“It’s like a carnivore’s dream in here,” says Dan Brown, owner of the Wherehouse restaurant/bar/live music venue. Although it also caters to vegetarians and in-betweens, the eatery — which maintains a retro vibe, with walls decked out in ’60s and ’70s concert posters — offers almost 40 varieties of Angus and Kobe beef burgers.
Brown says they serve “everything from the standard cheeseburger to oddballs.” Examples of the latter include the Soul Burger ($8.95), topped with mac-and-cheese; Rasta Man Vibration ($9.95), with jerk-grilled onions and mango chutney; the Boston ($9.50), with baked beans and cheddar; and the Wowvocado ($10.95): fried onions, lettuce, tomato, and avocado, stacked tall and sloppy. (“You need a knife and fork or two very large hands to eat it,” Brown says.)
The list of unique burgers is ever-expanding. Two of this summer’s newcomers are the Fat City (eight ounces of Angus, two ounces of andouille sausage) and the Lucha Libre — an homage to mask-wearing Mexican wrestlers, with crumbled chorizo sausage and jalapeño-jack cheese shaped into a mask.
Besides oddball burgers, the Wherehouse offers a huge selection of brews; choose from bottled craft beers from around the world or have a pint poured from one of the 16 rotating taps. Ask a staff member for a suggested pairing if you can’t decide which to try; Brown suggests a Brooklyn Summer Ale with the Soul Burger or a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy with the Wowvocado.
If you visit in the evening, chances are you’ll find a live music group at the back of the restaurant. Bands, duos, and other performers can be heard at least three — and as many as five — times a week, says Brown. The stage is tucked far enough away that the music doesn’t interfere with conversation — just don’t talk with your mouth full.
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