgers Under $5--and Our Top Five Cheeseburgers Over $5

Chasen Marshall/OC WeeklyIn-N-Out: A god among burgers, but OC's best?Let's get this out of the way quick: I'm no food critic. ​I'm just another blue-blooded American who loves him some bloody beef and flavorful cheese on a big, toasted bun. If there can be a beer and a ball game (anything but bas ... More >>

Katy Perry Reiterates Her Love for In-N-Out in Rolling Stone

Pop chanteuse Katy Perry has never hidden her love for In-N-Out--she's tweeted about it, told reporters about it, and more. We get it--she loves the burgers.But she can't say it enough.

On The Line: Dean Simon of Bruxie, Part One

Christopher Victorio​If you've not heard of Bruxie, the waffle sandwich shop in Orange, time to catch up. We've reviewed it. Twice. We had slideshows, blog entries, the works. And it's not even a food truck. Now we go more in depth with Dean Simon, one of the owners as he goes On The Line. S ... More >>

The 2010 OC Weekly Readers' Poll: Better, But Still A Lot Of WTF

​Well, you've definitely improved, Gentle Readers.You picked Kéan Coffee once again as the best coffeehouse in OC, and I wiped a tear of pride from my eyes. My heart swelled as I read that the Bruery is your favorite brewery, that Slater's 50/50 is where OC loves to get a hamburger, and that Rach ... More >>

Forget Five Guys Burgers: Why Can't We Get a Blake's Lotaburger?

In retrospect, I should've taken a better picture...​Finally got around to trying the much-hyped Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and the verdict is...eh. Not meh: they make a good burger, better than the chains for the most part, but not as good as In-N-Out by any sense of the imagination. And defini ... More >>

Mariela Rebollo of Barcelona On the Go, Part 1

Photo by Kimberly Valenzuela​We've interviewed the chefs of fancy places, we've interviewed the chefs of hidden holes in the wall, but we've never interviewed the chef of a food truck until now. Mariela Rebollo is the force in the mobile kitchen of Barcelona on the Go, a Spanish food truck that's ... More >>

This Week in Food

​ It's been a busy week for Stick a Fork in it, so we'll just drive right in!Dave introduces us to five foods first eaten out of desperation, gives his suggestions on how to circumvent tasty tomato scarcity, describes how one food truck has begun to do deliver and holds a battle of the Lebanese pi ... More >>

Joël Robuchon (a.k.a French Food God) Eating In-N-Out

Photo Courtesy of Kat Odell at Good Bite​Who's that eating an Animal Style In-N-Out burger? Why, it's Joël Robuchon, the man dubbed "Chef of the Century" by the Gault Millau, and the only one who can boast more Michelin stars than any chef in the world. Still doesn't ring a bell? You might ... More >>

Life on the Veg: Vegetarian Sausages at Valhalla Table

Grace LeSpicy Italian Sausage​ There's little better than a hot, spicy Italian sausage between your buns. There, we said it. Now that we've gotten the necessary sexual innuendo out of the way, it's time to move on and describe what it was like to wrap our lips around seven savory inches of  v ... More >>

This Week in Food

http://trstn.com/​This week, Stick A Fork In It has managed to cover everything from crime and condiments to burgers as big as your face!Gustavo's Taco Bell Crime of the Week recounts the story of an ex-manager on the run after an ultimate act of job dissatisfaction.Edwin discovers a Korean cookie ... More >>

On the Line: Shewaye Zeleke of Tana Ethiopian

Dave Lieberman​That Tana Ethiopian Restaurant is on a fairly short list of places I visit frequently is due to a serendipitous trip to Portillo's in Buena Park a few years ago. I saw a sign and pulled a quick U-turn in the road, earning me the ire of a bus driver and the first of many happy dining ... More >>

My Five Favorite Burgers in O.C.

The Counter​Burgers abound in our fair county, and not just at the obvious favorites of In-N-Out and Fatburger. Those are a given. If you didn't know about them, I would have to assume that you are vegan or just arrived from space. For this reason, I didn't include them in my list of five fa ... More >>

On The Line: Daniel Stevens of Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill

Courtesy of Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill​When not in the kitchen, Daniel Stevens, executive chef of Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill at South Coast Plaza, can be found surfing the waves in Huntington Beach. This Connecticut native graduated from culinary school in 1996 and has been leading the Costa Mesa ... More >>

On The Line: John McLaughlin of At Last Café

Photo By Russ Roca​Every city should have a chef like John McLaughlin, who at his At Last Café cooks gourmet food but charges diner prices.  Long Beach, you're lucky to have him.  And we are lucky that he agreed to answer our silly survey.1. Dish that you cook that most represents you. ... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Beautiful Burgers at Lake Forest's Burger Town USA

The Hot, Beery Beerness of OC Beer Fest

​First, look at that picture to the right. See that hat? About half of the attendants at the Orange County Beer Festival on Sunday were wearing one of those. Singha Beer realized what this event was: A chance to promote their brand to people willing to pay $40 for three hours of unlimited beer.[[F ... More >>

[This Hole-In-the-Wall Life] Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini at A's Ace Burgers

Men Get Hate Crime Charges for Vicious Beating of Illegal Immigrant Janitor

Right about now three Southern California men probably wish that they'd just gone home after drinking booze at the Angels 9-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox on August 8. Or, perhaps, James Joseph Kelly, 26, Justin Louis Mullins, 23, and Cheyne Danica Wilson, 25, wish that the final event of their even ... More >>

Del Taco: Chicken-Checkers

So I'm cruising over the 241 toll road Monday listening to the Angels-Yankees game on 710, when a Del Taco commercial drifts over the airwaves. There's some blah-blah-blah, and then the ad does exactly what the Lake Forest-based fauxMex chain's marketing department hopes it'll do: It gets my attenti ... More >>

Meat You in Heaven

OCs top five new restaurants and other random observations

Diary of a Mad County

Sept. 9 - Sept. 12

Grub Guide

This week in supporting Costa Mesa restaurants

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Best Entertainment, Nightlife and Music

Sin-N-Out

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An OC election time line