STACKED: Food Well Built to Open 4th Location at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks!

Update 3/14/13: STACKED has indicated it will be opening on Wednesday, March 20th! They open at 11am, seven days a week. Their phone is 805.494.2530. stacked.com

Update 1/29/13: STACKED: Food Well Built has indicated they are targeting a mid-March 2013 grand opening date. They are currently hiring for the Thousand Oaks location. stacked.com/#locations

Originally Posted 9/19/12: According to this press release on RestaurantNews.com, The Oaks Mall will soon have a replacement for the Buddha's Belly that closed its doors on September 8th.

Founded in mid-2011, STACKED: Food Well Built will soon be neighbors with popular The Cheesecake Factory at The Oaks. STACKED has 3 current locations at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego and the Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos.

The STACKED menu features popular food like burgers, pizzas, salads, and mac ‘n’ cheese. Guests can choose from signature dishes or build their own meals selecting from dozens of proteins, toppings, dips and sauces, using proprietary tableside iPad technology (or they can order from attentive servers). Also on the menu are appetizers, shakes and desserts.

Sounds like a fun concept! Ordering via iPad!

This make your own concept seems to be growing in popularity. Reminds me of one of my family's favorite local eateries; The Counter in Westlake Village.

For more information about STACKED or employment opportunities, visit stacked.com or facebook.com/stackedrestaurants.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Ventura Opened on February 28th

Update May 2018: Dickey's Barbecue Pit Ventura has closed its doors after five years in business., joining the closure of Dickey's locations in Westlake Village and Simi Valley. 

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Burgers, BBQ and Beer are all the rage these days throughout Ventura County it seems. Today in a random stop by the Ventura Dippin Dots store with my kids, I discovered the newest BBQ place in town, Dickey's Barbecue Pit. Dickey's opened on February 28th in the Victoria Plaza.

Travis Dickey opened the first Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Dallas, Texas in 1941. His sons took over in 1967 and expanded throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The company began franchising in 1994 and now they are all over the country.

According to their website, Dickey's serves up beef brisket, pulled pork, ham, polish sausage, turkey breast and chicken, with an extensive array of home-style sides from jalapeno beans to macaroni and cheese. Buttery rolls are served with every meal along with complimentary ice cream and dill pickles. We are known for our mouth-watering BBQ smothered in smoky sauce. Dickey's offers juicy pulled pork, tender ribs and brisket.

STOP THERE! Did I read, FREE ICE CREAM (with dine-in purchase)? And pickles? Sounds like a great place to bring a pregnant woman! But there's more...KIDS EAT FREE every Sunday (kids 12 and under, 1 free kid's meal for each paid adult meal of equal or greater value, dine-in only).

Well I walked over at 4pm and the line was going out the door! They must be doing something right here! Dickey's Barbecue Pit is located at 6100 Telegraph Road, Suite F, Ventura (this was previously Pizza Mizza, which closed in mid-2011). The Dickey's Ventura website is www.dickeys.com/locator/store.php?id=599 and phone is 805.212.4240.

Pizzeria 312 Simi Valley Opened February 22

After several months of renovations, Pizzeria 312 opened at at 3921 Cochran Street in Simi Valley on February 22nd in the former location of a Lamppost Pizza.

According to its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Pizzeria312, Pizzeria 312 is a Chicago Style Pizzeria specializing in premium pizza and pasta, using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients.

The restaurant also carries a variety of craft beers, an extensive wine list and 14 big screen TVs.

I like their Meatball Sandwich description on their website at www.pizzeria312.com: Three homemade meatballs jammed into a French roll baked with marinara and melted mozzarella.  (Makes me hungry for one!)

Chicago-style pizza = deep dish pizza. What is the significance of 312? My suspicion is that they selected this name as it just so happens to be the area code for the downtown Chicago area.

Third Ventura County Chick-fil-A Location Opening in Ventura Next Month

According to the Chick-fil-A Ventura Facebook page, the grand opening date of Thursday, February 21st at 6:30 a.m.

It is work in process at the new Ventura Chick-fil-A slated for a late February grand opening.

As with other Chick-fil-A grand openings, 100 customers that arrive between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. on grand opening day are eligible to receive one free Chick-fil-A Sandwich Meal each week for a year. If 100 people show up, register and are eligible, they all win. If more than 100 show up, there's a raffle. Arriving before 5:30 a.m. does not improve your chances. More details at www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/First-100-Details.

This location is located at 1321 Eastman Avenue, Ventura, adjacent to the Ventura Chuck E Cheese's and the Regency Theaters. This is the 3rd Ventura County area Chick-fil-A, following the August 30, 2012 grand opening of the Thousand Oaks Chick-fil-A and the Oxnard Chick-fil-A just 6 miles away from this location at 2040 N. Rose Avenue.

In other local Chick-fil-A news, in December 2011 the Camarillo City Council rejected an appeal to allow for a Chick-fil-A drive-thru at The Promenade section of the Camarillo Premium Outlets due to concerns about exhaust fumes and potential traffic issues.

And in the March 12, 2012 City of Thousand Oaks Business Roundtable meeting, it was noted that Chick-fil-A is considering a second Conejo Valley location at the old El Torito location on Moorpark Road. No updates at this point.

Tired of this chicken talk? Check out the LOCAL BURGER SCENE!

4th Surf'N Yogurt Location Coming Soon...to Mission Oaks Plaza in Camarillo

We are not lacking for frozen yogurt options throughout Ventura County as there are around 80 fro-yo, ice cream, gelato and other frozen treat places around town.

While we've seen some turnover recently with several local Golden Spoon closing in Agoura and Newbury Park, new places keep popping up. Apparently our appetite for frozen yogurt is unsatiable!

Surf'N Yogurt is opening a 4th location "soon" in Camarillo at the Mission Oaks Plaza at the corner of Mission Oaks Blvd and Woodcreek Road. Location is adjacent (to the right) of Mission Oaks Cafe. Surf'N Yogurt currently has 2 locations in Ventura and 1 in Santa Paula.

To learn more about their flavors and locations, visit www.surfnyogurt.com.

BurgerWerkz Charbroil Grill Coming Soon to Westlake Village

Update: BurgerWerks opened for business on Wednesday, February 13th.

BurgerWerkz is coming soon to Westlake Village at 30869 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard (near Lindero Canyon), at the spot previously occupied by Catch 21 Seafood.

In a recent craigslist jobs ad, BurgerWerkz indicates "it is Like no other burger experience, featuring locally raised, prime, corn-fed beef.....all natural, no hormones, no antibiotics from Brandt beef. Served delicious on a freshly baked artisan bun! Served along with other premium fare including sliders, chicken and ahi tuna sandwiches along with a selection of fresh salads."

Sounds good to me! On the BurgerWerkz Facebook Page post they recently indicated a target grand opening date in the mid-January 2013 time frame. Check back there (and/or here) for updates. Visit their website at www.burgerwerkz.com for their initial menu.

Niroj Levant Cuisine Opened in Agoura Hills on February 8th

Niroj Levant Cuisine is the only Kurdish restaurant on the west coast and opened its doors to the public on Friday, February 8, 2013.

Before today I had never heard of "Levant" (hey, I'm sheltered :>) but thanks to Niroj's Facebook page, I learned a little something today:

"The Levant region is located at the intersection of Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Hellenistic and Mediterranean Civilizations. The region covers most of modern Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Syria, the Sinai Peninsula, parts of Southern Turkey and Northwestern Iraq. Home to dozens of rich traditions based on cultural and religious intermixing, the Levant is a deeply cosmopolitan area with a distinct taste in terms of cuisine. Centering our menu mainly on the Kurdish side, we are committed to providing the most delicious dishes from the larger Levant region, where the ingredients are always fresh and of the finest quality. Our philosophy is to make our guests feel the Levant in terms of both taste and ambiance. We believe that food is never simply a biological need; it is what unties humankind in its immense cultural diversity."

Visit nirojcuisine.com or call 818.889.7888 for more information. Niroj Levant Cuisine is located at 3013 Canwood Street, Agoura Hills, west of Kanan Road.