Ori Sushi Closed Oct 5; Blue Wasabi & Asian Bistro Coming Soon to Thousand Oaks

Ori Sushi at 74 N. Skyline Drive in Thousand Oaks closed its doors on October 5th. Ori Sushi had operated at this slightly off the beaten path location just north of Thousand Oaks Boulevard where Jiffy Lube and Lassen's Health Foods operate since around 2005.

But the positive news is that Blue Wasabi Sushi & Asian Bistro (updated) subsequently opened at this location in 2014. More at bluewasabi-ca.com.

Update: Blue Wasabi subsequently closed and the newest restaurant here that opened in January 2015 is Streets by Bistro Orient.

*Lassen's subsequently moved to The Lakes at Thousand Oaks in March 2015.

El Pollo Loco in Oak Park is Closed and Will Become a Drive-Thru Starbucks

Update 11/2/13: The new Drive-Thru Starbucks in Oak Park is open. And there's already a line...

Original Post 9/28/13:

So long, El Pollo Loco of Oak Park

The El Pollo Loco located at 688 Lindero Canyon Road in Oak Park, adjacent to kid-favorite Bright Child (Bright Child subsequently closed its doors 1/20/14), has been closed to make way for a new drive-through Starbucks location. Following a trend set in Newbury Park early this year, the drive-through Starbucks will open and the nearby Starbucks at 706 Lindero Canyon Road will be closing at that time. According to employees at Starbucks, they anticipate a grand opening date of around October 16th. So get your engines revved up and ready...

New Veggie Grill in Westlake Village Anticipated to be Opening Soon (CLOSED MAY 2023)

VEGGIE GRILL WESTLAKE VILLAGE CLOSED ITS DOORS MAY 8, 2023

UPDATE 10/25/13:Veggie Grill announced today that it will open at 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Westlake Village on Wednesday, October 30th at 11am! They are giving the first 50 people in line on opening day, between 10am and 11am, a $20 Veggie Grill gift card and 10 lucky guests will win “Veggie Grill for a Year.”

We mentioned back in June that the Veggie Grill is coming to Westlake Village at 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Westllake Village. The place looks to be moving along quite nicely, with a bright new sign up and recent staff recruitment, not to a mention on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/veggiegrill. Based on the feedback seen on the CVG Facebook page, this place is destined to be a hit! Stay tuned.

Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers to Open in Westlake Village This Summer

Update 10/17/13: What the heck? Grand opening pushed out yet another week again, now anticipated on Tuesday, October 29th.

Update 10/10/13: Grand opening date changed once again, now to an anticipated Tuesday, October 22nd according to the Freddy's Frozen Custard Facebook page.

Update 10/4/13: The grand opening date has now been changed to Tuesday, October 15th.

Update 9/13/13: Freddy's indicates grand opening date is planned for October 8th!

Update 8/17/13: Three months later and they are making steady progress! The targeted opening date is September 10th. Stay posted on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FreddysUSA. As a lifelong So Cal resident I have to say I've never tried frozen custard, so I'm personally looking forward to it!

Originally posted 5/17/13: The Thousand Oaks Acorn pointed out this week that Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers is in process of renovating the space previously occupied by Burger King in front of what used to be the K-Mart in Westlake Village at 391 Hampshire Road.

Learn more about Freddy's at www.freddysusa.com. According to a recent Freddy's press release:

Co-founded by Scott Redler and Bill, Randy and Freddy Simon, Freddy’s opened its first location in Wichita during 2002, offering a unique combination of cooked-to-order steakburgers, Chicago dogs, and other savory items along with its signature desserts prepared with premium frozen custard made fresh throughout the day. Freddy’s founders operate six locations in the Wichita Metro area, three in the Kansas City market, and one in the Dallas metro area. Eighty-three franchise units serve other areas of Kansas, Missouri and Texas as well as Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia.

For 2013, Freddy’s was again named among Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Franchise 500®”. In 2012, besides Entrepreneur Magazine’s recognition for that year, Freddy’s was included among Inc. Magazine’s 500/5000 list of “Fastest Growing Private Companies”, QSR® Magazine’s “10 Best Franchise Deals”, Franchise Times® Magazine’s “Next 300 Franchise Chains”, and Business Insider’s “8 Better Burger Chains Poised to Conquer America”. Freddy’s has also been listed as the Fifth Fastest Growing Chain Restaurant in the United States and Canada by Chain Store Guide, a sister publication to Nation’s Restaurant News.

Sprinkles Cupcakes Grand Opening Date in Westlake Village is Wednesday, October 30th

Sprinkles Cupcakes announced in July that it is opening a location at The Promenade at Westlake in Westlake Village. It will be located next to the Barnes & Noble.

Recently Sprinkles provided an update via its Facebook page that Sprinkles Cupcakes Westlake Village will be open to the public beginning on Wednesday, October 30th, just in time for Halloween!

The Flame Broiler is Coming Soon to The Village at Newbury Park

Update 9/30/13: We've received word from A. Smith that the Newbury Park Flame Broiler opened today!

Update 8/21/13: Well I'm not sure what the progress is inside the old Starbucks in Newbury Park that will soon be The Flame Broiler, but I do know they have a nice new sign up on the building. Progress! And their website does indicate that they are "coming soon."

Originally Posted 6/12/13:

A sign of things to come is up at what used to be the Starbucks* at 1025 Broadbeck Drive at The Village at Newbury Park. The Flame Broiler will be "coming soon" to this location. The Flame Broiler originated in Fullerton in 1995 and has grown to over 130 locations in California, Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma.

The Flame Broiler offers up bowls of rice topped with veggies, chicken or beef, as well as plates with rice topped with veggies, chicken or beef, a side salad and fruit. Looks pretty good as well as healthy to me!

This will be first Ventura County location for The Flame Broiler. Other nearby locations in Chatworth and Canyon County. Learn more about The Flame Broiler at www.flamebroilerusa.com.

* Starbucks moved across the parking lot to a new drive-thru location on January 18th.

N'Awlinz Bistro to Open a Second Ventura County Location This Summer in Oxnard

Update 9/26/13: VC Star Food Reporter Lisa McKinnon indicates in this Tweet that the Downtown Oxnard N'Awlinz Bistro will be having a soft opening tomorrow at 11am. Supsequently, in December 2013, N'Awlinz Bistro closed its Newbury Park restaurant to focus on the new Oxnard location.

Update: soft opening of Nawlinz Bistro in downtown Oxnard will start at 11am Friday, 9/27 pic.twitter.com/UyRG54RRRY

— Lisa McKinnon (@805foodie) September 26, 2013

Update 7/26/13: N'Awlinz Bistro has confirmed on its Facebook Page that it will be opening at Centennial Plaza in Downtown Oxnard this FALL.

Posted 5/28/13: N'Awlinz Bistro, which opened over a year ago at the Wendy Kimber Plaza in Newbury Park, recently announced it will be opening a second location at the Centennial Plaza in Downtown Oxnard. No specific date set at this point, but they are targeting mid to late July.

N' Awlinz Bistro serves contemporary New Orleans French-Creole style cooking created by chef and co-owner, Marcus Webster. Fried catfish, Po' Boys, Bourbon Street Seafood Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo, Blackened Red Snapper and more. Conejo Valley folk rave over this place.

Check out their menu at www.nawlinzbistro.com.

Enjoying my po' boy at a recent visit to N'Awlinz Bistro in Newbury Park.

PizzaRev "Craft Your Own" Pizza Coming Soon to Oxnard

Update: PizzaRev Oxnard closed its doors in December 2016 after a 3 1/2 year run. There are other local area PizzaRev locations in Thousand Oaks (Oaks Mall) and Camarillo (Premium Outlets).

Me and the kids stopped by for a Saturday night pizza pie. I loved the fact that you can put basically unlimited toppings on your made-to-order pizza. I tried a delicious combination of ingredients on my pizza without worrying about added cost. Pictured below are the more basic looking pizzas ordered by my kids.

Update 8/31/13: PizzaRev Oxnard opened for business two weeks ago! Check it out or forever hold your pizza. Or don't hold your pizza, I should say.

Posted 6/12/13: PizzaRev "Craft Your Own" pizza will soon be opening at 1831 N. Rose Avenue (at Gonzalez Road) in Oxnard, at the location most recently occupied by Cafe Rio.

With other locations in Woodland Hills, Northridge and Studio City, at PizzaRev you selected your favorite sauce, cheeses and fresh toppings, and PizzaRev builds your pizza right before your eyes. Your artisan quality pizza is ready extremely fast with their two-ton fire-deck oven to bake your pizza in under three minutes.

From the PizzaRev website at www.pizzarev.com:

"We place our expert pizza-crafters right on the front line, customizing your pizza with your choice of multiple sauces, cheeses, and toppings, all right before your eyes! There are literally millions of tasty combinations to choose from. Our revolutionary Fire-Deck oven heats to a perfectly even super-high temperature that cooks each pizza in under three minutes!

Fresh, artisanal-quality pizza has never been faster or more affordable.  For less than $8.00, enjoy unlimited toppings including all the traditional favorites plus many gourmet options including kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, capers, fennel, and many more. Savory sausage, carefully-cured pepperoni, crumbled meatball, ham, bacon, and garlic chicken highlight a menu that will evolve with the seasons to ensure that ingredients are always fresh and natural. At PizzaRev, you CRAFT YOUR OWN pizza!"

PizzaRev Oxnard website at www.pizzarev.com/locations/oxnard-ca-coming-soon.

Golden Dragon Chinese Cuisine in Thousand Oaks

The husband/wife team at Golden Dragon Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks resident Scott Leese and his kids recently visited the newly opened Golden Dragon Chinese Cuisine at 2416 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks. 

Husband and wife team Young and Ng decided to open this restaurant next to Harold's House of Omelettes and across the street from Toyota of Thousand Oaks in this clean, well lighted location.

Scott and family were excited with the large portions and notably fresh ingredients with their lunch orders of Cashew Chicken, Beef and Broccoli and Sweet and Sour Chicken. He also noted that the cheese wontons were "amazing" and a must order! Lunch specials were reasonably priced in the $6.95 to $7.95 range. Their phone number is 805.379.8858.