Surfside Burger Shack

I heard about a new burger joint, so I thought, why not? I like burgers. So off to the Surfside Burger Shack we went. The sign on the door said “Home of the ½ lb Burger”. I thought that meant there was a ½ lb burger on the menu for those who were really hungry. I was wrong. Their hamburgers have a half a pound of grass fed ground beef hand formed into a patty, slapped in a bun of matching proportions, and complimented by fresh produce of your choice (I chose everything). That’s a lot of hamburger. Then, they have the double. I’m just not carnivorous enough for that.
The service was friendly, the wait just a little long. That was OK though, they make up for it with the Ms. Pac Man table game and Star Wars pinball machine. They have a jukebox with a selection that’ll take you back to when Ms. Pac Man was everywhere. There were prints on the wall from a local artist I enjoyed. It is a bit crowded in there, with Subway Sandwich-style benches and table (it’s located in the old Subway on 5th). That’ll keep me from lingering too long there, but I don’t think that’s really the point to this place anyway.
While the burgers were big and fresh, they were just a little bland. I’m sure there are plenty of folks who enjoy their ground beef straight, but I found myself wishing they had some sort of “Surfside Secret Spice” that livened up the grass-fed beef a bit.
They have lots of options on their menu, and I saw a pile of onion rings on someone else’s plate that impressed me. So, I’ll be going back to see what else they have to offer. They are definitely worth another chance. I heard Papa Houli will be playing there Sat. June 6th 2-5pm. There’s as good an excuse as any to try a Gardenburger with bacon and see what beer they have on tap.

Burgers in the $6-8 range, with combo prices.
5th &F, Eureka

Aztec Grill

The pressure was on- we had an incredibly small window between chores and social obligation, and our cupboards were as bare as old Mother Hubbard’s. No time to shop, no time to wait, we cruised up Broadway, desperately wracking our brains for a place to get a cheap and quick bite, without resorting to actual fast food. My husband, quick thinker that he is, pulled into the Chevron gas station. Of course! No, not corn chips and a soda- a quesadilla for me and burrito for my darling, please.
Aztec Grill was just what we needed that evening. Their rice is usually dry, and the beans are mediocre, but I always like the main dish. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, are all just fine for an inexpensive, quick bite. And, as far as I can tell, they’re all the same. I stop at the one in Willits on road trips, and I used to stop at the Trinidad one for their ready-made breakfast burrito when I worked in that direction.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s no gourmet Mexican hacienda, but reliable, fast, and much better than the usual “fast food”.