Burrell's BBQ

Ever heard of a hole in the wall place? Well Burrell's BBQ fits that description and is Santa Ana's best kept BBQ secret.

Fred Burrell opened his restaurant about 30 years ago. Burrell's looks like a home turned into a restaurant which emphasizes that home-cooked feel.

Inside the restaurant, there is just enough room to order. All around the walls are signed pictures of the many celebrities who have all tried some of Burrell's BBQ.

Burrell's is the quintessential BBQ joint, as it serves all the staple "soul" food from beef ribs to peach cobbler and catfish to gumbo. Each lunch and dinner plate comes with one or two sides, respectively, and piece of cornbread. The picture below shows a beef rib lunch plate with mac n' cheese and collard greens (which come with little pieces of beef mixed in).

It's best to schedule a meal at Burrell's during a sunny day, as seating is only available outside in the yard, just like a BBQ.

Burrell's no longer has an active website up, but it is located at 305 N Hesperian St in Santa Ana. Be sure to keep an eye out for it. Burrell's also does catering and can be reached at (714) 547-7441.

ENJOY!

All photos by Mark Lemus

Tony's Little Italy

I was introduced to Tony's Little Italy not too long ago, but it has easily become my favorite pizza joint to visit. They offer pasta dishes and sandwiches as well, but I have only gone for the pizza because that's what they specialize in...seriously, it says that on their menu and business cards.

 Now you may be looking at the above picture and thinking, "WOW!!" Don't worry, everyone does. What you're looking at is a large deep dish pan pizza. The pizza is 14 inches in diameter and can easily feed a small family, or three college guys. My two buddies and I ordered this pizza with meatball, sausage and bell pepper. We each also got a drink and our total came to just under $30, so $10 each. Needless to say, the three of us were unable to finish the entire pizza and had three slices leftover. The pizza is so thick that the leftovers weighed about the same as a pizza you'd get from a franchised place. So, how does it taste?

First, lets talk crust, the part of the pizza that gets thrown away by many a picky eater. The crust on a Tony's deep dish pizza is incredibly buttery and flakey, or in other words, DELICIOUS! Be aware though that this pizza is extremely messy; the owners provide you with plates, knives, forks and a spatula because they know how messy it is. Cheese, sauce and toppings overflow the pizza.

If you ever find yourself in Placentia, be sure to check this place out. Tony's is located at the Sierra Vista Plaza, 1808 Unit B, N. Placentia Ave Placentia, CA 92870, not far from the 57 freeway.

Enjoy!

All photos by Mark Lemus