While I'm not a fan of the value, the quality and execution is 5 star. Kikuchi has been at my local…read morebrewery Steel Bonnet in Scotts Valley a bunch lately and it's my second time trying his tasty offerings. I have tried the Tsukune twice now, a tasty meatball creation. Today I also had the Bara Tama, pork belly with thick slices of onion. They are both savory delights but the sweet of the onion paired with the salt of the pork belly and a dab of horseradish mustard makes it my new favorite! It's also over 90 degrees out today and the guy is cooking under a pop up in the parking lot, committed to his craft!

When I went to Japan last year, yakitori from the charcoal grill was one of the most memorable…read moremeals I've ever had. I won't forget how there were tasty options around every corner in Tokyo. Ever since I went to Japan last year, I crave delicious yakitori from a charcoal grill in the Bay Area and always seek out new places to try. I finally tried Okibiyaki-Kikuchi as a yakitori pop-up at ShaKa brewing after eyeing it for a long time. The grilled meat skewers were so delicious and enjoyable to eat with a cold beer flight from ShaKa brewing. The chef is a master of yakitori. I tried hatsu, kalbi, shishito, kimo, and bara tama. I can describe a perfect night like this. A perfect night included skewers from the live ember grill by the master chef and a beer flight. The flavors are legit-- the process of preparing the meat is impressive, and the technique with the charcoal grill brings out the best flavors. The Bay Area is treated to authentic flavors like in Japan. It is recommended that should arrive to the pop-up early as they ran out of the chicken skewers. I will absolutely order the chicken skin and thigh again and again. I also tried his pop up at Clandestine Brewery as well. The quality is so consistent and delicious. I like the vibe of eating like in a picnic style outdoors with a cold glass of beer. Nothing beats that for me. Follow @okibiyaki_kikuchi on IG to see where he pops up next.

We pass by Lockeford often. We see the billboard promoting Big Daddy's BBQ. We decided to stop in…read moreand buy a full rack of ribs, a bbq Turkey leg to bring home and an ice cream cone. The interior is a small shop, with a welcoming, friendly gal to take your order. Big guy in the rear is the bbq chef. You order there and go outside to pick up your food and/or sit outside to eat. The seating area offers plenty of chairs and tables with shade or without. It was February and a bit chilly and windy. In short time our food was ready. We had the pleasure of smelling it all the way home to Placerville. The ribs were big, meaty, soft and tender. There was a delicious spice and flavor that you really didn't need the bbq sauce (provided) on it at all. My husband and I ate our first couple without the sauce and then he ate a few more with the sauce. These ribs were delicious! We paid $30 for a full rack of ribs and $16 for the Turkey leg. We know where to go when craving ribs. Nicely done here.

I really wanted to support this local business, especially after a great first experience where the…read moreribs were fresh and perfectly seasoned. Unfortunately, my second visit was a major disappointment and a waste of over $150. While the portions are generous, the quality just wasn't there this time. The smoked turkey leg tasted boiled and lacked flavor, the ribs were incredibly dry, and though the brisket was tender, it had no seasoning. I drove 35 minutes on a Friday hoping for another great meal, but the inconsistency was frustrating. I hope they can get back to their original quality.

Franci Cakes has fantastic cupcakes with super detailed designs and decadent flavors. We love…read morepicking up these sweet treats when she's got her booth up. Our kids love the cookies as well, but they are infatuated with the cupcakes. Some of the flavors we've recently enjoyed were the Guava cupcakes and Banana matcha horchata cupcakes. We can't wait to see what new flavors come out next!

I was able to get my hands on the #HomeSweetHomeBox for Father's Day and it didn't disappoint. I…read morehad been eyeing her cupcakes on Instagram for awhile for their unique sounding flavors and adorable decorations. WHAT I ORDERED: My box came with 4 cupcakes and 2 cookies: 2 of the "Churro o O it's Magic" cupcakes -- this cupcake was my favorite and OUT OF THIS WORLD! The cinnamon sugar cupcake was hearty and soft, the frosting was buttery perfection and the freshly fried heart-shaped churro on top brought a nice, crunchy texture to each bite. 2 of the "Duvalín" cupcakes -- Goodness gracious. This cupcake was full of fresh, bright flavors perfect for a warm summer day. The strawberry had a refreshing, real fruit flavor and paired perfectly with the hazlenut. 2 of the Puerquito Pan Dulces cookies -- the perfect mexican cookie. Admittedly, I didn't grow up on mexican cookies... as a child I never thought they were sweet enough (SUCH A KID), but as an adult... PERFECT! They were soft, had a mild (and scrumptious) flavor of cinnamon and molasses, and had a perfect level of sweetness. Unfortunately I had no coffee prepared and ATE THEM ALL before I had a chance to make any but they would have paired with it PERFECTLY. Can't wait to order another box in the future.

Came here on a nice Saturday afternoon and it was great. Outdoor or indoor seating with great…read moreservice. They are right in front of a brewery so you can get a cold one too. The burger was tasty, with bbq sauce and bacon. The waffle fries were some of the best I've ever had. Perfectly crisp and so full of flavor. The only knock is the prices are a bit high for a smash burger but it so good...

Went here as I was nearby in the area around 2:30 pm on Saturday! I ordered the Big Smack & Tallow…read morefries and it took about 15-20 minutes to come out with about 4-5 people in front of me. Lots of parking nearby in the area and this is a food truck so keep in mind ! I rate the burger a 7.5/10 as it was a delicious burger but the buns did not hit to me for some reason. The fries were great as I tasted the tallow as it was very crunchy!! I would still come back if I am in the area !

I was excited to see Shrimp'n Ain't Easy back for Gordon Biersch Night Markets for Summer 2026…read more Their Chop Cheese and Cheesesteak are still my favorite menu items, with juicy shrimp and crispy meat in each bite. Sometimes they provide green tomatillo sauce on top of the traditional orange sauce, which is great for cutting through the grease and cheese as it's tangy and sweet. We tried the Magnolia Chop for the first time and while this was great too, the hot link makes everything slightly saltier than I'm used to and is much more heavy and filling. I'll stick with the cheesesteak or chop cheese next time but will try more of their menu items going forward. Food arrives quickly even during the crowds and long lines at the night market. I've never waited more than 35 minutes combined for both the line to order and being called for our number to pick up our food.

Really insanely tasty and decadent seafood tacos, hard to believe it's from a food truck…read more I just tried their Crab Taco and it's my favorite item now. Very generous with the crab and huge succulent shrimp. Super cheesy too. I'm actually glad it's not also vampiro style. Whatever you order, be ready for the cheese, because they are super loaded, and luckily I love both cheese and seafood. For the quality and generosity you get, these are well worth the price (Crab - $10, Vampiro - $8), and I was quite full after these two. Very fast service too, even during busy afternoons.

I am completely obsessed with Goodtime Bar. I can appreciate their unique selection of wine, as…read morethey focus on natural wine. Not my personal cup of tea, but they do also offer sake and a few beers also. The first time we went, we ordered the arancini, bucatini, and the heritage pork katsu. I am a big advocate for trying new things every time I go to a restaurant, but it was so good I ordered the same thing the second time I went. Arancini is flavored with Japanese curry with creamy fontina in the center topped off with kimchi mayo. Holy f. These quite literally put the traditional Italian ones to shame (sorry not sorry). Next was the bucatini. It had tom yum butter, lime, basil- all the fix ins of what you want from tom yum flavors with the luxuriousness added from the butter. It was sinful. Last and certainly not least, is the pork katsu. I cannot even remember the last time I ordered a pork katsu, but something told me to order it. Thank God I did, as it quite literally changed my life. If they ever take it off the menu I am not sure I would be OK. It is crispy and is swimming in this koji butter, but the key is that it is NOT greasy. I quite literally think about it all the time. To the point where I had it twice in a week. Service was great, bartenders are so friendly. The place is cute and vibrant. Keep in mind it is small- limited seating inside and a small patio outside. But so worth the wait. It aint called Goodtime for no reason!

Ambiance 5 Wine 5…read more Service 5 Food 5 So why the 4 rating... TBH there's a good chance that I'll adjust it soon, but if I could give a 4.5 I would. First the knock, and to be fair, it's probably just an opinion / idea. Given the birth of natural wine and the South Bay, it would be wonderful to see a curated selection of tasting flights, no more than two or three options with anywhere from 3 to 6 wine wines each, priced accordingly. Maintaining a proper wine menu when all you do is natural wine can certainly be a challenge. If you wine flights depending on what you have would certainly elevate the customer experience by educating more people natural wine and helping them make better choices when it comes to a bottle purchase. I paid $61 for a bottle that was recommended, and at that price point I wonder how many people who are new to natural wine might be turned off. Chris was a wonderful host and certainly the right person to engage with customers around their various wines. Given how small the space is and how busy it can get, a weekly tasting flight menu might be a good way to engage those customers who are waiting to order at the bar and perhaps even spark a more productive conversation with Chris. We ordered the peach and ricotta dish with Thai basil... wow, a wonderful surprise. Peaches are always battling in and out of the top spot on my summer fruit list and this combination was downright dirty and delicious! We also ordered the raw oysters with watermelon mignonette. Another wow! I didn't expect the little spice kick and it was a perfect pairing to the sweetness of the watermelon. If anyone knows the recipe let me know, I'd bottle that mignonette and take it with me wherever I have oysters!! Overall, a great experience and I most definitely look forward to going back!

I've ordered from here one time for takeout and I fell in love. The broth was so aromatic and…read moredelicious, I decided to come in this time for a quick lunch. Safe to say it was consistent and I'm so happy. This place is definitely worth it. Though it seems it got pricy from when I ordered take out but I'm not too mad. The inflation just doesn't help. But for this place to be so quaint, I love how much more delicious and great ratio the food is vs a specific one on South King Road... Idk where the comparison is, because this place is just so much better and the aunties are super nice. They took care of me really well here.

I've been coming and ordering from AOTA House since they opened and the quality and taste of food…read morehas not changed a bit! AOTA is not just any restaurant, they were my postpartum comfort food and their broth always helped me feel at home.

Stopped by to pick up a meal. I had order this from To good to Go…read more I got a nice sample of some of the different meats. Tender and smoky brisket and a couple of hot links.it also included a corn bread muffin. The sides were mac and cheese,and sweet yams. Both tasted great. It was very well organized. They also threw in free sweet tea. There was enough brisket to make a nice fat sandwich for lunch

I wanted to like this place so bad, especially with the abundance of 4 and 5-star reviews. But I…read morethink that was part of the problem. I went in with really high expectations. To me, the food ended up being just okay. It definitely wasn't bad, but a lot of it was dry and pretty average when it came to seasoning and flavor. Now, you might be thinking, "What do I know about good BBQ?". To be fair, I'm not claiming to be a BBQ expert. But I do know I've had BBQ at other well-known spots around the Bay Area and even in Texas that was much more flavorful, juicy, and moist. FOOD: 7/10 A lot of us ordered brisket-based dishes, and unfortunately, the brisket was pretty dry. Even after dipping it in their BBQ sauce, it was still dry, the sauce mainly just added flavor. For my sides, I got the potato salad and coleslaw. The potato salad was good! The coleslaw, however, was pretty mid. It mostly tasted like plain cabbage and could've used a bit more flavor. The cornbread had a nice, slightly toasted exterior, but the inside was very dry and crumbly, making each bite fall apart. I was especially excited to try the banana pudding because I'd been craving it for the longest time, and thankfully, it didn't disappoint. It had that classic creamy pudding texture, the vanilla wafers were perfectly soft, the whipped cream was smooth, and overall I really enjoyed it. SERVICE: 9/10 Ordering is done through a QR code on your phone, and the staff brings everything out to you. We had barely submitted our order when our drinks and dessert arrived, and our entrées followed shortly after. Everything came out surprisingly fast. We also had the chance to meet Juju, who is Jackie's cousin (Jackie is the owner and chef). If you look at the menu, there's actually a section featuring Juju's specialty teas and juices. She was honestly the sweetest and funniest person. I absolutely adored her! She was so fun to chat with and shared that a lot of well-known Bay Area names have stopped by Jackie's, including LaRussell, E-40, and members of the 49ers. It was such a nice interaction and definitely one of the highlights of our visit. AMBIANCE: 7/10 The restaurant is simple and spacious with plenty of different seating options. If you're looking to grab a drink, they also have a bar area. The restrooms are downstairs. The sink and toilet were kind of going through it but they got the job done. There's parking available both upstairs and downstairs. Just be careful because the parking spaces are pretty tight and narrow. Overall, I can definitely see why people enjoy this place, but for me, the BBQ just didn't live up to the hype. I'm glad I got to try it for myself. It was definitely a situation where you need to try it for yourself despite the reviews.