One of the things I love about taking to the open road are the grease pit diners you find just off the interstate. On our way to L.A. we found a good one; you may remember it from the 1985 blockbuster smash hit Pee Wee’s Big Adventure starring the infamous Paul Reubens. In the scene where Pee Wee’s freakish ride with “Large Marge” concludes, she drops him off at the Wheel Inn Restaurant.
The restaurant is only identifiable from the freeway by the gigantic EAT sign pictured on the right. Well, actually that’s not exactly true; there are also giant dinosaur statues that they keep around back (I haven’t quite figured that one out yet) that also give away the Wheel Inn’s presence. Maybe they are a representation of the colossal portions that this place serves up? Walking into the restaurant is kind of like going through a time warp without hitting 88 Mph; you have the gift shop in the lobby with a lot of retro inventory and Jesus stuff available, you have the fake wood paneling on the walls and ceilings, and best part… token roadside diner waitresses. These ladies are good though, they have probably been serving for about 150 years. I’ll let you in on a not-so-secret-secret: the fact that there were a lot of truckers and bikers here is a good sign. Before the corporate giants took over road trip dining, this was the indicator one used to gauge a decent restaurant.
We get seated and I examine the menu thoroughly, it’s about 10:00 AM so I’m still thinking about breakfast. I had previously been advised against the Eggs Benedict, as we were told that the Hollandaise sauce resembles fluorescent orange nuclear waste. My dining companion opts for the chef’s special, biscuits and sausage gravy (Special $5.95). I finally decide on the Short Stack Special ($8.95), which is a short stack, obviously, one egg any style, and either bacon or sausage. However, I’m held up with the question of whether to order the bacon or the sausage. I decide to consult our token roadside diner waitress, Flo (probably not her real name but she looked like a Flo). Flo recommends the sausage. Always trust your server.
Faster than you can say, “give me a second helping of lard,” Flo rolls out with our food. There’s nothing like diner food, and this place prepares it true “truck stop” style: everything on one plate, no doubt ably stemming back to the days when truckers mushed everything together and wolfed it down so they could get back on the road quickly. Maybe they still eat this way, who the hell knows? I’ll give you the quick and dirty… pancakes were nice and fluffy, the egg prepared correctly, and the sausage was greasy and delicious. My dining companion’s biscuits and sausage gravy were the real star of the show though; legitimately sublime. Flo had mentioned that everything served at the Wheel Inn is homemade and prepared daily. First rate greasy food.
BUT WAIT! It’s your lucky day! Today you are getting two reviews for the price of one!
Yes, it’s true, we also stopped at the Wheel Inn on the way home to sample some of their lunch specialties. This time I ordered the chicken pot pie and my dining companion ordered fried chicken with fries and corn. The quality was consistent with our breakfast just a few days before; everything was covered in gravy and delicious. The fried chicken was especially memorable, just like the kind that mom used to make at home.
So I’ll give it to you straight up, the Wheel Inn Restaurant is great road side stop – top notch food, reasonable prices, token diner waitresses, giant dinosaurs, and Jesus stuff. What else could you ask for?
Wheel Inn Restaurant
50900 Seminole Dr
Cabazon, CA 92230
(909) 849-7012
I have heard Gyro pronounced a ton of different ways in different cities: Year-oh, Jie-row, Jeer-row… I really try not to dine at an ethnic restaurant and mispronounce their food. So, I finally looked it up in Webster’s Dictionary – “A gyro (pronounced ‘Year-Oh’) is skewered, marinated meat, a part of the cuisine of Greece. Gyros are often, but not always, eaten wrapped in pita bread.”
So now that we’ve established pronunciation, here’s a little background on the Gyro; as stated previously, it’s a Greek sandwich, consisting of tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce (sometimes called cucumber sauce), served on pita bread. It was first introduced in the United States through Chicago in the 1960’s and has since spread all around the country.
Gyro express is hidden in a little strip mall between a supermarket, some Chinese nail places, Kinko’s etc.. I wouldn’t say it’s a destination restaurant but probably gets its share of regular lunch visitors. I stopped in around the evening and made my way up to the counter. In hindsight I feel like I gave the kid at the counter a hard time, asking a lot of questions about the gyros, the cheesesteaks, the hotdogs, etc. I hate being that jerk at a restaurant… you know, the guy who is always in front of you in line who has to place an order more meticulously planned than a NASA space mission. I really wasn’t trying to be difficult, I just wanted some direction as to what I should order. He was probably thinking to himself, “I hope this jerk just orders something and gets the hell out of here.” In any case, I decided on the #1 gyroscope meal ($7.49) with a Greek salad. I’m a little stumped on the meat that is used in gyros. Does it MOO or does it BAH? And why the big cylinder to rotate and broil this mystery meat?
Anyway, the food arrived about 7 minutes after I ordered it. The Gyro was a solid portion of seasoned mystery meat cut up in slices and was served on a nice warm, soft pita. The tzatziki sauce and onions worked well together.
I’m usually not into salads too much, but for some reason I really wasn’t feeling like fries this evening. The alternative to the fries when ordering the #1 gyroscope is a small Greek salad. It was a standard Greek salad, everything was fresh and the Feta cheese and vinegar based dressing gave it a nice flavor. I liked the pepperoncinis mixed in the salad to give it that subtle bite.
I wouldn’t mind stopping back here to check out their hot dogs and cheesesteaks. Although I noticed on the menu that the cheesesteaks say “Philly Steaks” but are really not Philly cheesesteaks.. Why you ask? Because they are made with provolone, which breaks the cardinal rule of a Philly cheesesteak. It’s not a Philly unless it’s made “wit whiz.” That’s the law of the land. And so it goes, the verdict for riding the Gyro Express: Decent food. Reasonable prices. I rest my case.
As I walk down University Avenue along the ASU campus I see the usual suspects; coffee houses, bookstores, and oodles of fast food joints. Today there is a new kid in town. Smashburger.
A fresh take on the classic fast food burger joint, Smashburger offers made-to-order burgers; Rosemary, olive oil, garlic fries (Smashfries); and Haagen-Dazs shakes. Every Smashburger is made when it’s ordered, so don’t come here if you are late to class; the wait from order to delivery is about five to seven minutes, and you’ll want to take your time enjoying these burgers. Smashburger takes a different approach to burger preparation – they start with a one-third or half pound ball of 100% fresh Angus beef; smash, sear, and season it on a flat grill, then serve it on a buttered-toasted artisan bun and top it with cheese, fresh produce and condiments. The result is an irregularly shaped, juicy, delicious burger.
I stopped down there today for the grand opening and tried the BBQ, Bacon, & Cheese Smashburger ($5.99) with Smashfries ($1.79), and Veggie Frites ($2.99). Right away I noticed that the Smashburger differentiates itself from other burgers with ambrosial seasonings and juiciness. Yes, this burger was juicier than Perez Hilton gossip at a Hollywood red carpet event. These guys really have the searing down to a science. A few other points of interest – the Smashfries are delicious; the whole rosemary, garlic, oil coating really works well. Points for the Veggie Frites, too. You get a nice blend of asparagus, carrots, and green beans, which are flash fried and seasoned, then served hot to your table. They offer a few other menu items including a Smashchicken sandwiches, Smashdogs, and Smashsalads (if you’re into that healthy stuff).
If Smashburger has a weakness, it’s the hours of operation. I mean, come on.. you are operating on a college campus and closing at 10 PM every night? Seriously? One thing ASU needs are more places to soak up all that alcohol after a long night on the sauce. I’ll give Smashburger a half point back for opening at 10 AM to help cure the hangover the next day. I have a feeling that a smashed, seared burger and greasy coated fries may remedy the brown bottle flu.
Overall, Smashburger is a hit and is sure to win the hearts and minds of hungry college students roaming the streets of Tempe, Arizona.
Smashburger
777 E. College Avenue
Suite 105
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 829-3750 www.smashburger.com
Back in August I reviewed Randy Walter’s restaurant, Pittsburgh Willy’s, located in Chandler, AZ. Pittsburgh Willy’s serves fantastic gourmet hot dogs, sandwiches, and desserts. What makes Pittsburgh Willy’s so special (besides the delicious home made food) is the the personal service that Randy provides to all his customers. How many restaurants have you visited where the chef/owner sits down and talks with you? On top of his regular menu, Randy and his wife offer an east coast favorite; made from scratch pierogi dinners every Wednesday evening. The dinner includes six potato and cheese stuffed pierogies sauteed in butter with sweet onions and a drink for $5.95. For a little more you can add mild or spicy kielbasa to your plate.
Beginning in September, Randy and his wife are serving homemade Italian dinners on the last Wednesday of the month. I visited Pittsburgh Willy’s this evening for the first Italian dinner night and it was spectacular. Randy and his wife displayed their east coast roots by reviving the traditional “Sunday dinner” and moving it to Wednesday nights at Pittsburgh Willy’s. They had prepared a delicious home made Italian meal consisting of Gnocchi and sweet Italian sausage, smothered in made from scratch marinara sauce, cheese, and served with toasted Italian bread. Delicious!
If you’re looking for a good home cooked dinner and good company, stop down at Pittsburgh Willy’s any Wednesday night. The next Italian dinner night will be October 28th.
Pittsburgh Willy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs and More
1509 N. Arizona Ave
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 857-2860 http://www.pittsburghwillys.com
It is said that good things come on small packages. I don’t mind small packages but when it comes to breakfast (lunch & dinner) I like big, greasy portions. To quote Ed O’Neil in the movie Dutch, “Nothing burps like bacon…”
We pulled up to Matt’s Big Breakfast around 9:30 AM on a Saturday. Now normally in Arizona, it’s not unusual to wait outside in the sweltering heat to get a table at a popular restaurant. We had already experienced this when we visited Aaron May’s Over Easy breakfast joint some months back. The day I went to Matt’s Big Breakfast was quite the opposite experience. It rained all morning in the Phoenix Valley and was still raining when we pulled up to Matt’s. The restaurant is just a tiny building located in downtown Phoenix… I suspect at one time it was an old house. The wait is all part of the experience, however don’t come here if you have a time sensitive event scheduled for after breakfast. After about an hour and a half of soaking in the rain we were seated at the counter. Matt’s is a bustling establishment with bright decor, and the seating in this place is tighter than Joan Rivers’ face; just 5 or 6 tables and a counter that can hold maybe another 5 or 6 guests. Note: I incorporated the small slide show at the top of the post in lieu of most of the pics… just something new I am trying to shake things up.
Not that I’m trying to ride the coattails of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives’ Guy Fieri, but yes he has been here too in one of his episodes (hey, can I help it that he likes to try the same places as me?), which no doubt ably contributes to some of Matt’s success. There is even the little signature homage to Guy on the wall inside.
Matt’s menu is small, but jam-packed with all kinds of breakfast goodness. He’s got a breakfast sandwich called “The Five Spot,” an omelet, a waffle, and pancakes just to name a few. Traditional breakfast beverages (including the rarely seen RC Cola) are also offered. He also keeps a special item on the board , which today was a three egg scramble, with Fontina, crimini mushrooms, and spinach. My mystery dining companion L. ordered the special, but today I was feeling like a big waffle with some greasy bacon($6). I had coffee and skipped the OJ today, although it was clearly freshly squeezed and looked delicious.
The food arrived about 15 minutes later: nice solid, heaping portions. I love big breakfast like this, it just sets the tone for the rest of the day. The waffle was made from scratch, fluffy, dusted with powdered sugar, served with warm maple syrup, and a big scoop of butter. My god who could eat such a travesty! I especially liked the bacon; it was that good thick cut bacon, not that wimpy crap you get at IHOP. L’s scramble special was also delicious.. the Fontina and spinach blended well together with the eggs – although I enjoyed the hash browns the best. They still hot when they arrived and they were nice and crispy the way hash browns should be.
Breakfast ran about $20 for the two of us, so we walked out of Matt’s with full stomachs, money remaining in the wallet, the rain had stopped, and the sun was shining on our shoulders. As I was walking back to the car I could see the famous Westward Ho off to my right and thought to myself this was shaping up to be a great day! One word verdict on Matt’s Big Breakfast: deliciouslygreasyheapinghomemadegoodness.
One of the things I love about taking to the open road are the grease pit diners you find just off the interstate. On our way to L.A. we found a good one; you may remember it from the 1985 blockbuster smash hit Pee Wee’s Big Adventure starring the infamous Paul Reubens. In the scene where Pee Wee’s freakish ride with “Large Marge” concludes, she drops him off at the Wheel Inn Restaurant.
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