This is just an update on what’s going on in San Leandro’s dismal restaurant “scene”. Please comment if you have any more info.
– Smiling Jack Station is a new Filipino restaurant at the old Straw Hat location on Washington Ave. In addition to Filipino favorites, it offers boiled and fried seafood, BBQ and burgers. They have a banquet room and karaoke and dancing on weekend nights. There is a $5 off $25 coupon on their website.
– Dick’s Restaurant and Lounge has changed ownership. The owners are keeping the name and apparently, most of the menu. Even the chef will be staying transitionally. One change: they’re adding TVs both to the dining room and lounge. Alas, that, to me, is a reason *not* to go. If you need a TV to distract you from what you’re eating, that says quite a bit about the quality of the food.
–Harley’s / JD’s Burgers, you know, the restaurant on Washington and Marina that looks like it used to be a drive-in restaurant, has a new name. Maybe it means it’s changed ownerships. Hopefully it means the food won’t be as atrocious and expensive. Unless I hear lots of good reviews, I probably won’t give it a try, though
–La Bella Italia. The placed turned into a Mexican restaurant some time ago, but it doesn’t seem to have lasted much as that, and now it’s up for sale. I hope someone with some vision – and a good cook – buys it. Really, I would LOVE it if someone would turn it into a modern-day Pring’s. Find the old menu, get a great chef, and give it a try! I’d go for sure.
–Nick’s Family Restaurant has been remodeled. I haven’t been back but the reviews on Yelp are very mixed vis a vis the food.
– Mon Café in the Manor seems to be for sale. Or at least I think this for sale ad fits Mon Café the best.
– New China Buffet is also for sale (see here).
–Ploughmans is up for sale. I’m sure some people will be sad, but I don’t think it’ll be that great a loss. San Leandro does need a good breakfast place, hopefully whoever buys it will turn it into one.
–Vila Cereja is *still* up for sale. That place has so much potential! I wish San Leandro’s Business Development department would actually do something useful for once and entice a San Francisco restaurant to open a second branch here.
–Vo’s, that stylish Vietnamese bistro on Parrot has closed down and another Vietnamese restaurant (Song Huong) has opened in its place. I’m not surprised that Vo’s didn’t make it. They had pretty good food, but it was very overpriced, even when using restaurant.com coupons. Song Huong is said to serve more traditional Vietnamese food.
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