Peter’s Gourmade Grill
Before I get into my blog about this place, I think it is crucial that you read the back story. My mom, Kim, emailed this to me at work last week and it was all she or I had been thinking about since...
"About seven months ago Peter came home and told me: I found a place where we should open a restaurant...it’s in a gas station. Being from a small town where our first McDonald’s was in a gas station, I didn’t think too much of it. He took me to see this little place inside a Valero technically in Tustin but barely. At first I was underwhelmed. It needed a lot of work to get it to where I knew it needed to be and where I knew Peter wanted and expected it to be.
In the next four weeks I watched in awe as Peter worked fifteen hours a day transforming this little 100 square foot place, with all the wrong equipment, into a restaurant. He drove everywhere around Southern California to ensure that he had the equipment he needed. He spent hours upon hours scouring Craigslist with a fine tooth comb searching for the right piece of equipment at the right price. We spent hours cleaning. Painting. Cleaning. Driving. Cleaning. While I feel like I worked hard, Peter worked harder. Where I feel like I put time in, Peter put in more. When I was finally ready to sleep for the night, Peter was up creating the floor plan, coming up with menu ideas, preparing the shopping lists. I’m pretty sure he didn’t sleep for about four weeks. I was starting to think he was a Vampire. Turns out he was just dedicated.
Alas, we were ready to open. August 16, 2010 was our first day. Peter will tell you he couldn’t give the food away for the first couple of weeks. We didn’t have a staff for at least two months. It was just he and I. People were pretty skeptical of this guy claiming to make gourmet burgers and sandwiches out of a gas station. I mean, who could blame ‘em? But then slowly people started to come. First we had the Roger Dunn crowd. One came and got an ABC Burger and then every half hour another one would come because the previous guy said it was an amazing burger. Then we started getting people from the surrounding businesses. Then one day Jarrod from the Jewelry Exchange came in and said “Hey, nice write-up in the OC Weekly today!” We both had no idea.
Turns out Gustavo Arellano from the OC Weekly came to eat and wrote a great article about the Grill. That was the moment it kind of changed for us. This is when we started getting customers from around Orange County. (Check out our Press Section to read the full article). We had our best day yet that day and it has continued to grow since. The Foodies at the OC Register came and gave us an amazing review in December. I remember the reporter telling us the online publish date and then telling us that when it came out in print we “needed to be ready” because it went to some 100,000 addresses. Apparently I couldn’t really comprehend the amount of homes that actually is. The OC Register put us on the map.
The difference from August to today is drastic to say the least. I mean, the menu hasn’t changed much. The space hasn’t changed at all. Peter still works harder than anyone I know, he still scours Craigslist looking for improvements for us, and I still go to bed while he is preparing for the next day. But the major difference is that people are coming now. They have thrown caution to the wind and decided to give this little unknown place a chance. People see a line at a gas station and stop by to see what all the fuss is about. We couldn’t be happier that people have given us the chance. I couldn’t be prouder of Peter’s drive and determination to make this place a success. So thank you all for giving us the chance to serve you!
-Antoinette"
So as you can read from Antoinette, this place is pretty special! My mom found this place in the OC Register as one of the Top 10 places to go in the OC. My mom, Alix, Stephanie, Cake, Jack and I all piled in our cars last night and headed to Peters for a business dinner/adventure! Being that the place is only 400 square feet inside, and that includes the kitchen as well as the order area, the only seating option is outside. We opted to take our food to-go, and went back home because we were traveling with miniature babies who wanted to run everywhere! There was no quality lost in taking the food to-go in my opinion and you will see just how great the food was! And yes- IT IS IN A GAS STATION!
This place is literally in an old Valero gas station. It is tiny, but on a busy corner, and had people coming and going the whole time we were there. We didn't wait for our food longer than 5 minutes as well.
Here is the Board of the Menu.
To begin our meal, my mom and I couldn't miss out on the Sweet Potato Gooey. These sounded incredible. I love sweet potato fries, and this delicious treat was heavenly. It smelled like Thanksgiving, and as we all know, Thanksgiving is my favorite thing in the whole entire world. My mom thought these were way to sweet, but I enjoyed every single bite!
Sweet Potato Gooey’s | $ 5.75
Sweet Potato Fries topped with Maple Syrup, Brown Sugar and Marshmallows toasted on top!
Marshmallows, Maple Syrup, Brown Sugar= nothing better!
Stephanie and Alix shared Peter's Greek Fries. They looked really good. I didn't get to try them, but I do know that it was a group comment that everyone wished that the Tzatziki sauce was a little bit thicker.
Peter’s Greek Fries | $5.50
Shoestring fries topped with Feta Cheese, Onion, Tomato, Gyro Meat, Greek Oregano and served with Peter’s Homemade Tzatziki Sauce.
I asked the girl at the counter what their most popular item was and she quickly fired off the ABC Burger. While I really wasn't in the mood for a cheeseburger, I had to order what she recommended. This was, after all, a business dinner for my fellow Muffin Topzz.
OMG IT WAS THE BEST BURGER THAT I HAVE EVER HAD. HONESTLY. And for only $5.75? Are you kidding me? They could charge $20 and I would still pay that much!
ABC Burger | $5.75
6 oz. All-Beef Angus Patty served on a toasted Potato Bun with Avocado, Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Mayo, Mustard, Ketchup, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and Famous Dave’s Spicy Pickle Chips.
I ordered my burger exactly as is above, minus the pickle chips. I know, I know, we all know I hate pickles. Sorry guys, but that is one sacrifice I am not willing to make for the blog- I cannot eat pickles. The bun was lightly, almost to the point of delicately toasted, but slathered with mayo, mustard, and ketchup in the perfect balance of the three. It was like the Holy Trinity of Burgers- just enough of each. I personally love chopped lettuce on my cheeseburger and so this was an automatic point on my good side. The Avocado was not slices of avocado, but it was more of a guacamole texture, without being guacamole. It was incredibly soft, and creamy and complemented the burger so well. The cheddar cheese was subtle, sharp and quick to the punch! This burger was messy and I wouldn't have it any other way!
My favorite thing about this incredible burger- and I really do mean that this is the best burger that I have ever had in my life- is how juicy the meat was. The hamburger itself was so moist and juicy; you can clearly see this in the picture below. It was not dried out at all, and the thick slices of bacon perfectly cooked only made this burger better. I am looking at this picture as I write this blog and can't help but have my mouth water!
I HIGHLY recommend Peter's Gourmade Grill to anyone who has a little adventure in them! You don't need to be a foodie to appreciate this place, the food stands on it's own 2 legs! The food is incredible and there is really no excuse to not visit this place!!!
Mom- thank you for finding this place!!! It was great and I am glad that we all went together. Next- we are headed to Habibi's Funnel Cakes
*Text Your Order to
714-273-7922
*A little bit about texting: this is a service we provide through a company named Zingle. If there is an issue with your order, we will call you from a real phone. Text your order as clear and concise as possible and hit send. You will receive a confirmation text once we confirm your order on our end. Please reference the order number you received with your confirmation number when you come to pick it up. That’s it! We do aim to have every order ready within 25 minutes but please note: we DO NOT make the french fries until you come for your order. Please Text Responsibly.
Hours of Operation
Monday-Saturday
11am-3pm
6pm-10pm
Sunday Closed
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