Lunchtime Dives
of Silicon Valley

Your Source for the
South Bay Dive Experience

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So Many Dives, So Little Time -- Divemaster
Mountain View

Much of the downtown has been updated and yuppified (some call this improvement - ha!). There are still a few places to be found, mostly 1960s era when the main business in town was the Ferry Morse seed factory off Whisman.



El Paso Cafe damn
1407 El Camino Real Mountain View
Not easy to find as it's a little 'hole in the wall' from the outside. Been there since 1982 with only the second set of owners. Grill-style with chicken and steak sandwiches (both together if you want), and mexican fare including hot chips and salsa (free!). Everything is made up fresh and tastes like it. Full bar including several featured tequilas and several beers on tap. Indoor and outdoor patio seating. Friendly place. A good find!
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Rose International Market damn
1060 Castro Street Mountain View
A small grocery store, deli and grill serving the local persian community. The 'system' is not the simplest as it depends what you order. There is a deli counter where you get some things (different food every day) and a grill menu that is only available by asking for it a the cash register. Grill fare is mostly kebab-style beef and lamb and grilled peppers/onions and tomatoes. The Barg was especially good. Grab a mint yogurt drink and sit in the sun outside at some plastic tables. Good stuff!...A reader echoes, "It's a persian grocery with a hot/cold deli in back and a grill in the parking lot. No beer (it's muslim), and not housed in its own building, but the only other tenant is a massage parlor and that ought to count for something. You get some rice and lemon-chicken stew from the deli, then order a chicken or lamb/beef kebab from the grill and sit @ one of the cheezy plastic tables outside while they prepare your order. Definitely a warm-weather thing, since they have no indoor seating, but the food is great and it's cheap."
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Taqueria La Bamba damn
2058 Old Middlefield Way Mountain View
Given it's Salvadoran roots, we thought it might be better than your typical mexican fare. We were not disappointed. Line up, order, grab a beer and the food is ready before you're able to sit down in one of the kitchen-counter seating areas that surround the periphery of the pastel interior. No tables. Start off with a pork or cheese papusas. The burritos are highly recommended as they are meat-centric with only enough filler to taste. We saw two types of customers - the 'locals' and those wearing corporate badges (Please people, don't you realize how stupid you look. Take those damn things off!) A reader says, "The first time I ever went to La Bamba's I'll never forget. A line wandering out the door to a counter where an assembly line constructed burritos from the biggest tortillas I'd ever seen. A few seats ringed the interior of a place where I felt I should be packing heat. When I got my "regular" burrito it reminded me of a brick wrapped in tin foil and was most delicious, all with the ambiance of velvet paintings and cheap maps of the homeland. They also do quantity as we have had numerous picnics in the park." Another reader says, "Excellent dive. Burritos are great, but the Swiss Quesadillas (ask for extra guacamole) are the best choice."
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Garden Fresh not
1245 West El Camino Real Mountain View
Ready to venture into the world of the hard core vegan-ism? This little non-descript strip mall restaurant has nearly every kind of 'fake meat' vegan dish -- Squid, Ham, Chicken, Beef, Sushi, Steak, Fish, Kidney, Duck and more. Nearly every one made with some combination of tofu, mushroom, gluten and seaweed. To appeal to the carnivore in all of us, many of the dishes are pressed into the shape of the animal that is being saved -- the chicken had wings and drumsticks. It's all quite the adventure and surprisingly good. The ingredients were very fresh and cooked with care. most of the dishes were of the chinese/asian variety. Service was friendly and the place very clean. Definitely worth a try!
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La Costena Custom Burritos virgin
2078 Old Middlefield Way Mountain View
A reader says, "Mt View version of Guadalajara Market. A true South bay dive." Created the world's largest Burrito in 1997. Weighed in at 4,456.3 pounds and was measured at 3,578 feet long.
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Chef Wang's heaven
212 Castro Street Mountain View
We're told this has been closed and reopened as Lucy's Cafe at 21670 Stevens Creek in Cupertino. We never went, but here's the original review... Not to be confused with the Chef Wang's on El Camino... A reader says, "Although located in a not-so-dive area, this place is a dive. Excellent chinese food, great noodles, and they do carry beer." Another reader says, "Forget the menu - get the General's Chicken with soup and all the rice you want for $3.95 -nice and spicy!".
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Chubby's Broiler heaven
Ellis St and Fairchild Dr Mountain View
Plowed under in the name of "improvement". A currently vacant corporate HQ for yet another banal technology startup. Former review: Features Rib Eye Steak Sandwiches, Burgers and Chinese Food. Run by happy faced Chinese who love to yell your order to the cook and yell out your number when the grub is ready. Have outdoor picnic tables for your dining pleasure. Have Bud only - bottles or tap. Their condiment table features big tubs of catsup, mustard and A1 sauce that you have to pour on with a spoon. P.S. New incarnation is Chubby's II in the complex at the corner of Tasman and Lawrence in Santa Clara - right next to PhoQueen Noodle House.
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Food Street Cafe heaven
Castro Street at Villa Mountain View
Another dive gone... One we never made it out to. Previous review: A reader says, "The food is pretty good & cheap, and the ambiance certainly evokes Hong Kong. I see the same guy in there morning and night, weekdays and weekends--he deserves your patronage!". Another reader says" Can't miss it from the hanging ducks in the window there to greet you. Definite greasy spoon Chinese joint, but pretty good if you know what to order (read: don't go alone, best to take a Chinese native). The Beef Stew Rice Plate is pretty good - big hunks of stewed Chinese beef on a mountain of rice for about $3.95."
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Hong Kee heaven
600 West El Camino Real Mountain View
Hong Kee is gone. The building is now remodeled and a new chinese place (by the looks, in no way a dive) in its place. Sob... "Meets every criteria! family owned, separate building, looks like they'll allow smoking and Keno, owners (hey, even the family) are always there, no reservations, neon signs, used to have shades, mismatched glasses and silverware, beer, good food! [dive_master sez WOW]" By the way, a reader reports there is a Hong Kee Noodle House on Broadway in Redwood City, don't know if it's related.
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Smitty's heaven
E Middlefield Rd at N Whisman Rd Mountain View
Cheese Steaks, Burgers, BBQ and Grill Fare. 25 beers on tap!. Adjacent to 21st Point health club so you can see raquetballers and stationary cyclists working out while you're pigging out. Descent BBQ (ribs, chicken) and cheesesteaks. This place features lots of regulars and you can pick up more than your share of local gossip (if you care).
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St James Infirmary heaven
Moffett Blvd and Mariner Dr Mountain View
Alas. St. James Infirmary suffered a huge fire in late '97. Even Wonder Woman couldn't save the place (or herself). Reminise with our review which placed SJI in our 4 divers category. Truly a classic '70s dive. This place started mounting "stuff" on the walls long before TGIF and the other chains thought up this idea for themselves. As a result, St. James has some classics including a full stagecoach (with horses), a Red Baron biplane, and of course, a full greater-than-life-size Babe Muffler-esque statue of Wonder Woman (the best seat in the house is between her ankles). The menu, which looks like a Robert Crumb ripoff, is full of goodies such as the Jiffy Burger (yes, with PB), the Thunder Humper, the Beefy Brotherly Love and the Grilled Oink & Cheese. Backed by a full bar and a huge selection of beers, this is a dive worth checking out. Rumors of its death are premature at best as we've always seen a lively crowd. Tell 'em the Divemaster sent you.
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Uncle Frank's heaven
2135 Old Middlefield Way Mountain View
Sigh. It's closed as of late 2010. Hopefully will reopen in a new spot as it has a couple of times before Uncle Franks has moved and it's worth the trip. They're in a dining room / dancehall in the back of Francesca's bar - the former site of BBQ Man. We were there during the "Pre-Grand Opening" but there were no nerves and the food was fantastic. Hints: don't show up before 12P as they are not officially 'open". Grab the biggest roll of paper towels you can find. There is no sign out front so just wander in. Grab a beer at the bar first before sitting down. We ordered the 'Platter' with links, brisket and ribs. More than enough for 2 and would satisfy 3. Collard greens and cornbread were our sides although the cole slaw and potato salad looked good. No cobbler yet.

Old review: Formerly EPA City Cafe and Betty's Soul Kitchen. "Where everybody knows your name". Grab a map because this place is VERY far off the beaten track (attractive dive point #1). We got lost twice trying to find it ourselves. Uncle Frank's features a "meat of the day". Very clean and well kept despite the modest environment. Monday starts off with Smothered Steak followed by Ox tails, Smothered Chicken, Smothered Pork Chips and Fish/BBQ (Ribs/Links/Chicken). You get two side orders of Greens, Red Beans, Black Eyed Peas, String Beans, Yams, Rice, Mac&Cheese (homemade) or Potato Salad. Wow. Huge portions that one could barely finish - but be sure to save some room for that heavenly peach cobbler. This was a recommendation via e-mail and totally appreciated. We gained 3 pounds each just writing about the place. No beer.

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Wagon Wheel heaven
E Middlefield Rd and N Whisman Rd Mountain View
Watering hole where many of Silicon Valley's icons got started. Succumbed to Gambling. A reader reminces, "It is a restaurant, bar,and casino rolled into one. Excellent maroon tuck-and-roll naugahyde booths, western theme decorations, a stuffed marlin, and antlers sprouting from the walls. The menu is decent, and includes burgers, BLT's, enchilads, and an authentic Peruvian dish made of french fries mixed with sirloin. The nice background music is sometimes eclipsed by the sound of rolling dice and shuffling cards, but overall a great experience of classic divedom only a block from Netscape's headquarters."
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