Recently in San Dimas Category

By Evelyn Barge

Have you ever tried to grab an off-hour lunch in San Dimas?

On a recent late Friday afternoon, I drove around in circles to three different eateries only to find that each had closed down between lunch and dinner service.

That's how I ended up, out of sheer desperation, at an establishment like Zendejas Mexican Restaurant.

Whereas I started my late-lunch hunt hoping for healthy vegetarian cuisine, by this point I was willing to settle for - actually, devour - some greasy tacos and guacamole. (That counts as a veggie serving, right?)

From the get-go, it was obvious I was going to blow my $10 budget. (I usually go out on these types of reviews with just $10 in my pocket, as a personal challenge to remain within "Dining on a Budget" monetary limits.)

Almost every item of substance on the menu costs $9 or more, unless you count chicken strips or wings ($8.95 each) as substance. (To be fair, there are some buy-one-get-one-half-off coupons on the restaurant's Web site, but that wouldn't have helped me as a solo diner.)

The house specialty plates start at $11.50, and who doesn't order a house special when trying a restaurant for the first time? I picked the carnitas tacos platter ($11.50) with rice and beans, plus a cup of albondigas soup ($3.95).    

The tacos were dry, and the pork - shredded, plentiful but woefully tasteless - didn't hold a candle to that served out of my favorite roach coaches.

In the soup, the meatballs and broth - the heart and soul of traditional albondigas - were equally bland. I gnawed on a couple meatballs before putting the lid back on and relegating the container to the depths of the fridge, never to be regarded again.

I spent approximately 15 minutes inside Zendejas, ordering food from the hostess and waiting for it to be prepared. That time was enough to convince me there are few places I'd rather dine in less than this one.

The dining room was vacant, save for an older couple on their way out the door and a small family just settling down into a booth. And yet there was enough noise coming from the bar area and patio to suffice for a packed, rowdy house.

By the time I left around 3:30 p.m., both were filling up steadily with afternoon pre-happy-hour revelers - mostly male, mostly young and mostly on their way to the proverbial three sheets, wind business. (Maybe the food tastes better with booze?)

Shouts of "Do you want another one?" (Of course he does!) were relayed from one barmate to another.

In the parking lot, anxious to make my hasty escape, I waited on foot while a jacked-up pick-up truck squeezed its massive frame into the compact space next to mine. Its driver dismounted, before hopping the wooden railing onto the patio, apparently as antsy as I am to instead get inside.

Does Zendejas Mexican Restaurant have any appeal? Yes, for people who read a slogan like "I'ts (sic) Party Time, Zendejas Time" and think "I want to go there."

I am not one of those people.

Zendejas Mexican Restaurant is located at 665 W. Arrow Highway in San Dimas. For information, call (909) 592-6762 or visit www.zendejasmexicanrestaurant.com .

By Stacey Wang

I've had bagels on the brains every Friday for the last two weeks due to the downtime "bagels or donuts?" discussion in the office.

As if Casual Friday didn't already make my day, I finally decided to satisfy my craving for those complex carbs.

In San Dimas lies Cafe Bagelry, a family-owned shop that has an extensive menu to satisfy bagel eaters of all kinds.

From cream cheese bagels to bagel sandwiches, the cafe has menu items ranging from $0.85 to $5.69, before tax.

I ordered a Californian - a cafe-proclaimed favorite tuna sandwich with Swiss cheese, avocado, tomatoes and sprouts on a toasted wheat bagel.

The generous portions of the sandwich alone were enough to fill me up, but the cafe offers a meal deal every Friday. Customers can order any bagel menu item, chips and a fountain drink for $6.

On any other day, my meal would have cost $7.79. It's not a huge savings, but I don't mind taking what I can get - especially if it's as gratifying as it was.

I also ordered a cafe specialty known as a Peaches 'N Cream bagel for $3.02 purely because it glimmered from its glass encasing with visual appeal.

The pastry was a bagel bread with a light spread of cream cheese. It was topped with peach slices fanned out like a pinwheel and sprinkled with cinnamon, which added a light fruity sweetness to it.

I didn't attempt to finish all of my food in one sitting - I would have cursed bagels until the new year had I tried.

The shop also offers alternatives to bagel items - including muffins, omelettes, wraps, croissants and more - while supplies last.

Some other items include an Early Bird Egg Wrap with egg, herb cream cheese and cheddar cheese at $3.13 and cookies at $0.75, which the menu proclaims is "the best" the cafe has ever tasted.

But don't expect to eat there at night. The place is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Cafe Bagelry is at 969 W. Arrow Hwy., San Dimas. Call the shop at (909) 394-9592 for more information.

By Maritza Velazquez

Finally a Mexican restaurant with a little authenticity. 

I was in downtown San Dimas, looking for a place that would quiet my growling stomach, when I came across Casa Del Rey. It's just a little further down Bonita Avenue, away from the cute Western-style shops.

I had never heard of the place, but what I found within was very surprising.  The dimly lit dining room was pretty empty, as it was well after the lunch rush. 

It was a beautiful day outside, so I opted to sit on the covered patio, which has heaters for the cooler winter days and is decorated with a line of pretty blue and flowered wall tiles.

I found that the service here was exquisite from the time I walked in. As soon as I took a seat, the server was already at work, taking my drink and meal order.

After scrolling down the expansive menu, I decided on the El Ranchero plate ($12), which comes with two enchiladas, one cheese and one beef, rice and beans and choice of soup or salad.

As I waited less than 10 minutes for my meal, I feasted on the fresh chips and salsa. My server dropped off both a mild and hot salsa, but I find my tastebuds always favor anything with more kick to it. 

And the hot stuff had just enough kick. 

My soup was just as good - albondigas - a small cup with thick pieces of tender meat, onions, carrots and celery. 

But what really impressed me was my entree, the enchiladas. Right when the hot plate was dropped off at my table, I knew I would enjoy it. 

Both the shredded beef enchilada and the cheese enchilada, topped with a red ranchero-style sauce, a huge dollop of sour cream and lots of cheese, were as delicious as they looked. 

So were the beans and Mexican rice. 

According to its Web site, Casa Del Rey uses no lard in its beans and uses no trans fat oil in all of its fried dishes. 

And for those of you who want to spare your arteries further, this restaurant offers many vegetarian and low-carb options such as the vegetarian tacos and health-nut salad. 

When I find a good Mexican restaurant, I don't hold back at all, and I will definitely be heading back to Casa Del Rey for more. 

Casa Del Rey is at 345 W. Bonita Ave. in San Dimas. The restaurant is open seven days a week. For more information, call (909) 592-2776.