I love good shawarma’s, but they are hard to come by on the west side of LA. Luckily I discovered Zankou’s Chicken. The chicken is delicious, but I come for the shawarma’s, either chicken or tri-tip in a wrap or on a plate (I wish they had lamb!). Their hummus is delicious too, eaten with a warm pita.

I would have given Abbot’s PIzza 4/5, but I’ve given them more than a few chances to make up for some really unprofessional and bad customer service experiences. I won’t eat there anymore if I have the choice. Maybe my few bad experiences are mine alone, I don’t know but they’ve ruined it for me.

That being said, the pizza itself is quite good once you get it, and if the order is right. Picking up slices should be safe too since they only reheat them and don’t have a chance to ruin the toppings or lose your orders.

Dagwood’s Pizza is a pretty decent pizza joint that I go to every so often for lunch. The pizza is good, but the grilled chicken sub is what I keep coming back for.

The Library Alehouse has decent food, but depending on who you get as a server your experience will either be a pleasant one, or a terrible one. Go on Monday and the sandwiches and burgers are half off. You get chips and salsa before your meal, w00t.

I can never be a vegetarian. Thanks to the fine folks in Brazil, they’ve made a meat experience so heavenly, I believe it has the power to revert vegetarians back from the “other” side to one of mouth watering flavour. Seriously, I need to find a vegetarian at work and drag them along and see if this theory holds any truth.

History on the food, courtesy of Wikipedia.

The idea is that you get this magical coaster, one side is green the other side is red. When the green side is up, as if magic were in the air, Meat Waiters gracefully swoop towards your plate and offer a slice of heaven, straight off of whatever skewer they happen to have. They are traditionaly called Passadors.. Which actually translates to “meat waiters”! (I thought this could only happen in dreams. Don’t pinch me I might still wake up…) These Meat Waiters continue to circulate some of the tastiest cuts of meat (Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Pork) that your taste buds may not be able to handle.

Aside from meat, they have a mean salad bar that you could easily take your fill on.. My words of advice, make all the room you can for the MEAT and some red wine!

This is not a cheap dining experience, but one you definitely check out. An amazing food experience.

I can never be a vegetarian. Thank you Fogo, I love you.

Ok, so let me preface this review by mentioning, this place is an absolute hole in the wall in the truest sense. (wait a minute, I said this about my last review as well.. Maybe I should reconsider my tastes.. :) )

There’s sawdust on the floor, a popcorn machine in the back corner, and a painting or two of topless Hawaiian girls. There are three pool tables and it gets busy on at lunches and on the weekends. It’s an old Hawaiian style pub that has been around for half a century I believe.. Lot’s of character.

So why am I writing about this place? Because it has just about the most delicious hamburger I’ve ever had, and this from a pub. Completely insane I know, but try it out with a pitcher of Pyramid or Stella (they pull mugs from a freezer, so they’re all frosty like) and with the burger, it’s a match made in heaven.

I go there almost every Friday with friends from work, and it’s always damn good. You wouldn’t think it either given the environment, but it grows on you and becomes part of the charm.

I’ve had “gourmet” burgers at The Counter, and a Barney’s in Brentwood. These are considered about the best in town. While they are very good, I keep coming back to Hinano’s as I just find it near perfect good ol’ fashioned burgers.

Oh, and did I mention it’s pretty cheap? Go and give it a try!

This place rocks. It looks like this little hole in the wall joint (and it is), with bizarre, but strangely titalizing art on the walls (go there, you’ll see what I mean). The staff are casual and very friendly. Where this place shines is in it’s BBQ. It’s the best BBQ I’ve had in LA yet.

The pulled pork sandwiches are amazing, as are their ribs and mac and cheese. Prices are decent, $7.50 for a sandwich and a side. The ribs are $30, but are fantastic and more than enough for one person. They also seem to make their own BBQ sauces which I apply a healthy (or unhealthy) dose often.

I’ll be going back! Don’t miss out on trying this place out! How long will my arteries hold out?!?

PS. I don’t understand why you would review a BBQ place if you are a vegetarian? That makes no sense, but they have a bunch of sides that are meat free.

A very nice smoothie, and a good yogurt with any kind of fresh fruit you want. How can you not like that? If you do, you must be a hater of yogurt, otherwise known as a yogurtist.

Seriously though, the place is trendy but it’s good. There seems to be attractive people that go there too, so while you enjoy your healthy snack your eyes can enjoy a healthy view. It’s win-win.