Good Arcadia Restaurants??

[calirunner26]

I live in Thousand Oaks and have a friend flying in from the midwest next week on business. He'll be staying in Arcadia and I'm not too familiar with the area. We'll be meeting up with him for dinner -- does anyone have any good restaurant suggestions? No chains please (unless they're local), I don't want to take him someplace he could go to back home. Nothing too expensive, maybe $20-$25 or less per person. Not looking for any place particularly nice, just good food, good atmosphere, etc. Sometimes the best restaurants don't look like much on the outside, so we're not opposed to that! Thanks for your help!

[monkuboy]

There's not a whole lot of choices in Arcadia, but I would suggest Sesame Grill, which is sort of a fusion Asian/Continental kind of place. The atmosphere is decent, the last time we were there (a week ago) we had an excellent waitress and the food was good. If you don't order alcohol you can get by under $25.

[ipsedixit]

I've always found Sesame Grill to be grossly overpriced for what you are getting.

Really wanted to like the place -- as it seemed like the perfect 'hood bistro (like a Nook for the eastside) -- but, alas, it just never panned out.

[MaryT]

I agree Sesame Grill is not only not in the price range, the food is really not worth the prices for a stripmall place with lousy service and an attitude! (They think they are more ecelectic than I do at least. Upon friends recommendations, I've tried them a few times, and I give up.)

JetJeet's post above with that recent Arcadia thread above is a good place to start!

Zelos, Matt Dennys, there's a new Middle Eastern place just west of Matt Dennys I am wanting to try, all in the northern part of Arcadia. Moffets for diner comfort food (not just the pot pies, their other stuff is not bad either). I prefer the Arcadia Carmines for old school American-Italian, that's pretty easy pricewise too.

Rods and Le Roys are popular for diner breakfast, but the wait at Le Roys is prohibitive and the coffee at Rods is not drinkable.

The food court by the 99 Ranch store is kind of a fun place to take someone from out of town, and I've heard there is a restaurant there worth trying also which I've been meaning to try.

I've been wondering if any of those hotels along Huntington have any non-chain place worth a damn also.

[calirunner26]

Thanks for the info. Seems that there is a plethora of chinese food restaurants in Arcadia and not too much else. I'd like to take him somewhere exclusive to CA, so tri-tip is a good idea. I don't eat meat so sometimes I forget about the tri-tip...
Any other suggestions are very welcome!

[vvconst]

don't forget pastrami at "the hat" in temple city or go a bit far into the original at valley blvd./garfield, for that true la taste. local to arcadia, sesame grill on huntington/second, cal fusion with chinese twist.

good luck

[JeetJet]

Just across the Street from Arcadia at the intersection of Rosemead Blvd. and Hunntington Drive is the North Woods Inn (In the city of Rosemead). Best food deal in the SGV!

Each dinner include Two Salads, Toasted Cheese Bread, Rice Pilaf, a Giant Baked Potato with choice of Whipped Cheese Butter, Butter, Sour Cream & Chives, or Mushroom Gravy.

The North Woods Special Platter is about $25 and includes chicken, scallops and steak chunks. The Seafood Combo is about $30 and has shrimp, scallops, cod. You can split these meals and probably should considering the size of the portions. I have always taken half the potato home along with the chicken and steak chunks.

check out the menu, great prices.
http://www.clearmansrestaurants.com/n...

[sbritchky]

He won't get barbecued tri-tip back home, much less excellent barbecued tri-tip (if you order medium-rare). Also good rolls, sides, and drinks. Try Wood Ranch, a comfortable and attractive place for the kind of dinner you describe.

-----
Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill
400 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

[JeetJet]

Here is a very recent post on topic
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/566437

Also, Here is a place nearby that has a few items well worth trying -- Tops. Try the Kobe Bistro burger which is ½ lb. American Kobe Beef, Smoked Mozzarella Cheese, Caramelized onions, Tomato and Greens, and Herb Mayonnaise on a Ciabatta roll.

Tops (try the Kobe cheese burger, fries, deep fried zucchini, pastrami, asada or chicken totasda which are giant salads)
3838 E Colorado Blvd (Between Rosemead Blvd. And Michillinda
)Pasadena, CA 91107-3940
[phone]

[noshie]

Din Tai Fung for juicy pork dumplings if you want to wait, although I personally like that other way more mellow place with old style booths and great and giant pan fried pork buns (I had good wonton too) in the strip mall nearby (forget the name, I'm sure someone knows)