Claim Jumper, Monrovia CA

A blown diet day is one thing, but a diet blown on uninspired food and rotten service features more regret than a recorded Cowboys game. Beer: Cold and spot-hitting. Priced well during happy hour!

Appetizers: Man, there's a lot of fried glop, though the onion rings are serviceable. Get the $2.00 pretzel with your beer. Done.

Service: Bad night? Our guy had his mind elsewhere. The evening took an hour and a half because of looooong waits. It might have been the kitchen, which seemed backed up. Monrovia has a lot of choices, so I think Claim Jumper survives on price alone. The interior is well-worn fern bar chic, and HDTVs abound tuned to sports. Might try this one again and get a burger and beer. Maybe a different server, too.

I counted the day's shenanigans as 3,000 calories. Grrrrrr.