Brian K.'s Profile

This must be how Bill Clinton stays vegan.  If I lived next door to this place, or could afford to hire them as personal chefs, I dare say I could be a 24/7 vegan too.  The ultimate tempeh burger with "cheese" and grilled onions is not just the best veggie/vegan burger I've ever had... it's one of the top 10 best burgers I've ever had, period.  I'd put it right up there with the awesome burgers at Father's Office in Santa Monica and RN74 in SF.

The vibe is just as good as the food.  Their outdoor areas are shady and have great views of the mountains.  I felt relaxed as soon as I walked through the gate.  The people working there are friendly, laid back and show a genuine interest in their customers that is sadly hard to find these days.  

I can't wait to go back, and I look forward to diving deeper into the menu.  But it's going to be hard to drive up there and not get the burger again...

Yes, it's pricey.  Get over it.  I would gladly pay $22 for dinner at Rafters before I would pay $15 for the plate of sh*t that passes for food at Roberto's again.  And I'm glad there's a place in Mammoth that has some semblance of atmosphere beyond that typical mountain "sports-bar-that-serves-food" that's everywhere here.

The chef isn't afraid to get creative here, and yes that means that occasionally they miss the mark (hence four stars).  Love the polenta cakes appetizer, Gnocchi and Scallops.  Duck was a miss - tasted like it had been cooked earlier and just warmed up.  But the few times I've complained about food the staff has always offered to fix it or replace it with something else.  So no problem there.

Also this place has the best wine list in Mammoth by a mile.  They even have Sea Smoke Ten - big points for that.

I will say this though, I've never been during peak ski season.  I usually come here in the summer and fall and have yet to get a rude server or host.

In any other town this place would've been out of business years ago.  I go back every season hoping maybe it has new owners and has gotten better, but no luck so far.  

I've had a variety of taco, burrito and enchilada dishes here and have never really been happy with any of them.  The tacos were just OK, but the burritos and enchiladas are so covered in greasy "Roberto's Sauce" and cheese that it's hard to even keep the food on the fork.  Seriously - it slides right off before you can get it to your mouth!  

The only reason I give it two stars is because the upstairs cantina isn't a bad place to have a beer and watch a game.  It's such a shame because a plate of GOOD Mexican food would be so good to dive into after a long day on the mountain.

I'm giving Crestview 5 stars but it's in context with the other condos in the area.  This is not a "5-star" resort by any means so don't look at it that way.  However I've been coming to Mammoth for years and haven't found any other condo rental in the same price range that compares.  Here's why:

1.  Assigned Garage Parking.  This is huge in the winter for obvious reasons and is very hard to find.  You can pull into the garage, walk up the stairs to the heated hallway and into your condo without setting foot outside.

2.  The units are big.  Even the one bedroom units are large and have two full baths, so you can cram a lot of people in them.

3.  Very easy walk to the Village.  It's uphill coming back though which is a little tough after a pitcher of beer and a big dinner!  

4.  Shuttle to Canyon Lodge stops right outside the door.

The only drawback is that there is no pool for the summer.  However, if you walk up to the Westin you can pay a small fee to use their pool for the day.

Do not stay here if you are the least bit sensitive to noise.  It seems as if this place is made of cardboard... I can hear every step the guy above me takes, and I can hear every word clearly from the TV in the room next to me.  I even walked out and listened at their door and I don't think their TV is that loud... I just think the walls are that thin.  

I did stay in a renovated room and it was generally clean and well appointed which is why I didn't give it one star.   However I find peace and quiet essential for a good hotel stay and this place fails that test miserably.

I think this is my first-ever one star review.  I was hoping it would never come to this, but Brendan's has reached a new low.

The only good thing I can say about this place is that if you really insist on having an overpriced, underwhelming meal in a theme restaurant you no longer have to drive to Anaheim.  

The first problem was when the bartender was trying to help a local family choose a beer.  In doing so she described Guinness as a "very thick, very heavy beer".  Really?  Have you ever heard anyone in a real Irish pub describe Guinness that way?  It's actually quite light-bodied for a stout.

Strike two was the Fish and Chips.  The menu states "The Best Fish and Chips You've Ever Had" which is not a smart thing to put in print regardless of how good or bad it is.   I heard that Jerry Seinfeld used to rip his opening act if they said anything nice about him when they introduced him because if they say something like "and here's the greatest comedian ever" you have nowhere to go but down.  Brendan would have been smart to follow that wisdom.   The pieces of fish were shaped in almost perfect rectangles, bringing to mind the frozen fish sticks I suffered on the Fridays of my youth.  Good fish and chips should be served piping hot but these were almost room temperature.  They should also be served with a nice crunch batter but these were about 75% mushy and 25% mildly crunchy.

My friend had the Chicken Curry which was served in a way I've never seen before.  It comes with rice AND fries which was the first clue that something was amiss.  It's served almost like an American dinner, with the chicken on one third of the plate, the rice and the fries neatly arranged on the other thirds.  Very odd.  So much for the big bowl of comfort food that is traditional pub curry.

On top of everything the service in the bar area was slow, and we were seated along the back wall that literally vibrates and shakes you if you lean back on it because the dishwasher or other big machine is on the other side (probably something they inherited from the Sizzler that used to occupy the space).

If you never leave Ventura County and your palate has been destroyed by sodium-filled meals at PF Changs and Olive Garden then you'll probably be happy as a clam eating this terrible food next to their fake, electric fireplace.  If you have actually had good Irish pub food then you're in for a huge let-down.  What a disappointment.  I hope I never have to write a one-star review again... it's quite depressing having to re-live the experience.  I think I'll have a Guinness next to my real fireplace.

I've had the pleasure of working with the team at Cean One and couldn't recommend them more highly.  I've never seen anyone be so good at what they do AND be so enjoyable to be around at the same time.  Most importantly the final product was stellar.  Thank you guys!!  Good luck with the new LA office.

I love the food.  I've been twice now and the pizzas are among the best in town, and a pretty good deal too at around $12.  My favorite is the one with all the mushrooms and cheese... a masterpiece!  I also liked the fruit-infused water.  At first I was put off by the price ($3) but after the first drink I stopped complaining.  There's so much fruit in there that it's practically an appetizer.  

So here's what I don't like:  Eating this great food in the small, white and very sterile restaurant.  It's rather like being in a doctor's waiting room.  The first time I drove to this restaurant was for dinner one night, and the garish light and whiteness spilling out of the front door was so uninviting that my friend and I kept driving.  Thankfully I went back that weekend for lunch.

Hopefully they just haven't decided how to decorate it yet so it's a work in progress.  Their wonderful food deserves to be served in a much more warm and inviting atmosphere!  Until then I'll grab my pizza to go.

Love going to Shiva's whenever I can.  The studio is spacious and has large windows looking out over the courtyard at Tutti's.  They even have showers so you can rinse off after yoga before going to back to work.  I can't think of anything that's missing!

We have sold three cars on consignment with Russ at Carzoid and couldn't be happier with him.  We tried other consignment lots and they just let the car sit there hoping for a walk in.  Russ immediately had the car listed online, on ebay, in Auto Trader, etc.  I will definitely work with him again and am happy to recommend him to friends.