VIP Lounge & Mexican ~ Treasure Island

Address: 10625 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, FL 33706

Phone:(727) 360-5062

Hours: Open daily 11:00am- 10:00pm 

Extras: Daily drink specials. Happy hour daily until 7pm - outdoor patio seating. Brunch menu available Sunday’s during “tourist season”. 

Website: www.viplounge-fla.com

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One evening, while I’m sitting at the clubhouse, I over hear a couple people at the bar talking about going to the VIP Lounge. All of a sudden random bar guy at the chimes…”OH YEAH, that is the BEST Mexican food I’ve ever had.” Soon the bartender starts dribbling accolades over the VIP Lounge.  Suddenly, I’m surrounded by VIPites. Why haven’t I heard of this joint before? How is it that I’m not “the know” about this spectacular Mexican food? I quizzed my comrades at the bar and found out the VIP is in Treasure Island. However, I’m warned  it’s small, and there is always a wait… but it’s WORTH IT! Since cynicism is embedded deep within my DNA, I blow off the conversation as over exaggerated bar blathering from people who really couldn’t know great Mexican food if Nacho Libre hit them upside the head with it. 

Fast forward to Father’s Day. Even though Greg is not the father of my children, he’s a dad to two, lovely girls. I offer to take him out to eat at the place of his choice and celebrate fatherhood. I toss out several ideas since he usually likes a little help deciding. Out of no where, Greg blurts out, “How about the VIP Mexican?”  I bite my lip. Now, I’m pretty sure I can feel blood running down my chin. Greg says “I want to see if it’s as good as they say!”  Well, I did say it was HIS choice, I couldn’t rescind that comment now or I’d be a big jerk. “Um, OK… “ I stammer, “Remember they say it’s small and always busy, so let’s get there right when they open.” 

I plugged VIP Mexican into my iPhone’s GPS. Thank God for GPS. Even with it, I drove past the place once before Greg finally spotted it on the second go around. We arrived about 10 minutes before they opened, but the front door was unlocked and employees inside said, “Don’t worry about it, come on in and have a seat!” I thought, “I already like this place!” 

The Millionaire Margarita - MAGNIFICO! 

Katie was our bartender/waitress, I came to learn, most the staff at VIP does double duty and they help one another out on assisting customers.  Katie gave us the low down on their ‘famous’ margaritas. We said we want the primo Marg to celebrate this Dad, so she recommended the Millionaire Margarita with Casamigos Anejo Tequila and Grand Marnier.  A few sips of this intoxicating blend and we’re buzzing like killer bees! 

(for DAILY MENU - Click Here)

Brunch menu only available during 'season' 

The menu boasts that VIP Mexican American does NOT use any instant ingredients, everything is brought in fresh daily. While perusing the appetizer list, Greg found the Seared Tuna Roll - described as a 12” tortilla filled with seared yellowfin, onion, cilantro, guac and queso fresco…rolled up and cut sushi like then drizzled with teriyaki and wasabi crema. THIS was a no brainer!

I'm craving this now just by looking at this photo... it's THAT GOOD!

For our lunch, Greg ordered a large shredded beef wet burrito. I was having a difficult time deciding so I opted for a few a’la carte items as to get an overall sense of what VIP had to offer; a hard shell pork taco, a Cajun taco (with blackened Mahi), a seared tuna taco, and one chile relleno. 

the LARGE web burrito is Muy Grande! 

While we waited for our appetizer, I notice a lady standing in the back of the bar… that in itself was not unusual, however, the fact she had a red parrot on her shoulder was somewhat unusual. We waved her over to our table and found out she was picking up take out and heading over to do a fundraiser for the bird sanctuary. Being animal lovers, we asked if we could hold the parrot. For the parrot’s trouble, we kindly offered the woman a donation to be put toward the cause. 

this beautiful red feathered friend was so sweet! 

Our appetizer arrived and it looked great! It was quite an amazingly cleaver combination of flavors. The blend of he sweet teriyaki and the heat from the wasabi livened up the fresh, perfectly seared yellowfin tuna that was hugged by the flour tortilla. The presentation really did resemble sushi! 

We woofed down the appetizer in no time. Then, I decided to give VIP’s sangria a whirl. All I can say is it was so good I forgot to take a photo! I was also a bit distracted by our food arriving. Our little table for two was filled with plates. Greg’s wet burrito (called “wet” because it’s smothered in red burrito sauce and cheese) was literally as big as his head!  

The Cajun taco was MAHI-velous!

Crunchy port taco 

Boy was I glad I went a’la carte with my order! All the items were so flavorful and an so fresh and unique tasting. There truly was no way to pick a favorite as each as so delicious and different. 

Tuna Taco - seared perfection

Chile Relleno - she's not real pretty but she has a great a flavor-ality!

After our meals, we were pretty full, but in order to give YOU, the reader, the full scope of any restaurant I review, I MUST order dessert. Really, I only do it because of YOU!  The VIP has two dessert items, Churros and fried ice cream. Since it’s always easy to find room for ice-cream, we went that direction. Like the rest of the VIP menu, this fried ice-cream was like no other. The vanilla ice-cream was served in a sweet, crispy, deep fried tortilla bowl, covered with honey and cinnamon and topped with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It was a piece of sweet heaven in every bite!

sweet and crunchy fried ice cream -find room, you won't regret it!

If we 'celebrated' without libations, our bill would only be $39

Greg had a great Father’s day lunch and we both found a new favorite Mexican joint along the beach! 

Daddy with his girls, Megan and Melissa ... LOVE!

RATING: 5 best / 1 worst

Food  * * * * *

The VIP is Americanized Mexican, but don’t let that stop you. Under that Mexican foundation, the VIP adds their own unique combination of flavors and color to every dish. I would be surprised if you left there unsatisfied! 

Vibe  * * * *

The look: Tight quarters in what is predominantly a bar atmosphere.  Gear your brain up for what could be a significant wait and plan to commune with your neighbors. 

The crowd: Ranges from 20 somethings to baby boomers and very welcoming. 

The bathroom: my bad… I totally forgot this part!  

And: Outside seating available in the back of the establishment. 

Service  * * * * *

Katie was awesome. She was welcoming even though we busted in the doors 10 minutes before opening. She had great drink and menu ideas to offer us AND she mixed a bad-ass margarita! 

Moola  $      (the more $ signs the more MOOLA it'll cost ya!)

We spent $77 (before tip) for two people, minus drinks only $39. Our tab included 5 adult beverages (two if those were the Bloody Mary special for $3 ea), an app, a large wet burrito and 4 a’la carte items, plus dessert. I would say it’s a great value! Interestingly, the big ticket items for us was the $12 margaritas and the $8 sangria… all worth it as we were celebrating Dad’s day!

OVERALL:  * * * * * 

We will go back to the VIP Mexican again and again! The quality ingredients and excellent service coupled with the value of each item was spectacular! We’ve now become VIPites! 

The Fishery ~ Placida, Florida

Address: 13000 Fishery Rd, Placida, FL 33946
Phone:(941) 697-2451

Hours: off season, Fri - Sun. 11:30am - 9:00 pm (M-Su in season)

Extras: Live entertainment on weekends. Arrive by land or by sea (docking available). Outdoor seating by the bar.

Website: www.thefisheryrestaurant.com

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The same weekend I moved to Florida, one of my northern friends happened to be renting a house on Don Pedro Island (South of Englewood, near Cape Haze). I went down to visit her for a night and I fell in love with the area. The only way to get to Don Pedro was to take a 2 minute ferry ride across the inner coastal. Once there, the main mode of transportation is by bike or golf cart. I spent the evening enjoying good friends and spent the next morning doing some great shelling. Yes, I fell head over heels for this place!

The beach on Don Pedro Island

I try to make it down to that neck of the beach at least once a year, however this visit was the first time I’ve been down since 2012, thanks to cancer treatment in 2013. Greg and I took the ferry across and rode our bikes to the beach to collect shells and shark teeth. The shelling wasn’t as good as years past, but it was still relaxing and enjoyable. And as tradition states (my tradition, mind you) we go to lunch at The Fishery and then shop at Margaret Albritton’s Gallery. 

The old fish camp is not an artists community

The Fishery

The Fishery is located in Placida, just a few miles south of Don Pedro. The area was once a Native American camp ground. Legend has it that Buccaneer Pirate, Jose Gaspar, nicknamed Gasparilla, buried his treasure there. Apparently it was a legit legend because at one point the Smithsonian spent time searching that area looking for Gasparilla’s treasure! In the 1900’s the area became a hunting and fishing camp, then the Gasparilla Fishery community moved to Placida in the mid 1940s. The Fishery was built in 1988 by the Albrittion Family. Since my last visit in 2012, the atmosphere of The Fishery has changed somewhat - it doesn’t have as much of Margaret Albritton’s artwork and they eased up on kitschy fish decor as well. The place wreaked of new ownership and from the information I’ve been able to uncover online, the ownership did change sometime in early 2014. 

Inside The Fishery

Since I started coming to this part of Florida in 2005, I’ve been enamored with the fresh seafood at The Fishery. I would rave over pink Gulf shrimp that were as sweet as lobsters and hearty conch fritters, that came with an amazing key lime dipping sauce, where you could actually taste the conch! AND the orange, key lime pie… to die for!! Those have been my staples during every visit.

The million dollar view

On this visit I noticed that the menu had changed. I was disappointed to see conch fritters were no longer listed as an appetizer. When I asked our waitress, Brenda, why they got rid of them and she said they still have them, they're just not on the menu. Hmm … perhaps they were omitted from the menu during the printing? Strange. I placed my order for conch fritters only to find out they would not be available after all - apparently they were still frozen and wouldn’t be thawed enough to cook for hours. (Insert frowny face here). Even though the mussels on the menu are not native to Florida, Greg and I opted for garlic mussels as an appetizer, plus he got a beer and I got a Sangria.

Our drinks came. I noticed that the Sangria was made with soda, I loathe Sangria made with soda. (Insert BIG frowny face here). I also noticed that the price of those amazing peel and eat shrimp had creeped up. They were  once around 50 cents a piece and now they were now 75 cents a piece. So I thought I’d go another route and get my yummy shrimp as part of a meal. I asked if the taco salad, served with chicken, beef or shrimp, was indeed the fresh pink Gulf shrimp. I was told, no, they were the smaller shrimp. My mind immediately pictured that disgusting canned shrimp, the kind that my mother used in her 1970’s shrimp jello that was molded to look like a fish!

A beautiful, yet best forgot 1970s food trend.... fish and jello.

I then asked if the gulf shrimp were in the seafood sampler salad. I finally got a yes! I order that. Greg ordered Fish and Chips - which always makes him nostalgic for the days he spent in Scotland.  We learned through our inquiries with the waitress that Haddock (a New England fish) is the fish in the Fish and Chips AND in the fish tacos. Call me crazy, but I would think the bulk of the menu items should be native fish if you’re calling yourself The Fishery, in a fishing village, along the Gulf Coast, but maybe that’s just me. 

Our mussels arrived along with some fresh baked bread, the crusty sourdough variety. Sadly, the bread was the best part of the appetizer. The mussels didn’t taste fresh, they weren’t horrible, but I’d never order them again. In the mussels’ defense, it is not the ‘season’ for mussels since it’s mid-June, however I suspect no matter what month it is, these are the frozen variety for a longer shelf life. The garlic sauce was marginal, however when used for a dip with fresh baked bread, it magically transformed into a much better sauce.

OK but I think I can get the same ones at Costco

THE best part of the meal!

Our main course arrived. Greg’s Fish and Chips were OK and just what you’d expected from a fried fish basket, however the hush puppies were tasty. My salad looked good. Aside from the shrimp, scallops and crab meat there really wasn’t much more on the salad, just some carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms and onion. I believe it could be livened up with some chopped egg and maybe some bacon, a seafood cobb, if you will. I was happy that the lettuce was a fresh leafy romaine and not cheap iceberg. The amount of seafood on the salad was minimal. I had five medium sized shrimp, about ten small scallops and about 1/8 cup of crab meat. I would bet my last sand dollar that none of that seafood was fresh. The dressing I picked was a key lime vinegrette which didn’t have any lime flavor, tasted like straight vinegar. 

Fish and Chips

Seafood Sampler Salad 

After the meal, I was pretty full, not from the salad, but from the bread (it’s so damn yummy!) and I still had to see if my favorite orange, key lime pie still existed. Greg and I split one for dessert. I was pleasantly surprised that it was still as good as I remembered. 

YES, one that that is still the same! Orange Key Lime pie - DELISH! 

The Fishery that once was, is no longer. My favorite little, kitschy Old Florida joint with fresh Gulf seafood is no more since it’s new ownership. Our next shell hunting trip to Don Pedro/Palm Island will include hunting for a new favorite place to dine. 

RATING: 5 best / 1 worst

Food  *

The Fishery, a name the evokes fresh seafood, yes? No. Half the fish items are not indigenous to Florida (lots of Haddock), the other half have likely been frozen for who knows how long. The best thing this place has going for it is the bread basket, and it is a pretty damn amazing bread with loads of real butter! No joke! Oh and the dessert... perhaps the new ownership needs to evolve the place into a bakery. 

Vibe **

The look: They lost the cook kitschy fishy look with the new owners. It’s your basic fish joint, nothing special inside. However, the view is worth a million bucks - if only the food matched!

The crowd: families and retirees. 

The bathroom: a bit run down. NO soap whatsoever, but they did have a big bowl of salt scrub that is supposedly "antibacterial" (ask your waitress if you wish to purchase some). It smelled amazing and left but hands soft, but I wonder if the Health Department would think this is Kosher?  

And: Outside seating by the open air bar. Live bands on the weekend. Catch a manatee ore dolphin if you can!

Service **

Our waitress, Brenda, was helpful and for the most part, she on top of it ... not bad, not great. I did overhear her tell some customers that she now works three doubles Friday, Saturday and Sunday just so she can get hours since The Fishery went to ‘off season’ hours. That can’t be easy. 

Moola ***

We paid $72 bucks for 3 beers, 1 sangria, 1 wine, an appetizer, a lunch salad and a fish basket and dessert. If I was served all FRESH and flavorful fish, I wouldn’t complain one bit. This was to much for money seafood I could have got in the freezer section at the grocery store.

OVERALL: *

I won’t be back until the previous owner returns. 

Trip's Diner ~ Seminole & St. Petersburg

Address: 10555 Park Blvd N, Seminole, FL 33772

                 2339 9th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33704

Phone: Seminole (727) 623-0907   St. Pete (727) 498-8980

Hours: Mon-Sat . 6 am – 9 pm & Sun. 7am - 3pm

Extras: Limited beer and wine selection

Websote: tripsdiner.com

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My luvah (a.k.a. Greg) offered to treat me to breakfast today. I’ve been in a funk lately. Not really feeling lively, a bit blah, not sure way …. so I was a bit ho-hum when he extended the invite, but agreed as I am never one to turn down a free meal. When I asked where we are going he said “Trip's”. My mood suddenly turned a bit brighter!

Seminole location on Park Street

Trip's Diner describes their offerings as, “Down-to-earth diner for breakfast favorites, sandwiches & salads, plus homestyle American mains.” I would tend to agree, however they forgot the most important part … the BACON! Yes, bacon! They have THE best bacon I have ever come across. It is thick. It is applewood smoked. The cut has to measure 9 inches in length. Did I mention it is THICK? 

Seminole location

Trip's has a fairly recent history (opening their first location in St. Pete in 2012). As stated on Trip’s web site, “Named after our Triplets, Libby, Will & John, we opened our Diner on March 12, 2012. We hope to be a Not-too-Fancy neighborhood restaurant that offers a variety of simple food. We serve Breakfast all day, plus Salads, Sandwiches, Meatloaf, Pasta, Chicken and More....  Come in and try it!  Bring the kids and we're sure that you'll find something you love!” 

Cool historic decor on the tables - something to look at beside your phone!

I’ve been to both locations and the food is consistent between the two diners. You should expect a bit of a wait at both restaurants, probably more in St. Pete because it has become a popular establishment. Today, we at at the Seminole location. 

Our waitress, Colleen, was friendly and doing her very best to get us served fast. We started with fresh brew (served with real cream) as we reviewed the menu. Today Greg goes for his new favorite, the Burrito Buster. To say it’s big is an understatement. Basically it’s a burrito as big as your head, filled to the brim with eggs, home fries, sautéed onion & green pepper, cheddar cheese and sausage on a white or wheat tortilla, served with a side of sour cream and salsa. You may recall Greg loves his food spicy. This burrito was flavorful but could use a little bit of a kick to it. To compensate, Greg threw some Cholula hot sauce over the top, which did the trick. 

The Burrito Buster 

I really wanted the Chicken and Waffles as I’m a bit C&W fan… but I forced myself to test drive their corned beef hash as it was listed as ‘homemade’ on the menu. I’m quite particular about my hash. The CBH comes with two eggs (over easy always for me!) and choice of bread. I opted for a biscuit even though the cornbread was tempting me! I ordered a side of gravy (see where I’m going here?) and a side of… what else but BACON!

I you're like me and want to sample the B&G just get a biscuit as your 'bread '
with your meal and order a side of sausage gravy - best of  both worlds! 

truly made from scratch CBH

Trip's CBH was delicious and certainly made from scratch with lots of love! I piled my OE eggs on top and then bathed my biscuit in sausage gravy and I was in hog heaven… oh yes, the hog…. the bacon has almost a smoked/cured ham as it is so thick. A side is only $2.39 for this 9” long thick slices of magnificent meat. 

I heart bacon! This is the BEST you'll ever have - unless you live on an Iowa pig farm.

Trip's Diner is a joint that you’d probably like to frequent just so you can sample all the awesome looking menu items. There are several menu items that caught my eye: The Strata, baked egg and bread layered with fresh basil, sausage and tomato topped with lemon hollandaise. The Hubcakes, pancakes as big as a hub cap!  Boneless fried chicken dipped in a spiced buttermilk batter. Grammy’s Recipe Meatloaf (‘nough said). Mac and cheese in a creamy white cheese sauce with a baked crunchy topping AND you can add that amazing bacon or ham for just 99 cents more! 

Trip's is hearty, down home cooking at it’s best. Make sure you stock up on cholesterol medication before you go. Trip's is not a place you want to eat if you’re on a diet, as you need to save room for dessert - ever at breakfast (yes, we did!). They have a fair  selection of pies, milk shakes and even a root beer float, but the carrot cake is amazing! And hey, carrots are a vegetable, right? 

RATING: 5 best / 1 worst

Food:  *****

The menu is not overwhelming and isn’t trying to be something it’s not. Trip's doesn’t have an identity problem, they know they’re a diner and carry all the typical diner fare you expect. Plus, breakfast all day (LOVE me some breakfast for dinner!). They also have a small assortment wine and beer.

Vibe ***

The look: Heck, it’s a diner! What do you expect? Red booths, black and white checkerboard floor, a counter with the old fashioned red/chrome stools. It’s clean and a bit eclectic. The workers are friendly, they work hard to serve you fast and the noise level is good as you can have a peaceful conversation with out raising your voice. 

The crowd: 0-100 years 

The bathroom: Clean, not smelly, well attended to - which makes me believe the rest of the place is the same way. 

And: Very limited outside seating along Park Street. 

Service *****

Since it was Sunday around 11am, there was a slight wait, but the hostess tried to squeeze us in fast and offered us immediate outside seating, it wasn’t too hot yet so we opted for outside. Were were there about 3 minutes when the hostess came back out and said a booth opened up and it was ours if we wanted it, so we nabbed it!  Our waitress, Colleen, was super busy, but still gave us decent attention, the only negative was we had to ask her twice for the hot sauce. 

Moola: $$

Greg spent just under $33 (before tip) for two people. This included two coffees, out breakfast, my side of gravy and bacon plus, we HAD to have carrot cake for dessert!  

OVERALL: 5

Overall we’ll keep going back to Trip's again and again so we can sample more menu items. I wish they were closer to our neck of the woods (Clearwater - near Tri-City) but we’ll make the drive - it’s worth it! 

I would say Trip’s is a great place for Reddington Beach visitors as the Seminole location is not too terribly far away and the St. Pete location is a quick hop from downtown. Residence, it’s a great place to take guests as the food is consistent, served hot and tasty. 

El Cap ~ St. Petersburg

Address: 3500 4th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33704

Phone:(727) 521-1314

Hours: Daily 11:00am - 11:00 pm

Extras: Outdoor seating that is dog and smoker friendly 

Website: N/A  El Cap FB Page (unofficial)

(Scroll to the bottom for a quick rating/review)

Summer break just started. The Rays are doing pretty damn well so far (yeah, I know it’s only June) and the Bolts are fighting for the Stanley Cup.  Live is good! 

courtesy of TB Rays - instagram.com/raysbaseball

So I’m driving home from Tampa with my 15 year old son and we’re starving. It’s 3pm and we didn’t eat lunch. I try to persuade him into going to the drive thru at PDQ on the way home, but the boy wants a burger. Truly, my boy ALWAYS wants a burger. I was in no way interested in drive thru burger… BLECH! 

As we’re crossing the Gandy Bridge, I start racking my brain for burger joints on 4th street…and it hits me - EL CAP!! I hadn’t’ been to El Cap in YEARS, about 6 to be exact. Immediately my son starts quizzing me about El Cap. This is a kid who use to believe that Five Guys burgers were truly ‘world famous’. I wasn’t quite sure how describe El Cap in a way that a 15 year old kid might understand and then it hit me. “Well, you know that show, Diners-Drive Ins and Dives?” My son says, “Yeah.” I said, “Well, I’m fairly certain that Guy Fieri would go to El Cap if he was in town. It’s one of those places he would call a dive.” Just when I was certain he’d start to complain and want to go to Checkers, he blurts out, “Yeah, lets go there!” My sales pitch worked!!

We walk in and El Cap is exactly how it was 6 years ago. That’s the beauty of dives, they don’t try to reinvent themselves and become something they’re not. El Cap is a neighborhood joint that is a gathering place for regulars along with a consistent smattering of those of us who heard the rumors about this joint with deliciously sloppy burgers.

The southern 'wing' - a.k.a main enterance

El Cap has been around almost 30 years and I’ve been told they grind their own meat. It’s a family own establishment and you’ll be treated like family when you’re there and here’s what I mean any that …. You likely won’t be greeted at the door when you arrive, just look around and find a seat. You’ll hear friendly bantering between the employees and customers, along with some heated sports talk and some local gossip too. You may need to repeat your order a second time just to make sure it’s understood. You might need to give your waitress a friendly reminder that you’ve order x, y or z to go with your burger. Oh, and you can feel free to grab any waitress to help you out as they all seem to tag team tables, at least they did the afternoon we were there. But hey, you’re at the neighborhood dive, don’t expect garçon with a towel thrown over his wrist! 

the drink selection

My son ordered a double bacon cheese burger (medium well with american cheese) catchup only and a side to tater tots! Yes, TOTS! I ordered the same burger (medium rare with cheddar) with all the fixings except onion (should have gotten grilled onions, but I wasn’t thinking!) and tomato, plus a side of onion rings. 

my son's burger 

my burger after it was 'fixed'

The menu is mainly burgers, but there are some old school favorites like fish sticks, a BLT,  ham & cheese and chili or kraut dogs. There is even liverwurst on the menu. As a child of the 70’s, just promise me you’ll eat that liverwurst on white bread as it’s meant to be eaten! Better yet, El Cap should consider serving it with Fritos! 

When our burgers arrived, I could tell that my son got cheddar and I got american (I loath american, reminds me of overly processed plastic). Mine was also missing the bacon. I kindly point it out to the waitress and she quickly took my burger back to the kitchen, I promptly got a slice of unmelted cheddar and some bacon thrown on the burger. I was thinking, eh, what should I expect, it’s a dive. I also had to remind the waitress that we were waiting on onion rings and tots. They arrived a few minutes later.

Give me those tots, Napoleon! 

Crunchy, battery, deep fried goodness

supposed to be medium rare - tasted more like medium though

We dug into our burgers and the were deliciously sloppy. El Cap uses length wise cut dill pickle slices which I found surprisingly exotic. My son loved the tots, however I wish I would have ordered the fries as my onion rings were all batter, little onion. Mind you, I ate them ALL anyway since I’m a closeted fried food junkie and the batter was pretty darn good. But I’ve heard the fries are nice and crispy… I’ll know better next time. 

there is onion in there somewhere...

Just remember people, when you go to El Cap, expect a dive, which means it’s rough around the edges. You won’t get five star service, but you will get good conversation, a few beers and a deliciously sloppy burger, regardless of what they may forget to put on it! My son enjoyed his first dive burger and I’m a better mom for teaching him the finer points of eating deliciously sloppy food! 

RATING: 5 best / 1 worst

Food  ***

The menu is basic 1970s eats. Mainly burgers, cold sandwiches,  liverwurst sammie, fish sticks, chili and chili or kraut dogs plus sides. A large selection of the domestic beers, some pitchers and a few cans of craft beers. Big bottle cheap wine- I ordered a glass, asking for the most recently opened bottle (fresher, duh!) and I thoroughly confused the waitress. 

Vibe *

The look: Dive bar that serves dive burgers that are deliciously sloppy. Leave your expectations at home. Like I’ve always told my kids, “you get why you get and you don’t throw a fit.” This applies at El Cap as well.  

The crowd: Hipsters, 30 something day drinkers, hood regulars and sports enthusiasts of all ages. 

The bathroom: questionable but not filthy.  

And: Outside seating that is dog and smoker friendly. 

Service *

Don’t expect much and you will not be disappointed. I had to remind/ask again and grab someone for refills, but hey, it’s about the burger, not the service!  

Moola  $

I paid $34 bucks for two burgers, two sides (tots and O-rings), one adult beverage (cheap wine, I’m not a beer drinker), one speciality soda (my Harry Potter teen likes cream soda since it’s in butter beer) and a second fountain soda. I would say it’s about what I’d pay at Five Guys and it tastes a hell of a lot better! 

OVERALL: 2 but the burgers are good!

I will likely stumble in there every five years or so for deliciously sloppy burger.