The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday in the noon hour.
QUESTION: If you could bring an “out of town” restaurant to Claycord, what would it be?
Talk about it….
Did I get the first Olive Garden comment.
yes you did – but I second it +1
Yes! Olive Garden!
(They are wonderful and it will make CNNs Anderson Cooper mad..the twerp)
Cracker Barrel!
YES! ….. compete with salt dry-cured country ham, the gift shop, and the rocking chairs lined up on the plank-covered porch.
And the checkerboard!
Cracker Barrel would be great. Also a Portillos too !!!!
AD
When I would meet up with my sister in Wisconsin, we would meet at Cracker Barrel. Food is ok, good comfort food, but I tell ya, in winter, sitting by the roaring fire they have going (complete with crackling sound) makes our visit that much nicer.
Before California had a Cracker Barrel of its own, my son drove his family to Arizona to eat dinner at a Cracker Barrel. The next morning, they had a Cracker Barrel breakfast and then drove home.
Whataburger
Totally agree with Whataburger!!!!
Chris & Pitts…home of the live wood fire.
.
Sonic Drive-In Restaurant.
.
.. because social distancing will always matter.
Arby’s
There was one in Park & Shop…have no idea why they closed.
There use to be one where New Lims is at on Clayton Road. Too many fast food burger restaurants to complete with is my guess.
Del Taco
Because driving over the hill to Pittsburg is too far
Yes that would be great! And here I thought I was the only one that drove over the hill to Pittsburgh for del taco!
Will & Badge 1104 —
There is a Del Taco in Cordelia if you’re
ever passing by that way. I love their
french fries too!
Hear, hear!
Waffle House or Chick Fil A would be great.
There is a Chik Fil A on Main St in Walnut Creek
… and a Waffle House at Kirker Pass and Clayton Rd
Randy-
Country Waffles isn’t the same as Waffle House.
Waffle House is more of a southern restaurant.
We ate at the Waffle House yesterday morning.
Very tricky Chuckie—
You might have ate at Waffle House but it
wasn’t in Concord. 🤣🤣🤣
Shoulda Coulda-Not only was the Waffle House we ate at not in Concord…it was NOT in California. And I won’t be in California much longer…so it all works for me. Dine-in without California state income taxes.
Chuckie-
Good luck to you and your family! Next time
we meet at Waffle House, the waffles are on me.
Cracker Barrel. I miss it so much.
I was gonna make a wise crack about the French Laundry and Gavin Newsom, but I’ll be nice.
Patio Espanol on Alemany Blvd. in San Francisco. It has to be one of the best Spanish Restaurants in the Bay Area. Another restaurant I’d like to see here is The Blue Nile on 14th St. in Oakland, wonderful Ethiopian food and polite staff.
Jimboy’s Tacos!
I 2nd Jimboys tacos
YES! YES! YES!
Cracker Barrel. It’s practically a required tourist stop if there is one in the vicinity when traveling.
Runza. That’s the only thing I miss from living in Nebraska.
Me too! You might have to explain what a Runza is to these folks.
Has anyone been to Auburn AL and eaten at Sniffers? Really big portions and the food is really good.
Runzas and Tastees.
Bob Evans or White Castle
… White Castle at Treat & Clayton Rd… right near Ace Hardware
Randy—
As far as I can find there are no White Castle’s
in California. The closest one I find is in Las Vegas.
Last I looked White Castle was all over Orange Co Ca.
But that was 20 years ago.I don’t see them leaving though.
Marco—
The first White Castle on the West Coast
opened in Las Vegas in 2015. At that time
the closest one to Vegas was 1500 miles
away.
http://socalattractions360.com/first-white-castle-on-the-west-coast-now-open/
Islands restaurant! I love that place from my So Cal days. If I had lots of money, I’d definitely open one up. https://www.islandsrestaurants.com/menu
Re: Cracker Barrel….. Wouldn’t that be the ideal restaurant to go where the Mel’s was in Concord!!!
Oh yes Rae…I had forgotten all about Islands. I used to live in Orange and we would go to the one on North Tustin Street a couple times a month. I always liked the atmosphere.
Mel’s location is too far from the freeway for a Cracker Barrel.
Oh, yes! From Orange County and we always went for the tacos. They were my favorite! Love some pineapple in my food 🙂
Definitely Islands! We were disappointed that the one in La Jolla had closed a little over a year ago. The closest one I’m aware of is in the Del Monte Center in Monterey, a good excuse to go to the Monterey Peninsula.
Some place that makes and serves genuine Eastern NC barbecue.
@Bad Nombre – Years ago, I commuted to Charlotte, NC frequently for business. Never took a liking to the NC barbecue style; waaayyy too vinegary for my taste.
While BBQ style is indeed a personal preference, I don’t see a NC style joint surviving out here.
Oh, YES!!! That is my favorite style, too….. been too many years since I’ve been “Back Home”!
French Laundry. But only for the liberal elites.
Cinzetti’s. All you can eat pasta, chicken, etc
Texas Roadhouse
Yes!
Steak & Shake and Waffle House
None…. no one in their right mind would open a new business
oh so doubling the call on Jimboys Tacos and Texas Roadhouse….
Driller, the fried pickle experts.
Diller, it’s a fried pickle pickle place right next to the Pickle Guys Store in New York.
Trader Vic’s
Macaroni Grill
Shake Shack
Halal Brothers
Cicis pizza
Brick House
You have great taste
Nandos
I’ve never had the patience to wait in the line for Franklin’s How about either Kruez Market or Smitty’s from Lockhart? But how can you duplicate 70 years of bbq smoking history?
Chik Fil A And TGI Friday
I say no thank you to chain restaurants. I want really good food cooked on a real grill, stovetop or oven. Nothing reheated in a microwave.
My picks:
Tartine Bakery in SF
M.H.Bread and Butter in Marin
Sally Loo’s Wholesome Cafe in SLO
Tacolicious in SF
I am with you! Great choices.
Rudy’s, Hard 8, or Bonedaddy’s….all in TX and wish they were here.
Since you mentioned Rudy’s, how about Back’s Original BBQ in Lockhart, TX (Central Texas). Great BBQ!
Portillo’s, as mentioned before, and Culver’s would be good too.
Definitely agree with this!!!
Portillos or Culver’s I would be very happy with!!! Yum
I just had Portillos delivered frozen last week to my concord house
Lindy’s from NYC. great sandwiches serve with garlic pickles, a Rueben so thick you can’t finish, a cheesecake that’s better than Junior’s IMHO,
Chuey’s
We loved them in AZ.
Baja style Tri-tip and tacos.
151 soaked maraschino cherries for dessert.
Bring back La Sen, a good, white tablecloth, fine dining restaurant. We have enough of the chains, fast food places, where apparently most of the Claycordians feel most comfortable, and would prefer hanging out. Some place where the menu changes frequently, offers innovative dining. Bring back La Sen from Walnut Creek.
The old Vanessi’s from San Francisco, Little Joe’s and a Waffle House.
Tommy Burger from Southern California. Unbelievable chilli cheese burger.
108RS
Only at about 2:30 in the morning 🙂
Primanti Brothers
Y’all need to try The Pharmacy Burger for great burgers. Of course, I guess opening a second one would technically make them a chain.
Yes to Flint’s! They had the best BBQ.
I forgot to mention Bake Sale Betty’s. Winner of the Chicken Sandwich War.
I forgot a few of those restaurants. Great choices. When you think about it there are very few good places to eat. I liked the Cape Cod In Lafayette and El Charro. The pandemic is only a part of these failures. A lot of these places have failed pre pandemic. The only place I go to is Wendy’s for the Dave’s Hamburger with extra pickles, frys and a drink. Then I eat it at strip mall in Danville. Woop-de-doo! Thanks to COVID-19. Nothing is available.
Taco Johns
Texas Roadhouse
Taco Johns
Texas Roadhouse
Portillos – best hot dogs ever! And Mangiano’s!
I assume you’re talking about Maggiano’s Little Italy? We ate at the one in Nashville about 4 years ago on our way from Asheville NC to Paducah KY and it was very good. I just checked and while not in Claycord, there’s one in Santana Row in San Jose.
Hillbilly Hotdogs from West Virginia. Home of
the Big Bubba 30lb. Triple Wide Burger!
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Hash House A Go Go from Las Vegas. One
of their breakfasts will last you for a week!
Heart Attack Grill from Las Vegas. If you weigh
over 300lbs. you eat free. What can I say,
big guys like big food. (No, I don’t eat for free
at the Heart Attack Grill).
El Tepeyac on Evergreen in LA.
Yum.
Raising Cane is pretty darn good. I also like Oreganos.
Corky’s BBQ
El Pollo Inka. Best Peruvian food the way it should be, half a chicken of pollo a la brasa with soup, fresh bread and sides for two around $20.
Did you mean Inca, rather than Inka? And where is this?
“Pollo a la brasa” simply means grilled chicken, which is available at Lima, a very good Peruvian restaurant in Concord, and probably other Peruvian places. It’s all in the seasoning.
Franklin’s BBQ TX or Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ KS.
Long John Silvers, or H. Salt esq. Also miss Cape Cod House great Oysters Kirpatrick and Rockefeller.