Cheers of Ramona

Outstanding burger at Cheers of Ramona recently! This one is not on their regular printed menu, but available upon request. Called the “Big Matt”, it’s modeled after the venerable Big Mac. Made with two quarter pound beef patties, two slices of American cheese, lettuce, pickle and thousand island dressing (special sauce), all on an excellent, bakery fresh brioche bun. Only $9, served with fries, rings or tots.

I have to say that I’m really a big fan of the quarter pound beef patty, even when stacked two high. There’s something about this thinner beef form that is more tasty than a chubby, fatty patty. It must be the grilled surface area to beef ratio. Thinner patties definitely have a better mouth feel with more flavor and texture.

If you’re like me and have the occasional urge for a Big Mac in your mouth, do yourself a favor and spend a couple dollars more at Cheers and try the “Big Matt”! You won’t be disappointed. You’ll actually taste the beef! And be warned, you might need to take a shower afterwards.

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Grub Burger Bar

My favorite burger at Grub Burger Bar is called “You’re my Boy Blue”! Made with crumbled blue cheese, blue cheese spread, cracked peppercorn seasoning, balsamic caramelized onions, mater and arugula. Anything combining blue cheese and red meat is going to be a hit with me! I’ve had many versions of blue cheese burgers throughout SoCal and this one is definitely at the top!

Also tried their mac & cheese side with bacon. Not the hottest or best mac I’ve had, but tasty nonetheless.

Jack in the Box

Outstanding Triple Bacon Buttery Jack at our Ramona Jack in the Box! Went well with their excellent panko crusted onion rings. I just love JIB’s shiny buns…

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.

Jack in the Box

The so-called brunch Burger at Jack in the Box was pretty tasty!  

The Par Lounge

Outstanding California Burger at The Par Lounge!  Made with avocado, hickory smoked bacon, and white cheddar cheese, plus the standard burger set.  One of the best spots for a great burger in Ramona.  Fries are always fresh, hot and crispy. 

The Par Lounge

Outstanding Pastrami Burger at The Par Lounge.  Not normally on their menu but a special item during this recent visit.  Always in the top tier of burgers in Ramona. 

Up the Hill Grill

Outstanding lunch recently at Way Point Saloon! The menu here has a fantastic selection of big league burgers, sandwiches, appetizers, etc. This time I had one of my favorite burgers, the “Bacon & Bleu”.

Made with a half pound beef patty that I ordered medium well and it came out perfectly cooked. Hot, juicy and just the right amount of pink in the center. Here you’ll get real blue cheese crumbles, not some spread or dressing. The blue cheese is grilled on the flattop first which yields a nice color, flavor and softness to an otherwise hard, crumbly cheese. I’m not really a fan of the fancy tissue paper lettuce/spring mix/whatever you call it… Overall an excellent burger! 

I noticed the sides are now being served in these chic stainless steel vessels. It didn’t make my beer battered fries taste any better, but it sure did look classy and elegant. What I did notice was that my fries retained their warmth for a longer period of time! 

Extraordinary service today! As most always. Great place for lunch and a beer of you’re so inclined.

Boll Weevil

The venerable Steerburger at the Weev is hard to beat!  Especially when you add a few jalapeño slices.  Their great family meal deals are rounded out by a nice order of homely nachos. 

Way Point Saloon

Outstanding dinner at Way Point Saloon! This place (includes UTHG) remains consistently in the top two burger spots of Ramona. While Gail continues to order her beloved “Mountain Man”, I always try to branch out to something different. This time I had “The Rancher”. Made simply with smoked cheddar, bacon, onion rings & BBQ sauce… That’s it! Only $12.95, includes side.It’s served open faced with a tower of onion rings stacked atop the hot, juicy beef patty. The whole thing is artfully drizzled with a decent BBQ sauce. I wound up having to eat most of the rings separately, leaving about one or two before I was able to construct the burger in a way I could actually pick it up. (Wish I had brought a change of clothes). This was actually perfect because I dearly adore both their beer battered fries and onion rings. Choosing fries as my side allowed me to enjoy both! 

Outstanding service as always. Love all the great folks that keep WPS/UTHG humming.