Britannia Arms Downtown

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: British Pub
Atmosphere: sports bar, pub
Meal: late dinner
Price range: $8 - $16 / plate
Overall grade: 7.9

Ben

We stopped in here on Halloween night (a Monday) to grab a beer, bar food, and costumed-people-watch (in our own cowboy attire) with even some MNF in the background. The restaurant was pretty empty so we sat at the bar, the bartenders were very friendly and outgoing. There was not a large beer selection, they rather went with limited number of high quality beers (which I appreciate as large menus overwhelm me..). The layout is a simple classic pub layout - long bar, offset dining tables, though had a much cleaner feel than  my perception of a classic pub. I ordered one of the British classics (sausage (bangers), onions, mashed potatoes, and vegetables for me), which I found about as good as british food could possibly be. The prices were decent for the drinks and food. Overall, it is an enjoyable, reliable bar to grab food or drinks, and with a convenient downtown San Jose location. 

Food          8

Drinks        8

Atmosphere 8

Service       9

Value         7

Nina

We stopped by this place on Halloween night dressed in cowboys - the reason was not as much the food (we had no idea what to expect) as was the fortunate combination of a bar/pub open late on a Monday night, with them showing the football game with the sound on, so we could actually follow the game.

The menu consisted of various dishes from the old world, though I did notice in the sides listing they still called french fries as "fries" rather than "chips" on the menu, and potato chips were not "crisps" either. After pondering over some of the classics - sausage (bangers), fish'n'chips, I went with something hearty since I was really starving at that point. I got the 12 oz steak with onion rings, french fires and steamed vegetables. The steak was well seasoned and perfectly cooked and the onion rings and fries were crispy and not too greasy. However, the vegetables were quite plain, not nearly seasoned enough and a bit overcooked. Steak sauce made them palatable but still not something I would pick off a menu on its own. The beer selection was not too impressive, but there were enough choices on draught that I was happy with what I got.

This place is not somewhere I would go for a gourmet dinner,  but for a hearty meal over a game of football it remains a solid option.

Food           7

Drinks        8

Atmosphere 8

Service       9

Value         8

The Workshop Burgers and Yogurtland

Location: Palo Alto, CA
Cuisine type: American, Burgers
Atmosphere:  family-friendly, smooth music background
Meal: dinner
Price range: $7-9 (appetizer), $10 (entrees)
Overall grade: 7.75

Ben



This is a hip bar downtown Palo Alto. They specialize in sliders / burgers and have a decent selection, offering mix and match sliders. The southwest jalapeno burger I had was tasty (normal amount of grease) and the salmon & avocado rolls were greasy but tasty.The prices were all fair and the drink selection was pretty low. The atmosphere is light with a young hip crowd and serving staff. It is a fun place to drop in for a drink and the sliders concept is unique and allows easy sampling or snacking of a large variety of available toppings.



Food            8
Drinks          6
Atmosphere  9
Service        8
Value          7 

Nina


Our first and last chance of catching my good friend Genia still in the Bay Area was on Sunday night for dinner (good luck on your new PhD adventure, Genia!). We thus headed to Palo Alto to the place she recommended - Workshop Burgers, pretty self-explanatory name. There, we found a small, cozy version of a family friendly burger joint/sports bar. The servers were very nice in ensuring that our seats were close enough to a TV, and that the TV showed the Jets game. On the down side, the game sound was muted in favor of soft music playing in the background - to be noted that this is only a down side because we were interested in the game at the time, otherwise the music makes for a better backdrop for conversation and enjoying a meal with friends.


The menu included classic variations on the hamburger, but what caught my attention was the option to order any of the sandwiches in a slider size - three sliders would be considered a full order, which then qualified for free fries on the side. I picked three very different sliders, to allow me to sample a broader portion of the menu - mushroom & swiss, cowboy burger (BBQ, bacon and cheese) and hawaiian chicken. Each slider was flavorful, though I would have appreciated more mushrooms as a topping (but then again, I always do). 


I shouldn't forget to mention the appetizer, which we ordered for sharing on a whim just because it looked interesting - avocado salmon egg roll. We only later recognized that it was very similar to a previous selection from BJ's, though I prefer the one at Workshop because the integrity of the avocado slices was better preserved in the roll, and the addition of the salmon gave it a nice savory tone.


Overall, I really enjoyed this place. I'm not sure I would drive for a long time to get a hamburger at this place in particular (say, on a weeknight at rush hour), but I might swing by on the weekend when I crave a nice and juicy classic burger and watch a football game playing in the background.


Food            8
Drinks          7
Atmosphere  7
Service        9
Value          8 




BONUS - Yogurtland



Sunday September 11
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Cuisine type: Frozen Yogurt
Atmosphere:  casual, relaxed
Meal: dessert ^.^
Price range: by weight
Overall grade: 10

As Ben finished watching the Jets game, Genia and I headed out for desert at a FroYo place. Pretty typical build-your-own frozen yogurt joint, though a couple of great surprises to add to the experience - a red velvet batter flavor which really hit the spot, and a great selection of ripe and juicy fresh fruit. I will be sure to stop by this place again when I find myself in Palo Alto!

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

Location: The Shops at Tanforan, San Bruno, CA
Cuisine type: American, Brewhouse
Atmosphere:  lively (noisy too)
Meal: lunch 
Price range: $10 (appetizer), $15 (entrees)
Overall grade: 7.2

Ben

BJ’s is a brewery / sportsbar that offers more creative twists than run-of-the-mill bar/brewery food. The avocado-rich egg roll appetizers were delicious and the mushroom pizza was average, a little skimpy on the toppings. The drinks had a good value and selection though the in-house brewed IPA I had was pretty weak in flavor. The walls were covered in big screen TVs playing the Giants game and Sportscenter, and despite being in a mall the place seems like a good place to relax and catch a game. The food was slightly pricier than expected, particularly the pizza, a bready thick crust with somewhat skimpy sauce, cheese, and toppings.

Food             7 

Drinks          8

Atmosphere  7

Service         6

Value           6

Nina

We stopped here on the way to the city for a quick lunch and to run a couple of errands. Upon seeing BJ's Restaurant we decided to try it, since the place had been recommended to us before and we had not tried it yet. 

Even though the menu was generally classic American pub fare, among the appetizers there were some creative surprises, as I've come to expect at many Californian restaurants. We picked the avocado cream cheese egg rolls, which did not disappoint - creamy yet not too heavy filling in a thin, crispy wonton shell, served with a tangy sweet sauce. 

It might have been a trace of Midwest melancholy which drew us to the deep dish section to the menu, though their interpretation of "deep dish" does not really compare to classic Chicago Style pizza - they merely bake their thick crust pizza in a deep pan. I also didn't appreciate how skimpy they were on the toppings - our mushroom and onion pizza with balsamic drizzle probably contained less than 3 mushrooms and a few strands of onion. That being said, the flavor was rich and the cheese was gooey without being too greasy, which left an overall positive impression with the food.

Overall, this place seems like it fits perfectly in a mall setting, with an atmosphere ideal for a casual meal with friends, chatting over a drink of locally brewed beer.

Food             7 

Drinks          8

Atmosphere  8

Service         7

Value           8

Firehouse Grill & Brewery

Location: East Palo Alto, CA

Cuisine type: American

Atmosphere: sports bar

Meal: lunch

Price range: $10-$15 (entrees)

Overall grade: 6.4

Ben

We shared a sausage and mushroom pizza with a roasted tomato cream soup and a house salad. The place is a sportsbar at an awkward location around Ikea - the reason we were in the area in the first place. The food was OK, the mushrooms were canned on the pizza and the soup was average. The atmosphere looks like a reliable place to watch a game. The prices were about what you'd expect. The place is a satisfactory sportsbar. The manager was friendly in greeting us and sitting us, but the waitress forgot us outside and I had to chase her down for an extra plate in order to split the pizza and to get a refill on our drinks. Overall a pretty decent sportsbar with bar food.

Food 6

Drinks 7

Atmosphere 7

Service 4

Value 7

Nina

With most errands out of the way, we went looking for furniture at IKEA so we could start shaping up the design of our new place. As unexpected disruptions to our schedule (misunderstanding with rental car from Honda dealership, delay with documents at the DMV etc) tore us away from IKEA prematurely, we still needed to eat before heading back to San Jose. As such, we stopped at the closest restaurant we could see, a sports bar with a homey feeling and slight gourmet flare on the menu.

We skipped the sports-bar component (they had pre-season replays on TV) and went for the outdoor seating. The manager was courteous and explained to us the daily specials before taking our drink order and asking us to inquire on the daily specials with our waitress as well so she could practice presenting them. When she showed up, I could see why she needed the practice - not sure how new she was at her job, but she was certainly not on top of her game.

We ordered a creamy tomato bisque (we can never say no to those when they are one of the daily soup specials) and a sausage mushroom pizza to share. The food was good, though nothing too far out of the ordinary - about what you'd expect from a sportswear. We ate quickly (you can tell we were in a hurry, we even forgot to take a picture) and headed back out to errand running, so it wasn't the kind of meal you think back on with fondness. However, it seems like it would be a great place to watch a football game when our preferred team is not on one of the ESPN channels.

Food 7

Drinks 7

Atmosphere 8

Service 4

Value 7