An Egg On A Burger and Other Tales of FUN!

Wow!  Well, after 1-and-a-half bouts of the plague, and gearing up for NaNoWriMo, October got away from me :/  So, without further delay, I bring you...the new blog post - ta da!

As promised, I will be sharing my thoughts about a local burger & beer joint - The Garage.

Located in Historic Downtown Norman, Oklahoma, The Garage offers customers the unique option of choosing which protein goes into the creation of your burger.  Your choices are fresh Angus beef, garden, turkey, and yes, even bison!  Hooray for choices!  The menu is "garage-themed" with Appetizers being dubbed "First Gear," burgers, "Second Gear," and so on.  

(You probably can't read this, so click on the link above to get a better view)

Even the staff looks the part when they wear their mechanic-style shirts.  And I'm telling you right now, I am a theme freak!  I LOVE anything themed, so that's another reason I love coming here. The burger list has many pre-thought-out burger styles, or you can choose to sort of build your own.  Add jalapenos, or even another patty if you want to.

My very fav thing on the menu is the Egg-O-Nater!  It comes with mayo, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and yes, a fried egg, all snuggled in between a couple of warm buns (I get it without mayo or tomato, cuz I'm picky like that).  At first I was all, "What?  Are you serious?  Who eats an egg on top of a burger?"  Then I tried it and you know what?  I am the "who" that eats egg on top of a burger.  You know why?  Because it is the most awesome thing I've ever had on a burger!  The bacon & egg combo compliment the burger.  Now, I've only had this with the Angus beef, so I'm not sure how well it all goes together with other proteins, but if you are feeling bold,  GIVE IT A GO!  I didn't get a picture of it, but here is one from Hal Smith.

The Egg-O-Nater - Photo by Hal Smith

I have to admit, sometimes, I'm just not in the mood for a burger.  There's no need to fear!  (No, I haven't seen Underdog for a while, but here, try something else)  The Garage offers more than just burgers, there's a little bit for everyone here.  They have tacos (where you can also choose your protein), fish, salads, nachos, grilled cheese, and even a kids menu.  

The Garage also has an amazing assortment of fresh-cut fries!  Regular fries, sweet potato fries, Tijuana fries (fries with grilled jalapenos and onions on top - served w/salsa), garlic/parm fries, and if you want something a little thinner, they also offer house potato chips.  

Okay, so here's how it works:

1) Pick an entrance, there's parking on the street in the front, or a small lot in the back. The front takes you through the bar, the back has you walking through the video games

Front = Bar

Back = Video Games

2) Walk to the center of the restaurant and place your order.  There is a huge chalk board behind the counter that is easy to read, or menus on the counter and at the little waiting sign in line.

3) Take the metal numbered stop sign with you and choose a booth or table (they have regular as well as high-seated tables).  When you get there, you will find a glass Coke bottle.  Put your metal numbered stop sign into the bottle (don't worry, it will actually stand up...I know, physics is crazy stuff!)

4) Relax, take some time to look around at all the hard work they put into the decor, but you won't have to wait long, because the kitchen is pretty fast!  You can also choose to spend your waiting time poppin' quarters into some machines.  The back of the restaurant houses a couple of old-school arcade games (and newer video games as well), pinball machines, and even two skeeball lanes!  I know!  Super fun, right?  

Need to make a call?  No problem!  The Garage has taken a regular old phone booth and "converted" it into a Cellphone Booth so that you can carry on a conversation with some privacy.

You can watch several different sports games as well as older movies all at the same time via the 15+ televisions propped up around the restaurant (minus the cacophony of the sound volume - thank goodness!) The atmosphere is made up of a hodgepodge of collections, such as vintage photos, signage, and even license plates from all over...

This place fulfills all 3 of my requirements for a fantastic dining experience -what I will now refer to as the "BIG 3":  1) great food quality, 2) awesome atmosphere, and most importantly - 3) amazing customer service!  The staff are always helpful and friendly, and they even make sure to triple check your order before it ever gets to your table, to make sure it's done right.  (Yay for a restaurant that implements quality control!)  Love, love, love!!

So, if you haven't been to The Garage in Norman, and you live around here (or are just visiting) you really need to check it out!  It's one of the very very few restaurants I eat at on a weekly basis, because it is consistent in my BIG 3, delicious, and FUN!  So come on in and give it a go!