Recently in Burgers Category

By Amanda Newfield

We all know that there is no way to dine on a budget at the L.A. County Fair, but the experience and variety are worth paying for.

Deciding what to eat can take all day. And with the usual cotton candy, corn dogs and funnel cakes, the fair offers an overwhelming amount of choices. It's the perfect place to ditch the diet and pig out.

Fish 'n' chips booths are scattered throughout the fairgrounds and the smell of the freshly fried seafood and veggies is alluring.  

On my recent visit, I went for the fish, fries and zucchini plate for $10.50.

The batter was light and not at all overwhelming, while the veggies were fresh and tasty. What surprised me was the large portion I was served. I was able to share the meal and still feel that sense of satisfaction. Those 10 bucks went a long way. 

Another place that offers the fried selections the Fair is famous for is Chicken Charlie's Broasted Chicken.

Also, try the "Totally Fried Veggies," featuring zucchini curls, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and onion strings, for $7.75. The appetizing chicken kabob is $9.75. If you want fries with it, the cost is $12.75.  

But those are just the usual menu items.

Last year, Charlie Boghosian, known as "Chicken Charlie," debuted his Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich.

His creation this year is the "Meat Lover's Ice Cream," featuring soft serve ice cream with chocolate-covered bacon bits.

Also new additions this year are the deep-fried frog legs and the deep-fried peanut butter, honey and banana sandwiches. 

Which dessert to try at the Fair is also a difficult decision to make, especially since Colossal Gelato, a gelato ice cream in a 16-inch waffle cone, is new to the Fair this year.

I decided on the $3.75 Fried Twinkie with strawberry syrup drizzled on top from Chicken Charlie.  

This selection was definitely one for those who have a strong sweet tooth. I enjoyed the crispy texture on the outside with the warm, creamy filling on the inside.

No one can miss Juicy's BBQ, which offers whole turkey legs, giant western sausage, burgers and chicken.

The Fair also has fun, reasonably priced meals for kids, and some come with a toy in a Fair collector's box.

For those looking for an elegant air-conditioned dining venue, the Top of The Park restaurant located atop the horse racing grandstand offers a more upscale dining experience.

Enjoy your meal with a view of the Fair; indoor or outdoor seating is available. Top of The Park is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To view the menu or make a reservation call (909) 865-4120.

Any food selection made at the Fair will be a good one. But don't get distracted or overwhelmed, and try as many different foods as possible.

For more information about food at the Fair, visit the Web site at www.lacountyfair.com/2009/attractionscompetitions/fairfood.

I didn't grow up eating at fancy restaurants. The first time I stepped into a Denny's I thought it was fancy because we had to be wait to be seated.

So when I first went into Sizzler and saw it's salad bar I thought I was in heaven. I love creating my own salads and when I was younger I used to eat almost everything in sight. (Can't really do that now that I'm not as active.)

After high school, I really found out what a fancy restaurant really is but I still love having the freedom of creating my own salad every once in a while, so I made a lunch trip to Sizzler in West Covina with some colleagues recently.

I think Sizzler's steaks are decent and I definitely loved when they had all-you-can-eat ribs, but I never tried a cheeseburger there.

I took a chance on it this time since the restaurant chain's promotional commercials of a cheeseburger, side of fries and endless salad bar for only $9.99 had me brainwashed.

I ordered my burger medium raw, I would usually go raw on meat but I didn't want to take that much of a chance this time. The burger comes with your choice of cheese, I went with Swiss, lettuce, tomato and sliced red onion, which is my fave. Of course I like a little kick so I added some steak sauce and jalapenos.

After a cup of clam chowder soup and a nice helping of salad, complete with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, and drenched in ranch, I dug into my burger.

The toppings were fresh and the meat was cooked the way I ordered, not too raw or too cooked, but the meat didn't seem to be the best quality of beef used.

I know I'm spoiled because I have a chef at home who makes amazing burgers, any way I want them, but I was dissapointed with the quality at Sizzler. Even Carl's Jr. and Burger King burger patties taste better.

So finally, I will still be going back to Sizzler for the endless salad bar, including frozen yogurt, but I'll stick to other menu items I'm more familiar with like steak and lobster next time.

But since I don't have much room in the belly anymore, the salad bar hits the spot all on its own.

Whether it's because of the current economic downturn or more people favoring smaller meals to super-sized ones, many fast-food chains are adding smaller, quick and less-pricier items to their menus.

MINI MANIA

To add to their mini-sirloin burger craze, Jack in the Box has now added mini buffalo ranch chicken sandwiches - mini Homestyle chicken fillets topped with Frank's® RedHot® sauce, ranch sauce and shredded lettuce on toasted mini buns.

I love buffalo sauce so these are on my list to try. I already love the mini-sirloin burgers, with a nice juicy thick mini sirloin patty, slice of cheese, grilled onions all sandwiched between two mini sweet buns.

These are definitely not super-sized, but these three fill me up just fine. These mini's start at $3.89 plus tax, for three burgers or sandwiches alone.

SLIDER SENSATIONS

Moving on from their not-so-difficult fight with KFC and their new grilled chicken, El Pollo Loco is adding more items to their tasty menu such as their new chicken sliders, chicken carnitas tacos, and bringing back barbecue chicken for a limited time.

I recently took a chance on their sliders which come in three ways - bbq, original and spicy all on a mini telera roll - and start at 99 cents each, plus tax.

The original and spicy come with lettuce and either a chipotle spicy sauce or a cool mayonaisse, and a breaded, crunchy, fried chicken patty.

The barbecue is shredded pieces of their flame-grilled chicken smothered in a slightly tangy barbecue sauce with coleslaw.

I only tried the spicy and the bbq and they were pretty tasty for how small they were, but they're not very fillin. Even after three I was still hungry. They should also still be a little careful when shredding the pieces of chicken for the barbecue - I bit into a small piece of bone in my slider.

Maybe they'll try mini shakes and wings next.

Now that we've touched a little on bringing lunch from home in 'Brown bagging it', let's talk about value menus.

With many people tightening their wallets, restaurants and fast food joints seem to be trying anything to get you to part with your money in increments of $1, $5 and $10 at some places, thinking that we'll believe it's a great deal if it's on the value menu or the special of the day.

I like the new Sizzler commercial about getting great values that include chicken, steak and fish dinners, and the salad bar, all starting at $9.99. That's the catch right there - starting at. I like Sizzler on occasion, if I'm in the mood to create my own monstorous salad my way, but I wouldn't say it's always a great value for what they have. Sometimes the meat or chicken can be a little plain and dry, and adding a drink or any sides brings your total lunch to about $15 or more.

Not necessarily value.

And I don't know what it is, but I got over Subway sandwiches about a year ago. Maybe it's the fact that I know I can get a better tasting, fresh sandwich at a small family-owned little shop for less than $5 - AND I get a drink and chips.

So when they try to tempt me with their $5 foot long specials, I am not enticed at all.

It seems that almost every fast-food place has a value menu now, even Pick Up Stix - go figure.

Here are my top 5 favorite value menus:

1. Wendy's - Can you say baked potato, chili cup, original frosty, jr. bacon cheeseburger - all for about $1 each?? Now that is value.   

2. Taco Bell - I can definitely fill up for $5 here with choices from soft and crunchy tacos, burritos, nachos and more. 

3. Jack In the Box - Make your own combo meal with choices of two regular tacos for $1, small fries, egg rolls, a good old classic Jumbo Jack and more.

4. Burger King - I must admit I'm not always tempted by new items the King has, but I like that their value menu has plenty of classic items like the Whopper and Whopper Jr., as well as new like the Spicy Chick'N Crisp sandwich, AND even breakfast items - score. 

5. Carl's Jr. - I love Carl's Six-Dollar burgers, as I have mentioned before, and the taco salad is pretty good too. But as far as a value menu, the only thing I enjoy there is the spicy chicken sandwich. It's delicious but a little plain - there are a few Carl's locations that will add tomato and/or lettuce for free, but others will charge an extra fee - ridiculous.

TELL ME WHAT YOUR TOP 5 ARE BELOW.

By Eric Terrazas

When I first heard the news that Bob's Big Boy was going to open a restaurant in West Covina, I couldn't help but smile.

I haven't visited a Bob's Big Boy in many years. The last time I tasted a delicious Bob's burger was in the early 1980s.

On a recent afternoon, I decided to check out the new Bob's Big Boy in West Covina. I ordered the Big Boy Combination, a burger that consists of two patties, American cheese, lettuce and red relish sauce.

The meal also comes with French fries and cole slaw. For $1.99 more, you can substitute the fries for onion rings. I decided to order the onion rings even though it cost me the extra cash.

When my food arrived, the burger did not disappoint. The burger tasted delicious, just like I remembered it. Adding to the burger's scrumptious taste was the red relish sauce.

The onion rings, which are hand-breaded, and cole slaw also tempted my taste buds. Overall, it made for a good meal.

On my next visit to Bob's Big Boy, I plan to come with a bigger appetite. That way I could try their dessert menu.

Bob's dessert offerings look rather tasty. The selections that most caught my eye were the hot fudge ice cream cake, the banana split and the Big Boy Super Shakes.

The dessert menu also includes pies and pastries. I received a good look at some of Bob's pies while waiting in the cashier's line. I wouldn't mind trying their pies as well.

I'm also curious about Bob's half-pound burgers. As a longtime bacon burger aficionado, the Big Cheese and Bacon burger is something I especially want to try.

If you're a morning person, you would be happy to know that Bob's also offers a nice-sized breakfast menu that includes pancakes, eggs, waffles and French toast.

As a longtime fan of hamburgers, I'm happy to see that Bob's Big Boy has opened in West Covina. I plan to take my family there one of these days. I think they will be happy customers.

Bob's Big Boy is located at 100A S. California Ave., West Covina. For information, call (626) 851-2627.

By Eric Terrazas

I never shy away from a good hamburger.

Over the years, I have eaten at many different burger joints. And on a recent afternoon, I made my first visit to Victor's Villa in West Covina.

I decided to order the quarter-pound cheeseburger along with a side of onion rings. The burger cost me $3.15 while the onion rings are priced at $3.19.

After taking my first bite, I was impressed with the burger's fresh and tender taste. My cheeseburger came with lettuce, tomato and thousand island dressing, which all added to the burger's goodness.

The onion rings also did not disappoint. They especially tasted good after I added ketchup. All in all, it made for a nice lunch.

If you are not a fan of cheese, a quarter-pound hamburger is available for $2.85.

The Victor's Villa menu should also delight bacon and chili lovers. For $3.20, you can order the quarter-pound chili burger. If you're in the mood for bacon, the quarter-pound bacon burger can be had for $3.99.

Since I'm a fan of both bacon and chili, I would be willing to try the Victor's Villa take on both the chili and bacon burger.

For those with slightly bigger appetites, the quarter-pound Onasis Special burger is available for $4.85.

Victor's Villa also offers a good Mexican food selection. For $2.99, you can order a taco asada. Burritos, taquitos and quesadillas are also offered.

Several different sandwiches are also on Victor's menu. Selections feature pastrami, rib-eye steak, chicken breast, roast beef, turkey breast, fish, tuna, club and patty melt.

In addition to the onion rings, other side orders offered include fries, hot dogs, zucchini, corn dogs, rice and beans.

Patrons with hearty appetites can check out the dinner plates, which come with salad, fries, onion rings, zucchini and garlic bread. Dinner selections include the New York steak, pork chops, rib-eye steak, fried chicken, shrimp, fish and pastrami.

Victor's Villa also serves breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon. Selections include pancakes, omelettes, eggs, steak, chorizo, sandwiches and burritos.

Victor's Villa is located at 2201 W. Francisquito Ave. in West Covina. For information, call (626) 338-1129.

While the dining experience was pretty much what you'd expect from sitting on a corner in Baldwin Park (I had a woman try to sell me Chicklets while I was eating and a pigeon got a little too friendly), it was enjoyable nonetheless.

The hotdog, which came loaded with onions and mustard, was clearly of the footlong variety as it had outgrown the bun.

The hamburger came medium well (I wasn't given an option) and was tender and juicy. Thousand island dressing and shredded lettuce came standard on this one.

Both were satisfying, and I cleared my plastic basket from the table feeling heavy in the stomach and light in the wallet.

Stars Burgers is located at 14351 Ramona Blvd. in Baldwin Park. For information call (626) 337-7777.

daniel.fritz@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2201

Dining on a budget:

I walked into the Canadian Cafe in Monrovia ready to take all of Canada they were willing to throw at me.

The amount of time I've spent in Canada doesn't even add up to 20 minutes - the time it took to walk back and forth over The Falls. So I decided to do a bit of culinary research on America's neighbors to the north.

In addition to the many varieties of fish, shellfish, and other seafood to be found, Quebec is known for its cheese; Ontario, its maple syrup; and in Newfoundland, seal flippers, cod tongues, moose, caribou and venison are among the delicacies.

I didn't find any of these on the Canadian Cafe's menu - unless they have an In-N-Out -styled secret menu - so I decided to piece together the most Canadian meal I could.

It was getting close to lunch time after an assignment in El Monte today and as I was leaving saw a nearby burger joint.

Ironically, the assignment was about a story on woman's health and fitness, (I'll start the diet on Monday).

'Art's - The Art of Burgers" the sign read for this small location on Valley Boulevard. The set-up reminded me of a typical In-N-Out or Tommy's stand.

Drive-thru on both sides, walk-up window, small parking lot and a few tables nearby.

Coincidentally there is a Tommy's right across the street.

The menu was typical of a burger stand - hamburger, cheeseburger, double-cheeseburger - with a selection of sandwiches as well. Chicken, steak, etc.

Dining on a budget:
It's a restaurant that offers a fun look into American pastimes.

Legends Classic Diner stands on "The Main Street of America," also known as Historic Route 66 in Glendora.

The diner has a jukebox cranking old tunes and an old-fashioned ice cream and soda bar.

As I walked into the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon, I couldn't help but notice that it was filled with families enjoying the day together. On one side of the restaurant, one group celebrated a birthday.

Out of a very large menu of sandwiches, burgers, salads, even Mexican food, I decided to order something basic - the cheeseburger combo.

A lunch-time staple of the newsroom people is Dino's Burgers on Arrow Highway in Azusa. If you haven't heard, they make this incredible grilled chicken dish. The secret marinade is what makes it special. It's so top secret that they won't give you any of it to go or even put it on the side. (Of course, if you go there every day, they might make an exception.) The chicken sits on bed of greasy fries, a perfect way to soak up all the tasty juices.

Here's reporter Dan Abendschein at Dino's. I think he goes there about once or twice a week.

There's been a lot of press about Dino's chicken:

• Broowaha think's it's amazing.
  
• Night City Editor Phil Drake went to Dino's when messed up the recipe and survived the hottest chicken ever.
  
• The original Dino's Burgers is in downtown LA.
  
• LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold writes that the best part is the "dense stratum of French fries" underneath the chicken.
  

If you aren't in the mood for chicken, they also have sandwiches, burgers, salads and Mexican food.

Dino's Burgers
843 W Arrow Hwy
Azusa, CA 91702