Schooner or Later is a great place in Long Beach if you’re looking for somewhere to grab a relaxing Sunday brunch. The outdoor dining comes with a great view, and they have yummy drinks as well. Everything comes in big portions too! They were featured on the Food Network— be sure to try their “Mess” with avocados!

Wurstkuche has delicious hot dogs, beer, and sausages that come in a wide selection of odd meats like rabbit, rattlesnake, and gator. They have great prices, yummy fries, and toppings like bleu cheese bacon and walnut sauce. If you’re bold and in the mood for something different, definitely check out!

Diddy Riese is really close to UCLA, and they have warm, fresh cookies and yummy ice cream sandwiches. Everything is at an extremely decent price and there’s usually just a short wait. They even have Hawaiian shaved ice!

Ryowa Ramen is a delicious ramen place with some great variations of ramen, such as a favorite: the butter corn ramen. It’s a little pricier, but they have a lot of options, like fried rice, gyoza, and wonton soup. With locations in Berkeley and Mountain View. Note: the Mountain View location has substantially better reviews!

Hodad’s has delicious, reasonably priced burgers that will make your mouth water. Their onion rings and fries are fantastic and they have heavenly milkshakes. The atmosphere is friendly, and it’s right next to the beach!

Iguanas is home of the Burritozilla, a 5 pound, 18” burrito. If you don’t think you can handle this monstrosity, there are plenty of other great options as well, such as their carne asada burrito. They were voted #67 on the Travel Channel’s 101 Tastiest Places and the Burritozilla was also featured on Man v. Food. With locations also in Fremont and Evergreen.

Kara’s Cupcakes is an adorable store that makes you feel like you’re shopping for jewelry instead of cupcakes. They have delicious combos, and their coconut cupcakes are to die for. They’re a little bit pricey and smaller than your average cupcake, but they’re so cute you just want to eat them up anyway. With locations in SF, Palo Alto, SJ, Napa, and now Walnut Creek!

The Counter is a great burger place with locations all over the U.S. but mainly in California with an interesting concept— right when you walk in, you’re handed a clipboard with a checklist of ingredients. The Counter allows you to build your own unique burger with its wide variety of ingredient choices. They have some delicious sweet potato fries (that come in a big plateful), and a some special, limited time meats like bison. It’s pricier than your average burger, but it’s fun and delicious!

Locations in: LA, Palo Alto, Newport, El Segundo, Irvine, San Diego, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Monica, and more!

Psycho Donuts basically has… well, psycho donuts. They have locations in San Jose and Campbell. It’s an “asylum” for donuts, with everything from “donutized” hamburgers, pizzas, and ice cream sandwiches. This offbeat donut shop has original donuts that are decorated with things like Oreos and Nutella, to other crazy ones like the Strawberry Margarita Donut with tequila cream and strawberries, with weird names like Nutella the Hun. The workers are even dressed up as nurses!

Brenda’s is a little restaurant in SF with a creole diner that serves delicious French soul food… basically French cuisine with a New Orleans twist. Their po’boys are to die for, and don’t forget to try their Watermelon Iced Tea (free refills!) and their sweet beignets. Great for breakfast as well.

The Boiling Crab has a number of locations in CA, including San Jose and LA, and there are several stores in Texas. This isn’t your average seafood place— you order food in bags by the pound, and be prepared to get messy! A little pricey, and be ready for a long wait as well. They have shrimp, clam, corn, sweet potato fries,and a lot more. You might not want to come here on a first date.

Phil’s BBQ is delicious and well-known in the SD area (warning: there are some pretty long lines). Their ribs and sauce are to die for, and it’s definitely not your average sit-down restaurant. They also have a fantastic macaroni salad.

La Vic’s is a tiny whole-in-the-wall with fantastic burritos and quesadillas at a great price. They’re known for their “orange sauce”, which is a mysterious concoction that tastes great with everything. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR EVERYONE, it’s a love it or hate it sort of place. You may leave feeling very full but very very, unhealthy.

Bun Me! has delicious Vietnamese food for a reasonable price. Their sandwiches, pho, drinks, and vermicelli are all really good!

Really close to UCI with great sandwiches and coffee for a decent price. Favorites include the garlic chicken and the chicken broccoli mushroom.