Restaurant Review: Claim Jumper

Every time that I pass by the Claim Jumper Restaurant in Torrance, there are people outside waiting for a table. Every single time. No matter what time of day. Curiosity got the best of me, so when Lisa's Mom offered to watch the kids so that we could go on a date, I really wanted to see what the deal was about this place.

We got to the restaurant at 5pm. We were thinking that we would beat the rush. Wrong. We signed in and were told that it would be a 30-45 minute wait. We went into the bar to get a drink. The bar area was very nice and inviting. Service was very good there. We ended up getting an appetizer. We decided on the zucchini strips. Wow, these things were huge! These were not strips that we were used to. These were zucchinis quartered lengthwise dipped in a parmesan/garlic/panko batter. They tasted great.

When we got to our table the first thing that I noticed was how far away the tables were from each other. This is a good thing. I suppose if they had a different philosophy, they could double the seating capacity of the restaurant. This would change the atmosphere for the worse, and service would probably suffer for it.

The food and the service were excellent. The portions were large. Lisa ordered a 'half-order' of the Chinese Chicken Salad as her entree, and she still ended up taking half of that home with her.

We are definitely going back to this place. A little bit pricey, we spent almost $60 total; drinks, appetizer, dinner, tax and tip. We noticed that they also had a great kids' menu. They have a wide selection of beers, including their own micro-brews. Also a very good looking dessert selection. I will probably have to let them know about the Susan G. Koman/Planned Parenthood connection. They sell Claim Jumper Hats, where they donate some of the proceeds to the SGK Foundation.

Donn's rating: 9 of 10 stars