For me, dining out is a special treat, and it’s one that I want to make last. Writing restaurant reviews helps me revisit the experience, enjoy it and extend the value I get for the cost of the meal. Not only do I get the experience itself, but the recollection of it as I write it and then, sometimes many years later, as I read it. Even when a meal is less than enjoyable, I feel I get something out of it by being able to write about it.
I started writing restaurant reviews back in the late 1990’s, long before Yelp and Tripadvisor were around. I posted my first reviews to a Bay Area foodie newsgroup (does anyone even remember those?), later I moved to my website. In the last couple of decades, however, the chaos and expense of parenthood had me eating out less and writing even less about it, so my restaurant review pages became terribly out of date. I am not starting anew. And here I go:
CALIFORNIA
BAY AREA
San Leandro
- A1 Pho
Vietnamese
Visited in March 2024. Good. $ - Bag O’Crab
Seafood chain
Visited in October 2021. OK. $$ - Bara’s Deli
Sandwiches
Occasionally Visited. Very Good. $$ - Black Angus
Steakhouse chain
Last visited in May 2024. Good. $$$ - Chicago Pizza
Pizza
Last visited in March 2024. Good. $$ - El Torito
Tex-Mex chain
Last got take out from San Leandro location in January 2021. Good. $$ - Indian Grill
Indian
Last visited in March 2024. Good. $$ - Nation’s Giant Hamburgers
Burger chain
Last visited in March 2024. Very Good. $ - Panda Express
Chinese chain
Last visited in May 2024. Good. $ - Rocky’s Charcoal Grill
Burgers
Last visited in May 2024. Good. $ - Tapsilog Express
Filipino
Visited in August 2022. Good. $$
Hayward
- Buon Apetito
Italian
Visited in August 2022. Very Good. $$ - Panera
Sandwiches
Last visited in May 2024. Good. $$
Dublin/Pleasanton
- Pacific Catch
Seafood
Visited Dublin location in May 2022. Very good. $$$
Oakland
- Jo’s Modern Thai
Thai
Visited in April 2024. Excellent $$$ - Mägo
Colombian
Visited in May 2024. Very good. $$$$
Peninsula
- Cafe Bliss
Breakfast/Sandwiches. Belmont
Visited in April 2024. Good.
PACIFIC COAST
Santa Cruz
LOUISIANA
Avery Island
- 1868! restaurant
Cajun/Creole
Visited in April, 2024. Good. $$
Baton Rouge
- TJ Ribs
Barbecue
Visited in April, 2024. Good. $$
Lafayette
- Prejeans
Cajun
Visited in April, 2024. Excellent $$ - Olde Tyme Grocery
Sandwiches
Visited in April, 2024. Good. $$ - Bon Temps Grill
Cajun
Visited in April, 2024. Good. $$
Natchitoches
- Whataburger
Fast Food
Visited in April, 2024. Very Good. $ - Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant
Cajun/Southern
Visited in April, 2024. Good. $$
New Orleans
- Brennan’s
Creole/Breakfast
Visited in April, 2024. Good. $$$ - Brigtsen’s
Creole
Visited in April, 2024. Very Good. $$$ - Broussard’s
Creole
Visited in April, 2024. Excellent. $$$ - Café Beignet
Breakfast
Visited in April, 2024. Very Good. $ - Café du Monde
Cafe
Visited in April, 2024. Very Good. $ - GW Fins
Seafood
Visited in April, 2024. Very Good. $$$ - Johnny’s Po-Boys
Sandwiches
Visited in April, 2024. Very Good. $$ - Napoleon House
Creole
Visited in April, 2024. Very Good. $$ - Pat O’Brien’s Courtyard Restaurant
Creole
Visited in April, 2024. Very Good. $$
NEW YORK
New York City
- Cancun Deli
Empanadas
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $ - Daniel
French
Visited in February 2024. Excellent. $$$$ - Dock Asian
Thai/Pan-Asian
Visited in February 2024. OK. $$ - Empanada Mama
Empanadas
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $ - John’s of Times Square
Pizza
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $$ - Junior’s
American: Diner
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $$ - Katz’s Deli
Jewish American
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $$ - Kochi
Korean
Visited in February 2024. Excellent. $$$$ - L’Amie Pierre
Breakfast/Sandwiches
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $ - La Grande Boucherie
French/Breakfast
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $$$ - Magnolia Bakery
Bakery
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $ - Mama Halal Food Truck
Food Truck: Middle Eastern/Indian
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $ - Pick A Bagel
Bakery
Visited in February 2024. Good. $= - Russian Samovar
Russian
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $$$ - Sugar Factory
American/Dessert
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $$$ - Tavern on the Green
American
Visited in February 2024. Very Good. $$$ - Urban Hawker: Daisy’s Dream Kitchen
Singaporean Peranakan
Visited in February 2024. So-so. $$ - Urban Hawker: Wok N’ Staple
Singaporean
Visited in February 2024. Good. $$
TEXAS
Dallas – Forth Worth
- Babe’s Chicken Dinner House
Chicken, Texas
Visited Burleson, TX, location in April 2024. Very good.