Cheers of Ramona
Finally got in to Cheers of Ramona to see how the new ownership is going! I have to say, the new woodwork is just breathtaking! Really classes the place up. It diminishes some of the dive bar feel but not so much that it loses the familiar charm. I’d say it’s a nice balance. Before, I felt like I needed a tetanus shot before going in… Not any more. Some of the old, unkempt, disheveled booths are gone, but seating at the bar is ample and comfortable with high back, padded seats.
The menu is easier to understand and handle now. Down to a large, single two-sided sheet with many of the old favorites. All burgers now come standard with a side of fries! I ordered The “Horseman” for $13.99. Made with a quarter pound burger topped with American cheese (I subbed Swiss), a pile of pastrami, grilled onions, pickles and hot mustard sauce. Overall this was an outstanding burger. I think the grilled onions were missed, but that’s ok. The generous portion of thick sliced pickles made up for it. The quarter pound patty was pretty thick which made its circumference disproportionately small to the size of the bun. I discussed with the chefs and we all agreed that a thin, flatter patty would be best in this case, particularly when piling pastrami on top of it. The bun seemed to be a fresh, high quality brioche style that held this hot mess together flawlessly. It had a nice chew and mouth feel.
Service from everyone was just phenomenal! We felt so welcomed and taken care of. If you haven’t been to Cheers in a while (or ever), do yourself a favor and check out this smartly improved bar sometime. A bar that happens to serve some very good food.