mmm-yoso!!!

Duke's Old Fashioned Onion Burgers (La Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy while Kirk and His Missus are vacationing.

Duke's Old Fashioned Onion Burgers opened less than a month ago at a previous Starbucks location on the North West corner of Baltimore Drive and El Cajon Boulevard.  Checking some Instagram photos, it's been owned by this family since at least October, 2021 (when the hood fans were being installed).  Step inside, order, pay and your name is called when ready. The simple, straightforward menu. Oklahoma-style onion burgers started as a depression-era way to stretch beef. 
 Let me say this is a large tray, the serving of French fries is way more than two adults can (should?) eat and the burger and chicken sandwiches on toasted Brioche buns are wonderful. They are also imperfect.  
  A single onion burger ($8.95).  Fresh ground Angus beef, hand shaped, grilled with plenty of onions. No, no cheese (which does not cost extra).  I did choose lettuce, tomato, mustard and (house made) pickles (excellent!) as toppings (also mayo, ketchup and jalapeños are available as toppings).  The plain, crisp edged, smashed burger was unseasoned; when taking a bite with the other ingredients, it was great, but by itself, well, the quality meat was apparent, but I think needed a pinch of salt.  (I read some hidden Yelp comments and people were complaining of too much salt during the soft opening, so they went the other way, which is fine.)
 The chicken sandwich ($8.95) was quite large and very good.  I do think it was in the fryer about ten seconds longer than it should have been; breading was a bit too crisp.  Each bite was really tasty.
 This photo is deceptive; the serving is really large.  The container is deep.  The fries ($3.25) are fresh and are made to order. You are given a choice of ketchup (regular or spicy) or ranch.  The lemonade is made in house.  It is not too sweet and quite nice. 

We will be back to try the hand dipped milkshakes; many people were ordering those and sharing an order of fries.

Duke's Old Fashioned Onion Burgers 5020 Baltimore Drive Suite D La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 439-6177 

Roadtrip (During Covid) - The Watchman Trail (Zion) and Dinner at the Zion Canyon Brewpub (Springdale)

After our dinner at Partage we had a nice night of sleep. And then we headed off for Zion early the next morning after fueling up the car.

As for where we stayed....well, I'd learned some lessons during our road trips and made some adjustments. First, we stayed near Springdale, at the Cable Mountain Lodge, in Zion Canyon Village. There was a grocery, a brew pub, and the town of Springdale was a short walk away. 

Zion Canyon Village is also right at the west entrance to Zion as well. We arrived too early to check in; but there were some trails nearby, so we got our parking pass, and then I headed off to the Entrance Station right across the Virgin River. However, the station wasn't manned, so I walked over to the Visitor Center where there were two Rangers sitting at a desk and asked them about getting my entrance passes and paying my fee. I was told that I'd need to drive to the Toll Booth, pay for my 7 day pass, then return and start hiking......the other Ranger, who was really nice asked me how long we were staying and I said 3 nights.....he said since the pass was for 7 days and no one is manning the booths, that I could just go ahead and do the Watchman or the Pa'rus Trail and we'd just pay when we enter the park in the morning. I jokingly said; "if I do that; you won't send the FBI or CIA after me on the trail will you?" I heard someone cracking up nearby. A young lady was poaching wifi on her laptop and heard me. She laughingly said; "that's exactly the same thought I had......" Anyway, the two Rangers just cracked up and gave me their names; you know, "just in case a black helicopter tried to abduct me." These guys were hilarious.

So, there are three trails nearby; the easy, paved Pa'rus Trail, the Archaeology Trail, and the Watchman Trail which is a bit over 3 miles in and back with a 600+ foot elevation gain....well, you know which one the Missus picked, right?

The Watchman Trail. We found the trailhead after passing the Watchman Campgrounds right past the Visitor Center and Stores and headed off.

We saw way more wildlife in Zion than Yosemite.

It was a beautiful trail.

And the views....

There's a little loop trail at the top so you get a nice view of the valley below.

 I actually really enjoyed this hike; it wasn't too hard, the views were amazing.

By the time we finished up our hike; it took us a bit under 2 hours, we were able to check in.

Now, there's another thing I learned after our stay near Yosemite....we'd need at least a small fridge and a microwave. Well, our room at Cable Mountain Lodge was huge. It also had a real kitchen; stove, oven, microwave, dishwasher (!), and full sized refrigerator. 

As well as quite a view from the patio!

For dinner we walked across the parking lot to the Zion Canyon Brewpub.

And while there was ample seating inside; this is right at the doorstep of Zion, so we requested a table on the back patio.

I got a nice Amber Ale to start.

And the Missus....well, She got a burger (of course).

The burger was ok, it was anointed with Swiss Cheese, jalapeno bacon jam, and garlic aioli. But what the Missus really enjoyed was that onion ring and the Chimichurri Fries; which were crisp and had a decent amount of garlic and olive oil flavor.

I decided on the Elk Burger, which wasn't bad.

I enjoyed the mushrooms which had been sautéed in the amber ale; nice earthy-sweetness. I had seen that they put something called "Utah Fry Sauce" on the burger. I cracked up when I tasted it......it's basically the "poor man's thousand island dressing" I grew up eating; "mayo and ketchup"! The burger was mild in flavor, kind of gritty, and a bit over done.

Overall, this is what we kind of expected.......though as a whole it might had more "personality" (and was cheaper) then what we had at Rush Creek.

Zion Canyon Brew Pub
95 Zion Park Blvd.
Springdale, UT 84767

After dinner, I crashed early. The Missus already had some plans for tomorrow and it would be a full day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Roadtrip (During Covid) - Sentinel Dome, Taft Point, and Dinner at Rush Creek Lodge (again)

After a having a nice night's sleep at Rush Creek Lodge, the Missus was raring to go. After a light breakfast we jumped in the car and headed on out. We had place in mind and wanted to beat any possible crowds. It was going to be a bit of a drive first onto Wawona Road...where we stopped at the super popular Tunnel View.....it was early enough in the morning that there was no one else around. We had the wonderful view to ourselves.

From here we went onto Glacier Point Road and easily found parking at the beginning of the Sentinel Dome Trail. And so we headed up Sentinel Dome, which for some reason, I didn't find too difficult. You start in rather sandy ground and forest, eventually making your way up the granite slope.

And end up with an awesome 360 degree view of Yosemite.

That view of Half Dome is priceless.

And then there's this......

This fallen Jeffrey Pine was once the subject of one of Ansel Adams most iconic photos. Unfortunately, it died during a drought in 1977 and fell over in 2003. 

From here we scrambled on down then took a detour through the forest to Glacier Point.

Which way too crowded for my taste....so we headed back up the switchbacks to the trail and then headed around to Roosevelt Point.

The view from Roosevelt Point was outstanding.

Though that could be said about much of Yosemite. From here it was back on the trail.

Taft Point was also a great stop......

Not only for the fabulous views of the valley and El Capitan.....

Which are fantastic.......of course, with a lookout like this.....we enjoyed this much more than Glacier View.

Still, it's the fissures in the seemingly impenetrable granite that we found so fascinating.

It was amazing to see these fissures carved into the mountainside.

Once we were done, we headed back to the loop trail which led us to our car.

Coming early was a good decision; there were cars lined up looking and waiting for a parking spot as we left. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Yosemite Village (mostly window) shopping and then headed back to Rush Creek, where we had a short nap.

Since we went the packaged food route the previous night and the Missus wanted to have Her burger again, I made reservations at the restaurant at Rush Creek again. This time they sat us in the main dining room. It was a Wednesday and there were significantly more people at the resort.

We started with the "Garden" Board ($21), which wasn't such a big deal.

The Missus got the burger again ($20).

Ordered exactly the same as on our previous visit; this time it was overcooked.....so not nearly as good as before.

I went with the Brisket Tacos ($19).

The actual BBQ and seasoning wasn't too bad, but the brisket was dry and tough.

So...pretty much the same a before.

The Restaurant at Rush Creek Lodge
34001 CA-120
Groveland, CA 95321

Still, our room was super comfortable and the folks working at Rush Creek were really friendly.

And we'd had a wonderful of hiking in Yosemite.

We'd be checking out in the morning; but I had one more place on my list to check out.......

Roadtrip (During Covid) - Rush Creek Lodge and Spa, Hiking Around Rush Creek, and Yosemite Valley

Here's a fairly quick post about our trip to Yosemite in October of last year.

After heading out from Paso Robles, we took a bathroom break and filled up our tank at Bravo Farms outside Kettleman.

Bravo Farms is one of those.....well road side stops with everything from a diner - food court - mercantile, which means all kinds of stuff you never knew you needed, it has some places for kids to play....all in the middle of...well...not much.

I did really enjoy the signs in the very clean restroom which cracked me up.

It was a good place to stretch our legs since we wouldn't be stopping until we got to Rush Creek Lodge and Spa. I chose the place, which was kind of remote mainly because of the location, 1 ile from the west entrance to Yosemite and size of the rooms; we got a Hillside Villa with our own private and a nice view.

We arrived a bit too early to check in. I had told the Missus that there were hiking trails around the lodge.....so guess what we did?

I parked the car in the lot where our Villa was located and we headed up to where the trails were.

I asked the Missus which trail She wanted to do...big mistake....Her answer? "All of them." Which is what we did.

It did us a nice "taste" of the beauty of the area.

And once we returned, our "Villa" was ready......it was quite large.

And the view....

There were a couple of shortcomings with the unit. It had no microwave, so you'd have to eat in the resort or drive the 20 or so miles to Groveland. But, there was a Restaurant, Tavern, and a General Store. 

I had made reservations for dinner at the restaurant....during these times of Covid, it was optimal to do so. And on this day, we were seated in the Tavern.

The tables were nicely spaced out.

I started with a Big Sky Brewing Moose Drool ($9), a nice Brown Ale.

I was interested in trying the Crispy Fried Cauliflower ($17), which proved to be a mistake.

This wasn't particularly crisp and the sauce.....was like something from Panda Express; it was teeth rattling sweet. 

We also got the Tomato and Roasted Garlic Soup ($14).

This lacked garlic flavor. Though it still wouldn't have been too bad if it had been served at a better temperature. It was barely lukewarm.

The Missus ordered the Rush Burger ($20).

 After the two appetizers, we didn't expect too much....especially when they asked the Missus how She wanted the burger done. In many places, asking that question is just going thru the motions and you'll get your burger well done. This burger however, was cooked exactly how the Missus wanted. It also had a nice char adding a nice smokiness. The fries had a decent crispness.

I ordered the Lamb Shawarma ($21).

This wasn't very good either. The flatbread was really tough; so was the dry lamb which really lacked flavor.

Overall, very corporate food...our dinner was a $100 without tip! I guess most folks were a captive audience and there's no microwave in the rooms. At least the Missus enjoyed Her burger. And I guess we really weren't staying here for the restaurant, right?

The Restaurant at Rush Creek Lodge
34001 CA-120
Groveland, CA 95321

One of the reasons we stayed at Rush Creek was the distance to the West Entrance to Yosemite; it was less then a mile!

We got an early start and headed into Yosemite, making several stops along the way.

And then we entered the park.

The Missus was so excited about doing some hiking; unfortunately both of the trails we selected we closed as trail, road ,and parking lot work was going on. Sigh.....

We then headed to Yosemite Village and the visitors center, spoke to some rangers and decided just to do some trails in the area.

We first did the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, an easy trail. The water was just a trickle on this day....and few weeks later there would be a major storm and waterfall would be going like crazy. Just our luck on this day.

From here we walked thru Cook's Meadow....I really enjoyed the views from here.

And from here we headed to Mirror Lake via the Valley Loop.

Because parts of the trail parallels the road, there was a lot of vehicle noise; it's also a pretty busy bike path.....and of course, because of the season, Mirror Lake was dry. It was still quite beautiful though.

And we took the loop back to Yosemite Village and our car.

 We drove back to Rush Creek and relaxed for a bit. The Missus and I just weren't up to having another meal in the restaurant and we didn't want to drive to Groveland. We went over to the General Store and picked up a bottle of wine for the Missus and a beer for me. I had done some planning and brought along a self-heating Omeal and also a portable heater-lunch box; we had brought packaged meals. I put my package of basmati rice in the Omeal bag, so it heated up along the vegetarian chili.

The 110 volt hot plate didn't get things super hot, but it did the trick.

It was an ok meal......but the view just couldn't be beat.

And we were sure that tomorrow would be a better day!

Thanks for dropping by!

Takeout from Gourmet Artisan

Back in June, after I called and got a strange message from A Sandwich A'Fare and before I ended up going to the Philadelphia Sandwich Company, I called Gourmet Artisan and got an "voicemail full" message....which seemed kind of ominous. Were they closed temporarily, or permanently, or what? On a recent takeout revisit to SuperNatural Sandwiches, I noticed that Gourmet Artisan was open. So, a few days later, I decided to call....and I got a real person answering and placed an order for takeout.

I went with the Prosciutto Sandwich ($12). Upon opening the box at my desk I was rewarded with the distinct fragrance of parmesan and garlic from the fries; which made me quite happy as on my last visit it seemed that they had stopped with the parmesan, garlic, and truffle oil on the fries.

On the not-so-good side; the fries hadn't been fried enough and were really pale and of course, quite soggy.

The ciabatta could have been more toasted and was too chewy and doughy and over-powered the unevenly made sandwich. Enjoyed the peppery arugula; but everything else just fell flat.

There was one interesting thing that I noticed during my visit. There were three orders before me....each of them ordered burgers. Hmmm.....

So, a few weeks later; I decided to order a burger.....man, when was the last time I had a burger? What the heck is wrong with me?

I ordered the Tex-Mex Burger ($12). And, I was really happy to note that this time around, the fries were crisp and had a good amount of Parmesan and garlic.

The burger was not bad; I enjoyed the brioche style bun; which  was not quite up to the task, but really just displayed how moist the burger was. The patty was fairly lean, but had a pleasant beefiness, was decently seasoned, and was not bad at all. It was perhaps a tad on the mealy side in terms of texture, but was perfectly serviceable.

The fries, while not quite to level of what it used to be....lacking in truffle flavor, was nicely fried, and far from bland with a good amount of Parmesan.

I actually enjoyed the milky, melted Swiss cheese and a the sneaky jalapenos on this....heck, I may have another burger next time.

Gourmet Artisan Fine Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Road
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 860-5814
Current Hours:
Mon - Fri 1030am - 215pm

Sunday Stuffs.....

I think of this more as a Sunday check-in. How is everyone doing, physically, and well, mentally as well? I keep wondering how all the FOYs are doing.

On my "mission for groceries" I was wondering how some of the restaurants with long histories on Convoy are doing.....Ichiro came to mind. The entire parking lot at 4344 Convoy was empty, with Tasty Bakery the only business open in the strip mall.

And the sign at Ichiro's..... I think I need to make it a point to get more take-out.....

I took the long way home; wondering what was open in the Linda Vista area.... Thai Papaya had a sign saying that The Original Sab-E-Lee is open seven days a week. Pho Hiep and Grill is closed as is Pho Hoa Huong. The porch where the "old timers" used to hang out and drink coffee had been taken over by a group of homeless folks.

As I drove past Tio Leo's on Morena....for some reason, I always make it a point to check out the signs...….this is what is currently posted.

We've cancelled our upcoming trips...luckily, we're able to either get vouchers or full refunds....one of the Airbnb hosts replied to me saying that though their home is an amazing place to visit; now was not the time. Her son is an Emergency Room Physician and she is ever so worried about him.

I have a ritual of sorts when I return from a long trip. I'll get my fix of if a West Coast Icon. Since we wouldn't be travelling anytime soon, after shopping stop at Mitsuwa, I ordered one of these.

I even got Animal Fries.

Which confirmed, much like the egg at Santouka, that I'm still not sure why folks like the fries at In-N-Out....no matter how much lipstick you put on the pig...…it's still a pig. Still, having one of my Bi-annual visits to In-N-Out was both comforting and sad at the same time.

Hope all is well.....

Boll Weevil (Lakeside)

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food.  Kirk is taking a break and gathering intel for future posts.  Cathy is writing.

Back when Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and I were writing "Burger Week" posts, Kirk wrote about Boll Weevil in 2006, and I wrote about it in 2010 along with another 2010 post.  Since then, a Boll Weevil opened (and subsequently closed) only two miles from home.  We went there regularly, yet I never posted about it.  Now, the closest Boll Weevil is about six miles away, in Lakeside. 

This location, approximately a mile from the Lakeside Rodeo grounds, is appropriately themed. It's very large inside and has various areas where parties can be held. 

The Mister and I tend to order the same thing on each visit.  This is unusual for us because at other places, we like to order different things and share.  When we go to Boll Weevil, it is for this:  
1/2 pound Steerburgers, medium rare, no cheese ($8.69).  This is a very satisfying meal when using the (photo at bottom) tabletop condiments.  
A 'complete' burger sort of looks like this, before the soft, toasted bun is smashed so as to be able to fit into my mouth.
 The Mister got all wild and crazy on the last visit and ordered a Buffalo Chicken Salad ($10.99) with Bleu Cheese dressing.  The nuggets of chicken are lightly floured, fried and tossed in a nice Buffalo sauce.  The lettuce, crispy, provides a nice cooling effect along with the chunks of bleu cheese in between bites.  The Texas toast, slathered in garlic butter, is a nice accompaniment.   On that visit, I ordered a half pound steer burger, medium rare.  It's what I do.  
One day, there was a tabletop special of a double cheeseburger with fries ($10.49).  It was two 1/4 pound patties, so sort of the same as our 'usual' order but with cheese.  Different for us, anyhow. It was good. 
There are plenty of sides to choose from here, but the Frings (fries and rings) ($4.49) are a fallback order when we are hungry.  

There are only five locations of (the 1966 founded, originally named Cotton Patch) Boll Weevil.  Still a good, unpretentious burger.

Boll Weevil 9741 Wintergardens Road Lakeside, CA 92040 (619) 334-1718
 

Bully's East Bistro Sports Bar

mmm-yoso!!! thanks you for dropping by (again).  Kirk and His Missus are out and about and Cathy is writing about a few meals.

Family owned since 1971, Bully's East is located on the Southeast corner of the I-8 at Texas Street (the street parallel to the interstate is Camino Del Rio South).  A fascinating history, known for their prime rib (not in this post) as well as quality, value and service, Bully's is a San Diego mainstay. 
There is plenty of parking, but you may have to drive around the building to find a spot. 
 The interior has several dining areas in addition to the Bar area.  There are sports memorabilia on the walls and a television can be seen from just about every seat in the building. There is a paper of specials outside the front door as well as on the bulletin board in the lobby when you walk in.  There are additional specials on the table.

We were here in early October and there was an Oktoberfest/sausage plate offered ($19).  Three different sausages, coarse ground (one was very spicy; another was garlic-y and one was smoked) each had a tight 'skin' and 'snap' when cut, grilled with sautéed onions and fresh cabbage and potato slices.  This was served with a salad with house made bleu cheese dressing.  It was good and won't be on the menu until next year.   
 One item always on the menu is French onion soup ($5.25).  It's made in house, is not too salty and is very beefy.  I'm pretty sure the leftover prime rib bones are used for this.  This is pretty much always a choice. 
  The Prime rib melt ($18.50) is a decadent choice for a lunch sandwich.  There is enough to be shared.  It's on thick cut, pan toasted sourdough and filled with caramelized onions and Provolone. There's some horseradish sauce and au jus is served on the side.  The French onion soup as well as the Potatoes Anna were my two (included) side choices.  The sandwich was large, the French onion soup is so very flavorful and those Anna potatoes were perfect!

    A Wednesday special noted on the wall,
grilled 12-oz. ribeye ($26). A perfect medium rare, wonderful char-such flavor.  The description is 'topped with a mushroom demi-glace and crispy onions'.  There were no onions and we mentioned it and received what I think are more than would normally be served...a nice snack, because the steak and mushrooms and sauce were perfect without needing any additions (not even salt).  This came with two sides and as you can see, the baked potato and a salad (this time, Thousand Island, also made from scratch) were the choices.
 This is the Bully Burger ($12.50).  It's on an onion roll, char grilled (to a nice medium rare, as requested), coarse ground chuck, at least 1/3 lb.. One of the best burgers ever. It doesn't need cheese.  The 'spread', lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle are also not needed, but are quite complimentary after eating about half of the burger 'plain'.  Two sides are included in the price and this time, it was the mac and cheese (great) and (again) the French onion soup (+$1.25).

Bully's has breakfast on weekends.  Another post.  We've done that.

Bully's East Prime Rib-Bistro-Sports Bar 2401 Camino Del Rio South San Diego, CA 92108 (619)291-2665 Website Open Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-midnight, Sat-Sun 9 a.m.-midnight

 You never know who you'll see here at lunchtime during the week. 

Tobey's 19th Hole Cafe (revisit)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog, covering meals consumed near and far.  Kirk is busy with meetings all day, so Cathy is writing a short post.

 The Mister and I tend to take guests out to 'local' rather than 'trendy' places. The other day was no exception.  I've written about this San Diego City golf course (since 1934) restaurant only a few other times in the past years, yet it is a regular stop, usually for a breakfast meal and the view. 

The parking lot nearest the main building is sometimes crowded, but there are nearby 'overflow' lots. 

Stepping inside the Clubhouse, the restaurant is to your left, the view is straight ahead. There's a bar area as well as tables and booths.
 Have a seat by the window and notice how the menu cover reflects your view.
 Breakfast is served all day here.  You can get a one egg, one pancake two bacon (or sausage) meal for $7 or two eggs, two pancakes and two bacon (or sausage) for $9.25.  The (extraordinarily large) pancakes are light and fluffy and really tasty (sweet without needing syrup).  The eggs were perfectly over easy and the bacon was very good.  All in all, a very large breakfast if you order the 'two' instead of 'one'.  Coffee here is $3 and is constantly kept filled. 
The menu board out front has breakfast and lunch specials and on this day, a choice of a hot roast beef or hot meatloaf sandwich ($10.25) were the lunch specials.  I did order the hot beef, but received this hot meatloaf sandwich.  Instead of returning it, I decided to try it.  Good choice.  A very nicely seasoned (chunks of tomato mixed in with a light breadcrumb) meatloaf on (my choice) wheat bread with gravy and mashed potatoes.  A quite large serving and flavor filled. 
The Mister ordered a Chili Size ($13.50), onions on the side (for me) and tots as his side dish choice. This is a wonderful meal.  The bread is on the side; knowing it gets soggy, it's served this way.  Kind of perfect.  The chili, as always, is meaty, lightly spicy, has beans.  Tots are the best choice of side here, unless you are craving a salad (or regular french fries or potato salad).  

Another great meal with a great view in a San Diego neighborhood. 

Tobey's 19th Hole 2600 Golf Course Dr. San Diego, CA 92102 (619) 234-5921 Open daily 6-6 

Tom's Famous Family Restaurant-Burgers (#23)(Escondido)

mmm-yoso!!!, a long running blog about food;  it's what you are reading.  Cathy is writing today because Kirk is resting and relaxing.

Driving around the Southern California Counties, we've seen a number of restaurants with the signage of 'Tom's Burgers' and finally decided to stop.  This location in Escondido on 5th Avenue, is #23.  Upon some investigation, I found out the real restaurant name is 'Tom's Famous Family Restaurant", the first restaurant opened in 1962 in Los Angeles  and there are 19 eat in locations and four express locations. Tom's serves breakfast, lunch and dinner (breakfast all day).
The menu is fairly extensive, with some options unique to each restaurant,  White Board Specials and various posters on the windows showing deals and Happy Hour prices.  You order, pay, grab some condiments and the food is brought out to you- on ceramic plates (the only disposable items were the napkins, paper wrappings and fountain drink/milkshake containers).  When we were here, only two vehicles used the Drive Thru and I only saw three people order and take food 'To Go". Every seat inside the restaurant was taken; families having meals on a Saturday afternoon.

The Classic Cheeseburger ($4.69) at first looked dwarfed by the bun, which was in reality very light and fluffy, toasted and had the usual accompaniments (lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and homemade thousand island).  The burgers here are char grilled and have the flavor that I crave. This 1/4 pound cheeseburger was a good choice for our friend. 
I wanted to try the 50/50 burger ($4.99).  50% ground bacon and 50% ground beef.  This was 'juicer' than the Classic burger, but, because of the char grill, the bacon flavor was not distinctive.  Still, I enjoyed the (quite large) patty (it seemed larger than the 1/4 pound cheeseburger patty).
One of the window specials was a Texas Bacon Cheeseburger combo ($7.99).  This had such a meld of flavors and was quite large...the amount of fries was tremendous...steak fry cut, light and fluffy interior with a crispy exterior, sprinkled with a seasoned salt.
 Since this was our first visit and we didn't know how much we were ordering, the Tom's Sampler ($5.20) was a choice.  More fries (we took home a lot) along with zucchini fries (more vegetable than crispy breading; good) and onion rings (really good; light and crispy breaded whole rings of sweet onion).  

A lot of food for a small price.  We will be back (or will stop at another location) to try breakfast items as well as dinner platters.  When my craving for char-grilled burgers returns, it's good to know Tom's has a few San Diego County locations. 

 Tom's Famous Family Restaurant #23- 505 W 5th Ave Escondido, CA 92025 (760) 737-2377 Open Daily 6 a.m.  Closes at 10 p.m. Sun-Thurs, 11 p.m. Fri and Sat Website