CLOSED

Phil House, inside Island Pacific Seafood Market, 6753 Carnelian Ave. (at 19th), Rancho Cucamonga

Like Market World, the Korean market chain that occupied this old Alpha Beta (and later IGA), the similarly Asian-grocery specialist Island Pacific Market has a small food court. Having never dined inside a supermarket before, I invited a friend for lunch.

The main food stall is a Filipino buffet, and there’s also a small dim sum stall. A couple of other spots are vacant. The market only opened in November. We lined up at the buffet, named Phil House. (Presumably no relation to reader Bob House.) It’s a little like a Panda Express: If you want a combo of one or more items, they grab a styrofoam container that already has rice in it and will add whichever items you request.

They had various pork, chicken, beef and seafood items, including barbecue skewers, and soups and stews. Other than an eggplant dish, we didn’t see any vegetables. Nothing is labeled, but we asked about various items that looked appealing. I had a pork dish and a soup with fish ($6, pictured below). My friend had a different pork dish and some kind of barbecued fish. No way you’re going to duplicate our order because even we don’t know what we had.

We sat in a nearby roped-off area of tables and chairs near the other stall. My grilled pork was tasty and the sauce at the bottom, flavored with onions and peppers, was great with a little rice mixed in. The soup, a broth with chunks of whitefish, was also enjoyable. My friend liked his fish (even though he had to pick out all the bones) and his other dish.

His wife arrived and got steamed buns from the dim sum stall. I had a pork bun (price unknown), and that was good too. The staff could be seen making them in the kitchen. About the only place I ever get steamed buns is the Famima in Union Station, and as you’d expect, these were better.

So, yes, you’d be eating inside a supermarket, but the food was good, fresh and cheap. Even if it might not have catchy names.

CLOSED

Rounds Burgers, 885 S. Indian Hill Blvd. (at Auto Center Drive), Claremont

The premium burger wars are heating up in Claremont, where the Village’s Back Abbey and Eureka have been joined by Rounds, which opened in January near the 10 Freeway and Norms.

The only other location is in West Hollywood, a rare moment of hipness for Claremont; Pasadena and Sherman Oaks locations are said to be coming soon. The chain’s website is here.

I met a friend at Rounds in Claremont for dinner on a rainy Friday night recently. It was busy, but not as busy as Back Abbey or Eureka, where requesting a table at that hour might have sent a greeter into hysterics. At Rounds, where you order at the counter, there was still seating available. The feel is LA-ish, what with the centerpiece being a communal table. The seating is much more comfortable than a Five Guys and the music volume more restrained.

They have some burgers that can be ordered right off the menu, but they also provide slips  and pencils (a la The Counter) with which you can build your own burger in six steps, choosing from an array of sauces, toppings, cheeses and buns. It’s a little like doing homework, or maybe voting, as there are bubbles to fill in next to your choices, but it’s preferable to standing at the counter and trying to wing it.

I got a 1/3-lb. beef burger, cooked medium rare, with Swiss, mushrooms and pesto mayo on a fresh bun, as a combo with fries and drink ($9.65); my friend had a turkey burger with bleu cheese crumbles as a combo ($1 less because my mushrooms counted as a premium topping).

We liked ’em both: good burger, substantial bun, above-average skin-on fries. The burgers are made by hand and the buns are baked on the premises. Another friend opines that the result is somewhere between The Habit and Umami, or between fast food and gourmet, and priced accordingly.

(Somewhat pretentiously, though, the servers will tell you you can’t drop any toppings from the selection burgers because it would “harm the flavor combination.” Yet you could fill out a slip and come up with the same sandwich without the objectionable topping. Which part of “build your own” don’t they understand?)

While perhaps not as good as Eureka or Back Abbey, and with a more limited menu, Rounds makes pretty good sandwiches, and cheaper too, and you won’t walk in hearing the wait for a table is an hour. You might find the setting more restful and the attitude better. At the same time, Rounds isn’t in the Village, isn’t yards from the movie theater and it doesn’t have the style or beer selection of the other two places. Depends what you’re looking for. I like all three but I’m happy Rounds is here.

CLOSED

Kealoha’s Taste of the Islands, 12206 Central Ave. (at the 60), Chino

Formerly part of the Honolulu Harry’s chain, this restaurant made a seamless transition in 2012 to become Kealoha’s, owned by a Harry’s manager (who’s a native of Hawaii) and featuring a similar Hawaiian menu and decor.

It’s a rare Inland Valley theme restaurant, from the palm trees in the parking lot to the bamboo-heavy interior. It hearkens back to the Polynesian-tiki era, only without the statues. (The location began as a Cask ‘n Cleaver and later was a Crabby Bob’s before becoming Honolulu Harry’s.) I had a good dinner there a few years back when it was Harry’s but hadn’t been back since it became Kealoha’s. To rectify that, a friend and I met there for lunch earlier this week.

The interior looked about the same to me, slightly kitschy but not over the top. We got items off the lunch menu: kalua pork for me, loco moco for him ($10 each). Mine (pictured below) was pulled pork with shredded cabbage and rice; his (pictured at bottom) was a beef patty with fried eggs, rice, gravy and onion straws. Each came with a side of macaroni salad. He liked his; mine was average. My portion seemed a little small and I wish in retrospect I’d had an appetizer because I left slightly hungry.

Kealoha’s has a bar, called the Mai Tai Lounge, and they have special nights. Fridays and Saturdays they have live Hawaiian music, and sometimes, Feb. 17 is the next, they have $45-a-head luau nights with a buffet and live entertainment. Cheaper than a plane ticket.

So, Kealoha’s didn’t wow me, but I’m glad it’s there and hope it thrives.

CLOSED

Carnitas Don Juan, 1382 W. Holt Ave. (at Weber), Pomona

Opened in 2012 in a former Wienerschnitzel way out on Pomona’s West Holt past the Catholic church, Carnitas Don Juan has received enthusiastic ratings online. I met a friend there for dinner on what was one of the coldest nights of the year, and naturally the place has no indoor seating. Well, in the quest for taco excellence, we made the best of it.

They have tacos, burritos and tortas with various meats, many of them pork-based as you’d expect from the name, all served out of a blue-and-white A-frame building with a pig on the sign. Two friendly guys were in the kitchen, whose warmth felt inviting through the sliding order window. One joked that it’s not so great inside during the heat of summer. Regardless, I was about ready to ask for an application and tell them I could start immediately.

I had carnitas and chicharron tacos ($1.25 each, pictured below with carnitas on the right); the carnitas was crispy pork, the chicharron was pork rinds, i.e., even crispier. (They also have a chile verde carnitas that’s not crispy.) These were some of the best tacos I’ve had in Pomona. My friend had carnitas, al pastor and chorizo tacos, and other than concluding the al pastor was a bit dry, he was also impressed. We sat at a table on the otherwise-empty patio in our coats and stocking caps, warmed by the food. One of the guys came out to make sure we liked our food, which was nice of him.

I’m looking forward to going back, but maybe not on a night when it’s 38 degrees and dropping.

It’s relatively easy to get here from the 10, by the way: Exit at Dudley, drive south on Dudley and turn left on Holt; the restaurant is about two blocks east, on the south side. Just like Wienerschnitzel, they have a drive-thru.

CLOSED

Ban Chow, 9755 Arrow Route (at Archibald), Rancho Cucamonga

To kick off 2013’s Restaurants of the Week, here’s a hole-in-the-wall takeout place in Rancho Cucamonga that might be the only place in the Inland Valley to get Cambodian food. Ban Chow is a simple storefront in the same center as Jack in the Box, Nancy’s and Guido’s. It’s easy to find: It’s the only business without a sign.

Thanks to reader Andy for directing me here. The specialty is the ban chow, an egg crepe filled with onion, bean sprouts and a choice of meat. I got the sampler plate ($8.10) which has a ban chow, a meat skewer, rice, pickled papaya salad, an egg roll and a soda. I liked my ban chow (pork) and skewer (beef). Tasty, filling and a good deal for the money.

It’s takeout only because they have no customer restroom, although there is a small counter you can sit at. The staff said the only other Cambodian restaurants are in San Gabriel and Long Beach. The menu is short; if you get the combo plate, you’ve had pretty much everything they have. Based on photos on their Facebook page, they sometimes have baked goods, including macarons. (I didn’t see any on my visit.) Does any other place in the valley have fresh-baked macarons? If they do, it’s a safe bet they don’t have ban chow.

CLOSED

Escabeche Grill, 5460 Philadelphia St. (at Central), Chino

I was in Chino, driving around looking for one Mexican restaurant and finding another. Escabeche is in the Chino Promenade center, with a movie theater, gym, thrift store and other shops. The sign looked new and snazzy so I figured it was as good a place as any for lunch.

The menu is Chipotle-like, an upscale take on bowls, burritos and tacos. Fillings are divided between “proteins” and “veggies.” The menu touts “healthy Mexican food.”

I ordered a taco trio with fish ($4.75) and sat down to wait. The dining room is surrounded by windows on three sides, for a lot of natural light. Seating is at solid tables with ornate iron pedestals and wooden chairs. The woman at the next table got a torta and the bun looked oversized and substantial.

My tacos arrived (on a pie plate, reminiscent of the pizza pans at Chipotle) and were delicious, with double tortillas made on the premises and grilled marinated fish. “Escabeche” is an acidic marinade, described online as being like the type in ceviche, and that fits the taste of my fish. The restaurant also has aguas frescas and a few bakery items.

Even though Escabeche Grill looks like a chain, it appears to be a single location, there in Chino for a year. It’s got potential. I’m glad I found it.

CLOSED

Johnson’s Hot Dogs, 851 W. Foothill Blvd. (at San Antonio), Upland

Upland is graced with two locally owned hot dog stands, the established Windy C’s, here since 1999, and the newer Johnson’s, which opened in 2011. I’ve blogged about the former and only recently visited the latter, meeting a friend there for lunch.

While Windy C’s is a Chicago dog specialist, in a hole-in-the-wall location, Johnson’s takes a more ecumenical approach, offering more varieties: Chicago, New York, Southern, Seattle, Texas, Sonoran and L.A. See the menu here. The restaurant interior offers far more elbow room too.

I got a New York deli dog, which comes with sauerkraut, onions and mustard, as a combo with fries and a drink ($8). My friend got a Sonoran dog (pictured) with a soda and a side salad.

His verdict? Tasty. He liked his dog, which came bacon-wrapped, and his salad. He said he’d come back and expressed interest in the mac ‘n’ cheese dog. My dog and fries were decent, although the same combo at Windy C’s (there called the Wrigley) is better on balance: tastier dog and bun, not quite as tasty fries. Oh, and my green tea with honey was addictive.

Whichever Upland spot you prefer, neither of them is the Stand, Slaw Dogs, Skooby’s, etc., referring to some of the top L.A. haute dog stands, but they both are more than acceptable and preferable to Wienerschnitzel.

Incidentally, Johnson’s patriotic interior has walls and counter painted steel blue, with oversized white stars, and the ceiling has stripes of white and burnt red. If you’re of the right age and musical inclination, you’ll feel like you walked into the cover of Neil Young’s “Hawks and Doves.”

CLOSED

Taco Man, 915 N. Euclid Ave. (at Foothill), Upland

Taco Man opened in August in the Stater Bros. CVS center on the southwest corner of Euclid and Foothill, fronting Euclid just south of Coco’s. (I’m being precise on the location because I had trouble finding it.)

It’s a simple storefront operation with ample natural light through the floor-to-ceiling window. The decor involved some work: There’s a tile floor, a panoramic mural of a Mexican street scene (below) and a second mural featuring a man who resembles Diego Rivera but probably isn’t. The interior practically sparkled. (I also cracked up at the sign at right.)

A group of us went recently for a mid-afternoon meal. I had two soft tacos ($1.39 each, pictured above), one each of asada and pastor, which arrived in double tortillas and were very good.

A friend who also got tacos liked them equally well. Not outstanding, but a bit above average. (For the record, this was “Ask a Mexican” columnist and food writer Gustavo Arellano, a man who knows his tacos.) The others in our group got sopes and cheese enchiladas and were unimpressed.

Hey, it’s not named Enchilada Man. You go to a place called Taco Man, you get the tacos. Oh, and I got a Mexican soft drink I’d never seen before, Sidral Mundet (apple soda), in a bottle for $1.69. I liked it.

Service was bilingual and helpful. The kitchen seemed unprepared for a group of six at that hour, our food arriving a plate at a time courtesy of the lone cook. So, a mixed review, but if you’re looking for decent Mexican food in Upland, you could do lots worse.

CLOSED

London Burger, 843 N. Mountain Ave. (at I), Ontario

What you notice right away at London Burger is the red double-decker bus parked in front. The owners bought the London bus secondhand, restored it, took out the engine and put it outside their restaurant as a conversation piece.

The fast-food restaurant, which opened in April 2012, occupies a former Spike’s Teriyaki Bowl on an uninspiring portion of Mountain Avenue between a mortuary and a Taco Bell, with a McDonald’s across the street, making the red bus more of a surprise. I suspect a lot of people will think the restaurant is named London Broil.

I bought lunch the other day before introducing myself to the owners and asking what the deal is with the bus. They have burgers, a veggie burger and fish and chips. I got a London Cheeseburger ($4.03), steak fries ($1.39) and medium soda ($1.69).

There’s nothing especially London about the burger — thankfully they don’t pile mushy peas on it — but the result was ambitious for a place with a drive-thru.

You can get a burger as a slider, a 4-oz. (as I did) or a 7-oz., and on a flour or wheat bun. The beef is mixed in the kitchen and handformed into patties rather than being premade frozen discs, a depressingly common practice. The cheese is mozzarella, although you can substitute American. The fries were acceptable but a little soft. I’m told the fish and chips is beer-battered cod.

The interior decor is standard fast-food except for the British touches: a red London phone box as a centerpiece, faux stone accents like a castle, British photos (many with doubledecker buses), two tabletop 3-D dioramas of London and a red and black color scheme to match the bus.

The bus, a 1961 model, is intended to open for dining soon — what a concept — once they finish converting the interior into booths and install air conditioning.

So, it’s a novelty, but the food’s not bad at all. Good show, London Burger.

CLOSED 2012

Dillon’s BBQ, 2232 D St. (at 3rd), La Verne

Dillon’s opened in 2011 in downtown La Verne in the former Phoenix Garden space fronting a minimall, with several businesses in a shared space. There’s a patio in front and spacious seating inside, with exposed brick, a high ceiling with exposed pipes and red-checked tablecloths.

A friend and I stopped in for lunch the other day. You order at the counter and they bring your food to you. I got a pulled pork sandwich with a side of cole slaw and a soda ($7.75) and my friend had a sausage sandwich with a side of mac and cheese and a bottle of water (same price).

It was a mixed verdict. The sausage was deemed “okay,” the mac and cheese very good. Meanwhile, when the server (who had also taken my order) brought my sandwich, she said, “here’s your pulled chicken sandwich.” Chicken? I looked at my receipt, because as a soft-spoken fellow I might have been misunderstood, but no, they had recorded my pulled pork sandwich properly. Whatever, I ate it. The bun was better than average, the chicken was on the dry side, and there was a bone (crunch).

Well, the cole slaw was pretty good.

This was just an experience from one meal. Dillon’s might be better than this. If I lived or worked downtown, I might give them another try. But since I don’t, I probably won’t.