Fountain Valley in Orange County is just the place we love to showcase here at Cheap Fast Eats.
Sandwiched between Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, and Westminster, it's chockful of under-the-radar places brimming with flavor and diverse cultural influences while still being affordable.
We've highlighted some of our favorites, from a Vietnamese cafe with a banging brunch menu, to a throwback of Mexican American fast food chain, legit Turkish sandwiches, Australian jaffles, and perhaps the best bahn mi sandwiches in Southern California — welcome to Cheap Fast Eats, Fountain Valley edition.
Ikram Grill
Ikram Grill is a small, primarily family-run establishment known for their Turkish sandwiches ($13.75) made with pide bread — best described as a fluffier flatbread or thicker pita bread.
It's used for sandwiches stuffed with various types of meat shaved directly off the döner spits behind the counter. Take your pick of shawarma chicken, beef, or a mix of both, which was my move. The sandwich is then heaped with pickles, red onion, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo-based shawarma sauce, tahini, tzatziki, and hot sauce — and then toasted.
Words almost can’t do this sandwich justice. The masterfully grilled meats with an extra layer of flavor provided by the sauces piled on the cloud-like bread is the stuff of dreams.
A lot of the sandwiches are large enough to be shared. But make sure to take advantage of the many pastries and sweets available, like the circular bread encrusted in sesame seeds, known as simit, a type of Turkish bagel.
There’s also various baklava stuffed with nuts, including walnuts and pistachios, and a selection of Turkish delights that resemble the texture of nougat crossed with a gummy candy rolled in nuts or fruits. That sweetness, preceded by the savoriness of the sandwich, works well to balance out the exquisite meal. All for around a couple of bucks apiece.
Location: 9895 Warner Ave., Suite F, Fountain Valley
Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Artisan
What do you get when two titans of the O.C. cafe and bakery scene collaborate to create a shared space? You wind up with a place like Artisan. The collaborative effort combines 7 Leaves Cafe, described as the Vietnamese-American Starbucks — started by four brothers, Vinh, Quang, Sonny, and Ha Nguyen in the mid-2000s — with Tarit Tanjasiri, who runs Crema Cafe in Seal Beach.
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Every month, we scout out eateries, stomach-filling burrito joints, and hidden gems, focusing on dishes around $10 -$15. If you want us to try an area, drop us a line at the bottom of the story.
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Walking into Artisan feels like getting a glimpse of the future of cafes in the United States. In addition to the craft Vietnamese coffee drinks, stellar brunch menu, and even pizza, my favorite aspect about the operation is that they have a drive-thru with a limited menu to keep it all moving quickly. (In my opinion, drive-thrus deserves to be celebrated more.
They are a godsend for busy parents like myself, always on the go, looking to grab a decent bite between running errands and school pick-ups and drop-offs.
I started with a breakfast burrito ($12.50), made with fluffy scrambled eggs hugged by a layer of melted cheese, crispy tater tots, and a cool sliver of avocado with the option to add carne asada ($2). It’s all wrapped in a crispy flour tortilla with a toasted outside that screams the comfort I feel I’m always searching for.
For a more lunch-inspired option, there’s the Mochiko Chicken Sandwich ($14.75), with the option to add a ghost pepper sauce if you really want to turn up the heat. The light breading on the chicken is a combination of Mochiko rice flour, commonly found in Hawaiian dishes but originating in Japan, and panko breadcrumbs. It's an excellent canvas for the spiciness of the ghost pepper sauce, sliced jalapeño, and tonkatsu mayo, all topped off with cabbage slaw and tomato and placed between a soft round bun that holds it all together.
After all that spice, try one of the excellent Vietnamese coffee drinks, like the Sea Cream Black Coffee (strong Viet coffee topped with a salted cream), or their Vietnamese iced coffee served bạc xỉu style. Also known as white coffee, the name refers to the generous addition of sweetened condensed milk.
Location: 10065 Garfield Ave., Fountain Valley
Hours: Open daily, 7 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Naugles
Someone once told me a Mexican restaurant is the best place to get a cheeseburger. While I don’t know if that particular theory always holds true, it always lingers in the back of my mind whenever I gaze upon certain old-school Mexican restaurants prominent throughout SoCal.
I certainly thought of it when I visited Naugles, the Mexican-American fast food restaurant chain started by founder Dick Naugle in the 70's which quickly expanded to over 200 locations. It was sold to Del Taco in the late 80s, thus converting many of the Naugles locations to Del Taco restaurants.
It wasn’t until 2008 that blogger Christian Ziebarth began an effort to bring back Naugles, which resulted in a patent lawsuit with Del Taco that lasted almost a decade but ultimately went in Ziebarth’s favor. The Fountain Valley location opened in 2015.
Perusing the menu at Naugles is like looking back through time, to when Mexican food was more known for crunchy hard shell tacos covered with bright yellow grated cheese and diced tomatoes covered in a tangy red sauce with the slightest amount of kick.
Before you call me out with your claims that this doesn’t sound like real or authentic Mexican, I’d argue that it’s not trying to be and, instead, represents something all its own, a part of the larger picture of Southern California's culinary identity.
“Ok, enough grandstanding; what about the food, Chabrán?” Fair. For my money, start with the Ortega Burger ($10.48), made with a juicy all-beef patty layered with a slice of Monterey jack cheese, lettuce, tangy white mayo sauce, tomato, and a sweet green Anaheim chile. I also added grilled onions and bacon. A bite tastes like all the best things Southern California offers.
While you’re at it, grab an Original Taco ($3.15), which is, of course, a crispy hard shell made in-house and stuffed with seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and just the right amount of thinly grated cheddar cheese. It’s all smothered with a signature taco sauce for just a slight amount of tangy heat to satisfy your hunger and soul.
Location: 18471 Mt. Langley St., Fountain Valley
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Toastie Toastie
Have you ever heard of a Jaffle? I hadn't until my visit to Toastie Toastie, an Australian coffee spot. They're a cross between a grilled cheese sandwich and an Uncrustable, made with a jaffle maker, which allows you to take two pieces of bread and press them together around an enticing filling.
When I first read about the concept, I was utterly charmed by it. And it delivered. The small cafe space, adorned with its kitschy beachy surf decor, feels as if you’ve stumbled into a real-life version of the fictional town of Neptune from the cult classic TV show Veronica Mars (cue the Dandy Warhols theme song) as you place your order.
I opted for the Frothin’ Jaffle ($8.50), made with Vegemite and melted Swiss cheese. What is vegemite exactly? It’s a spread made with leftover brewer's yeast extract containing vegetables and spices, known for its umami flavor, making it a bit of an acquired taste. However, whenever I hear “acquired taste,” I’m right there to see what's in store.
The salty, thick bite of the spread, intermingled with the nuttiness of the melted Swiss cheese, creates a delightful experience that challenges the senses. (I could have used more to get the full effect.) I also tried the Brekkie jaffle ($9.50), which contains scrambled eggs, sliced ham, and Swiss cheese. It provided that extremely comforting experience that can only be found between pressed and toasted pieces of bread.
If you want to keep up the Aussie experience like I did, they also have a menu featuring plenty of beverages from down undah. I opted for a flat white ($4.50), similar to a latte, but with more espresso to milk.
Location: 18065 Magnolia St., Fountain Valley
Hours: Open daily, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
THH
It’s hard to pin down precisely what makes THH so magical. It might not look like much, but the place is always busy, no matter what time you go.
The reason? People head to THH for some of the best bánh mì in Orange County and perhaps all of Southern California.
What exactly is it keeps people coming back? One reason is their incredibly fresh baguettes. The soft and chewy roll is packed with your choice of protein along with fresh daikon and carrots, cilantro, cucumber spears, and slices of jalapeños. It provides just the slightest bit of heat that lingers on your lips after each bite, like the perfect kiss-off.
When it comes to the rest of the menu, you can’t go wrong. I usually go for the cold cuts smeared with a layer of paté ($5.95), featuring thin cuts of pork stuffed with heaps of fresh veg. Another favorite is the slightly more substantial barbeque pork ($5.95), containing chunks of juicy grilled meat. Whatever you decide, don’t forget to order their iced coffee ($3.50), which, every time I consume one, makes me feel like Dr. Manhattan from the Watchmen. It’s that powerful, and so are you now.
Word to the wise: The staff maintains a no-nonsense attitude when taking your order. So, hold back until you know precisely what you want.
Location: 15972 Euclid St. Fountain Valley
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday, 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
