934 Hamilton Rd., Duarte 626-599-9580
Type: American
Quality: !!! Price: $-$$ Ambience: ***
They mainly serve rotiserrie-style chicken here. When combined with the garlic butter, it's exceptionally good. The price rating reflects the average lunch price, but you can get a whole chicken with 3 side orders for $13.99. Supposedly, it feeds two or three people. It has a lounge area complete with couches. I haven't quite figured out why it's there other than that if they didn't have a lounge area, they would need to change their name.
226 W. Foothill Blvd., Monrovia 91016 626-357-4844
Type: American
Quality: !! Price: $-$$ Ambience: !!!
I know I've reserved this category for unhyphenated restaurants, but I need to make an exception here. They serve primarily hamburgers, sandwiches, and fries. But they also serve some Mexican foods and gyros. Suprisingly, they have 8 types of salads on their menu (Grilled Chicken Breast, Tuna, Taco, Greek, etc.). The burgers are decent. The small fries are large enough to be shared by either 1� bigger eaters or 2 smaller eaters. For a fast food restaurant, they have an unusually large menu. The drive-thru is more like an obstacle course than a drive-thru. Once you enter the parking lot, follow the signs that take you to the back of the lot, force a sharp U-turn, and then twist your car into the drive-thru lane. I'm sure it's a lot more fun going through it on a bicycle.
9600 Flair Dr., El Monte 626-442-2400
Type: American
Website: http://www.edwards-steakhouse.com
Quality: !!! Price: $$$-$$$$ Ambience: !!!!
The astute reader is probably wondering why on earth I actually ended up at a place this expensive. Well, they mailed out a bunch of coupons, so we were able to get discounted meals. Anyhow, the steaks in this place are quite decent. While, I've had better steaks in my life, those were on special occasions at restaurants where I did not pay (thank heavens!). It's a step above something like Black Angus. You can get a decent steak for just under $20 with the usual side dishes--potatoes, veggies, etc. The apple butter is pretty good. But the real reason why I like this place is the decor is so kitschy that it's awesome. It's classic Americana--carved Indian/Native American statue, belt-driven ceiling fans, faux-sawdust floor, black and white pictures on the walls, etc. They even have a popcorn machine inside, so you can feed your kids with popcorn while they wait for the food to come out. Finally, the wait staff was very nice to us and especially to the kids.
127 W. Foothill Blvd., Monrovia 91016 626-358-4540
Type: American
Website: http://www.wraps360.com
Quality: !!! Price: $-$$ Ambience:
Sometimes, hole-in-the-wall places are a pleasant find. Java GoGo Cafe (aka Wraps 360) is such a place. They mostly sell wraps but also sell some sandwiches and salads. Unlike their more famous bretheren on the cool part of town (i.e. where silicone is the most common substance found on the street), these wraps are made with ingredients like spinach, basil, and tomato. They're slightly chewy. The wraps are really giant burritos closed on one end and open at the other. You get a regular salad with each order. The BBQ chicken wrap is quite tasty. What makes this place good is the freshness of the ingredients. The fruit and veggies were in tip-top shape. It's rare to find such good quality in such a small place. The ambience, has improved lately. You order at the door/window, and you can eat at the wonderful, CNC-machined tables while speeding cars roar by on Foothill Blvd. They've added misters and a lot more landscaping. It's actually pretty nice. Nevertheless, the food here is tasty and delicious--I'm adding it to my rotation. I haven't had a chance to try the breakfast, yet.
It's hard to find because it's a bit set back from the street. Also, city hall won't let them put signs on the sidewalk.
Sal, the owner, told me that if customers want quicker service--especially in the morning--they should phone their orders in advance to avoid backups in the drive-thru. Sal is a nice guy. His mom also helps out, too.
141 E. Colorado Blvd., Monrovia 91016 626-599-9092
Type: Art gallery
Website: http://www.thepeachcafe.com
Quality: !!! Price: $$-$$$ Ambience: ****
When we got here, the place was packed. I immediately felt severely out of place. On the walls, there was (GASP!) art. This was not my usual type of restaurant--it had class. I resisted the temptation to run. I had a job to do--I needed more restaurant reviews for American restaurants. So we sat down and ordered. I had the Texas Melt sandwich--it was delicious. The bread was grilled, and there were onion rings inisde my sandwich. My coworker had another sandwich, but I don't remember what it was. The food was actually pretty good. I can't say much about the art. They had some sign saying how wonderful the art was and that the artist was exceptional. But I'm a wannabe restaurant critic, not a wannabe art critic. And because I couldn't understand the art, I'll give the ambience rating an additional asterisk. Overall, it was quite enjoyable experience.
441 W. Duarte Rd., Monrovia 91016 626-357-2659
Type: American
Quality: !!! Price: $$-$$$ Ambience: ***
I didn't know quite what to expect when I entered, but I'm glad I did. Service was a bit slow for a small place, but at least they ignored us in a friendly way. Fortunately, once we ordered, service improved a lot, and I didn't even need to tell them that I'm a wannabe restaurant critic with a huge, loyal readership (thank you to all three of you out there--you know who you are!).
They primarily serve sandwiches, burgers, and breakfast here. I had a Reuben sandwich lunch special. I was very surprised by the vegetable soup--it was delicious. Unlike many places, it wasn't too salty. Instead, the ingredients were fresh; I'm sure they cooked it on the premises instead of ordering large cans of it. My pasta salad was also a huge surprise--it was freshly made. Sometimes, you can tell that certain restaurants bought their pasta salads at Smart and Final because they are way to tangy (so they can hide the lack of freshness). The dressing on the pasta salad wasn't overwhelming, so you could quite literally taste the freshness of the ingredients. The Reuben was also really good.