Eatery 6: Wences

Wences Restaurant

1922 Oak Park Blvd.

Pleasant Hill, CA 

       Being located in a strip mall, Wences can be quite easy to miss on the way over.

   But don't let that stop you from eating at this place. The food is quite delicious and

   worth your time.

        Opened by local award winning chef Gerardo Wence, he brings his 18 years of

  culinary skills to serve the freshest foods possible. This restaurant features a full

  bar, patio seating and a large menu of seafood plates, steaks, burgers and more.

   Pro 

   It's best to come here for breakfast as we were served promptly by our inviting
  waitress. The plate of eggs, toast, home-style potatoes were more than enough

  for me to eat. Eating inside was beneficial for us as it was too hot to eat outside. 

  While the environment is casual, it is a stark contrast to Black Angus darker 

  room environment. The modern decor and furnishings enhanced my dining 

  experience. There is plenty of room to eat in the adjacent room next door.

   Con: 

   Not much to say bad about this place other than it can get quite loud as more 

  people come in especially with small children in tow. But that's to be expected

  at a place like this. The reasonable prices have service and food quality to back

  it up.

  

     If you're looking for a nice restaurant that's not a chain and want freshly made

  dishes, give Wences a try. You might even like it. 

     Rating: 5/5 stars

Eatery 5: Ed's Mudville Grille

 Ed's Mudville Grille

6200 Center Street

Clayton, CA

     When you step into Ed's Mudville Grill, you'll feel like everyone knows your name.

   Established in 1994 by the Moresi brothers, this lively sports bar is the perfect spot

   to meet up with friends when out & about in downtown Clayton.

      You'll enjoy their appetizers during happy hour along with their delicious daily

   specials. Their menu offers a wide variety of tempting comfort food classics

   at reasonable prices. 

  

      Pro

      The employees are very accommodating to the group that I came with. They 

   were even polite enough to refill my drink. The bacon wrapped hot dogs are

   to die for along with the hot fries served on the side. The sports memorabilia 

   & autographs plastered on the walls is nice to look at while watching the game

   on their thirteen TVs.

     Con

    It can get quite crowded & pretty loud when you come but that's to be expected

    at your typical sports bar. Thankfully, they had more tables out on the deck. The
    narrow hallways made it difficult to get to the bathroom when there alot of 
    people inside.

    Overall: it's a good place to have a bite to eat and watch the game with some
   friends, just make sure to pack along some earplugs.

   Rating: 3.5/ 5 stars 

Eatery 4: Black Angus

      Black Angus 

      

     3195 N. Main Street

  Pleasant Hill, CA

      
     Black Angus is one of the premiere steakhouses in the East Bay. Located on
  the city border between Walnut Creek & Pleasant Hill, this restaurant serves
  a delectable assortment of beef as well as seafood.
      
     Since it my mom had a birthday coupon, we decided to eat there. We arrived early 
just in time before it opened and we were promptly seated. Browsing through the menu,
I looked at all the delicious meals they served.
   
    A nice waitress came by and introduced herself and recommended the signature 
dishes. To make it better they offered unlimited refills of soda.

    For our starters, I ordered a salad that came fresh and the fork was extremely cold like
 it had been left in the freezer. Black Angus must want to save on their electrical bill
 because this place is quite dark.

    After waiting for a few minutes, the main course arrived. The plate of crispy shrimp 
and fries were excellent as they were piping hot. The tartar sauce wasn't bad as well.
My mom had the baked potato and dad had the prime rib with tater tots.

    If the main course didn't fill me up then I couldn't wait for the dessert to come. Taking 
a quick look at and noticed the delectable desserts served. The slice of Reese's peanut 
butter pie was very delicious along with the chocolate sauce.

   I found the food to be quite delicious and tasty. The congenial waitresses and prompt
service will make me want to return to this location in the near future.
 
    Grade: 4 / 5 stars

Eatery 3: Jack's Restaurant

     Jack's Restaurant
60 Crescent Dr.
Pleasant Hill, CA

      
    You'd be hard pressed to find quality food without spending alot. Jack's bar does
just that. Located on Crescent Drive in downtown Pleasant Hill, this bar/grille is 
perfect for dining out after catching a movie at the nearby theater. 
       The upscale atmosphere is family friendly and quite inviting. Their breakfast and
lunch dishes offer many tasty comfort foods while the sizes served make up for the 
prices on the menu. 
       Jack's was opened by the Marcovici's, 3 Clayton raised brothers who have followed
in their parent's footsteps in the restaurant business.
       
       Pro

       the variety of food served here is nice. The entree of fish and chips
 were hot and delicious. Waiter offered to refill my drink for free along with 
 providing condiments as well. There were many TVs to watch a game on.

      Con

       It was quite pricey for its location. Depending on what time you come in
  it can get loud (Thankfully we arrived late in afternoon). Our food took awhile
  to come despite not being very busy. 

       I have been coming here for the past few years and enjoy it every time. Jack's 
is my favorite restaurant that's close by. When it comes to quality dining, this place
is worth checking out. 

  5 out 5 stars. No problems just good food. 

Eatery 2 : The Cooperage

    The Cooperage

     32 Lafayette Circle

     Lafayette, CA

     
    Downtown Lafayette has a diverse selections of restaurants in the area and this one
is no different. Called The Cooperage, this bar/grille offers many delicious appetizers 
off their limited menu. They also serve comfort food favorites such as burgers, salads 
and fried chicken. 
      Working as head chef is Eric Hopfinger, star of Food TV's Top Chef. Owner Andrew
McCormick takes a rundown bar and turns it into a happening place to watch the game
on their many TVs. 

        Pro
         The burger was delicious along with their plentiful fries. The ample parking
  nearby made it easy to get to. The atmosphere was nice along with plenty of 
  tables to sit outside. We were seated quickly and our waiter was very friendly
  as we took our orders.

         Con: The dessert menu sorely lacked variety and ran out of the ice cream flavor
  I wanted. The prices were a bit too much for the average family that comes
  here. As more people came in, the noise got so loud we couldn't hear our orders
  being taken.
  
      Luckily, our family was treated by my cousins so we didn't have to pay. The 
 Cooperage is a good place to have a drink with friends just don't expect good 
 service. 

    Rating:  3 1/2 stars out of 5