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Chain Linked Dining in Burbank
A few weeks ago we were pretty jazzed about Porto's Bakery opening up at the corner of Magnolia and Hollywood Way in Burbank. Turns out that wasn't the only local or national eatery with new digs in the little city known as the Media Center. Recently we found ourselves on that strip of commercial real estate on San Fernando on the other side of the mall, and noticed that things had been developing in terms of eating options, but on the corporate tip. Burbank, and its neighbor, Glendale, are two areas of LA not known for their broad range of stellar non-chain dining options (yes, we know there are some decent spots, just not a plethora), so it didn't come as much of a shock to see that what was once a Kenny Rogers Roasters is now a whole lineup of big names, including the ubiquitous toasted subs of Quiznos, a Robeks (our top pick for corporate smoothies), and a Starbucks complete with a drive-through window. This link of chains is anchored by an LA favorite: Zankou Chicken--which happened to be our dining destination. Just down the street the long-suffering Koo Koo Roo gave up their chicken combos for a branch of the Corner Bakery. We've never been to a Corner Bakery, and we'd rather have Zankou over Koo Koo Roo any day. The newest Zankou is all about the more upscale atmosphere, so we happily took a seat with our 1/4 chicken combo, complete with pita and that addictive garlic sauce, and drank in their new digs. The food is tasty, the price is nice ($5.49 for the chicken, pita, hummus, pickles & tomatoes, and the garlic sauce), and the orders get served up lightening fast. We're happy to have this new Zankou in Burbank, because it gives us a better option in a pinch. Next time, though, we're going to hit up the Starbucks from the driver's seat--give us one go 'round for novelty's sake, okay?
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