Fountain Valley in Orange County is just the place we love to showcase here at Cheap Fast Eats. Sandwiched between Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, and Westminster, it's chockful of under-the-radar places brimming with flavor and diverse cultural influences while still being affordable. We've highlighted some of our favorites, from a Vietnamese cafe with a banging brunch menu, to a throwback of Mexican American fast food chain, legit Turkish sandwiches, Australian jaffles, and perhaps the best bahn mi sandwiches in Southern California — welcome to Cheap Fast Eats, Fountain Valley edition.
Ikram Grill is a small, primarily family-run establishment known for their Turkish sandwiches ($13.75) made with pide bread — best described as a fluffier flatbread or thicker pita bread. It's used for sandwiches stuffed with various types of meat shaved directly off the döner spits behind the counter.
Take your pick of shawarma chicken, beef, or a mix of both, which was my move. The sandwich is then heaped with pickles, red onion, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo-based shawarma sauce, tahini, tzatziki, and hot sauce — and then toasted. Words almost can’t do this sandwich justice.
The masterfully grilled meats with an extra layer of flavor provided by the sauces piled on the cloud-like bread is the stuff of dreams. A lot of the sandwiches are large enough to be shared. But make sure to take advantage of the many pastries and sweets available, like the circular bread encrusted in sesame see.
