The Biz Partner and I have met here before and I enjoyed it those times and can't believe I have…read morenever done a review. Now mind you, I don't give out 5 stars very often, but Backdraft deserves all five of them. Cool, friendly and attentive wait staff, every time we have been. Nice back area with seating is great with the nice weather. Vast selection of food options is great for many people, even finicky, picky people that you don't really like, but have to meet because your friend likes her. That's not the case today, but just saying. Also, the fire fighter theme is great and fun with the names of the food. Anyhoo, we ordered the Smoke Alarm Brussel Sprouts appy and it was delicious. Perfectly cooked sprouts, goat cheese, mustard drizzle. Not a huge portion, but was great for the two of us to share and still be hungry for lunch. The Biz Partner ordered a medium Code Blue pizza to have some to take home. The pizza is marinara, mozzerella, blue cheese crumbles, grilled steak, grilled onions, cilantro and house made. BBQ sauce. I did not try any, but he loved it and had enough leftover for him and his girlfriend for dinner! It was a LARGE medium pizza. Speaking of large. I picked the Hotshot Italian Sub and decided to get the 12" so I could also take some home, figuring I would eat the 6" if I just ordered that. Now, I did not measure it, but when it came out, it did not seem like 12", you know like SW "foot long". It was cut into 4 huge pieces and each seemed like 1/2 a SW large sub. I ended up eating only one of the 4 portions that arrived. Ate it for lunch the next two days! The Hotshot is a great italian sub, one of my favorite sandwiches. It is Honey Smoked Ham, Salami, Pepperoni, Provolone, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, smeared with mustard and mayo and then drizzled with Greek Style house dressing. I ordered it hot and on a white roll (the only way it should be prepared! IMHO). Damn fine sandwich and at "12 feet" long (ha, ha!) it feeds a bunch of people or me for three lunches. Service is so good and attentive. The waitress got her workout refilling my diet cokes as after eating we stayed and did some business. She always checked on us and did not care how long we stayed. So awesome, I wish I had gotten the names of the servers. This was Tuesday, 3/24/26 at noon. So, you know who you are! GO! EAT WELL!! BE WELL TAKEN CARE OF!!! HAVE FUN!!!!

This place is real special for the reason that they support and honor the fire department. When you…read moredine here you support our heroes! The restaurant is really well fire-department-themed, especially the outside patio! The service here was fantastic during my visit; we were seated in the outside patio and the gas tank to their heater was out, quickly an employee was sent to buy a new one! Within minutes we were accommodated with a comfortable dining experience! S/o to our server Kayden who was fantastic! He was so patient and helpful! He was so kind to take the time to share some history of the restaurant! I had the Slop-Over Chicken & a little taste of a burger, while both items was good, I think their specialties lay in other dishes. Our whole table agreed their salads is where it's at! So don't skip ordering a salad along side their popular pizzas!

Fun spot to grab a burger, fries and eat outside. Luckily no flies today that were mentioned on…read moreother reviews. The portions were huge! Original Nessy burger and chilli fries was plenty too spilt between my husband and I. Great spot when you're in Fallbrook.

Went there for the first time. To be honest nothing exciting…read morejust a big burger . Taste was good The portion was large but nothing to write home about. Seating is limited on the weekends The restroom which are shred by other stores was dirty as if they don't clean them but once a day. Just a nice place to stop off the 15 if you never been there before. Again Nothing special.. 13.00 for just the hamburger..

The location is great as it overlooks the city of Fallbrook and is a cool midpoint between mid…read morecounty Riverside and Oceanside/Carlsbad. The restaurant itself is airy and has a cool little mini gallery on the bottom floor. The food is great and the service is FAST! Cool local hang out. Thanks for feeding us!- more than once. My favorite is always the Hawaiian breakfast items and equally as important, the coffee is GOOD.

Still delicious food. Still an inviting atmosphere. Servers were still pleasant . . . albeit, they…read moreseemed heavily tasked. Greeters were cool, but I could read lips when they were walking about. Some not-so-nice things were being said about whomever. We picked "Z" today because they had the Indy 500 on a couple of the bar area TVs. We had a distant peek at only two screens in-between other sports like women's field hockey on a couple other screens. I accomplished what I set out to do; watch a bit of the Indy 500. Mission accomplished. Z-Cafe is a good place to get the Sunday breakfast until 3pm and the lunch option after 11am. They do have a good and diverse menu. Do pay attention to the daily happy hour and daily early-bird specials. I'm not one to complain about much unless it is due. Today it is due. Today revealed some overhead dusting needed on the game kill busts along the walls, and the larger leafed indoor plants were in need of a wipe-down. Also, I went to open the Tabasco that was on the table. The wife looked down at the bottle and cap and was overly impressed by their cleanliness. I did point out to her, that it was a new bottle and the staff failed to remove the plastic "safety" wrapper. Ohhhh!, she said. We attempted to pay our ticket and waited close to 10 minutes before it was picked up. A manager walking the floors should have picked it up. What a great opportunity to make a bit of customer contact. Still a good place to eat. Let's hope it remains that way. By the looks of the crowd, it will. CritDicks

Thanks to a bartender and her regulars at an Italian restaurant in Vista for putting Harlow's on…read moreour radar! Initially, I'd added Harlow's on our list of places to check out, but feeling adventurous -- and given we were already in the area -- we chanced getting in. Fortunately for us, there were 2 seats at the bar top! What an adventure for us to drive out there; located within what was once a golf course. From the moment you enter through the front door, it's old school luxury and elegance: low, dim lighting (some areas darker and more intimate than others); a variety of seating options, some with beautiful, plush furnishings and fascinating art & decor; classy vibe yet casual and comfortable. Very speakeasy. Entertainment is performed on select nights. The staff was wonderful! Given this unexpected stop, we enjoyed cocktails only; however, friendly guests around us praised their menu items. Exquisite find -- one in which we plan to revisit very soon. Open Thursdays through Saturdays, 4:00 - 10:00 P.M.

We had an amazing dinner here and wonderful cocktails. I was a huge fan of the decor and overall…read morevibe, really felt like I was transported back in time. I'm sad to hear they closed as there is no other place quite like it near me.

This small shops serves up some really good barbecue. Hot tip: Come earlier in the day, if you…read morecan. Like at most BBQ places, they may run out of certain foods later in the day. You snooze, you lose. (Funny note: I was told, in no uncertain terms, that they were out of chicken and that I would get extra pulled pork. When I got home, I found a large piece of chicken.) The best option is the Sampler plate. You get six different proteins, three sides, and three Hawaiian rolls. The proteins are chicken, hot link, tri-tip, brisket, ribs, and pulled pork. I thought all of the proteins were very good but I especially loved the hot link. I could have eaten three of these alone. The sides are also very good. The mac and cheese and potato salad--both clearly house made--were excellent. The house made beans were ok but a little hard. I didn't love them. They have three BBQ sauces to choose from (spicy--marked with a giant "X" on the little cup, sweet, and regular. They are all delicious but you really don't need any of them. That is a sign of good BBQ. The sampler plate gives you a ton of food. At $56, it seems expensive but it is not. This plate easily feeds three people and you will probably have some leftovers. I drove 30 minutes one way for this, waited about 15 minutes, and drove another 30 minutes home. It was very much well worth it. Good BBQ is hard to find in SoCal but it exists, if you make the effort. And this is very good BBQ at reasonable prices.

Had a tasty smoke chicken sandwich with a side of potato salad. Ample portions that we were able…read moreto split n feed both of us. Chicken tender n juicy and bun just big enough to enjoy chicken/bun ratio. Comes with 2 different bbq sauces on the side. Both great combo of flavors. Potato salad with unpeeled potatoes is how I enjoy it so was perfect for me. Staff very helpful. Ample seating indoor/outdoor but depending on wind blowing outside you may get smoke on your face from their smoker with outdoor seating. Smells really good though!

Prohibition hosted a TCG trade night in conjunction with a local gaming group and my friend and I…read morepopped in to check it out. The venue is large, a little bit away from the freeway, but had plenty of parking and space for patrons to enjoy a meal and beer. The space the event was hosted in always decently sized for the number of vendors they had. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about the beer options. There was a decently expansive menu to choose from as well. I ordered a pretzel and beer, the ultimate brewery combination in my opinion. The beer was crisp and refreshing and the pretzel was perfect. The beer cheese was divine and paired well. My friend ordered the nachos which were massive. The only idea we had was the beer cheese should be the go to cheese for everything - it was so good it definitely elevated the nachos for us.

We visited Prohibition Brewing on a Saturday around 1pm. When we arrived there weren't very many…read morecars and there was ample parking available both towards the front of the building and back. This is definitely a little gem of Vista. Upon entering we were quickly greeted with smiles from the bartenders and welcomed in. The patrons sitting at the bar also smiled at us as we later learned they were the regulars of the bar and one used to be a bartender there. This place gave off such a casual cool dive bar vibe but was actually really nice inside. We ordered the fried zucchini, Nelson burger, and the elliotness burger. These burgers were great! And you can see that in the pictures. Meat was delicious and flavors were tasssssty! I must also say their Irish red and seltzers were super good too. If you're in the area and are in need of a good beer, good food, and chill vibe atmosphere... check this spot out!

I don't write Yelp reviews lightly, but The Side Yard absolutely deserves the praise…read more From the moment you walk in, you can tell this place is something special. The atmosphere strikes that rare balance between relaxed neighborhood charm and thoughtfully curated design. It feels intimate without being cramped, lively without being loud. Whether you're meeting friends for brunch or settling in for a long, unhurried dinner, the space just works. The food is outstanding. Every dish feels intentional--fresh ingredients, bold but balanced flavors, and presentation that elevates the experience without being pretentious. You can taste the quality. The menu manages to be creative while still delivering comfort and approachability. It's the kind of place where you start planning what you'll order next time before you've even finished your plate. Service was equally impressive. Warm, knowledgeable, and attentive without hovering. The staff clearly take pride in what they're serving and genuinely want you to have a great experience. Hidden Meadows is lucky to have a spot like this. The Side Yard isn't just a restaurant--it's a destination. Five stars, easily. I'll absolutely be back.

This place is a great spot for a quick lunch or a beer and a sports game. The food is fantastic and…read morecomes out pretty quickly. It's a seat-yourself and order-at-the-bar kind of place. You can either close out right away or keep your tab open. There's bar seating with TVs and also patio seating available. It has a cute, comfy vibe that was welcoming. We had the Classic burger, Chicken Caesar wrap, and a side of Parmesan garlic fries. Everything we saw coming out of the kitchen looked great. We can't wait to come back and try the wings next time. My only complaint is that their burgers, sandwiches, and wraps are $15/$16 and are à la carte. At that price, I think they should come with a side.

What a nice surprise this place turned out to be. We came hungry and walked away fully satisfied…read more Our kiddos have food allergies and they were able to accommodate. Service was super friendly and helpful. Food was fantastic, especially the chili. Wow, the chili. Burgers were legit. Double burger was way huge. Chili fries were amazing. Dog melt was surprisingly good. Onion rings and fries were on point. Ranch was a little too funny for me. And to be able to top off the meal with Thrifty's ice cream?! We'll be back. Get a big bowl of chili. Large dining area, clean, nicely decorated. Parking wasn't an issue for us.

This is a long overdue review for Water Shack. I stumbled upon this place a few years ago when I…read morewas craving a no frills mom & pop style burger. To my surprise Water Shack's burgers were delicious and satisfying that I find myself coming back here ever so often. Their burgers aren't the heavy, greasy/high fat patties you would get from other places. However, their 1/4 lb patties are their smallest patties and heft makes for that ideal bun to burger ratio. Did I need to order double patties on most of my burger orders? Probably not. Their patties are on the leaner side but they aren't dry; and the fixings from any burger you choose will satisfy that meaty burger fix you're looking for. The Chicken Patty Melt is also a very tasty item. Very cheesy, buttery and crispy toasted bread with chicken breast. Their fries and onion rings also come air-fried so this place focuses more on the healthier comfort food options that wont leave you feeling heavy and drowsy. This place is also doubled as a purified water dispensary and also serves baked goods and ice cream. Love this type of no-frills, unassuming place with very friendly staff and serves up some delicious food!

Absolutely loved Smash & Dash here in Oceanside. Understand owner is moving on but wanted to let…read morehim know the food was outstanding and we will miss our go yo spot for great grub on our free nights. Hope you find success in your next journey. Great food which we will miss. Best of luck. R & S

Best smash burger I've ever had! Beautiful buttery bun and very flavorful meat. Fries were crisp…read moretoo, nothing more to say for me. Thank you smash and dash!

I had only gone to the Escondido location before and decided to try out the Vista location for a…read morebday dinner with friends. I like this location a lot more because it's bigger but both the Escondido and Vista location offer great food and good customer service as well. Ambiance/ music playing 5 stars Cleanliness 5 stars Customer service 5 stars Food 5 stars

Tried the Burger Bench in Vista with my friend a week or two ago and it was a great experience all…read morearound! The restaurant has a very open feeling, with lots of space and high ceilings. There's a patio, bar area, and table and booth seating. We ordered 3 sliders and onion rings to share. The sliders were 1) mushroom & Swiss, 2) Smokehouse BBQ, and 3) classic cheeseburger. Each of the sliders was unique and very flavorful, with well-seasoned beef patties and recognizable flavor profiles. My favorite was actually the mushroom & Swiss. The onion rings almost stole the show for me, believe it or not. They were some of the best onion rings I've ever had--light and tasteful breading, perfectly succulent onions. The ranch and bleu cheese they use are really nice too. Highly recommend this spot to any and all burger lovers or fans of epic onion rings!