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2435 Main St
Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 682-4020

Mr. Taco  

Category: Mexican

5.0 star rating
8/14/2011 10 Check-ins Here
Welcome to one of the best kept secrets in Riverside. This is a family owned local Mexican joint that may have a small shack like exterior but the place is spot on perfect.

They are open for breakfast and have some amazing burritos and fruit for the mornings are truly amazing. Then you get into lunch/dinner and the Carne Asada is to die for in anything along with the carnitas. The rice/beans that come with some combos are delicious as well. The salsas and chips available free to the left of the cashier offer a great variety of different flavors for you. When they say spicy however they DO mean spicy!

The staff and everyone here is always super friendly and they had a decent beer selection for a small Mexican dive. Finding good Mexican food is much harder than you would think in Riverside but this place hits the spot every time.

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155 S Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 778-6000

Matchbox  

Categories: Pizza, American (New)

4.0 star rating
8/14/2011 1 photo 1 Check-in Here
This place is on the second floor in the heart of downtown Palm Springs. You could easily get lost in the mix and not visit this place but it is worth taking some time to check it out. The pricing is not cheap (and we went on a Sunday night when Palm Springs is dead to the world) and we were given a great private balcony table.

To make matters better they are running a Yelp deal which offers 50% any large pizza. They have a great collection craft beer to drink with your meal. We grabbed some Allagash for our meal.

The pizza is made with some quality ingredients and the wait staff was a huge help and friendly. They put out an offer of several things to do in the area on a Sunday since the city was so dead once we left dinner. A great overall experience and would come back again. Our severs name was Sam if I remember right and I would recommend him to anyone coming in to dine.

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80 E Harmon Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 785-5555

Planet Hollywood Towers  

Category: Hotels
Neighborhoods: The Strip, Eastside

4.0 star rating
7/9/2011 1 photo 3 Check-ins Here
We strolled in on Sunday around 5:00pm and did wait in what I felt like was a shockingly long check-in line for the day/time. We spent about 15/20 minutes waiting to get into our room. We hit the lottery however and were given a 56th floor suite upgrade from the amazing lady at the front desk. If your not so lucky and want a great view south of The Strip (MGM Grand/Mandalay Bay) head to the 55th floor and they have some huge panoramic glass to get a breathtaking view. Here is a tip... the 56th floor just has a big wall so you won't be seeing anything.

The suites provide some small kitchens but needing ice will provide you quite the adventure! According to the lady at the front desk they only have ice machines on the 5th and 50th floor which seems a tad sparse considering the large hotel.

The pH Westgate does lack a casino which keeps the late night volume down and the Miracle Mile Shops does have an ABC Store close to your hotel entrance to get cheap liquor, snacks, and even healthy things like fruit for your room.

You are connected through the Miracle Mile Shops to the pH casino and tons of great dining and budget dining in the immediate area (Earl of Sandwich - My Review: http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The Miracle Mile Shops has a new quick access walkway into CityCenter adding to the convenience of the area.

Our room had better television choices than almost any other Vegas hotel we have stayed in. So note to yourself if your not in Vegas for gambling and want something on TV (I recommend here possibly over some casinos).

The lightning in the hotel is spot on and our living room area has more than enough space to please you. We had a small dining room table that never got touched. A great comfy couch and nice chair to enjoy our amazing view. A bed high off the ground with some convenient reading lights and unique leather headboards.

The people talking about the "long walk" through Miracle Mile can get over it. The walk is not this bad to get out of the casino and it's a super convenient location all around compared to other hotels. if you don't like walking or are not interested in doing so then you should drink more or not come to Vegas. Walking around The Strip is more than half the fun of this place.

Listed in: Las Vegas - City of Sin!

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3667 Las Vegas Blvd S, Ste 760
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 463-0259

Earl of Sandwich  

Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhoods: The Strip, Eastside

5.0 star rating
7/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Las Vegas is a huge city filled with overpriced restaurants and hyper inflated alcohol prices. The one true gem for a great meal at a cheap price (not those $1.99 Steak/Egg deals) is The Grand Lux Cafe tucked away in the Venetian hotel. If you happen to be on the southside of the The Strip I have a new 24 hour dine spot inside the ph.

I went through an Earl's Club and a Cannonballs! sandwich during this trip in Vegas. If your on a budget this is your stop on the south Strip OR if you just want a great deal on some amazing food. Two people can dine for less than $20 but the line during peak "dining" hours can get a little outrageous so try to target some off peak visiting.

This is the most western location of the chain sandwich shop with most locations located in Texas or Florida. They really nail the hot sandwich and go far above/beyond a Subway type bite. Just inside the doors of Planet Hollywood Casino/Miracle Mile Shops (if your in the casino head to the southern most facing part of the casino (away from Paris and towards the MGM) and you will find this place and be delighted.

The Strip is full of gimmicks and garbage which we all know but this place puts the crappy buffets to shame with a cheap price and fulfilling meal.

Listed in: Las Vegas - City of Sin!

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926 J St
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 447-2700

The Citizen Hotel  

Categories: Hotels, Venues & Event Spaces
Neighborhood: Downtown

4.0 star rating
7/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
If you find yourself in Sacramento for business (government work) or you wish to have some fun in Old Town or whatever the hell else people do in this city then this is your place. One of my favorite boutique hotels I have stayed in nationwide to date.

The room is quite small but it has such an amazing unique feel. The bathroom is quality design and an amazingly big shower. We had a great view of the Sacramento Capitol building along with the cityscape.

The front lobby has an amazing chess set and is set off with a fantastic library style room. The lobby bathrooms are hidden down the stairwell by the elevator. It didn't smell pleasant down in that area either but not sure if it was just a temporary issue. Spend the extra time and go use the bathroom in your room when your in a hurry. We did check-in at 2:00am and they were unable to actually process our room because of them doing a batch or something for the night but they walked us up to our room and had pushed some keys under the door by the time we woke up in the morning.

The elevator has some witty political relating sayings that were spot on for a great laugh in the AM. All the rooms in the hotel are non smoking from what I recall.

After getting over the amazing style and layout of your smaller room you will fall in love with the bed. The rooms overall theme is a modern take on the roaring 20's which is a period you must love. Spot on comfy pillows and a bed that just sucks you right in.

The Joie De Vivre hits another home run with this Citizen Hotel. The biggest downside is the area around the hotel isn't the best thing or safest area for traveling or things to do. The path/area headed to the Capital Building is safer feeling/looking and had some things to do. Caesar Chavez Park is right across the street and has a delicious deli in the middle of it.

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2520 Northgate Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 649-0334

House of Bling Bling  

Categories: Car Wash, Auto Detailing
Neighborhood: Natomas

5.0 star rating
7/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I drove up to Sacramento from Los Angeles and was staying in downtown dealing with some stuff at the state offices. I really wanted a hand wash while in town because my 370z was trashed. We got caught in a huge bug storm on Highway 5 heading up north and wanted it cleaned up.

I came here blindly from the Yelp reviews and was not disappointed. I pulled in and had a 5-10 minute wait but was processed right away. For $15.00 I got a complete wash and waited just outside in a chair under an umbrella.

The place even had a huge bucket of FREE WATER as you waited for your car to be washed. They have several people turning out cars quickly with care.

They had quite a few modified vehicles come through the wash with mine and I always take that as a great sign of a quality car wash. If people who spend all their disposable income on their vehicles (like me) then follow them to the car wash.

This was one of the first times I have blind fired on a service business (non food) from Yelp and it was a home run. This might of been my most excited part of my Sacramento trip! These guys have something going here.  *HINT* When you are driving up Northgate Blvd. it looks like an old gas station and doesn't have much signage.

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2535 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 737-2317

The Poker Room  

Category: Casinos
Neighborhood: The Strip

4.0 star rating
Update - 5/20/2011
Sadly the Poker Room at The Sahara is closed now that the casino has shut down! :(

Listed in: Las Vegas - City of Sin!

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1 Previous Review: Hide »

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/1/2010

    While the Sahara Hotel and Casino might not be the newest or hottest place on the Strip but the poker room is a golden nugget. With huge crowds at the 7:00pm including quality players and a free dinner if you make first hour. I've won a couple times here over the last few years and it has been nothing but a blast.

    The same dealers are always there and know what is going on (please tip them well). The 7pm and 11pm tournament cost $45 for 3,000 chips and you can do an additional buy in over first hour for $15 for an extra 2,000 chips. Don't quote me on the addition buy but it's something close to that.

    The poker room is in a quiet corner of the casino with 15 tables for action. They also have some lower limit poker games going which you will find yourself waiting for on the weekends. There is a bad beat jackpot which is paid out to all the players in the room if it is hit. I really like some of the managers that run the room here and not so much a few other ones.

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285 Bay St
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 436-1047

AVIA Hotel  

Category: Hotels

3.0 star rating
5/20/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Let me tell you that I had a great time at the AVIA hotel in Long Beach but a few things knocked down my excitement. These were relative to my experience and I feel like in other circumstances it would of been a much better experience.

Problem 1 was I stayed here after the Long Beach Grand Prix and the rooftop pool was closed when I visited. The images here look amazing but I have no way of verifying they were real since the hotel had it closed during my stay.

Problem 2 was that the in room food service closed way to early and they provided no solution for us to get a late dinner in Long Beach. I picked up a friend super late at the airport and we just wanted a meal which was quite the feat at 12am in Long Beach. Sadly the hotel room service was long closed which seemed super silly.

Problem 3 was not something that could of been helped by the hotel but the thin windows were horrible when around 7:00am they started taking apart the racetrack with heavy machinery. After a night of drinking and fun it was hard waking up that early when we planned to sleep until check out.

On the other hand I was in love with my room. The rotating flat screen TV was fantastic and the quality of everything was great. An amazing desk for work helped me get a ton of stuff done. As cool as the rotating TV was the quality of image wasn't that amazing either.

The front desk women were super nice and helpful and I had a blast talking to them. They were even nice enough to offer some tips about the area and things to enjoy doing. We did get a great rate on the room and I would come back again but the experience fell a little short for me to give a 4/5 star rating. After staying at some of the other local hotels in the area I would think about picking one of those for my stay giving the issues I had.

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1 World Way
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 646-5252

Los Angeles International Airport - LAX  

Category: Airports
Neighborhood: Westchester / LAX

1.0 star rating
5/13/2011 8 Check-ins Here
I feel like nothing else can be said about how horrible LAX is all around. Do yourself a favor and spend an extra $1,000 to fly out of Burbank, John Wayne, Ontariro, or hell.... drive to Vegas!

The biggest problem is your going to be forced into LAX for direct international travels. They have some great Delta flights to Tokyo and some directs to Dubai via Emirates Air (which is amazing). Big problem #1 is when you land and go through customs you will be dumped out into baggage terminals of the airport. Which means..... your probably starving from your 12+ hour flight and now cannot get food until you leave the airport premises. Trust me this sucks big time!

My other issue I want to address with this airport is the rudeness of the LAX cops. In four years I have got two tickets in the state of California and both are from LAX. Now I am not one to sit like an ass hat and wait for my passengers or something stupid like that. My point is to be careful around the airport because these cops would love to write you tickets to kingdom come. Once I got a ticket for running a red light that never happened. After asking the cop what red light I ran he just replied with "exactly" and then wrote me a ticket.

The second ticket I received at LAX was in the parking deck for my "expired" registration when I was out of town. The only problem is my car wasn't out of registration or even close to being out of registration. Just another frustrating inconvenience on top of the ridiculous parking fees to use their stupid airport parking deck.

This airport at the end of the day is like the lottery you will learn after some visits. Some terminals have great places to eat and amenities and others have nothing to offer you. If you can avoid this place when traveling please do it and it will result in such a higher quality of life.

Listed in: Airport 411

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512 Fremont St
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 477-2525

Insert Coins  

Categories: Bars, Arcades
Neighborhood: Downtown

4.0 star rating
5/13/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Let's knock a few things out of the water on the spot before I dig into reviewing this place.
1. Park at El Cortez Casino Parking Deck Next Door (FREE)
2. This is not a tourist spot but packed more with local hipsters/gamers
3. if you don't like video games.... go somewhere else instead of stating that in your review here.

This night started as a weeknight visit to The Strip from Los Angeles which happens way too often. After a few hours I called some local friends and we got together for the night. They quickly dragged us off The Strip and brought my friends and me to Insert Coin.

Full confession is that I am a huge video gamer and want to do nothing more than drink beer and play the original Donkey Kong. The arcade systems take actual quarters (like an old school 80's arcade) which is thrown into a bar with club music playing in the background. It's almost what you would expect to find in a corner of Tokyo's Shibuya or Akihabara district.

The place wasn't super crowded and I had an easy time hopping on games unlike other people have mentioned in here. I was at the bar on a  week night so no promises for easy gaming access on the weekend. I spent hours playing Virtua Fighter 2, Street Fighter 2 Hyper Fighting and Tekken Tag Tournament.

The girls with us had a blast at the bar and hanging out while we wasted hours playing fighting games. They found some Pacman shot which they kept raving about all night. By around 2:00am we had the girls playing Rampage World Tour with us which is a convenient 3 player game. It's a unique and fun experience which you should try when your in old Downtown Vegas. It's not made for the tourist and your yard long mixed drinks but don't let it stop your video game loving self from paying a visit.

Listed in: Las Vegas - City of Sin!

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Review votes:
244 Useful, 103 Funny, and 130 Cool

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Yelping Since

August 2008

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http://www.joeyredmond...

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N9NE Steakhouse Mac N Cheese (Palms Las Vegas)

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