Louie’s Chicken and Fish Grill, 960 N. Mountain Ave. (at Foothill), Upland
I was driving north on Mountain Avenue one lunch hour this week, looking for Upland Kebab, which was on my list of places to try. I didn’t see it this time, which means that either I missed it (both coming and going) or it’s gone. But Louie’s, a little farther north, was my second choice and that’s where I ended up.
Louie’s opened last year next to a FedEx store on the southeast corner of Mountain and Foothill. (Anyone remember what was in the Louie’s space before? La Salsa comes to mind.) I learned about the restaurant from a Business story we ran last year. Owner Louie Camacho previously owned Yahoo Chicken and Louie’s Chicken Cafe, both in Chino.
You order at the counter. They have rotisserie chicken ($9.95 each to go), grilled seafood, fish tacos, wraps and salads. All in all, a slightly different concept.
I got catfish, blackened, with brown rice and cole slaw as my sides ($8.49). Blackened is so often done poorly that it’s gotten a bad name, but this version didn’t overdo it. The slaw was moist and pleasantly crunchy.
Louie’s also has trout, tilapia, white roughy, Atlantic salmon, mahi-mahi, halibut and jumbo shrimp, ranging from $7.49 to $13.95. Obviously this is not fine dining, especially with the minimal decor and fast-food seating, but the menu is a nice change from the norm. There’s a patio with umbrella-shaded tables that looks like a relaxing spot — although not on a day when it’s not 95, as it was when I visited.
Louie’s, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Update, January 2015: It’d been a while since I ate at Louie’s, but having been reminded of the place recently, I went in for lunch. It was the same as I remembered, down to the taciturn older woman behind the counter. I got grilled catfish with garlic butter and chose brown rice and fruit as my sides ($10). Very good lunch, and healthy except for the butter. I wish they had grilled vegetables as a side; that’s what I get at Pacific Fish Grill. Here, cole slaw or a green salad were the only vegetables. But I liked my lunch and am glad to have renewed my acquaintance.
Update February 2016: The taciturn older woman, who was Louie’s wife, has sold the place, but the food seems to be much the same, which is a good thing. I returned for lunch and had the same order as above. Only better lighted! And different fruit in the side of fruit.
