Starbucks -- 101 W Mission Blvd Ste 106 Pomona, CA 91766

My Meal Cost: $11.90. Health Rating A. Yelp 3.5 stars

Here's where this concept blog gets a little weird. What is a restaurant? What is a restaurant on Garey Ave.? Well, I've self-defined these as restaurants where the building has at least one face on Garey and serves food. I guess Starbucks qualifies, even though the address is Mission Blvd. Both of its doors face onto Garey Avenue and I think most Pomonans consider it on Garey, so here we are. As a result I'll also be including Subs Cafe, which likewise has an entry on Garey, and Flame Broiler, which while it doesn't actually have an entry on Garey (the entry faces the parking lot on the other side of the building, not facing ANY street) the building itself sits facing Garey. And I'll be going to O'Donovan's as well because while the address is on Third St., the larger side of the restaurant faces onto Garey. Enough of that.

So I decided to have lunch at Starbucks on one of the hottest days on record. When I arrived around 11:45, the outside temp was around 104 and by the time I left around 12:30 it was hovering around 107. Starbucks doesn't have a kitchen, so the lunch items (as with the breakfast items) are prepackaged. You can choose from a selection of wraps, sandwiches, and fruit cups from a refrigerated case.

I chose the Southwest Style Steak Wrap, which is "slices of fajita steak tossed in a chimichurri sauce with fire roasted corn, peppers, lettuce, jicama, and a black bean hummus spread in sweet potato tortilla, paired with a creamy chipotle sauce and blue corn chips." Quoted from the label.

I admit I've been to Starbucks a time or two (like often), but I usually don't order anything but a Venti Latte with 4 shots, whole milk, and 2 Splenda. This is my "go to" drink when visiting in the morning or at a drive-thru (like the one in the neighborhood). However, because of the searing heat, and because this was for the blog, I ordered what the lovely Mrs. C calls a "houkalukamooka" drink. The one I chose was a smores frappachino. Basically a fancy milk shake with some espresso in it.

The wrap was actually quite good. The flavors complemented each other and it was quite filling, especially on a hot day when you don't want something heavy. The houkalukamooka really hit the spot (although I'm going to have to be sure to do some exercise to counteract the effects I'm sure it will have on my blood sugar). While I was skeptical, it really hit the spot. While I don't think of packaged food as real restaurant food, if you're in a hurry and just need something quick, this might be a good option.

This location has good outdoor seating as well as a decent amount of indoor seating with readily accessible power outlets and free wifi for those who wish to "set up office" here with computers and tablets very much in evidence. Since, when I eat alone, I like to read an eBook (today was a Lord Peter Whimsey mystery novel), the wifi access was a welcome addition. As seen in the photo above, the decoration is fun and the space is very bright and airy. On this particular Monday at lunch time there was a good mix of students and others working on laptops, and a lot of take out business. With the heat, all the inside seats were taken, with no one venturing to the outside tables, but on other occasions I've observed the exact opposite.

UP NEXT: Subs Cafe