The Marketplace Grill Cafe
★★★★☆ 3.7 • $$
"I've known about The Marketplace Grill Cafe because I had driven by it several times. When they were in Long Beach, that is. They used to be located in the Vons Circle Center by the Long Beach traffic circle before becoming TAP24, which retained the same concept as Marketplace Grill Cafe, but has no affiliation whatsoever.I honestly wouldn't have known about this location in Downey, however, if not for Fivestars. I had an offer on my account, and like I said in a recent review of a different Fivestars business, it's a great way to get customers through that front door!This Marketplace Grill Cafe is in Downey's Courtyard Business Center on the north side of Florence west of Paramount. There's ample parking, but some spots are reserved for Marketplace customers only. You can tell by the various signs posted around the lot. One such sign directs you to the drive thru. Yes, they have a drive thru. No, I wouldn't recommend going there to place a large order and upset the customer behind you in line. Plus, I'm not sure I could have used my Fivestars reward at the drive thru, at least in an efficient manner. The drive thru sign mentions that if you place an order either online or over the phone, you should go inside to pick up your order.I went inside to place my order. First, I highly recommend looking at the menu online beforehand: https://themarketplacegrillcafe.com/menu/. The TVs behind the order counter change screens pretty frequently, so you may not get a good glimpse of one part of the menu before the TV unwarrantedly switches to a photo of some delicious food, which as delicious as it looks, I really wish they would keep those TV screens stationary so as to not mess with the indecisive.I knew I wanted the Salmon & Shrimp, which consists of a grilled fresh salmon fillet, sauteed shrimp, cilantro lime vinaigrette, risotto, vegetables, and focaccia bread. The entree comes with two sides, which by default are risotto and vegetables, but you can switch if you'd like. I still went with the risotto and vegetables because I'm trying to avoid the deep fried goodness that is fries. If I recall correctly, none of the sides are premium except for the soup, which would incur a $1 upcharge. I didn't ask what soup it'd be, but I'm guessing it is contingent on the day of the week.The Salmon Plate is pretty much the same as the Salmon & Shrimp with the exception of the sauteed shrimp, but it's only $1.40 less. Don't think you're getting that great a deal if you upgrade to Salmon & Shrimp because you don't get that much shrimp, but it's still a nice, and not to mention tasty, add-on nonetheless.I didn't think my Fivestars offer would have included a dessert, but according to the cashier, it did! The only dessert I saw was the baklava in the adjacent display case, and so that's what I went with. Their website lists more extravagant options, but I'm happy enough with the baklava, especially since I was almost sugared out that day.I also asked for a cup of water, and they placed it on my table while I was in the restroom at the near corner of the cafe.The wait for my food was about 13 minutes, so the baklava did keep me company for a while. It was good, and not as sweet as I would have thought that I'm sure any other dessert choice would have pushed my sugar intake over my quota for the day.When I was presented with my plate, the first thing I thought of was Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. The plate was seriously that large, and it was chock full of the seafood, risotto, and the grilled vegetables. However, the price point was closer to that of Sea Island Shrimp House, IYKYK, though do bear in mind the Fivestars offer I mentioned before.Had I taken my order home to eat, I would have given this review 4 stars because everything kind of missed the mark in flavor. However, at each table indoors, they have a half dozen bottles of sauce that you can use for your meal. And these sauces packed a real punch that gave all of my food the flavor my taste buds craved. The use of a plastic fork in supplement with a fancy steak knife did seem eccentric.There is a nice outdoor patio, but I didn't see any sauces on the tables outside, which I find kind of odd. It would make for a nice relaxing meal by a small waterfall next to the sidewalk, but those sauces are a must! Just be careful with the A1 because after struggling to get any hot sauce, I splashed a good portion of my plate with the A1 sauce. Oops? lolService was pretty good. I felt taken care of here that I was momentarily able to forget about all the troubles I've been going through lately and immerse myself in a nice and fancy cafe without splurging an amount typically spent at such a fine eatery. It's a shame I didn't get a chance to visit the Long Beach location before they became TAP24.I'm rarely in Downey, and I visit the Traffic Circle area every now and then. Should I pay a visit to TAP24 as well?? Let's just say if they also join Fivestars, I will! :)"
"Olive Pit Grill in Brea is a hidden gem for Mediterranean food lovers! And the atmosphere is super cute and chic. Indoor + outdoor patios are VERY spacious!We got a LOT, but here were our absolute favorites and must-orders:Mains- Grilled Wild Salmon Salad (incredibly good - best salad I've ever had)- Lamb Pizza- Lamb ChopsSide- Fried Asparagus with garlic aioliDessert- Tiramisu with baklava baseThe staff was also SUPER friendly - our waiter was so helpful and the bartender is the BEST!!This place feels luxury beginning to end but actually has affordable prices. We will be back AGAIN AND AGAIN!!"
"I've driven past this place frequently and never noticed this great restaurant before. In fact, the day of discovery was motivated by two equally important actions: First, eat something before the long drive to Pasadena (I was initially aiming for the next door 7-Eleven, and to get off 17th Street and cut through the neighborhood. The Gyro lunch special sign in the window didn't hurt either as I made a split-second decision to change course. Inside, it's smallish, a few tables as well as a few outside. A nice girl helped me dial in my order. My first question was, what kind of onions come on it? When she said red onions, I was excited, I only like red onions raw. Then, I asked for light tomatoes, assuming they'd be diced like most other establishments. Wrong! They're grilled and thus more better. I was quoted up to a ten-minute wait, but I had barely grabbed napkins and put a lid on my drink when they called my name. It was hot outside and warm inside, so I chose to sit indoors. I was impressed by how hot the fries were and how crispy they were, too. The Tzasiki sauce was a generous portion, and a fork was also included. The Gyro was wrapped in foil, and I didn't realize how generously packed it was until I realized there was no way I could eat it initially until I whittled the contents down with the fork. Off to a great start! Basically, it was scrumptious, shaved off the rotisserie and flavorful. The sauce is very fresh and full of cucumber. They also sell 4oz. sides in case you want more. I couldn't eat all the fries either. Anyhow, this was the first of many planned trips. Their other dishes, kabobs, and sides look amazing too. I'd suggest splitting the special and get a second Gyro because that's a lot of fries."
