Steven M.'s Profile

A wonderfully organized and friendly non-profit thrift shop! A gem in the community.

The very moment I opened the door and walked inside, there was a lot of activity occurring throughout the store. Shoppers, left and right, were taking advantage of the 50% off everything sale. Prices were already cheap as it is, yet the store took an additional 50% off every item! I was completely blown away, in a deep state of awe.

The first section I attacked was books. The books were neatly organized and arranged into different genres: mystery, suspense, non-fiction, fiction, etc. This makes it much more convenient for shoppers to look for a specific book of interest. It definitely made it a lot easier for me. Not only were books organized in neat fashion, but they were in excellent condition. Book covers and pages weren't falling out or ripped or anything. I looked for a bit and within a few minutes, came across something that had caught my eye: "Broke" by Glenn Beck.

I took some time skimming through the book, and man, it was interesting. It directly relates to our current economic state in America, as well as everything I had learned from my Political Science class. Glenn Beck takes the same position as my Political Science professor: government corruption is to blame for our economic struggles. Enough about the book, and on to more relevant matters. The book was in superb condition; if it were not for the few blemishes on the book cover, the book would look brand new. Guess how much it cost? Take into account that this book is hard-covered. Would $5 sound reasonable? Well, guess what? The price sticker was $1.50. No, it was not mislabeled. The almost-in-new-condition hard-covered edition of "Broke" by Glenn Beck was only $1.50. Take 50% off of that and you get the book for seventy-five cents (plus tax). Wow.

I moved onto other sections of the store, but did not really find anything I needed or wanted. I would had liked to find a cool jacket or sweater, but there really was not anything my size or appealed to my taste. I was also hoping to find an old-school camera or typewriter, but to no avail. It is okay, though. You can not expect to find what you want at a thrift store. You have to take the same approach as pirates in search of treasure. It takes time and effort to find something that interests you. You have to go through a lot of stuff to discover the hidden treasures that lie beneath all the rummage!

Overall, a fantastic and superb thrift shop. I definitely can not forget to mention the kind and friendly service! Thanks, Frances and Phyllis (two of the employees/friends of mine), as well as the kind elderly women running the shop! I will surely be back to add to my book collection, or perhaps look to sport a vintage, stylish jacket or sweater.

Just a note:
Be sure to come in and check out their 50% sale! They have several Christmas ornaments and decorations, so if you are looking to decorate your home or Christmas tree on a budget, be sure to check this place out!

It was my first time trying out vegetarian food and it was a tasteful experience.

I actually walked to this place from the SJSU campus, so it makes for a convenient place for students to indulge in vegetarian goodies! I would not advise eating inside because there is hardly any walking space, yet alone eating space. Although, with no where else to go, I sat in and ate. The owner and his two employees are very nice people. The owner and one of his employees, an old woman (might be his wife), seem like your typical asian parents, in a good way. It really made me feel as if I were eating at home. It made me feel comfortable.

Anyway, onward to the food! I really did not know what to order as it was my first time here as well as my first time with vegetarian food, so I figured..why not try a little bit of everything? So what I did was I ordered the steamed white rice with the option of three items and a salad. It only cost me $5.50. Not bad, not bad at all. I can't really give the exact name of each item, but I remember choosing some sauteed mushrooms with onions, spicy tofu (?), and a "chicken drumstick" (tofu); the "chicken drumstick" really tripped me out because it literally looked like a chicken drumstick, but it is actually just tofu!

It did not take long for the food to be ready; about three to five minutes. I was definitely satisfied with how much food I got. If anything, it was more than enough. The food was absolutely delicious. The best part of the meal: I did not have to feel guilty because it was vegetarian! Being the health-conscious freak that I am, I constantly stress over how much fat and cholesterol I am consuming, but in this case, I did not need to worry.

Overall, a delightful and wonderful experience with vegetarian cuisine. If I had this kind of food on a daily basis, I would definitely go vegetarian, but I sure as hell know that won't happen. But really though, I wonder why more people won't go out to try vegetarian food. Damn America and its obese, fast-food ways.

One of the WORST restaurants that has inhabited Earth.

If I could, I would give this place negative stars, but to their benefit, Yelp requires a one-star minimum. Better thank Yelp for this, Buca di Beppo.

First thing's first: the place was empty on a Friday night (I wonder why..) and there were plenty of tables available; we wanted one of the booths, but were given a ridiculously small table in the middle of the aisle in between two large tables. We asked politely if we could move to one of the available booths, but the waiter refused. I am pretty sure that the booths were not reserved because why would anyone want to make reservations for this shit-hole? (I believe this is the first time I used profanity in one of my reviews; I apologize.) Why was the waiter being so hostile? Perhaps it was because they perceived us as "high school kids" that would leave only a two-dollar tip. They were lucky to have had even received a tip, but I refused to contribute.

Next up on the list: we were given the least enthusiastic waiter EVER; there was a waiter right next to us hosting a birthday dinner and he was incredible! He lifted the moods of everyone at that table and was just so energetic and fun; he lifted our spirits, too. Unfortunately, this was not the case with our waiter as she just seemed dead with personality and spoke in monotone. I think this was what killed my night. Every time we would thank her for whatever she did, she would reply with "yeah", not a you're welcome with a smile on top. Not to mention, she did not offer us complimentary bread...That was the dagger to our already dead night.

Oh, can't forget about the food! For about $15-$20 a dish, you would expect food of great quality and a somewhat large serving right? WRONG. The fried calamari tasted like shit; all I could taste was the fried batter. We demolished the appetizer within five minutes, but that was because we were starving, not because it was good. The fettuccine alfredo tasted exactly like those one-to-three-dollar frozen entrees from your grocery market, except I would prefer the frozen entrees because they taste better than the crap they serve at this restaurant. The chicken parmigiana was not so bad to be honest, but at about $15, fuck it; it was smaller than the chicken patty of a McChicken. The water was not so fresh either...

All in all, I URGE YOU TO PLEASE NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT, PLEASE! Shitty service, shitty food, shitty restaurant. It really is that simple. Did I forget to mention that one of the waiters joined on in a verbal assault that was aimed at us from another table? Despicable and disgusting. It really makes me sick as to how some people consider this restaurant to be "good", yet alone "OK". In reality, this place is a shit-hole. End of story.

Quite a small restaurant, but surprisingly clean and organized.

The parking lot is pretty small so it really depends on what time you come to determine whether or not you will be able to find a place to park. My friends and I came at around lunch-time and we managed to snag the last available parking spot.

Prior to entering the restaurant, I saw a line of customers outside in the pouring rain waiting to use the restroom. Really? A restroom outside of the restaurant? *Shakes my head. Oh yeah. You can also eat outside; there is an area with a couple of tables and chairs that is located on the same side as the restrooms.

I was freezing so I rushed inside the restaurant and it was still freezing cold. Hopefully the carne asada fries would warm me up. When I was at the register, I did not take one look at the menu. I had already done my research and knew that the carne asada fries was the thing to order at Sante Fe Taqueria. Some reviews proclaimed that the carne asada fries here are "one of the best in San Jose". I had to see this for myself so I ordered the carne asada fries, which cost about $6.50. Sorry guys, CASH ONLY. There is an ATM machine inside, but you would have to be charged a fee to use it.

The wait was not long (about 5 minutes). We picked up our orders at the counter, picked up our utensils, and sat down at the table and got ready to dig in. Anxious to see what was inside the white styrofoam box, I ripped off the lid (not literally) and out came a steamy hot masterpiece with a perfect melange of colors. The green guacamole, red tomatoes, white sour cream and onions, golden french fries...Beautiful.

The first bite was the best; I made sure I had a bit of everything. Everything was just so fresh and the fries were cooked to a perfect golden crisp. As time progressed, after each bite, it got pretty dull, but nonetheless, was still good.

Overall, an average taqueria with pretty good carne asada fries. There really was nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary. The only thing that really stood out was the carne asada fries. So if you are really craving for carne asada fries, you know where to go.

Sliders Burgers is conveniently located in a plaza with a pretty good-sized parking lot, so parking should not be a problem.

Before entering, you will see the "People love us on Yelp" sticker located right on the door and window. You know right then and there that you are in for a treat once you step foot inside.

As soon as I opened the door and walked inside, I was greeted by Ray (the man behind the counter). I came prepared and had already knew what to order: the bison burger. My friend ordered the same thing. We asked Ray if we should add cheese to our bison burgers (it was our first times trying it out), he suggested that we try it original without the cheese to really appreciate the meat. So we ordered the bison burger combos without cheese. The bison burger combo was about $10 (burger, fries, drink); the bison burger itself was around $6.

There is a toppings bar with all sorts of toppings and sauces: thousand island dressing, olives, mushrooms, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. You could easily make a side salad for free! There is also a soda/tea dispenser for unlimited refills. Unfortunately, the sweetened green tea was out-of-order, so I was stuck with the unsweetened black tea. It really was not that bad.

While sitting down and waiting for our orders, I took the time to analyze every bit of the place and I was quite impressed. It was very clean and organized. Every table was spotless. Chairs were tucked in. Napkin dispensers, ketchup bottles, and the salt & pepper shakers were neatly organized into place. There were photographs and articles of the local area on the walls, which really gave Sliders Burgers an authentic, unique feel.

Our orders were eventually brought out to us by Ray; it took about 10 minutes. The food looked very convincing. I was starving. I feasted on mushrooms and olives during the wait. It was finally time. I sank my teeth into the burger..wow..WOW. It was just magical. The buns were cooked to a perfect crisp and the meat was just so...WOW. There was just so much flavor! Ray was right. The cheese was not necessary. There was no need for ketchup or any other condiment. There was no need for lettuce or pickles. There was no need for anything except for the burger itself. Goodbye, In-N-Out. Hello, Sliders Burgers!

Can not forget about the fries! Just like the buns of the burger, the fries were cooked to a perfect crisp. Delicioso!

A successful, satisfying lunch. If it wasn't for the prices, I would definitely deem Sliders Burgers to be a five-star regular. I still envision many visits in the future. Ray, "the man-behind-the-counter", is a cool guy with a great personality. I saw a couple of customers entering shop, and, by the looks of it, were regulars because Ray remembered their names. After finishing lunch, right before leaving, I complimented Ray for the great food he had served us and asked for his name (reason why I put his name down in this review). In return, he asked for mine. Hopefully, I can one day be deemed a regular and have that relationship the customers that I saw from earlier have with Sliders Burgers. I have always wanted something like that from any food joint.

Well, anyway, if you have not been to Sliders Burgers, GO!! Try the bison burger. I strongly urge you to. Pay no attention to the price. If you do, just go to a McDonalds and kill yourself, please.

Had been longing to try this place out, and I must say that my first time eating here was a major disappointment.

I went to Mil's Diner a few days prior to coming here, and I definitely enjoyed the breakfast there. As for Peanuts, I was dissatisfied and could definitely distinguish and taste the difference in the food in comparison to Mil's (much better quality). Do not get me wrong, Peanuts gives you a lot of food for very little money, which is what most people want, but there is a reason for that: the quality of the food is just not that good.

I ordered the avocado, bacon, cheese omelette plus a side order of sausages, which came out to be a sum of $8. I was definitely satisfied with how much food was on my plate; three sausages, half-plate of hash brown potatoes, an omelette that covered the other half of the plate, and four slices of buttered toast stacked on top. Sounds great right? Well, guess again. Two of the three sausages were burnt (the third one was slightly burnt), the hash brown potatoes were very mushy and tasted as if it came from straight out of the freezer and dumped into the fryer, and the omelette was just terrible (half-way through, I felt like throwing up). The only thing that had no flaws were the buttered toast. So a question you should ask yourself is,"Would I rather want more for the money, or would I want something worth the money?" It is the simple question of quality or quantity. It is your choice, but I would much rather prefer quality.

I do have some positive things to say about Peanuts though. First off, it would be a great place to just hangout and socialize with a friend or two. Second, there is a music player and T.V. inside for entertainment purposes. Thankfully, they set the channel to ESPN to get my mind off the food. Lastly, the Asian man behind the counter has a great personality and cracks jokes. However, the negatives definitely outweigh the positives, which is why I have to give Peanuts only two stars. I am usually pretty lenient with my ratings, but no dice, Peanuts.

Final Thoughts:
After so much commotion about Peanuts from a few friends of mine, I am utterly disappointed and will think twice before taking in their comments and suggestions. I will probably give Peanuts a second chance to redeem itself, but I do not think that second chance will be given any time soon. Until next time...

I had been craving breakfast for the past few weeks, but had not been able to come around to satisfying that craving due to my schedule, which only gave me free time in the late afternoon. I definitely did not want to go to chains such as Denny's and IHOP, so I took a look on Yelp to find a breakfast joint that was open throughout the day, and a few popped up. Unfortunately, the locations of these places were too inconvenient and far, except for one...Mil's Diner. One of my friends (Austin C.) had already tried out and reviewed Mil's Diner; he gave it four stars. With the label "cheap eat", convenient location, and four star average, it qualified to be the place where I would finally satisfy my prolonged breakfast crave.

Mil's Diner is located in a plaza filled with many other eateries (they got nothing on Mil's). It is hard to spot at first because the title of "Mil's Diner" is on a small, white block and right next to that block would be "RESTAURANT" in large letters. So a word to the first-timers, do not look for a sign that says "Mil's Diner", look for "RESTAURANT".  Parking should not be an issue; there are more than enough parking spots in the area. There is a table outside if you want to eat and take-in the outdoor fresh air or smoke a cigarette (don't do it). Once you enter the premises, you just can not help but feel good and very welcomed. The waitress is very nice and wants to make sure you have a great experience (she probably knew it was our first time).

Came here at lunchtime and it was surprisingly empty, well, not empty, but there were not that many customers. Oh well. That did not phase me one bit as I had good expectations of Mil's. We were seated right away and were immediately attended to. According to my friend, the only one that ordered coffee, the coffee was very smooth compared to other places and was delightful. Sitting right next to him, it smelled very fresh, but I am not a coffee person, so I would not have much insight. The waiter/waitress would always come by to generously refill his mug with coffee.

The time it took for our orders to come out was about 12-15 minutes; I was starving, so every minute I waited felt like an eternity. When the food finally came out to us, it was like looking at an art masterpiece. Just brilliant. A concern for us prior to coming to Mil's was the proportions. You know how Denny's can be very stingy in how much they put on your plate? Yeah. Based on that knowledge, I felt that all breakfast/diners would be like that, but this was definitely not the case. Mil's OVERWHELMS you with their proportions. My eyes opened up and my jaws widened when I saw how much was on my plate: two sausages, a strip of bacon, two eggs, half-plate of hash brown potatoes, and two slices of toast (I chose French Toast; HUGE); this is Mil's #1 breakfast combo by the way. You would not believe how much this entire meal costs. Try guessing. If you think they are going to cheat you out of your money like Denny's, you are terribly wrong. This entire meal only costs...*drumroll*...$6.95. Yes, you get this huge, delicious meal for only $6.95! What are you waiting for? GET IT NOW!! I sound like an infomercial.

Final Thoughts:
Now that I have discovered Mil's, I will no longer need to go to Denny's nor IHOP for my breakfast needs. Mil's has a good reputation in this type of business as I saw the many awards they have received throughout the years somewhere on a shelf. The service, the food, everything pretty much justified how good Mil's really is. I will definitely be back again. Probably next week. Until next time, Mil's!

I was surprised to see that this place was still in business after so many years. I recall passing by numerous times when I was much younger. How do I remember such a place from so long ago? Simple. You can not forget nor miss the huge smoker they have right outside; it is HUGE! Every time I passed by, curiosity grew within me as I glanced over at that smoker through the car window. I had a good feeling that I would eventually set foot inside this establishment..Here I am.

My friends and I had just finished a four hour class, and we were absolutely starving. We were in search of somewhere new to eat at that was within the San Jose area. We had a number of choices, but they were all too far, so we kept searching. Someone suggested we get barbeque, so we searched up barbeque on Yelp, and do you know what the number one option was? Yeah. It was none other than Texas Smokehouse BBQ. It fulfilled our criteria in ratings, good reviews, convincing pictures, price, and location.

It did not take us long to get there, but trying to get a parking spot was a bit difficult. Words of advice to those that plan on driving here: park at the McDonalds across the street because there is no parking at this business; your only other option is to park in a residential area. Referring to some of the other reviews, parking at the gas station right next to this place is not a good idea (you might get yelled at by the person running the gas station). Besides, get a little exercise and walk-off those calories you are about to heavily consume when you get Texas Smokehouse BBQ.

Lets be honest here, if you were to judge this place by the looks of it, you would definitely not feel comfortable nor safe nor think about entering the premises, but you have always been taught to not a judge a book by its cover, so don't. I honestly admire the authenticity of the place. It just has a real feel to it unlike the typical fast-food chains. The staff is very limited; only three guys working (cashier/waiter at the counter, cook in the back, barbequer at the front working the smoker). There are four tables, a couple of chairs, and a T.V. showcasing ESPN inside. We chose the option of dining in.

The menu was very simple with a variety of combos. The menu was also displayed on the wall with detailed pictures of the food as visual aids for the indecisive customer. I was trying to decide between the #7 (beef tri-tip + pork ribs combo) and the #6 (chicken leg + pork ribs combo). Oh yeah, the combos come with whatever meat is listed, a choice of two sides, and two pieces of white bread. Many of the reviews for Texas Smokehouse BBQ clearly suggested on trying the beef tri-tip, but I was in the mood for some chicken, so you can pretty much assume what I ordered. The #6 was $12.75. The two sides I chose were the collard greens and potato salad (I have always felt that collard greens with barbeque was essential).

We sat down at a table and watched Sportscenter while waiting for our orders. It took about 7-10 minutes for our orders to come out. I wasn't complaining. I was definitely fine with that. When my friend's order came out, he opened the styrofoam lunch box and it was just a heavenly sight. I was definitely anxious for my order to come out due to my friend enjoying his food with much delight and satisfaction.

My order would eventually come out within a few minutes and I quickly opened the styrofoam lunch box to see what marvelous creation was inside. Time froze. I was in another dimension. Was I in heaven? No, that can't be..I'm Buddhist. As soon as I snapped out of it, I grabbed a rib, slowly led it to my lips, placed it right between my teeth, and worked the masseter muscle. Never have I tasted a meat so tender, juicy, enriched in so much flavor. When I try out most foods, I tend to eat them very quickly, but in this case, I wanted to slowly savour every second of it. I could taste the char and the smoke. I don't think I have ever tasted any barbeque that had the perfect char and smokiness to it like Texas Smokehouse BBQ does. The collard greens and potato salad were perfect compliments to the meat. All these different flavors were overwhelming. The chicken also displayed the same attributes as the ribs. Although, I was not able to finish the entire chicken leg. There was just too much to handle. That almost never happens to me, but it happened at Texas Smokehouse BBQ.

Basically, an experience I will keep with me for a really long time. I have honestly never tasted barbeque quite like this. Although I might not have been to all the barbeque spots in San Jose, I have a really good feeling there is not one better than this. I am going with a strong assumption that Texas Smokehouse BBQ has the best barbeque in San Jose. Do not let the looks of this place intimidate/scare you. The guys that run Texas Smokehouse BBQ are great and courteous to their customers. Please, come here and you will have a life-changing experience.

Had the fish & chips craving, and, through Yelp recommendations, came here to have that craving satisfied. Pretty small place, but typical of a local business. I really liked the authenticity of the restaurant. Although, the half-Scottish/half-Japanese decorations were a bit iffy.

We were seated quickly by the one and only waiter. Took a few minutes to get orders, but it took more than awhile for our food to come to us. Although, that delay was acknowledged by the waiter and cook, and we were reimbursed a free, fried fish on the house.

The first dish that arrived was the fried calamari. We had an overwhelming portion. It was absolutely delicious. The lemons definitely gave the calamari a kick. We finished the dish in no time.

All our other orders arrived and man were the fish huge. I was surprised as I thought that the fish wasn't going to be that big, but boy I was wrong. A whole bottle of ketchup and tartar sauce was also supplied.

Well, I ordered the one order (two fried fish + chips). I quickly sank my teeth into the fried fishy goodness and dipped it into the tartar sauce and took it down with chips drenched with ketchup. Perfect combination. I was full after finishing the first fish, but I just had to go for more. I had a lot of trouble finishing the second fish, but pulled through because of how good it was.

Overall, great fish & chips place. Definitely recommend it if you are craving for fish & chips or would like to try something new for lunch. The service is great, too. The waiter was kind, courteous, and always asked if we needed anything. If it were not for that long wait for our food, I would definitely give this place five stars. Also, they actually acknowledged how long we were waiting for our food! Now that's just great service there. They really do care about their customers. Big thumbs up.

I really enjoy how this is located in a downtown-like scene. Just love it. It is also conveniently located in an area filled with restaurants. So that is pretty nice.

Trying to find a parking spot can be quite a challenge as your only option is to park on the street so be sure to carry some change on you for those meters! I would also recommend coming during the night time as there are many vacant parking spots unlike the daytime where most spots are filled.

The restaurant is very clean and organized. I was surprised of how packed it was so late into the night. A line extended from the register all the way to the door. Now I can clearly see that this is the spot to go to for some grub. The store is pretty spacey allowing a large number of people to dine in. The menus are easy to spot on the walls.

Great activity and movement in the kitchen. You just gotta love it. Did I forget to mention that while waiting for your order you can see everything the staff is doing in the kitchen? You can assure yourself that they are not doing anything illegal or disgusting to your food.

The prices of the food are surprisingly cheap. I ordered the chimichanga, which priced at about $3.24. Cheap, eh? I had a pretty big serving as well. I really enjoyed the crispiness of it combined with the creamy and soft insides. Mmm...

Unfortunately, a flaw of this place is the way they call out peoples' orders. They do not have a microphone to call out peoples' orders. They have to yell it out, which in this case, was inefficient in a noisy, packed place. So you are just going to have to be very alert and focused on your order rather than sitting back and socializing with your friends.

Well, overall, this place is good. Cheap, good Mexican food. I would definitely recommend this place for a quick, cheap bite. Hopefully you are not awaiting amongst a big crowd or you are going to have to keep your eyes and ears very open for your order.