Kirk is somewhere traveling. Cathy is in San Diego County, but she's busy today. So it's another post from Ed (from Yuma).
A few weeks ago, Tina and I were discussing breakfasts in Yuma with some good friends of ours who told us that the best breakfasts in town were at Burgers and Beer. My response was "Huh?"
It's not that I didn't know about Burgers and Beer – this large restaurant has been on 20th St. just east of Fourth Avenue in Yuma since before I moved to town: 
This location is part of a small chain in the desert Southwest stretching from Yuma all the way up to Rancho Mirage, but I have only been to the one in Yuma.
Until recently, I thought of it as a good sports bar with a lot of memorabilia: 
It is a large space with many booths and tables available: 
There is even a small patio space that's great now that the weather around here has gotten very pleasant: 
But breakfasts – at a sports bar most known for a wide variety of burgers, a decent selection of beers, and mixed drinks? I have to say I was skeptical, particularly since I rarely have a Bloody Mary with breakfast these days. However, Greg and Loidene insisted that we would like it so Tina and I showed up one morning the following weekend, and we have probably gone back for at least one breakfast every weekend since then.
One thing we love is the large carafe of coffee that shows up automatically when you order coffee ($2.65): 
While the coffee itself is nothing special, the carafe is very convenient. Also a nice touch are the sea salt grinder and black pepper grinder on every table: 
Over these few weeks, we have had a chance to sample a good variety of breakfast choices, though the breakfast menu is very extensive. For example, in addition to regular pancakes, you can order sweet potato pancakes (two pancakes with a side of ham $5.95): 
These were good, a little denser than regular pancakes with a light sweet potato flavor. The ham slice is my least favorite breakfast meat option at Burgers and Beer, being a little too salty and overprocessed for my taste.
On the other hand, the sausage patties are very savory and fully flavored with herbs and spices. They were the star of a waffle combination plate that also included two over-easy eggs ($9.09): 
While the eggs were perfectly cooked, the waffle was pretty standard, even though the soft butter and warm syrup provided the perfect complement.
In contrast to the waffle, Tina and I both loved the French toast – again with sausage ($8.19): 
The thick soft warm eggy bread dusted with tasty cinnamon is what French toast should taste like.
Another favorite of Tina's is the vegetarian omelet ($8.99), really more like a thin frittata made with egg whites, feta cheese, and perfectly cooked vegetables: 
I don't normally think of squash and broccoli for breakfast, but this was tasty and well prepared, a very flavorful and healthy breakfast option. In addition, Burgers and Beer does a great job serving crispy hash browns when you order them that way.
Those hash browns were just as good with this standard two egg breakfast plate with bacon ($8.19): 
I was very pleased with this basic breakfast. Not only where the hash browns audibly crunchy and the eggs perfectly cooked, but I also liked getting five strips of bacon.
The crowning touch, however, was other component of the breakfast: 
The toast choices included wheat berry, which is my favorite, and the strawberry jam that was available was Dickinson's strawberry preserves. While not as good as what my grandmother used to make, it is way more better than Smuckers. Another nice touch.
Along with the standard American breakfast items, Burgers and Beer may have the largest selection of Mexican breakfasts in town. Look at this chorizo and egg plate with refried beans and chips ($7.35): 
The corn tortillas are also stellar: 
Even better to my mind is the machaca egg plate ($8.35): 
Usually machaca and eggs in Yuma contains a lot more egg then machaca. Not here, however: 
Note the onions, peppers, and fresh tomatoes as well.
The chilaquiles breakfast also hit a home run ($7.99): 
Here the excellent refried beans and eggs are served on the side and were both good, the scrambled eggs being sufficiently fluffy for my tastes. But the corn chips, still crunchy and covered in spicy red sauce, were outstanding: 
Nothing from a can here – slices of poblano pepper and onion in a fresh tomato sauce – from the growers to the kitchen to my plate.
One of the more unusual Mexican egg dishes is Huevos Divorciados ($6.99): 
Each sunnyside egg is perched on a corn tortilla and topped with a spicy fresh sauce, one red and one green. The eggs are divided by a row of refried beans covered with melted white cheese. Divorced eggs. I was pleased that each sauce was unique and matched and enhanced the egg beneath it.
Perhaps the most magnificent single breakfast item is the chile relleno omelet ($7.99): 
Look at that gigantic poblano chili, roasted at the restaurant, wrapped in egg, and topped off with the great fresh red sauce. On this morning, the thinner end of the poblano was butterflied so that the omelet could lie flatter on the plate: 
In this picture, you can see the fresh poblano, the cheese, the egg layers, and the salsa topping.
All in all, I think Greg and Loidene are probably right. Burgers and Beer has some of the best and most creative breakfasts in town. I love the attention to detail and the freshness of some dishes. Funny thing, as I was starting work on this post, I was watching a playoff MLB game. One commercial caught my attention. It was from Burgers and Beer advertising “The Best Breakfasts in Town.” Well if they say that on TV, it must be true.
Burgers and Beer, 321 W. 20th St., Yuma, AZ, (928) 783-3987. Open for breakfasts daily 7 AM-11 AM.
Most likely, you saw it from this vantage point. It's way down there, a building sticking out of the pier.
Walking up the stairs at the end of the pier, you are greeted by the gates and various signage. 
You begin your walk on the longest cement pier on the West Coast. 
Enjoying and appreciating the views North and the surfers waiting to catch the next wave, the walk is windy, chilly, invigorating.
Finally, it's so much closer… 
There are public restrooms, a Bait Shop and the Cafe within that building. A lot of people call it the Ocean Beach Pier Cafe (which is the old name and where it is)… 
But this is the real name. The same family, the Fishers (ha), have been the owners since 1993. Another San Diego Institution. 
The Pier Plate ($10) herb battered pollack and shrimp on top of fresh fried potatoes and cole slaw. The batter was fried properly, had good flavor; the fish was moist, thick and flaky; the slaw was fresh cut and lightly dressed (just the way I like it) and those potatoes…yes they look limp and they are limp and they have the *best* flavor, are cooked through and are wonderful!
Since it is lobster season, I ordered the lobster taco ($6) and made it a plate ($4) – with slaw and a "bun o'chowder" (instead of ordering a sourdough bowl). This was nice. Plenty of sauteed lobster meat and the topping was basically the slaw with tomatoes, sauce and jalapeño bits. The bun o'chowder was fascinating…a toasted hamburger bun topped with a good amount of house made clam chowder. The toasting of the bun meant not much absorbtion of chowder into the bread. The chowder had a great flavor, with clam bits and potato. 
When you are finished, the walk back doesn't seem to take as long. 
Posted with Blogsy
