Why? Because they have great... burgers and beer. Duh. First, there are tons of beers to choose from, and they're explained in detail on the back of the menu and by your server or bartender. I forgot to count, but I'm guessing Southern Sun has about 20 beers on tap. My sampler included IPAs, stouts, a pilsner, and something that resembled hefeweizen (and was totally super great). The prize winner in my sampler, however, was the Old School Nitro Stout. This was the smoothest, best-tasting stout I've ever had on draft. I like Guinness and Beamish quite a bit, but this stout just seemed the like real deal. Granted I haven't been to Ireland for stout, so I may change my tune when I make it there, but for now I need to drive just ten minutes and I'm in Kick Ass Stout Country. And I don't even need a dammit passport.
My dinner was as impressive as the beer. I ordered the Basil Blue Cheeseburger, served with tortilla chips and a pepperoncini. Definitely one of the Top Ten Burgers I've Ever Eaten, and it wasn't one of the enormous burgers you get at a place like Cheesecake Factory that you need a football team to help you finish. There are also quite a few vegetarian items to choose from. You can view the PDF menu here.
For dessert, I had a giant slice of carrot cake that I think I burned off maybe 1/2 of hiking Mt. Sanitas this morning. It was rich, and it was good, and I washed it down with yet another Old School Nitro Stout. That was the right decision. They also have a special cheesecake nightly, but I didn't try it.
Incidentally, the teamwork in this restaurant is unmatched. Every person does everyone else's job on any given night. Your bartender may be flipping burgers the next night. The host may be waiting on your table or washing your dishes next week. Having been in the service industry for many years, I know this is both humbling and educational--you learn how a restaurant functions from the top down, and that's some of the best experience available.
But I digress... the Southern Sun's staff is nothing short of extremely attentive. No less than six people answered my questions and made sure my beer sampler, dinner and dessert were to my liking. They were all extremely polite and knowledgeable.
Observations:
- Staff says to show up in early-to-mid October to experience the "wet hops" brews. I don't know a ton about beer, but I'll take SS up on its invite, and damn it, I'm going to LEARN me some beer.
- You can buy giant jars of beer in reusable containers. Try the nitro stout! (OK, I'll stop going on about the stout, but trust me, it's friggin' great!)
- Live music Monday nights - no cover!
Atmosphere: laid back, brewery atmosphere with couches, books & games! (Yahtzee(R)(TM)(SM), Scrabble(R)(TM)(SM), Sorry!(R)(TM)(SM), etc - do I have to trademark this stuff? Good lord. I hate everything. All right, I'll look it up and trademark it. Sort of. Christ.) Also: SS has outdoor seating
Food: brewery/pub food... burgers, fries, burritos, salads, wraps, grilled cheese, other sandwiches
Price: completely affordable, even for the non-trustafarian crowd
- NOTE! Southern Sun does NOT accept credit cards, so plan accordingly! At first I was miffed at this since I had $4 on me, but then they pointed me to the on-site cash machine, AND I thought it was responsible of them to promote responsible cash use on the part of Americans who typically live off of credit. Well done, Southern Sun. Well done, indeed.
- M-F, 4-6
- Nightly, 10-CL
Overall rating: 9 out of 10
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