Voltero's Pizza

Very tasty cheesesteak!  I wanted the fries to be a little crisper, but Miko likes them soft.

Good LORD this slice of pizza was giant!  We were totally surprised by how good it was.  Miko's hand is there to show the scale.

Rating: Two thumbs up

Date: 5/4/14

Time in: 8:20 PM
Time out: 9:00 PM
Servers' recommendations: Philly chicken and vegetarian pizza
What we ordered: Server's recommendations
Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: $8.63 for the chicken sandwich, around $5 for the pizza
Price per person: $6.82
  
Notes: 

• We liked the cashier a lot -- he was very nice and pleasant, and confident in his recommendations.
• We were surprised by how good everything tasted!
• We thought we were ordering small, since we only got a sandwich and a slice to share.  We did not know that the slice would be ENORMOUS -- like 4 slices of pizza in one!  We were both full, and I had quite a bit of leftover pizza afterward.
• The pizza dough was crispy on the outside, just the right level between doughy and fluffy in between.  It didn't have too much sauce on it, either.
• Between this and Rosa's, we have been pleasantly surprised by the pizza on Convoy!  If we wanted to eat pizza, which we rarely do, we would totally come up here rather than eat the Uptown hipster pizza in our neighborhoods.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION  
Address: 4344 Convoy St
Phone number: 858.571.1550
Noise level: 3, just from the music (they were playing two different songs at once, which was pretty disastrous for ambience) but no one else was there.
Accepts credit cards? Yes, and they didn't seem to have a minimum.
Parking: Shared lot -- one of the best on Convoy.
Ideal group size: Any
Available vegetarian options: Many!

Sunrise Buffet

Some of our guest critics mid-meal.
The orange soda got rave reviews.

Jenne's first round...

Some other people's...

The egg drop soup was popular.

The orange chicken was extremely weird.

Broccoli and...jello?

Dessert was far and away the best part, especially the doughnuts!

Kate said she got a little overexcited with the sprinkles.

Thumbs up on the jello, thumbs down on the chocolate pudding.

Really, Miko?  That is disgusting.

The whole gang!

Halfway Celebration!

Sunrise Buffet is the last stop on Convoy's West Side! We invited lots of friends to celebrate with us! (Too bad it was kind of gross, but hey, still fun!)

Rating: 7 thumbs down, 5 sideways thumbs, 1 thumb up

Date: 2/4/12
Time in: 7:40 PM (Jenne and I were late)
What we ordered: Buffet, tea, Cokes, Diet Cokes, orange sodas.
Number in our party: 13 (Carling, Ryan, Sarah H., Sarah M., Tracie, Elise, Keith, Laura, Gerry, Nick, and Kate as guest critics today)
Final check amount: $15.07 each for the buffet and a soda
Notes: 

• Carling -- Likes: crab puffs.  (Thumb down.) 
• Elise -- Likes: crispy chicken, Brazilian beef.  Dislikes: anything with scallop or shrimp.  (Sideways bordering on down.)
• Gerry -- Likes: jello. Dislikes: everything else.  (Thumb down.)
• Jenne -- Likes: egg drop soup, fried fish, seafood delight.  Dislikes: orange chicken and stuffed shrimp.   (Thumb down.) 
• Kate -- Likes: crispy chicken.  Dislikes: spring rolls.  (Thumb down.)
• Keith -- Likes: fried chicken, crab puff, crispy chicken.  (Thumb up.)
• Laura -- Likes: frog legs, boneless spare rib, salmon.  Dislikes: lots of overly salty dishes.  (Sideways bordering on down.)
• Miko -- Likes: crab puffs, doughnuts, mei fun.  Dislikes: pork bun, orange chicken, crispy chicken, chocolate pudding (it was sour!).  (Thumb down.) 
• Nick -- Likes: coconut shrimp, doughnut.  Dislikes: orange chicken.  (Thumb down.)
• Ryan -- Likes: shrimp on ice, fruit, broccoli.  (Sideways thumb.) 
• Sarah H. -- Likes: crispy chicken, sushi, mussels, oysters.  Dislikes: seaweed salad, stuffed shrimp.  (Sideways thumb.)
• Sarah M. -- Likes: anything fried (crab puffs, egg rolls), dumplings, fish.  Dislikes: orange chicken, green beans.  (Sideways thumb.)
• Tracie -- Likes: hoisin clams "but I might regret these later."  Dislikes: pork bun.  (Thumb down.) 

RESTAURANT INFORMATION
Address: 3860 Convoy Street
Phone number: 858.715.1608
Website: http://sunrisebuffet.menutoeat.com/
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Crowded lot with teeny spaces.
Ideal group size: Any 

Available vegetarian options: Salad, doughnuts, soft-serve
Noise level: 3

The Philadelphia Sandwich Company



It's one of those places with a bunch of stuff on the walls.



Including this freaky outfit.

Half-sandwich.

Still life with iced tea and ketchup.  In the background, you can see the official Convoy Conquest binder!

Rating: Two thumbs down
Date: 9/9/11

Servers' recommendations: Cheese steak.  There was no question about it.  "That's what we sell the most of," she said.

What we ordered: We split a cheese steak combo with fries and a drink.

Number in our party: 2 
Final check amount: $9.09
Notes: 

• Being the soft-hearted librarians that we are, Jenne and I hate giving thumbs-downs.  Especially if the restaurant owners and servers are nice, and The Philadelphia Sandwich Company staff are!  For example, they served us the sandwich that we decided to split on separate plates, all cut for us, with the fries divvied too!  So sweet of them! 
• That said, the sandwich was not very tasty.  I couldn't have finished a whole one on my own.  The untoasted bread was too fluffy, and the meat was dry.  A cheese steak that doesn't have enough cheese on it?  Unacceptable.  And the fries needed more salt. 

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3904 Convoy St, Ste 112
Phone number: 858.571.0888
Website: http://philadelphiasandwichco.com
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private plaza -- crowded during the day.
Ideal group size: 1-4
Available vegetarian options: Four-cheese veggie, four-cheese salad, sides

Noise level: 2
Who not to bring: Fancy people, cheese steak fans

The Original Pancake House

Eggs Benedict.

I love you, bacon.

Dutch baby!  It comes with butter and lemon slices.

Rating: Two thumbs up
Date: 7/15/11

Time in: 1:15 PM

Time out: 2:00 PM

Servers' recommendations: Eggs Benedict
What we ordered: Eggs Benedict, Dutch baby with a side of bacon, coffee

Number in our party: 2 
Final check amount: $28.55

Notes: 

• The restaurant is charming -- much more so than you would expect from the outside.  It looks like Grandma's house, with flowery curtains and quaint tableware (and the silverware looks like real silver, even though it's not). 
• The bacon is nice, thick, and chewy.  Jenne gives it a thumbs up.  Miko actually prefers that her bacon be thinner and crispier. 
• The eggs Benedict is yummy.  It isn't anything original or amazing, but it is INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT to find decent eggs Benedict.  (Common problems include: instant hollandaise, stingy sauce portions, chemically ham/Canadian bacon, undertoasted English muffins, and unnecessary creativity with ingredients.)
• The Dutch baby is expensive for what it is ($9.50 for a small one) but there is nowhere else you can get it in San Diego!  And they are delicious!
• The coffee is fine, as are the potatoes. 
• For regular breakfasts like bacon and eggs, you can get pancakes instead of toast as a side!
• The portion sizes are just right.
• The service is friendly and prompt, and they are ON those water refills!

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3906 Convoy St

Phone number: 858.565.1740
Website: http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/phloc_sandiego.html

Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Shared lot with a good number of spaces
Ideal group size: 1-4, but they could probably put tables together for more. But don't bring a large group unless you make a reservation (not sure if they even take reservations). There will definitely be a long wait on weekend mornings even for small groups.
Available vegetarian options: Lots! Pancakes, crepes, omelettes, oatmeal, etc.

Who not to bring: Vegans

Noise level: 3