A Hometown Diner With a New Name

Longtime Artesia and Cerritos residents may have noticed a change in recent months at the shopping center on Carmenita and South Street. A beloved restaurant and landmark of the city known as Jack's is no more. Though the building still stands and its doors open for business under new ownership, the restaurant has been renovated and renamed,

Jack's restaurant first opened its doors in 1986, and remained open for nearly 24 years. This local diner provided a comfortable and familiar place for families to dine on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and a quick stop where a group of friends could visit before ending a long night. Over the years, Jack's restaurant became a staple in Cerritos, even featured in a music video by the singing group Boys Like Girls, along with other landmarks in the city.

On Oct. 13, 2010, California's Best officially opened its doors for business. Upon entering, you'll probably notice that something is different, but you might not be able to pinpoint it because the changes are subtle. The curtains covering the windows have been replaced with blinds, the floor in the entryway redone and the walls painted. But the most significant changes are the new large flat screen televisions -- one behind the counter facing the bar and another on the wall around the corner.

When asked about how the regulars are taking the new look diner, the manager of California's Best, Frank, said, "They stayed away for a little while after we opened, but we're seeing a lot of them coming in and trying us out."

This may be due in part to a decline in the quality of food served at Jack's shortly before it closed.

Artesia residents, Shirley and Jim Smith, were both regulars who ate dinner at Jack's “almost every night for a year,” but stopped eating there shortly before the establishment was sold.

“It's much better now” says Jim. “It's a little more expensive, but worth it." The new manager says he and his staff are working hard to establish a reputation for good food in the neighborhood.

“We use fresh ingredients and want to make the best quality food for the best price" Frank said.

As far as the menu goes, not much has changed. California's Best, it turns out, is the second location for the owner, who also has a restaurant in Los Angeles called L.A.'s Best.

"We were looking to open a new location and found Jack's was for sale. The menu wasn't very different from L.A.'s Best, so we thought it would be a good fit," said Frank, who is also the Assistant Manager of the L.A. location.

The Cerritos location offers a menu consistent with what most people think of as diner food, everything from big breakfasts and burgers, to spaghetti and pot roast. However, they now have specials that change every day and are often ethnic dishes.

"California, and especially Cerritos, is a very diverse place and we want to represent that," Frank explains.

In a bid for newer customers, the restaurant offers a 10 percent discount if you come wearing a jersey of a team playing that night. They also have four beers on tap and during Happy Hour -- Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. -- draft beers are $1.45 and bottled beers are half off.

"We're trying to find a balance between the older regulars, and new customers," Franks adds.

So whether you've never been to Jack's before, or if you were a dedicated regular, make sure to stop by California's Best sometime. There's nothing quite like having a local diner that is friendly and comfortable, where the staff knows your name and it feels a little like home.