Restaurant Guide

Tamale Factory, 3663 Main St., Riverside; (951) 342-3023

Mario’s Place

Mario’s Place in Riverside is an institution in the dining world of the Inland Empire. While other spots come and go, Mario’s just keeps chugging out delicious Northern Italian cuisine, a chill ambiance, and a hip, upscale bar scene. Very little has changed over the years, except maybe the menu getting better and better, and that’s akin to something called “tradition”—a term with relative dearth in the IE. The brothers Palagi continue to run the Riverside staple—with Chef Leone Palagi (half the brother duo) showing off his mad culinary skills with menu choices like the pan-roasted lamb chops and risotto with seared rare squab. Mario’s wouldn’t be Mario’s if it didn’t offer up 450 wine choices to accentuate just about anything Palagi can create. (Bill Gerdes)

Mario’s Place, 3646 Mission Inn Ave Riverside, (951) 684-7755, www.mariosplace.com

The Grill at Antlers Inn

For all the people mourning the loss of the Mandoline Bistro in Big Bear Lake’s village, rejoice in knowing its first owner is back in action—albeit in Twin Peaks. Larry Cummings has taken his menu to the other side of the mountain, including the surprisingly scrumptious tempura avocado starter with raspberry chipotle dipping sauce and the Cajun crab cakes. Highlights of the Mandoline menu making the journey to the Peaks include ancho chili tortellini, tequila chicken fettuccine and the rib eye. But if you really want to try something out of your comfort zone, the venison osso bucco with purple whipped potatoes and veggies is the plate. The atmosphere The Grill is upscale with rustic flair, perfectly cozy for date night, particularly with the big fireplace warming the scene. Afterward, cruise over to the in-house bar and order yourself a cocktail to keep the fires burning. (Arrissia Owen Turner)

The Grill at Antlers Inn, 26125 Highway 189, Twin Peaks, 92391, (909) 336-2600

Olivia’s Mexican Restaurant

Don’t be shocked to see Troy Percival or Travis Barker ordering up their favorite Tex-Mex grub, or R&B singer Etta James asking for the #2 combination plate of the cheese enchilada, chili relleno and ground beef taco. For the last 30 years in this modest and darkly-lit dining room of a singular faux wrought iron chandelier and Diego Rivera prints, owners Olivia and Tony Cabral created a neighborhood gathering place where locals and celebs coexist peacefully in ebullient adoration for Olivia’s made-from-scratch delectables. Worthy tries include the garlicky shrimp tacos, quesadilla burritos and oddities like the citrus pepper salmon. Entrées and combination platters are served with rice and beans, and portions arrive in unabashed abundance. No matter how heavy the customer load, the Cabral family always finds time to chat up new and returning customers, bringing more converts into its already large, extended fold. (Nancy Powell)

Olivia’s Mexican Restaurant, 9447 Magnolia Ave., Riverside; (951) 689-2131

The Buffalo Inn

This Old West throwback is famous for its namesake—actual buffalo—which is famously used in its burgers and chili. Technically speaking, that buffalo is really American bison, not the water or African varieties (can we get an amen?)—it’s just that Buffalo Inn sounds much catchier than the less spectacular Bison Inn, natch. And it comes complete with its out/in campfire-esque bar lounge area where you can kick up your heels (literally!), pretend you’re on the open range near a chuck wagon, munch on some of the Inn’s famous cheddar chips and salsa (made in house) and choose a beer from the wall o’ taps. Keeping it real, there’s campfire entertainment courtesy of old dudes singing “Desperado” and other classic rock faves. “Your pain and your hunger, they’re driving you home,” or to the Buffalo Inn. Whichever, just come to your senses before it’s too late. (Arrissia Owen Turner)

The Buffalo Inn, 1816 W. Foothill Blvd., Upland, (909) 981-5515 

Tartan of Redlands

The Tartan in Redlands is the kind of place your dad took you to as a kid, before anybody said smoking was bad for you. It’s the kind of red-hued place that specializes in huge helpings of right-cooked things with little regard for stupid conceptual ideas like cholesterol. Most importantly, the Tartan is the kind of joint that you can have a good time, relax, and not have to worry about putting on airs, which, with the influx of opulent/casual restaurants cropping up, makes it a most beautiful throwback. As for the menu? Tasty. The Tartan cheeseburgers are huge affairs; the steaks strictly for the paternal and avuncular characters at the table; the halibut for the daintiest among you. (Bill Gerdes)

Tartan of Redlands, 24 East Redlands Blvd., Redlands, (909) 792-9919

Saca’s

Saca’s Mediterranean Cuisine has occupied a place in the Claremont Village for ten years now, and it has been a wonderful ten years for Fred and Nadia Saca. For falafels, rotisserie chicken, lamb shawerma, or sweet baba-ghanouj, Saca’s is affordable and zacky, the Lebanese word for delicious. Zacky used to be the name of the restaurant back in the ’90s when it was located down the street on Indian Hill Blvd. Then one day a representative from a more powerful corporate Zacky told them to knock it off and, rather than fight the order, they decided to change the name to the present family name of Saca’s. A good move, says Fred. “We tripled our business since then!” Long known to locals as an inexpensive alternative to the pricier eateries downtown, Saca’s is emerging as a recommended destination for LA-based out-of-towners, as well. (Kevin Ausmus)

Saca’s, 248 W. Second St., Claremont, (909) 624-3340

Norco’s Best Burgers

Norco’s Best is one of the greasy spoons in this horse-loving town. It’s a fairly modern joint where one can’t go wrong ordering the standard quarter-pounder with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions on a toasted sesame seed bun, accompanied by fries and drink for less than $6. The pastrami sandwiches are royal (particularly the pastrami burrito, a sight to behold, and the monstrous pastrami burger), the steak sandwich several cuts above fast food chain equivalents with fresh tomatoes, and the fried zucchini a somewhat tasty and healthier alternative to the fries. No sooner are orders placed than food arrives fresh and piping hot. The prices are reasonable (a cheeseburger runs less than $3), and healthy portion sizes provide for a gut-sinking lunch the next day and then some. Now, that’s what a burger is all about. (Nancy Powell)

Norco’s Best Burgers, 3158 Hamner Ave., Norco; (951) 340-0188

The Press

This Claremont Colleges hangout is a great place for interfoodie relationships—you can find a juicy filet mignon as well as a succulent eggplant burger and mashed potato taquitos, not to mention the delish vegan chocolate cake (but we did just mention it!). This boho take on modern makes for the perfect hangout spot for yippies looking for a quiet lunch place to argue about the merits of closing Guatanamo or the virtues of Wilco over Spoon. A must accompaniment whatever the conversation is the Press Fries, a fried-up trio of yucca, Yukon and sweet potatoes. The only thing better? The way-misnamed Fries For the Boys, a unisex favorite, fries smothered with fresh garlic, cheese and chives (try watching the Mt. Baldy Jazz Band with any other accompaniment, and lose something in the experience). As one of downtown Claremont’s only wee-hour venues, The Press gets packed Thursday through Sunday, but our favorite night to check in with the crew is Wednesdays when all bottles of wine are half price. The key lime pie martini on any other day is definitely worth the full price. (Arrissia Owen Turner)

The Press, 129 Harvard Ave., Claremont, (909) 625-4808; www.thepressrestaurant.com

Simple Simon’s

Simple Simon’s is simply great for a variety of reasons (inhale)—the outside terrace, the strong coffee, the über-groovy staff, and the spacious booths, the spicy, succulent chicken sausage, the Winter Omelet, the prime location (adjacent to the Mission Inn), the Saturday morning cougars on the prowl, the Mediterranean Melt, the calorie-engorged cakes and cookies, the yuppies with yuppie spawn in tow, the occasional drunks on the periphery, a damn fine pasta salad and a damn fine chili, to boot, the fruit and cheese plates, the irritating (yet familiar) cash only policy better suited for a grubby liquor store, and of course all the rest of the tasty sandwiches, pastries, and breakfast grub I forgot to mention. Did we mention it’s one of a kind? It is. In short, there’s a lot to like about Simple Simon’s, and its uniqueness is the biggest reason. (Bill Gerdes)  

Simple Simon’s 3639 Main Street Riverside, (951) 369-6030

Falcon’s Nest Restaurant

When all is said and done, simplicity is the most effective route in a variety of circumstances. And at Falcon’s Nest, a quaint yet quality Persian restaurant, it’s that salt-of-the-Earth greatness of both food and vibe that emits from myriad trajectories. Need kabobs that aren’t spiced up to oblivion and don’t induce vertigo on your taste buds? Want to eat in a setting that isn’t intimidatingly lavish, yet also doesn’t seem like a fly-by-night operation? Long for a salad that’s just a smidge, but not a mile, outside of the usual? That’s why places like Falcon’s Nest exist—to serve the greater good with great goods. The Persian cuisine’s spot on, it’s consistent from serving to serving, the portions are absolutely generous, and the hospitality is warmer than a Duraflame burning in an Arizona summer. Best of all, you won’t feel like you paid more than you bargained for—and in these times of economic despair, that alone says a whole lot. (Waleed Rashidi)

Falcon’s Nest Restaurant, 2451 Foothill Blvd., La Verne, (909) 596-2600

Chuck Wagon Café

Blue-collar workers, retirees, middle-aged couples whose families patronized its chocolate brown booths generation after generation frequent this small, dark and dingy 1940s dive located in a part of town best left untouched by the tour books. Fortunately, it’s akin to time-warping back to the country kitchen on Grandma’s farm, an oddly charming kind of place where comfort foods like meat and potatoes, hot dogs and hamburgers and sandwiches, even monster-truck sized breakfasts, reign. Portion sizes are gratuitous; Taco Tuesdays are really Taco Mondays; and goulash makes it to the whiteboard of specials like a varsity dish. Always reliably good are the chicken fried steaks, pork tenderloin and breakfasts. Nothing fancy here, but the Chuck Wagon delivers decent food at less than inflationary prices. Forget prom night at the Chuck, but definitely feel welcome about hanging after a concert or night on the other side of town. (Nancy Powell)

Chuck Wagon Café, 1070 E. 6^th St., Corona; (951) 737-7162

Sweet Basil Bistro

The best restaurant in Big Bear Valley, strangely, is tucked away in a red barn of a building underneath a bowling alley bar. So unless you end up there on the advice of a trusty local, you’ll probably just pass it right by. That would be your loss. Chef/owner Sally Hill pours her heart into every bit of lobster lasagna and grilled Portobello Panini. This is Californian cuisine with a Mediterranean slant. Sweet Basil has a fantastic wine list and a cocktail menu worthy of a New York nightclub (think blackberry gimlet with fresh puree and a blushing martini with raspberry puree topped with sparkling wine). So after a long day of ski slopes, hunker down into a flank steak and finish off with some warm sangria or an Irish coffee and the doughnuts . . . yes, doughnuts. They’re little bits of bliss rolled in cinnamon and sugar served with three dipping sauces—chocolate, caramel and raspberry. Mmmm, dipping sauce. (Arrissia Owen Turner)

Sweet Basil Bistro, 40629 Lakeview Dr., Big Bear Lake, (909) 866-9212; www.sweetbasilbistro.net

Silver Dollar Pancake House

Think the Silver Dollar Pancake House as a less expensive, more laid-back version of the Original Pancake House with infinitely more charm and historical significance. The charm? The U-shaped counter, which would make a picture-perfect location for an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It’s the oldest restaurant in town, around since 1922 and metamorphosing into a car hop/Chinese/Mexican until it plopped out the griddle cakes around the 1950s. The husband/wife team of Robert and Diana Hernandez bought it in 1991 (Robert started in the 1970s) and still serve up hearty breakfasts and homey lunches (chicken fried steak, anybody?). There are oodles of light and airy flapjacks to choose from—chocolate, blueberry, strawberry rollups with whipped cream, even a chili and cheese pancake that’s like eating a cornmeal muffin drowned in syrup. The best deal is a six stack of Silver Dollar ‘cakes for $4.75, ($6.70 for the tower of 10). (Nancy Powell)

Silver Dollar Pancake House, 710 E. 6^th St., Corona; (951) 737-5977

The Mug

The Mug stands perched on Highland Ave. and, after close to 60 years, it’s same as it ever was—same red brick building, same owner, same menu, same salad dressing, same autographed pictures of Formula One Hall-of-Famer Mario Andretti on the wall. High school football coaches still come in to carbo-load on the afternoon of the big game. Then there is Tony Trozera, who with his brother opened The Mug in 1949. He has since watched customers who first appeared in diapers now bringing in their grandkids for a meal of garlic bread and thin-crust rectangularly sliced pizza. Trozera is an energetic raconteur who will eagerly regale you with stories of crewing with Andretti (as well as Rick Mears) in the 1970’s and offer observations on everything from racquetball strategies to the best exercise to prepare for knee replacement surgery. You just won’t get that anywhere else. The Mug is simply a gem. (Kevin Ausmus)

The Mug, 1588 W. Highland Ave., San Bernardino, (909) 887-1550

D’elia’s Grinders

D’elia’s Grinders hearkens back to a time when the grinder lived up to its name—a sandwich that took some serious dental work to get through and took a bit off the enamel. The grinders at D’elia’s are loud affairs, each bite raising the decibels while sending small shards of French bread flying. The toil is worth it, though, as this is as good as it gets outside New Orleans. D’elia’s is a dive that’s been around since the 1940s, and they’ve been churning out roughly the same recipe (homemade bread, quality meats) in various incarnations over that span. And it’s not all grinders; there’re burgers and fries, too, and the meatball sandwich—a hard loaf that connects with the tomato sauce and gooey meatballs to form quite a delicious gutbuster. Yum. (Bill Gerdes)

D’elia’s Grinders, 2093 University Avenue Riverside, (951) 683-7380; www.deliasgrinders.com

Veggie Era 

Make all the tofu jokes you want, but most meat eaters who’re open minded enough to actually try well-executed vegetarian fare are pleasantly surprised. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with changing things up a bit occasionally. The easiest way to do that is mock meat, also known as seitan (pronounced, ominously, like Satan). The Indonesian family behind the counter and grill at Upland’s Veggie Era lovingly serves up the best imitation chicken, pork, beef, duck (yes, duck!) between Los Angeles and Palm Desert. Order up the veggie saté, a starter made up of three bamboo skewers, each loaded with a different marinated form of mock meat to fool your taste buds. Follow with anything from eggplant tofu sautéed with basil to Mongolian Beef-less to sweet and sour fish. And what better way to finish off a decadent a healthy, vegetarian meal? A sinful dessert: Go for the black forest cheesecake or chocolate truffle pie. That’s the best way to praise seitan. (Arrissia Owen Turner)

Veggie Era, 903-B W. Foothill Blvd., Upland, (909) 982-3882; www.veggie-era.com 

Backwoods BBQ

It’s the Nascar-loving Texas hoedown for the neighborhood meatheads, a carnivore’s paradise and herbivore’s worst nightmare. Backwoods BBQ has specialized in spitting out Texas-style barbecue for the last decade—dry rubbed meats and potatoes (whose remnants combine for an awesome potato salad) smoked over a mesquite grill behind the restaurant. The tri-tip is out of this world; the tri-tip chili dangerously spicy and not for the faint of heart; the ranch beans are a must have; and the portion sized at Backwoods would make Jenny Craig cringe. Diners camp out at picnic tables nursing pints, peanut shells crunching underneath their feet, while kids pass the hours holed up in the game room. In a nutshell, Backwoods BBQ is intoxicating and loud, relaxed and obnoxious—when you think about it, it’s everything a barbecue joint should be. (Nancy Powell)

Backwoods BBQ, 4300 Green River Rd., #102, Corona; (951) 371-7227

Grizzly Manor Café 

On any weekend morning, or weekday when there is a decent amount of snow on the slopes, you can easily wait 45-minutes at Big Bear Lake’s Grizzly Manor Café. Sure, the food is tasty, the portions are huge (pancakes are the size of hubcaps), fry ups are adequately greasy—but there’s a reason people wait outside in the chilly air. It’s Jayme Nordine, the owner with a ruthless tongue who serves as not only the grill cook but also the morning to midday entertainment. Expect loud phone calls from his pesky kids, commentary after the phone hits the hook, and banter all through the meal with his regulars, some of whom might even pitch in and refresh your coffee. And when you see the spatula start swinging, you might want to duck, or at least get out of shouting distance. Just dig in to your Blob, biscuits and gravy covered in cheese and topped with sausage and eggs. (Arrissia Owen Turner)

Grizzle Manor Café, 41268 Big Bear Blvd., Big Bear Lake, (909) 866-6226

Los Jarritos I and II

One thing is certain—nobody dines at Los Jarritos for its swanky décor. But despite its spartan look—there’s almost has a cafeteria feel to it—these little family-owned Mexican diners are always filled to capacity, customers often heading straight to the glass cooler for a beer before taking a table. Then it’s all about heaping portions of rice and beans (which they seemingly prepare by the barrel), ample entrées and, of course, the home-cooked menudo. The original Los Jarritos, a neighborhood icon, stands inconspicuously in a mostly industrial area of 2nd St. east of downtown. On Sundays, local residents stream out with batches of menudo prepared in their own pots brought from home, and you can eat a whole meal there without hearing a word of English. The North Garey location, no less authentic, brings in more of the Claremont/Pomona hipster crowd. (Kevin Ausmus)

Los Jarritos, 256 S. Towne Ave., Pomona, (909) 

Los Jarritos II, 3191 N. Garey Ave., Pomona, (909) 593-7012