Bucca di Beppo Review (Carlsbad Restaurants)

Pricing:

It terms of sheer quantity for your dollar, the only place that can really beat Bucca is probably Costco.  Everything costs between $15-22 but almost every plate is large enough to feed at least two extremely hungry hippos.

Distance:

In the Forum shopping center in hybrid Encinitas/Carlsbad.  About a 10 minute drive for most Encinitas residents.

Thoughts:

Bucca di Beppo is not your romantic dinner for two restaurant.  With trashy Italian decor every which way, this is definitely one of those large party event places.  It's fun, usually loud, and you can feed an army for comparatively low cost.

Quality was definitely sacrificed a bit for quantity.  The food here can best be described as average.  It's satisfying to eat and by no means bad tasting but nothing really stands out about it.  In my opinion, this is actually what makes this place a good kid restaurant.  All the food is straight forward.  The tomato sauce is just tomato sauce.  No fancy spices that might make the little ones turn up their nose.

Overall, an excellent choice for family outings or birthdays.  Plus the decorations make it worth frequenting at least once.  You know, just to say that you've done it.

Tin Leaf Fresh Kitchen Review (Carlsbad Restaurants)

Pricing:

It's going to be about $9-12 per entree.  This means you pick your main dish plus two sides.  They do serve wine and beer here.  So if you get drinks it will be about $18 a person.

Distance:

In the La Costa area of Carlsbad.  Right on the corner of Avaria Parkway and El Camino Real.  Theoretically close to Encinitas.  If you hit all the lights, 10 minutes.  If you don't, 20 minutes. 

Thoughts:

An interesting establishment.  I was a little thrown off at first by the "fresh kitchen" title.  Like, what the heck does that even mean?  Tin Leaf is a walk in, order and then sit down to eat type of place.  So this also makes it easy for take out.

Essentially, the menu consists of fresh American food options.  So you'll have options like soup and salad along with meatloaf, mac and cheese or turkey breast.  While not exactly a gourmet steak or farmer's market, it is fresher than a fast food joint.  I would place it in the same genre as Panera Bread.

The food is quite good and not at all a bad option for a fast, sit-down lunch or dinner.  I've yet to order something I didn't like.  There are enough menu options to appeal to both health conscious parents and hungry kids.

Zenbu Sushi Bar & Restaurant Review (Cardiff by Sea Restaurants))

Pricing:
Ridiculous for what you're getting.  They clearly feel justified in charging you extra for the hip atmosphere.  The cheapest sushi you can purchase here is $8-10.  Yes, it's $8 for California or Philadelphia rolls.  To give you perspective, standard rolls such as these are $4.50-6 at pretty much every other sushi place.


Distance:
Right on the corner of San Elijo Ave and Birmingham.  So very close to most Encinitas residents.  A 5-10 minute picturesque drive.


Thoughts:
I was thoroughly unimpressed with this place.  Unless you walk in looking like a high-roller, don't expect your water glass to be refilled.  Ever.  Or even a polite, "May I get you anything else?"

With an extremely sparse sushi menu (you call yourself a sushi bar) that contains all over-priced items, the only thing really going for this place is the atmosphere.  They definitely did a good job making it feel like you're at a party "scene."  The large fish tank is cool and it's fun having both bar and cozy VIP-like booths.

But you know what?  I came to this place to eat, not party.  I feel like it would actually be better if they just advertised themselves as a bar and they happened to have some sushi snacks you could buy.  Because that's essentially what you're getting.

The food was fresh but not exactly flavorful.  At these prices I expect at least a signature dish or sauce.  Sometime to make me go, "Well, that was expensive but so good!"

After ordering three rolls and a bottle of sake, my boyfriend and I were out $65 and still feeling hungry. I feel like there are just too many other sushi options out there to make Zenbu a worthwhile dining experience.

Panera Bread Review (Carlsbad Restaurants)

Pricing:

Depends on what you get.  There a variety of items on their menu from just a single baked good/bagel to soup/salad/sandwiches.  If you get an actual meal with a sandwich, side and drink it's going to be about $9-11.

Distance:

In the Forum shopping mall off El Camino Real.  Very close to most Encinitas residents.  About a 10 minute drive.

Thoughts:

I've been eating at Panera Bread for years and I feel like it has ups and downs in its overall quality.  Though I'm not really one to keep track of these sorts of things, my guess is that the quality is probably directly related to who owns the chain at the time.

In general, I feel like Panera is a good lunch or light dinner option.  I almost always like whatever seasonal soup they are serving and any kind of breads they use are always fresh (one would hope so given the restaurant name).  The price isn't too terrible either.  Yes, it will be more expensive than Subway.  But the ingredients are also quite a bit fresher than Subway.

When Panera is on one of its "high quality" streaks, the sandwiches will be well made, the salads contain a good population of toppings and the soups are served hot.  In the "low quality" phases you ask for everything on your sandwich and they don't put any mayo/mustard on, there's one piece of chicken on your salad when you pay extra for chicken or your soup is icy.

I only point out these good and bad instances because I have experienced both extremes on numerous occasions.  The end result is that I'll still eat at Panera but it's just not a place I go to regularly.

Brett's BBQ Review (Encinitas Restaurants)

Pricing:
The single servings and sandwiches are all about $8.  The larger shared meal options are $15-24.


Distance:
Very close to the Encinitas Blvd/El Camino Real intersection.  5-10 minute drive for Encinitas residents.


Thoughts:
Corporate bbq places really don't do it for me.  In my mind, bbq is just one of those food groups that really need to come from a hole-in-the-wall dining establishment.  You have to have a secret sauce or something.

In all fairness, Brett's BBQ is slightly better than your standard fare corporate bbq.  The meat that I had was cooked well and didn't taste dry (often a problem with these places).  The shared meals are substantial enough for two that you will probably have leftovers.

While I had an enjoyable meal I was still left with nothing memorable.  Frankly, you can get ribs, chicken or pulled pork just about anywhere.  So if there's no special element to grab my attention, I'd just as soon pass this place up.

Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Company Review (Encinitas Restaurants)

Pricing:
Most of their single-serving dishes are in the $10 range.  Their pizzas are $10-25 depending on size and number of toppings you get.


Distance:
Right by the Encinitas Blvd freeway entrance/exit.  So about a 10 minute drive for most Encinitas residents provided that you don't get stuck in the sea of lights.


Thoughts:
With the TVs blasting ESPN outnumbering the windows, this is definitely not a quiet dinner for two type of restaurant.  It is a great way to simultaneously watch football, soccer, basketball, golf and baseball all at the same time.  You know, in case you didn't want to miss anything.

I like Oggi's.  It's not a bad take-out pizza option and it's a fun place to dine in.  While they do offer burger and salad options they're not nearly so good as the deep dish pizza they serve.

Oggi's is a brewing company so they do have a few (six I think?) house beers to choose from.  The beers range from light to dark and are distinct enough to make it worthwhile to sample them all at some point.

The overall atmosphere is laid back and comfortable.  There are even a few arcade machines to one side of the restaurant making it both a fun family option or a place to go scream at your favorite team with your friends.

Which Wich Review (Carlsbad Restaurants)

Pricing:

They boast all over the restaurant that no matter which "wich" you pick it's $5.  But there's a lot of fine print to this.  If you want a slightly bigger sandwich or, say, a drink, you're going to be reasonably spending about $8 per person for lunch.

Distance:

Located in the Forum shopping center in Carlsbad.  5-10 minute drive for Encinitas residents.  Unless you get stuck in El Camino Real traffic.  Then it will take 20-30 minutes.

Thoughts:

I like Which Wich enough to be a repeat customer.  But I go there knowing that it's a slight rip-off.  Yes, the sandwiches are only $5 but so are the sandwiches at every other sub sandwich place.  $5 foot long, anyone?  So you basically are getting a sandwich that is the same price as everywhere else but is a lot smaller.  You do feel full when done.  But one still can't help but go "hmm...."

In their defense, I do feel like the ingredients are a lot more fresh than, say, Subway.  The toasted feature is also nice. In no way do I feel like this is a spin on Quiznos.  Which Wich is definitely its own flavor experience.

This particular location is a good one.  It's located in a higher end shopping plaza and has some nice outdoor seating which is a refreshing change from the sterile environment sub places usually boast.  Plus, it's right next door to a Cold Stone and a toy store.  So not at all a bad option for kids and adults alike.