I’ve moved from LA to Crestline, in the San Bernardino Mountains. I own my own home, am raising chickens and gardening, and it’s a cottage core dream…
…except for the food.
Please help me find places to eat in the Inland Empire. There must be some! Currently I’ve been driving to Arcadia, San Gabriel, etc, but I’d love to find some nice places to eat closer to me. Anywhere good in San Bernardino or Lake Arrowhead? Riverside? Redlands?
Outdoor seating or takeout a must. I like everything. Looking more for cozy/casual than fancy fine dining.
Is Mama Por Dios a chain now? There’s an outlet close to Cedars, and it’s very kitschy and super IG-friendly. I’ve gotten reports that it’s only okay at best.
Ha! It totally could be. A friend was high on their tequila and mezcal selection so I marked it on my map without examining closely. Looking at it now, I am pretty skeptical. Maybe scratch that rec!
You have the right attitude to do well eating in the IE. Don’t expect anything vaguely fine dining. Dont spend a penny in Redlands on “upscale” anything. its going to be poorly made, pretentious/ignorant and fucking expensive. In fact, pretend like anywhere not in the IE is a vacation, and plan your fancy/fine eating on your vacations. I mostly cook what I like to eat because I can and its easier than finding what I enjoy in less than 50 miles. I have found that great “hole-in-the-wall” food can be had. Roberts correct on all of those reccos however covid. Quality and variety have shrunk. Having noted that, you will want to get to Baseline Burgers for Chili verde. Mitla for the peggy. Thats one of my childhood faves. Kens sushi in Rancho. Spice Jar in Rancho. Tomatoes middle eastern market, also rancho. In rancho there is a great Indonesian resto off fourth. The cuban place off fourth isnt bad either.Lots in rancho actually. best bet for anything not a chain or interesting. Next area not LA is Palm Springs. So much to talk about there, it probably warrants a post on another board section.If youre coming down the mountain by SB state, there is a great Singapore noodle dish at Yang noodle. I believe that area has some fun food. Rui shanghai on 38 is good. so is red chili on redlands blvd. ocean pho is sturdy. There is a an interesting little food zone in the highgrove/grand terrace area south of colton and north of moreno valley. it has a grocery outlet, a mongolian bbq, ramen, thai, burger and indonesian resto all in one old strip mall. thats my date-drinks shoppind-lunch spot. worth a trip,to the Indonesian spot for sure.
and I am not a luddite but hadnt used google maps for food spotting down hete but DO use both yelp and google and whatever else you can. things come very slowly down hete but evaporate more quickly than SF. i don’t know LA but im guessing its a city pattern. https://yelp.to/Ya3ORES7ykb https://yelp.to/U42sROO7ykb https://yelp.to/nCehz6q7ykb https://yelp.to/JOvPYTD7ykb https://yelp.to/Ev0bndG7ykb https://yelp.to/9CF3TcJ7ykb https://yelp.to/IyYPTKY7ykb havent been but smells super.
And you van go east into the other valley (Victorville, etc.) which has some interesting food too.
The Supreme Plate in Rancho Cucamonga has excellent poboys. I particularly love their homemade bbq-esque sauce they provide with each po’boy.
Kra Z Kai BBQ in Corona has very good Laotian sausage.
Sunday Dinners in Corona also has good soul food. I particularly like the fried chicken and fried pork chops with greens and Mac n cheese.
Viva Villa Taqueria in Fontana has some excellent chicken flautas. The tacos are good as well, they main kicker is the fresh made tortillas.
Mariscos Jalisco in Pomona has those lovely shrimp tacos and I always order the Poseidon as well.
Carnitas Al Estilo Michoacán has my favorite carnitas in the Inland Empire and a really nice salsa verde.
Hilltop Jamaican in Pomona has excellent jerk chicken, oxtail, curry goat and red snapper escovitch. The curry chicken patty is also a favorite. Love the festival bread too.
Macho Pollo in Pomona has average chicken but I go there an order a large order of their salsa verde, seriously the best salsa in all of SoCal in my opinion. Worth the drive alone.
Bakers (chain) has a really nice breakfast burrito for fast food. I wish all fast food places made breakfast burritos like this. Nothing fancy, but fresh scrambled eggs, cheese and thick bacon wrapped in a good flour tortilla that doesn’t taste like Mission brand tortillas.
Upland German Deli in Upland has a really good apple struddle and linzer torte. And I adore their German potato salad.
Combine Kitchen in Rancho Cucamonga has a nice drip coffee.
The Original Mommie Helen’s Bakery has really good cobblers and pecan sweet potato pie.
Thank you so much, everyone! These are great recs - please keep 'em coming if you think of more!
I’m definitely upping my cooking skills (and eating a lot of eggs from my own chickens). Next spring I’ll put in a vegetable garden. The year after, maybe learn to hunt. I figure one deer or feral hog could supply me with meat for a year.