Jack Pot! That should give you an idea how this review is going! I was not too excited about going out to dinner tonight. Just wanted to stay home and veg but this gal made promises to get some reviews done, so out I go. Let me just say that did not last long. We arrive. Parking lot is JAMMED! Wait someone is backing out. WooHoo, we score a parking spot and don’t have to park across the street at CVS. (But don’t worry if there are no parking spots, go on and park at CVS — you don’t want to miss the good food at Good Friend) We arrive and are seated at a table in the back. This is very much a man cave (if your man cave is, your garage). It is cool and rainy and the glass garage doors are down, but outside their is an plastic enclosed beer garden just in case the weather is good. Big bar in the center of the room with two tv’s and a lounge area with sofas on one side and the dining area on the other.
Tonight we decide to skip starters and go for the burgers. Now which one to have. Chef’s O’Hare and Johnson do not have a problem with creativity! Check out some of these burger names, The P.L.O.T (pickle, lettuce, Onion, tomato), Loretta (Beef Burger with Onion-Bacon jam and Bluecheese), Redneck ( Beef burger with bologna, redneck cheddar cheese, red onion, lettuce and Miracle Whip). The Coop (Beef Burger with lettuce, tomato, an over-easy egg, grilled bacon, and brie), Fungus Among Us ( beef burger with forest mushrooms and Emmental Cheese), Pepper Bomb ( beef burger with spicy house harissa, roasted tomatoes, lettuce, and chipotle cheddar), Mary, Mary (lamb burger, grilled with Brun’uusto cheese, arugula, and roasted tomatoes), The Gobbler (turkey burger, with Asian Slaw), Latin Lover ( Chorizo burger, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, & Manchego), and last but not least, Jumping Bean, (black bean burger with avocado tostada). Now tell me, how do, you decide.
I chose the Latin Lover, and baby I became a lover real quick. One bite and your mouth is begging for more. The chorizo burger blends perfectly with the caramel onions and roasted red peppers, and the cheese on top, mmmm, mmmm, good. A little spice from the meat, then a hint of sweet from the onions. I love this burger! Look at the toast on that bun. Just the way I LOVE it, soft bread, with a great toast, you just can’t get any better. I would swear the chefs new just how I liked my burger.
The menu explains that they have all natural, grass fed beef custom blended and ground just for them, so that you get the highest quality burger. Be sure to read the Good Friend story on the menu.
Terry orders the Pepper Bomb. What an appropriate name, cause it is the BOMB! If you like spicy, I mean really spicy then this is the burger for you. The harissa (spicy pepper sauce/paste) is homemade and has tremendous flavor, that starts off slow and builds with each bite. This is one recipe I would like to have. In case you haven’t noticed the burgers are served on a small cookie sheet.
I liked the way that they paired a beer to go with each burger and they sure picked right for me. My Southern Star Bombshell Blonde was perfect with my Latin Lover. The menu of micro-brew beers is extensive with a style for any preference and any palate. Terry recognized several but there were just as many that were new options and each of them are described making it easy to pick one to go with your food. If you really want a basic domestic like Bud or Miller, they got ’em. They’re just hiding down in a corner of the menu where one whole side is devoted to beers and a small collection of cocktails and wine.
Now comes our waitress and she asked if we had room for desert. “What-cha got?” The menu says to ask what flavors of Fried Pies they have today. Today they had chocolate, vanilla, lemon and pineapple. Gotta try a pineapple fried pie and, of course, with ice cream. Now that pie was great, but the ice cream I will pass on next time. Just didn’t seem the same quality as the pie and frankly, at $1.50 for a single scoop, I thought it was overpriced. The pie was stuffed with pineapple, not too sweet and great pineapple flavor and really good crust.
The Wait staff is excellent. Tonight we had Lori as our waitress and she was perfect! I watched others and they were almost as good. I don’t think you could go wrong here, but you can always ask for Lori! And tonight I am SOOO glad we went out for dinner. I made a new Good Friend! I already know what I am ordering next time! Mary, Mary! Or maybe a Loretta, or a Coop, or ….but I’m definitely going back. Maybe I’ll run into you.
Location: Good Friend Beer Garden & Burger House