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© 2013-2026 Cue the Critic. All rights reserved.

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  • Restaurant Reviews & Food Stories

    Independent restaurant reviews, personal essays, food culture, and stories from more than a decade of Cue the Critic.

  • BurgersPasadenaPersonal Essay

    Eating Knowledgeably

    by Quincy James Freeman 13 August 2026
    byQuincy James Freeman 13 August 2026

    Knowing how to judge a menu isn’t the same as knowing how to feed yourself.

  • Afro-CaribbeanLos AngelesPersonal EssaySit-Down Review

    A Seat for One at Lucia

    by Quincy James Freeman 26 June 2026
    byQuincy James Freeman 26 June 2026

    There is a particular courage required to take yourself to a fine-dining room alone, on a night meant for two, and order as though the empty chair across …

  • Personal EssaySoul FoodTorrance

    A Stranger in a Familiar Kitchen

    by Quincy James Freeman 31 July 2025
    byQuincy James Freeman 31 July 2025

    Homesickness isn’t talked about enough, or perhaps I’ve just never truly left home in this vibrant, soul-searching manner before. My life, a winding river, has carried me beyond …

  • Sit-Down ReviewSoul FoodWest Adams

    Race, Culture, and Cuisine: A Disappointing Dinner at Alta West Adams

    by Quincy James Freeman 24 September 2019
    byQuincy James Freeman 24 September 2019

    Can you truly separate race and culture from food, especially when it comes to African American soul food? Do stereotypes influence our expectations of a restaurant at first …

  • Event CoverageSushi/JapaneseTorrance

    Rising Tōhoku: An Island In Recovery

    by Quincy James Freeman 23 August 2015
    byQuincy James Freeman 23 August 2015

    為せば成る (naseba naru) Asian cuisine and culture are more integral to my life than my public persona might suggest. Many of my subscribers would assume hamburgers are my …

  • Event Coverage

    OC Fair Info *Giveaway Alert*

    by Quincy James Freeman 13 July 2015
    byQuincy James Freeman 13 July 2015

    OC Fair Opens With “One Big Party” Starting This Friday    Featuring 23 Days of Food, Music, Fun and All Things Fair July 17-August 16 Costa Mesa, Calif. …

  • Event CoverageLos AngelesMexican

    Tacolandia: A Masochistic Pleasure

    by Quincy James Freeman 10 July 2015
    byQuincy James Freeman 10 July 2015

    Confessions of a food festival masochist: The Crowds, the noise, the heat, the eats… My relationship with food festivals is an interesting one; mainly because I hate to …

  • Marina del ReySeafoodSit-Down Review

    Killer Shrimp Potpie

    by Quincy James Freeman 12 May 2015
    byQuincy James Freeman 12 May 2015

    No Kitty, This is My Potpie! – Eric Cartman Have you ever tasted something so extraordinary that you considered it the pinnacle of your culinary journey? For me, …

  • BurgersChatsworthPersonal Essay

    #TravelChannelStar: I Really Love Hamburgers [Video]

    by Quincy James Freeman 20 April 2015
    byQuincy James Freeman 20 April 2015

    I am the next #TravelChannelStar because no one else is crazy enough to take a 26 hours turnaround trip for one hamburger! It’s 12:43 a.m. I just returned home from an …

  • BBQChatsworthSit-Down Review

    Cookin’ with Lenny’s Smokehouse BBQ

    by Quincy James Freeman 3 March 2015
    byQuincy James Freeman 3 March 2015

    We all go through identity crisis at one time or another, right? Sometimes you walk into a business expecting a smooth experience. This was not the case at …

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Recent Stories

  • Eating Knowledgeably

    13 August 2026
  • A Seat for One at Lucia

    26 June 2026
  • A Stranger in a Familiar Kitchen

    31 July 2025
  • Burger King’s Brownie-batter Shake | The Burger Crawl – Ep. 79

    11 August 2021
  • Sweet & Spicy Whataburger | The Burger Crawl – Ep. 78

    8 August 2021

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All original content including images are the sole property of Quincy James Freeman and may not be used, copied, or transmitted without author consent. © 2013 – Cue the Critic. All rights reserved. All written content on Cue the Critic is the opinion of its publisher, who is solely responsible for such content.

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© 2013-2026 Cue the Critic. All rights reserved.