Riverside, California
Wow. If you’re gonna visit Riverside, then prepare your mouth for a culinary adventure. There’s a ton of good food here. My only regret is I hate puking, or else I would have gone at this town Roman Style, if you know what I mean.
Although my time in Riverside was limited, here are four places to eat if you pass through the Moreno Valley.
SCR Rating = 3/5
This place is like a hometown version of Texas Roadhouse, only better. Vegans need not apply.
I’m sticking to a keto diet, so this place was perfect for me.
A homey atmosphere of rough, wood-paneled walls and worn plank flooring greeted us upon pushing past the double front doors. Lady A meandered from overhead speakers. My traveling companion and I were quickly led through a healthy mix of comfy looking booths and family-sized tables to a booth of our own. Stained glass tiffany style hanging lamps cast a calm glow on the place. A smattering of demographically diverse families enjoyed meals in booths and tables alike. It immediately felt like a place I wanted to visit on the regular.
Our waitress was out in a jiffy for our drink orders, and back with them nearly as quickly. She was friendly and attentive from the get-go.
As for food, I opted for a medium-rare bacon wrapped tri-tip, side salad, and coleslaw.
I started out the meal with an iceberg lettuce salad that was simple, crunchy, and refreshing. I ordered it with a side of chipotle ranch dressing that didn’t disappoint. It was slightly spicy, and so tasty I ended up using all of it.
The waitress’s timing was impeccable — my steak came out right as I was finishing the salad.
The steak was perfectly cooked. My only complaint was that I didn’t order two or three of them. It was that good. The salt from the bacon helped the steak’s flavor blossom. I don’t recall ever eating bacon wrapped steak, but now I get it. I’m in the cult. Give me all the bacon, wrapped around all the steak.
My side of coleslaw was nothing to write home about. A solid 3.
I passed the garlic bread my steak came with to my companion, who said it was good. I trust his palate.
Overall, a solid place for a steak. If you find yourself in Riverside and are hankering for some red meat, then check out Steer & Stein.
SCR Rating 3/5
My man card is pretty solid, so I have no problem asking for directions. Especially when it comes to spending my hard-earned money on something I’m going to put in my body. Food. Get your mind out of the gutter. I hit up a foodie from San Diego who I was working with for the week about his favorite spots to eat when he was in town. He immediately suggested Los Zapatas. He said it was one of the best Mexican restaurants he’d ever eaten at. I was sold.
Being on the keto train, I went straight for the chicken fajitas, substituting extra veggies for the tortillas. The entrée came with a side salad, which I gladly accepted.
My dinner companion partook of the complimentary tortilla chips and salsa taunting me from the center of the table. He said they were outstanding.
My entree was a mountain of chicken, sauteed peppers, onions, and tomatoes. It was a little ridiculous, and I loved it. I asked for extra veggies, and by god, I got extra veggies. The chicken cuts were thick and moist. The veggies were sauteed just to the point of being floppy, so they still had a bit of structure and crunch, which I loved. One of the best parts about this dish to me was the addition of tomatoes to the sauteed vegetables. The tomatoes brought earthiness and acidity. It was a ton of food, and it was good. I ate every bit of my meal.
The place itself had clean booths and attentive service. Our drinks were out right away, followed by our side salads, then the entrees after not too long. Our servers were super friendly. It was easy to pay at the register on the way out, and the price was right, especially for the amount we got. I loved that there were locals from all sorts of backgrounds in the place. Google led us right there, so plug the name in and get yourself some rad Mexican food.
Safe Haus Craft Beer & Kitchen
SCR Rating 3/5
This was another place my local co-workers suggested.
They’ve got about a thousand beers on tap, and offer elevated bar food. Yet again, I was sold.
The place is dominated by a U-shaped bar flanking a sea of long tables reminiscent of beer houses I’ve visited in Munich. It’s definitely a communal sort of place. Loners beware.
The most keto thing I could find on the menu was chicken wings, so I ordered two different flavors, the Thai Chili, and the buffalo. Both flavors were good, but neither were anything to write home about. The wings themselves were nice and big, so that was a plus. No puny wings here.
On the beer side, I had an excellent Mexican lager and a blonde ale. Both are, sadly, gone from the rotation. I think this is where the Safe Haus shines, in their great local beer selection. If anything, go there for that, and be surprised by some decent food.
My dinner mate had the bulgogi fries, which he said were “on point,” so I guess they were good.
If you’re in the area and you want a good beer and some food, then this place will do the trick.
SCR Rating 4/5
Expensive. Tasty food. Stellar setting.
Fine dining in the heart of Riverside.
The Mission Inn is a gorgeous, 150-year-old, mission-revival style hotel that’s worth a visit for the history alone.
I went there for dinner, and wasn’t disappointed. Let’s dive in.
For the appetizer, we ordered the Chicken Pancetta Meatballs (Italian cured bacon, pomodoro sauce). They were lovely, savory, acidic. I was worried that they’d be a bit salty, but my worries were unfounded and unrealized. The meatballs were good, but nothing to rave about. I’d suggest them to anyone who is into meatballs. They’re not a must-have.
For my entrée, I ordered the Herb Grilled New Zealand Lamb (it comes with garlic whipped potatoes, seasonal vegetables, red demi glaze). I opted to get more veggies rather than the potatoes (keto diet and all). The lamb was absolutely the correct choice for the evening. It slid of the bone with ease. The flavor was subtle, with no gaminess at all. For vegetables, I got grilled zucchini and broccolini. They were both good.
I paired my meal with a Cabernet Sauvignon made by someone related to the hotel. They called it Juggernaut. It was nothing special. Oaky, with balanced acid and tannins, and dark red fruit flavors. It served the lamb well.
I had some port for dessert. It was meh.
My dinner mate wet his whistle with a margarita as the meal kicked off. He said it was really good. For dessert, he had the flan, and said it was a fine example of what a flan should be.
Overall, the locale, the ambiance, the history of the place, outshined the food. The food was good, don’t get me wrong, but this is more of a package deal sort of place. It pleases all the senses. For this reason, I give it a 4 out of 5.
