Baseball in the Burb

Starting the day in Lathrop, after a meeting and another flight, I ended up in Burbank, CA.

Of course, I hit a sports bar last night, so I was originally planning to do something a tad different.

Asian maybe?

But I thought against it.

Tonight was the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. I needed a place where I could eat good food and drink good beer until the fat lady sang.

And as soon as I saw The Park Bar and Grill, the decision was easy.

Inside, The Park is decked out in Dodger blue. They serve $2 Dodger dogs, have $2 domestic drafts and even have free peanuts during Dodger games.



But besides being Dodger fans, someone important in the Bar's management must be a Green Bay Packers fan. Packers' gear adorns some of the walls along with a smattering of Raiders' stuff.

They also have pool tables and a dart board for those looking to do something active while drinking way too much beer.

They probably have about ten televisions total. Enough for the small bar.

Before taking a look at the menu, I looked at the beers on draft. And I was impressed.

More than 20 beers on draft. Less than six probably were of the domestic-pukey kind.

I started off with Dos Equis and ended up sprinkling in a few Sam Adams Summer Ales along the way.

The menu is small and dive-bar-ish. Only a few pages of your typical fare. Almost everything was under $5.

I chose the "Mongo Burger" -- a hamburger with Philly steak, bacon, pickles and cheese.

And it was awesome.


You could pick between curly fries, steak fries and onion rings as your side, and I chose curly fries.

After my first bite, I knew this would be a great night.

The fries were seasoned wonderfully and came with your choice of ketchup, ranch or both.

The burger was incredibly juicy. And the flavors of the beef, the fried steak and the bacon didn't blend together -- they were all distinct and made their own "I'm-here-to-kick-your-taste-bud's-ass" impressive.

If there was a complaint, it was that the bun disintegrated by the end of the meal.

But I had a great time (and several beers) and felt right at home at this neighborhood bar/restaurant.

I talked baseball and a little NASCAR with some other patrons and had a great time.

The service was great also. Despite only only one bartender and a cook, they all did a great job, so I left a better-than-average tip.

The bartender actually acknowledged it and said "See you soon!" as I was leaving.

Of course, I won't be back any time soon. But those who put The Park down on their menu of places to visit will have a great time.

And if you're in Burbank, you should check it out too.

Rating: Seriously Thought About Buying a Shirt.