Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Lokal Burgers and Beer



One of the newest kids on the block near the heart of Coconut Grove, Florida is Lokal Burgers and Beer. The place recently opened and has been a hit amongst the locals, with a well priced menu paired with comfort food and an eclectic offering of beers. Our guests of honor who joined us for Sunday lunch, were our lovely parents who are oddly more opinionated than Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets. And, even stranger, is the fact that they liked the decorations and the overall ambience of the restaurant. One of the first things you notice when you walk in, is the bar with its cement countertop held up by cassette tapes. Paralleled to the bar is their logo displayed on a wall of corks and the table that we sat at was a repurposed wooden crate. The urban/street style decor that incorporates repurposed products and that "old school" vibe, give a fresh take on a stagnant array of cookie cutter bars/eateries that already exist in the Grove. 








That fresh take was also reflected in their menu. Lokal prides itself on offerring sustainability and ingredients that are indicative of the area, which is evident in there beer selection as well. Natalie had the Well's Banana Bread Beer that is a fruit beer from England with a rich taste and undertones of your mom's homemade banana bread. We began our food adventure with home-made guacamole and tortilla chips and some chili. Adequately flavored, but lacked a "wow" factor for the taste buds. Next up was the main course of burgers. I had the Frita Burger topped w/ guava jelly, melted Gruyere, stuffed w/ potato sticks and crispy bacon. Anytime that I see food where sweet and savory are joining together (especially involving guava), I have to get in on the action and try it. The burger was pretty good and did a great job of infusing the latin flavors. Natalie had the Childhood Dream Burger that didn't really live up to its name. The patty is surrounded by bacon and cheese and a skimpy donut. Even though it did not taste bad, there was really nothing to write home about in regards to it's flavor. Both burgers came with sweet potato fries and a delicious honey mustard made in-house with local honey. Our parents both had the Chik Chop Sandwich which they had no complains about with its free-range chicken, cheese, arugula and topped with more great-tasting honey mustard. 


The overall service was good and the staff was knowledgeable of food and drinks. It was also great to see the owners there talking it up with customers, making for a wonderful family environment, yet still a place for adults to go for happy hour. The only disappointment would be the size of the burgers (I usually like to consume my burgers in more than 6 bites, but that could be me just being a fat-ass, lol). 


Drumroll please...


Lokal Burgers and Beer
Food: 7
Ambience: 9
Price: 8
Service: 8


Lokal is a place to check out and try there locally inspired foods and beers joined with great decor and "old school" South  Florida flair.