Where do you go when you want Mexican food, but someone you're with doesn't like overly spicy food? Anita's! This New Mexico style Mexican food restaurant is a great place to take a friend or two or more who aren't jalapeno lovers. New Mexico style doesn't center around the ultra spicy chilis as most Mexican food available in Southern California. The Anaheim Chile (also know as the 'green chile', mild and common) is frequently used in this style of cooking, which makes for a milder flavor. The service in this family owned restaurant is superb. You can sit in their quaintly decorated dining room, on their outdoor patio, or order to-go items from their outdoor window. I took a group of 10 friends with me to the restaurant, and the service was just as good as had we been only a group of four. When you are seated, your drink order is taken, and you are provided with chips and salsa, which are high quality. The drinks arrive within a minute or two, and your order is taken as soon as you are ready. The portions are large, but not excessive. Be prepared, though, to ask your server about the dishes. Some are larger than others. The presentation of the dishes is very good, making the food appear quite appetizing. All entrees are served with rice and beans. The rice is quite flavorful, as are the beans. Anita's doesn't have a problem with substituting if you'd prefer all beans or all rice, either. The food is quite flavorful, as was evident by the sudden silence of my large group as soon as the food arrived. Everyone at the table was quite pleased with their food, as I was. I had the Chile Relleno, which was cooked very nicely, not under or overcooked, and quite enjoyable. Beverage choices are plentiful. They do not serve liquor at this restaurant, but they serve margaritas made with wine, beer and wine. The sopapillas were wonderful here, light and flavorful. For a wonderful dinner, I recommend this restaurant. There are only about 15 tables in the dining room, and another 10 or so on the patio, so there is sometimes a line to get in, I am told. But the wait isn't long, and worth it once you're inside.

This restaurant is one of a large chain of restaurants that has a presence in 17 states, the District of Columbia and 4 international locations. In Southern California alone, there are 32 locations. California Pizza Kitchen, known affectionately as 'CPK' by its regulars, is quite a unique place. I have visited several locations in the past, and they all have a similar feel, but each is a little different in style. The CPK at the Main Place Mall in Santa Ana, near the 5/22/57 freeways has a bright, cheery feel. From the moment you are greeted by a host or hostess as you walk in the front door, to the moment someone holds the door for you as you leave (I'm not sure that happens ALL the time), you are in for a treat. This is a very clean and pleasant restaurant, great for a business lunch or dinner, a date, or just a gaggle of your closest friends out to make pigs of yourself. In the very best of Southern California traditions, all types of dress and attitudes are present at CPK. The staff here is very friendly, and my server, Matthew was certainly no exception. He is perhaps one of the best servers I have ever had serve me food. His efficient, yet courteous and cheerful demeanor, made the experience even better. What a treat to be served by such a professional. The restaurant was quite busy at 1:30pm, even after the lunch rush. I was pleasantly surprised at the speed of service even with the large crowd. The menu items here are amazing. If you're looking for a plain ole pepperoni pizza - don't go here! Some of the most intriguing and tasty pizzas they offer here are Havana Chicken, Five Cheese and Tomato, and a truly unique idea - BLT. I have sampled all of these, and they are truly wonderful. For my lunch today, though, I tried their Rosemary Chicken Focaccia Sandwich, served with Schezuan Slaw. Wonderful flavors make this a meal I'll have to have again - and soon. This was served along with the house bread which is brought to you with your drink order right away as you are seated. Other offerings on this appetizing menu include a Chicken Tequile Fettucine, and many other pasta dishes. There are several salads on the menu, which are offered both full size and half size. A nice touch. There is a full beverage list to choose from which includes beer and wine, and specialty coffees. There are 8 desserts on the menu, all of which looked so sinfully good, I felt it best to avoid them altogether! But those around me sampling them were thrilled by the decadent desserts. This restaurant has an outdoor patio area which has a nice open view of the area to the east of the mall, which is refreshing. If you're tired of the same old pizza, or are just looking for a nice place to get a great meal, check this place out. I'm sure you won't be sorry!

Knowlwoods is a restaurant that few people who live in the North Orange County area haven't at least heard of. It has an excellent reputation which is well deserved. All is not perfect, though. The food at Knowlwoods is good. I have eaten at Knowlwoods many times, experiencing excellent burgers, LARGE salads, and my personal favorite, their Salmon Tacos. Yum! They also have Irish Nachos that are to die for! This restaurant is a fast food style restaurant with the feel of a family sit-down place. Their high-backed wooden booths add a rustic touch to this restaurant which has been placed next to the Amtrak Station. The service can sometimes be a bit slow at the counter, and I have run across a few employees who seem to be meeting their first customer - ever - but on the whole, this can be an enjoyable experience. The place is kept clean, including the restrooms, and there is an outdoor patio that is pleasant on a nice day. Hint: If you are in a hurry, order your food to go. You can always eat it there, but this allows you to take it with you in case they take too long getting your order out to you, which they sometimes do.

El Torito is a well-known chain of Mexican restaurants. Usually, I enjoy the food, ambience and service at El Torito. This particular location, though, is an exception. On the last three visits to this restaurant, I have noticed a steady decline in the quality of service. Servers and management seem to have a blase attitude when it comes to good customer service.
Cleanliness has also declined. On my last visit, this was particularly noticeable, as the restroom looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in two days.
The food is alright, although not up to the usual standards of El Toritos I have eaten at in other places. The presentation of the food is average.
DO NOT, under any circumstances attempt to go here after 9pm on a weekend. This El Torito has suddenly decided that it is not a restaurant, but a loud dance club, and it is virtually impossible to dine in peace. It is even difficult to get into the restaurant, as they have security guards posted at the entrance to card the patrons. This felt a lot like harrassment to me, and was very inconvenient when there were minors included in my group. They also have been known to close their kitchen up to an hour early, just because.
This El Torito is intending to cater only to it's 'night club' patrons, and has left the quality upon which El Torito gained its reputation in the dust.
My recommendation - unless you plan to dance in the club, don't go on a weekend. Otherwise, it's a very average Mexican restaurant.

Denny's, of course, is known nationally, and many people are quite familiar with their fare. Their television commercials featuring their 'slam' items are stuck in most of our brains. This particular Denny's was recently remodeled, along with most Denny's, and for the better. They now feature pies and ice cream which is a plus. One thing that this Denny's has going for it is that it is one of the VERY FEW local restaurants that is open late (Denny's operates 24 hours a day). Fullerton tends to roll up the sidewalks about 10pm. The service at this Denny's is variable. I have found that the late night service is usually the best. This is when the seasoned wait staff seems to prefer working. The food is comparable to other Denny's restaurants, which is good coffee shop style food. Their 'slam' meals are all good, and I highly recommend the Hash Browns Covered and Smothered (with Cheese and Gravy) for those who need a quick fattening treat. I have never had to send anything back to the cook at this Denny's, which is unusual, as I have had problems with the food at other locations. Be aware that if you go here after 11pm, you will encounter all sorts of Fullerton residents and visitors. I had an occasion once to sit at a booth and have the surrounding booths and tables occupied by 1) bikers 2) ballet dancers 3) truckers 4) square dancers 5) theatre patrons What a wacky evening that was! All in all, this restaurant is a good bet for coffee shop fare, and they do serve some wines here also.

Rumor has it that Belisle's may reappear in the lobby of the hotel that is being built in its former location. The hotel is scheduled to be completed late in 2000, so I guess we wait and see.

This restaurant claims Italian and American food. This is somewhat true, but relies heavily on the Italian. At lunchtime, there is a better selection of American food including burgers. There is a walkup deli inside also, which, although I did not partake, appears to have quite an array of options. The restaurant is very clean, and I have to make mention of the sparkling clean restrooms, which is a nice plus. The service here is a little slow and somewhat laidback. No one seems to be in a hurry to do much here, but the servers are friendly. The portions here are nice size, not too big or too small. A nice touch on some plates is a piece fruit, for instance an unsliced apple. I particularly enjoy their lunch menu, which features burgers. I love their pastas as well. My favorite item on the menu is their burger that is covered with green chiles. A nice treat. I discovered something on my most recent trip. This restaurant for some reason feels that the dinner hour begins at 2pm. I had taken a late lunch, and had a taste for one of their burgers. They turn off their grill at 2pm, and only serve dinner from that point on. Now, maybe the owners/managers of this restaurant are operating in the eastern time zone, but usually, dinner isn't usually considered until at least 4pm. If they closed between lunch and dinner, this would be acceptable, but I have intentionally dropped their rating by one star for this reason. (By the way, on this occasion, I left and went to In-N-Out.) This restaurant is a family restaurant, and is a comfortable setting. You really can't go wrong here, unless you're running late for lunch.

Once upon a time there was Courtyard Cafe - a quaint little friendly place that served great food along with a smile, and had the best salad bar in Anaheim. Where is it now? I used to frequent this restaurant at lunch at least once a week for over two years. Well, my employment changed to another area, so I wasn't able to continue my weekly visits. Recently, I was able to visit this little place again for lunch. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I had to wait about 3 minutes to even be seated (there were only 3 other customers in the place), and then they screwed up my drink order TWICE before bringing me my ICED TEA! I waited for over 10 minutes for someone to take my order, and when I had a question, had to wait another 2 or 3 minutes to get an answer. In the meantime, I checked the salad bar to see what was there. Unfortunately, I hadn't brought my magnifying glass. There were so few items, and several empty bowls indicating either that they hadn't put items there at all, or hadn't bothered to keep them filled. Once I placed my order (for a three cheese sandwich and fries), I was ready for a refill on my iced tea. I received it only after I walked to the wait station to request it again. The sandwich was really good, but the fries were stale.
For the price, I can't say that I really was all that impressed. And the service - well, you can come to your own conclusion.
I do not recommend this restaurant, until the management goes back to the old formula that worked so well, and had the restaurant packed at lunch every day.

For authentic Polish cuisine prepared by authentic Poles, you can't beat this place! If you speak Polish, you'll fare even better. The menu is in both Polish and English, but the explanations of the menu items given by the staff are both more satisfying and entertaining.
This restaurant makes some of the best fresh soups I've had in years! Their vegetable soup had many vegetables in it, which made it a meal in itself! If you're a Pierogi fan, you'll love theirs! They have many varieties, all of which are not on the menu. Just ask. They have a daily special which on this particular occasion was Beef Rolls, served with mashed potatoes (spiced nicely with dill), beets and sauerkraut. Yummy! Their other special was a dessert special which was a crepe soaked in vanilla, spread with a sweet goat cheese, and served with whipped cream and a sweet fruit sauce. Delightful!
The service is very friendly, and don't be surprised if the person who cooks your food actually serves it to you. This is a family owned restaurant, and they treat you like family when you come in.
They have a good selection of European Specialties which are served with soup or salad, and they also have a list of a la carte items.
The restaurant is obviously a source of pride for this family, which is evident by the cleanliness and the personal touches given. There are four television screens which are always playing one of several videos of entertainment events recorded in Poland, which gives the place a special ambience.
The first weekend of every month, they have Music night from 9pm to 1am. They also handle parties.
The restaurant hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11am-9pm, & Saturday and Sunday from noon - closing (I guess this varies depending on the crowd, but is at least 1am).
The restaurant is located at the southwest corner of La Palma and Magnolia in Anaheim, just south of the 91/5 interchange.
If you want to try something new, this is a great place to start.

The ultimate in Southwestern and 'California' cuisine. The service is great, and if you like Sangria, they make the best I've had since I was in Spain. If you are adventurous, try their calamari! It's fabulous, as was everything! I arrived at 5pm for dinner, and found that they don't open for dinner until 5:30pm. They close between lunch and dinner. Reservations are definitely recommended. I didn't have to wait because I was there when they opened the doors. But within a half hour, there was a line. And for good reason!