Six months is usually considered the earliest a new restaurant, bar or coffeeshop can receive a fair review. Each month, Metro spotlights five of the newest places we think are worth a look-see.
Toast Café & Grill
1411 Bird Ave, San Jose
408.320.1575
Just a stone’s throw from downtown Willow Glen, in the former home of the OG Mojo Burger, sits this newest entrant into the breakfast and brunch game. They really classed up the old joint with wood accents, great lighting, outdoor seating and a bar with craft beers on tap, natch. Toast Café features the usual cavalcade of omelets, benedicts, skillets and my personal favorite breakfast item: chicken and waffles. Their signature toast spreads pair perfectly with any of their specialty house mimosas, such as the cucumber elderflower.
Grub Burger Bar
785 Lawrence Expwy, Santa Clara
408.400.3374
grubburgerbar.com
This upscale new burger joint that features craft beer, signature cocktails, a wine list and a happy hour. They’re also one of the few places I know of that bake their own signature buns in-house daily. Meat connoisseurs will be delighted to see a Wagyu burger on the menu, and my fellow heat heads will delight in their scorpion pepper burger, which features a scintillating Trinidad Moruga scorpion sauce and grilled jalapeños for extra heat.
Soup by Parks BBQ
217 W Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas
408.770.3778
This offshoot of Korean SoCal favorite Parks BBQ has made its way north and landed in Milpitas. Despite having a really strong KBBQ game down there, this offshoot focuses primarily on soup. And with soup season (aka winter) fast approaching, they’re opening at the right time. Their organic beef bone soup bases are rich and flavorful and come with the usual array of exotic and tasty meats. I recommend getting the combination seolleongtang, which comes with brisket, cheek, tongue and oxtail.
Boiling Point Concept
19600 Vallco Pkwy Unit 120, Cupertino
408.273.9088
bpgroupusa.com
Another spot to get us ready for soup season, and this one features the ever-popular Chinese hot pot, where diners cook their own thinly sliced meats and veggies in a simmering pot of tasty broth. Boiling Point is a huge chain in SoCal and is slowly creeping north; this is their second location in the South Bay, with future expansions in the works. Their new milk cream soup base is the perfect marriage of sweet cream and a spicy curry. It’s available in five heat levels, from nonexistent to Satan’s sweat.
Lillie Mae’s BBQ
910 Meridian Ave, San Jose
408.227.7685
lilliemaeshouse.com
Lillie Mae’s is back! After closing their Santa Clara location a few months ago, they’ve landed back on their feet in west Willow Glen. Their reappearance is a sight for sore eyes as they might be the only legit soul food place in the South Bay. Old favorites like their fried catfish, hush puppies and my personal favorite—fried chicken and waffles—return to the menu, as well as their underrated barbecue.