Fullerton Restaurant Reviews: An Introduction

The city of Fullerton, CA is going through a bit of
a restaurant renaissance. Downtown Fullerton was, as recently as 5
years ago, the Orange County capital of pawn shops and antique stores,
but not anymore. Now it seems the city's managers want you to get your
hair done at one of the 6 downtown salons, then eat at one of the more
than 12 downtown restaurants, then get sloppy-drunk at one of the more
than 6 late-night bars, and then maybe sober up at one of the two or
three coffee-houses before driving home.

But not me. I don't
have to sober up to drive home. I don't have to drive home. I live
right-smack the heart of Downtown Fullerton in a 100-year-old building,
mere footsteps away from all the new dining and drinking action. I've been living in the heart of Downtown Fullerton for more than 10 years - perhaps longer than anybody else in this town except my wife. Nobody
sees it and experiences it like I do.

And given that I'm a
professional reviewer of stuff, and an amateur eater (I've been eating
at least twice a day for years now), I've taken it upon myself to start
reviewing Downtown Fullerton restaurants like no one else can.

And
now for the fine print: I have no relationship with anyone owning any
of these establishments, except that I'm casual friends with the owners
of the Reagan Vintage Arcade, the (former) Hub Café, and The
Cosmopolitan bar . And no, it isn't that I have a lot of friends;
they're just owned by the same people.

And Thing Number 2: I
don't like vegetables. Sorry, I would like to like vegetables, but I
just don't, so don't write me and tell me about they problems I'll have
later in life due to my diet. I work out. I take vitamins. I otherwise
watch what I eat. I just don't like almost all vegetables, and most
fruits. Oh, and fish too.

And Thing Number 3: This is my
blog, not yours. If you don't like my review, post a comment. If you
don't think I'm being fair, then write your own review on your own
blog.

Ultimately, my goal here is to be a useful resource for
people wanting to know about the dining scene here in Downtown
Fullerton. If all you are looking for is a simple list of restaurants, addresses, and phone numbers, click here. I hope you enjoy the show.

I agree with almost everything in this review. I will add a comment about the bread used in the sandwiches. It's not what it should be; it has no "tooth." If you've had a sandwich at a place like Cantor's in L.A. (or a New York deli), you'll know what I mean. My wife, a former New Yorker, was deeply disappointed and said she wouldn't return--and this was before she finished half a sandwich (a Reuben--but not a "real" Reuben). Bottom line: this is a bar with sandwiches; the bar is far larger than the food case. (And the rude bozo in the corner talking too loudly in expletive-laced language didn't help with the experience.)

The idea that 'more than 12' restaurants are in downtown Fullerton is true but way off the mark. There are currently over 40, so anybody who has lived here for 10 years should certainly have found most of them.

Hey, someone's reading this! My count of "more than 12" is really referring to the IMMEDIATE downtown area, whick *I* consider to be Harbor Blvd between Commonwealth and Chapman, and then maybe move out a block East and West. Though I don't have an exact count, I *think* it is 15 or 16 or so. Certainly, as one moves out of what I consider to be the "Downtown" area into the surrounding blocks, the count gets higher, and of course, Fullerton is a big city outside of the downtown area, and the count goes into the Hundreds or so. Anyway, thank for the comment!