Good Eats near Metro Link Stations

[reality check]

MetroLink is offering $10 unlimited rides on weekends.

San Bernandino and Orange County Lines run during the weekend. Both of those lines start at Union Station, then head east and south, respectively.

Any good eats along those two lines?

Please note, the Metrolink is NOT the red, gold, blue, etc train lines.

[Bradbury]

A few places that come to mind along the San Bernardino line (within a few blocks walk):

El Monte: Birrieria La Barca Jalisco

Claremont: Various spots in the Village, my favorites being Back Abbey and The Press (I think Walter's and Viva Madrid have seen better days, but there's varying opinions around here about that)

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Birrieria La Barca
10817 Valley Mall, El Monte, CA 91731

The Back Abbey
128 Oberlin Ave, Claremont, CA 91711

[heckonwheels]

La Barca is very good but sometimes they crank up the juke box to ear-splitting levels. Besides the birria, they have some of the best, authentic enchiladas you'll find. Great place, even better prices.

[Das Ubergeek]

Double-check that it's valid outside Orange County (I just got a free bus/rail pass.) Here are the Orange County Line stations from north to south (I skipped Commerce and Norwalk because I don't know them well.)

Buena Park: The station's kind of in the middle of nowhere but 5-10 minutes' walk will get you to Beach and La Mirada, which is chock full of Korean food. Surah is the best option for KBBQ; Ma po jip for seolleongtang (don't forget to add the salt and green onions on the table or it'll have no flavour whatsoever) and Myung Dong for kalguksu. I think there's also a tofu place or two.

Fullerton: Bootlegger's Brewery (open Fri-Sun only) is walking distance from the stop, as is Burger Parlor and Monkey Business.

Anaheim: Forget it.

Orange: The Orange Circle is walking distance; you could go have tea at Paris in a Cup, or beer tasting at Bruery Provisions, or a waffle (the smoked salmon is great) at Bruxie... Mexican food at Gabbi's too if you feel like waiting a bit.

Santa Ana: Downtown SA is a bit of a walk but not too bad; depending when you go, there are outstanding trucks amongst the restaurants. La Chiva Torta parks on Mortimer and 4th. You could also walk over to Gypsy Den or Lola Gaspar or the Crosby, or down to Calacas Cafe (get the biónico).

Tustin: a desert of food worth eating.

Irvine: Technically you could walk to the Spectrum—it's an unfriendly walk but it's less than half a mile—but I'm not sure what you'd eat. You could go olive oil and wine tasting at We Olive, have an overpriced Mexican-American meal at Javier's or go to Veggie Grill.

Laguna Niguel: Again, the Shops at Mission Viejo are walkable, but it's even less friendly a walk than Irvine. You could go to Farrell's, though... or walk up Camino Capistrano (north) and have a beer at Mugs Away. The annual Mooning of the Amtrak was yesterday, though.

San Juan Capistrano: Ramos House Cafe is directly across the street; great brunch, but expect lines. L'Hirondelle is nearby as well for French food.

San Clemente: Riders Club!! That BURGER... my GOD. Also, Bread Gallery has some seriously awesome pretzels. A few hundred feet inland is Surfin' Chicken... mmmm, Surfin' Chicken.

San Clemente Pier: Not always a stop. There's a decent crêpe place but all the stuff is quite a bit inland, near the 5.

Oceanside: Longboarder. Oatcakes. It's what everyone orders.

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Ramos House Cafe
31752 Los Rios St, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

L'Hirondelle
31631 Camino, Capistrano San Juan Capistrano, CA

Longboarder Cafe
228 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054

Gypsy Den
125 N Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701

Bread Gallery
1624 N El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672

Myung Dong
5301 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 90621

Lola Gaspar Restaurant & Bar
211 W 2nd St, Santa Ana, CA 92701

Bootlegger's Brewery
Richmond Dr, Placentia, CA 92870

The Bruery Provisions
143 N Glassell St, Orange, CA 92866

[Servorg]

"Anaheim: Forget it."

I've found JT Schmid's to be solid (without overselling it). Has it gone downhill?

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Jt Schmid's Restaurant & Brewery
2610 East Katella, Anaheim, CA 92806

[Das Ubergeek]

I have issues with the service and the food isn't good enough to justify it. I suppose reality check could walk up and down SART, and I did forget about Noble Ale Works that's walking distance... just bitter about even the little coffeeshop in the building behind the LA-bound tracks being closed during commute hours.

[reality check]

Been to JTS a few times and the food is pretty average. I saw there is a Zito's Pizza near the Hooters, and I like Zito's Pizza.

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Zito's Pizza
5572 E Santa Ana Canyon Rd, Anaheim, CA 92807

[reality check]

Been to JTS a few times and the good is average. But Anaheim is place I go to often, so I wouldn't stop there on the Metrolink.

I saw that there is a Zito's Pizza and for OC, Zito's has good pizza. Maybe I'll stop in being my next Angels game.

[Servorg]

You guys must not have tried their Caribbean glazed pork chop maybe? I had it once and I would love to have it again anytime: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/8ZL-Qw...

[granadafan]

Wow, great list, Ubergeek. I'll have to print that out and check them out one day.

[Das Ubergeek]

I need to add that the whole point of a train trip is to be able to drink and not drive (isn't it? right? someone smash those crickets, they're driving me nuts) and so I need to add Matador Cantina's bar to the Fullerton list. Mmmm, cocktails.

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Matador Cantina
111 N. Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92832