Dave "Regulator" J.'s Profile

What can I say about one of my all-time favorite restaurants? Well, let's see. Let's start with the food--it's excellent. Don't get me wrong. It's not authentic Mexican food and it's not "made to order" food. It is fast food. But it is the BEST fast food out there in terms of taste and healthiness. Sure, there are tastier fast food places, but your arteries clog just thinking about them. And there are healthier fast food places--but who wants to eat that tasteless stuff? This place has the mix of healthy and tasty down pat.

Chipotle also has an iPhone app (yeah, there's an app for that) to place orders on your phone. Most Chipotles get very busy around lunch and dinner times and this Chipotle is busier than most at those times. It isn't uncommon to see the line stretch all the way through the restaurant. With the app, I can place my order, tell them when I will get there, and pay for it all in one go. Then, I show up, go to the register, and they hand me my food. This feature is a lifesaver.  Simple as that!

Couple the food with their iPhone app for ordering and by-passing the line and I can't think of a better place to eat. In fact, I'm often here multiple times a week (but you probably won't see me because the app gets me in and out so fast)!

What can I say about one of my all-time favorite restaurants? Well, let's see. Let's start with the food--it's excellent. Don't get me wrong. It's not authentic Mexican food and it's not "made to order" food. It is fast food. But it is the BEST fast food out there in terms of taste and healthiness. Sure, there are tastier fast food places, but your arteries clog just thinking about them. And there are healthier fast food places--but who wants to eat that tasteless stuff? This place has the mix of healthy and tasty down pat. Plus, this location has their lime/cilantro rice in both white AND brown versions. So, if you want a bit more fiber, go for the brown rice. I haven't seen this at other locations yet.

Chipotle also has an iPhone app (yeah, there's an app for that) to place orders on your phone. Most Chipotles get very busy around lunch and dinner times. With the app, I can place my order, tell them when I will get there, and pay for it all in one go. Then, I show up, go to the register, and they hand me my food. This feature is a lifesaver.  Simple as that!

Couple the food with their iPhone app for ordering and by-passing the line and I can't think of a better place to eat.

It's a federal government-run establishment. If ever a phrase summed it up better, I can't think of one. But, for those of you who don't know what that means, let me break it down for you. The employees are rarely excited to be there (they're postal workers after all, so why would they be happy). There is almost always a line here (no three's a crowd here). The busiest times of day (e.g., lunch time) when working people can actually make it to 9-5 establishment is also when these union employees take lunch. It is not uncommon to see only one or, (if they're in a generous mood) two people working the counter at lunch. In fact, I've seen the line be very long at lunch time and have an employee actually CLOSE up his spot so he could go to lunch. Only at a government run establishment. If a private business ran like that it would be out of business. If I were in charge, I'd eliminate the post office entirely. We'd save tons of money, save trees (and the environment--isn't that what the green people want), cut down on carbon emissions (less trucks driving around delivering junk mail), etc. We have e -mail and private companies who do package delivery. Who needs the post office?

I've never been a fan of Il Fornaio--even the locations that are much more picturesque (e.g., Coronado Island overlooking San Diego bay). They serve mediocre Italian food and it is overpriced for what you get. This location, however, has a quick service sandwich/coffee bar that redeems it somewhat. There isn't a whole lot to eat within walking distance of this location, so it gets a bit packed at lunch time, but they serve good, simple sandwiches for (surprise, surprise) cheaper than elsewhere in the vicinity. When I'm stuck working in this part of downtown and I don't feel like walking farther (to go to, say, Vallejo's), this is my go to lunch.

This is a great family-owned restaurant to come to for a quick Indonesian meal. My favorite here is the Nasi Gareng (I think that's spelled right). In any event, it is a fried rice dish with your choice of meats. I normally get pork and have them cook it a bit spicier than normal. It comes topped with a fried egg. It is always delicious. There is outdoor seating overlooking the Delta King, the old Money Store, and the train tracks. There is also very limited indoor seating--but who comes to Old Town to sit inside?

This is a friendly Jack in the Box location. The staff are nice and helpful. As far as Jack in the Boxes are concerned, this is one of the best! As an aside, I was disappointed when Jack in the Box discontinued their sliders. This isn't a slight against this JIB as it was a corporate decision, but I do wish they'd bring them back!

It's a big, corporate office store--'nuff said. Or should I say "was" an office store. As of 20 November 2011, this location is closed. Now if you want office supplies you will need to go to the Office Depot next to OSH on East Bidwell...

I went to another OD (closer to home) for an eye exam and RX glasses. Unfortunately, they could get the frame I wanted--not their fault as the manufacturer said they don't make that model anymore. I decided to go elsewhere and see if I could find the frame. I ended up here, at Healthy Eyes Optometry because they are an authorized Oakley dealer. I decided to get both regular Rx glasses and Rx sunglasses. Kaeli was extremely helpful and assisted me in picking out my Nike Flexon frames. When she didn't know about my particular Oakley sunglasses frame, she was able to get Oakley on the phone, verify the model/part number, and get the correct thing ordered for me quickly. I was pleased with the service and will be going there for my next eye exam!

I love this place. Back when I lived and worked in Sacramento, I was here at least 3 times a week. Now, I live in Folsom and only occasionally work in downtown Sac. Every time I go by this place at lunch/dinner time I stop and get some food, though.

Everything is excellent here, although the number 12 (bean, cheese, rice burrito) is what I get most of the time. In fact, I think I was the reason they added this. There numbers used to stop at 10 and I was constantly ordering the bean and cheese burrito add rice. Eventually, they added the number 12 so I could just order off the menu.

Gordito Burrito also has the BEST salsa I've ever had. It's got a bit of a kick with a lot of green onion and cilantro. Can't be beat.

Come on in and see what you've been missing!

Good food for a chain, relatively cheap prices. There are two reasons it does not get a 5 star review--the new Coke machine and their lack of fresh brewed non-flavored/non-sweetened tea. Up until a few weeks ago, this location had the standard drink dispenser--the one with one button/spigot per drink type. Then, they got the huge refrigerator-sized all-in-one drink dispenser from Coke. The one where you can choose cherry, vanilla, chocolate, lime, etc. flavors for every drink you dispense. Sounds great. The problem is that those pungent flavors get into everyone's drink even if you didn't select it. It's as if the flavors permeate the drink lines and bleed into the soda. It's not as strong a flavor as if you had selected, say, lime yourself, but it is still there marring the flavor of an otherwise delightful Coke. I really am disappointed in Coke for putting out these devices. I've never been to a restaurant that has these things where the soda is as good as it was from individual dispensers. And, since there is no good fresh tea option here, that leaves no good options other than beer...