March 7th-Applebees-West Covina

After a family filled day on this saturday in March, I couldn't wait to relax with Mikey with a drink at Applebees.

Drinks turned into a meal, and a very pleasant evening.

Our server was very present all evening, and even when Mike's meal came out incorrect, they handled it quickly and were polite.

March 6th-Applebees-West Covina

Thanks to Mikey's Discover points that he has been accumulating for about 10 years, we have about 200 dollars worth of gift cards to redeem at restaurants so we can continue our reviews.
We were stoked to redeem the first one, and decided to go to Applebees near our homes and indulge in some juicy boneless buffalo wings.
We also had a delicious meal, and drinks, I also ordered a mudslide for dessert!

Our server was good, could've been a bit more attentive, but I did notice he was also handling a large party of drinkers in the bar.

One other thing I noticed was that we didn't have to wait at 10pm on a friday for a table. A true sign of the times in the restaurant world.

Togos-West Covina

While we had originally decided that we would mostly blog about actual dine-in experiences, we had to break the rules this time around because of the economy.
Not having a lot of money equals not enjoying the luxury of eating out as often.

We stopped at Togo's for a late lunch today, and sat outside on their tables designated for guests and enjoyed the quite pleasant and relaxing "plaza music". Mikey called it "Weather Channel Music".

Togo's has yet to disappoint me when it comes to freshness, presentation, and variety. I can never decide what my taste buds are after because everything looks so appealing. They offer combos (chips and drink), and half-sandwich, half-soup or salad options, catering, and delicious cookies. The staff is usually pretty pleasant; young, but not totally incompetent.
One thing I do wish is that I could see them building my sandwich. The counter is up to my chest and I can't see what they're doing with their hands. So I'm not sure what to think about that.
Overall, a tasty, peaceful, enjoyable lunch on sunday.

Chevy's - Ontario- Saturday 21st

Dining out as an unemployed person, or really any person in today's economy is definitely not easy.
After completing a week of temp work, we decided to treat ourselves to Chevy's.
A friend of ours, Jeff, met us at the Ontario location where we already had our drinks, free chips and salsa and tableside guacamole ready to go.
Our service was good but not as great as our last two experiences. I would guess this was because of the busy-ness of the evening.


While the food is always consistent, the beans and rice warm and tasty, I am never too amazed with the "combo" entrees. So far, the hot fajitas, salads, and specialty fish items are the best on the menu in my opinion.


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Once again, Chevy's did not disappoint.

BJs-West Covina-Ortega Family Fund

Mikey and I attended one of the charities that has been taking place this month to raise money for the Ortega Family Trust fund(family that was affected by the killings on Christmas Eve 08).
Bjs donated 15% of your meal cost to the fund.
This was a great opportunity to give and enjoy great food at the same time. Service was wonderful, presentation was great and the ambiance was pleasant as well.

I really enjoyed the Balsalmic Chicken--the mashed potatoes were to die for! It was a delightful mixing of flavors and textures!
Cantaloupe martini was very sweet (like drinking a mixed flavored juice) but gave me a buzz, so I guess it worked!

Chilis-West Covina-Jan

I decided on Chilis this night because I trusted that there would be good service there and I didn't want to fuss around. So far, their track record is pretty good. Mikey had his usual margarita and I decided to go for a tasty beer..it hit the spot. Chilis has a great appetizer selection as well as beer selection. Our server was closing up for the night but was pretty courteous and attentive towards us. He was joking around with the host how "he [the host] would not like to be a server..it sucks!" but that didn't me bother me too much. Overall a great dinner.

Applebees-West Covina-Jan17/23

On two short occasions, we visited Applebees. It has become the default place because it is closest and open late.
Here are some photos of our dine in sessions on Jan 17th and Jan 23rd.

Also, I colored a kids menu and attempted to use only the four colors they provide by shading, etc. IT came out pretty good!