Restaurants in Santa Clarita

Inspired by the traditional handmade clay oven, or tandoor, that roasts many of its signature dishes and breads, Tandoori Grill specializes in slow-cooked Indian recipes. White-meat chicken marinates overnight in a special house sauce before joining herb-steeped lamb and fish in the oven. Curries and kormas flavor lamb, chicken, prawns, and vegetables ready to be scooped up with 11 varieties of naan and other flatbreads. In the dining rom, paintings of the Taj Mahal and other Indian scenes dot burgundy-colored walls that match the tablecloths and clash terribly with redheads.

Though passed down through several generations, the family recipes that serve as the basis of Thai Chefs Restaurant’s menu retain the delicate balance of sweetness and spice that characterizes Thai cuisine. Other influences that span Southeast Asia also show up across the menu, whether in colorful curries or stir-fried noodle and rice dishes that blend vegetables with your choice of chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp. When they aren’t dousing short ribs in their house-made barbecue sauce, the restaurant’s chefs craft vegetarian entrees around strips of silky tofu or marinated animal crackers.

The casual dining room seemingly draws its inspiration from the profusion of steamy curries on its tables. Swathes of pale yellow and bright red enshroud the walls, which play host to stenciled artworks depicting tropical-island motifs. Helical sculptures dangle from the ceiling’s tiles, turning in the breeze that passes through the restaurant every time the door opens or the dragon napping in the air ducts sneezes.

Entice appetites with starters such as chicken livers in peri-peri sauce and tomato-onion gravy ($6.99), or more-conventional bite-sizers such as samosas ($7.99) or Hout Bay calamari served with homemade garlic mayonnaise ($7.99). Under the protection of divey décor (plastic fish, Christmas lights, and sports-tuned televisions), mine heaps of heartier fare such as Guinness stew, rich with the dark brew and chunks of filet mignon ladled over a pile of mashed potatoes ($14.99). The South African favorites on Springbok’s menu are “refined, with more attention to detail than the atmosphere would suggest,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Rudder hard to starboard and encircle Durban-style curry of the day with sambals and pappadum ($13.99), or a South African sausage sandwich ($8.99).

The Stand’s menu of chili dogs, burgers, and tuna melts evokes classic Americana images of diners and ball games. The eats may be casual, but the staff strives to give them modern style, earning a spot on Gayot's 2012 list of Top 10 LA Hot Dog Restaurants. Upon request, the staff will wrap burgers in whole-wheat buns or lettuce wraps instead of classic buns, and diners also have their choice of beef, turkey, or housemade veggie patties. Gourmet hot-dog and sausage toppings such as garlic mushrooms and corn salsa join traditional fixings such as mustard, sweet pickle relish, and tears from a recently defeated baseball team. To wash it all down, servers blend up 20-ounce chocolate and vanilla milkshakes and tap a rotating menu of draft beers, as well as root beer.

Harry's Golden Grill defies labels. Its menu covers everything from steak-and-egg breakfasts to shish-kebab plates and pizza. This range of dishes is evidence that Harry's chefs don't cook according to a certain theme; they cook according to their tastes. Throughout the day, a variety of cuisines are explored, as grilled hamburgers fill plates at lunch, and heaping portions of rice, vegetables, and seasoned meats are served up for Mediterranean dinners.

Authentically prepared in true Philly fashion, the cheesesteaks at Downtown Philly Cheese Steaks smother 100% beefsteak with melted cheese, tomato, onions, and lettuce. The Downtown Philly menu offers much more though, with tasty fare ranging from 100% sirloin char-broiled burgers to gourmet pizzas, Stromboli, and more than 10 varieties of salads. The menu also displays 12 styles of hoagies and grinders including the genoa salami hoagie and the chicken cordon bleu hoagie.