By Frank Sabatini Jr. | Restaurant Review
A slice of transit history is revealed at Station Tavern & Burgers, which marks the spot where a trolley depot once stood along a bustling rail line that connected South Park to its surrounding Uptown neighborhoods. Now, nearly 75 years later, the smartly rebuilt property has become a welcome sight for burgerphiles and beer lovers alike.
Station also caters well to parents and pet owners. Its sustainable design of mixed wood flows into a park-like courtyard filled with picnic tables and a corral featuring a half-scale streetcar that calls to kiddy passengers. Not surprising, Station’s eye-catching, but non-obtrusive stature fetched a Grand Orchid award in 2009 by the San Diego Architectural Foundation.
Weekends especially draw young, modern families with their canines in tow. Yet for those seeking escape from playful tykes and wagging tails, the airy interior provides a truer tavern experience complete with a full bar (notice the authentic train rails underneath that serve as foot rests).
Station’s menu remains a celebration of consistency since it opened several years ago. The big seller, which remains my favorite, is the spicy black bean burger. Blended with savory spices and bell peppers, and smeared with frisky lime-cilantro sauce, it’s the kind of burger you can eat with gusto seven days a week and live to tell about it. Request it with cheese, and the loosely formed patty is less apt to crumble in the devouring process.
The other vegetarian option is a patty constructed from chickpeas and garnished with cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce and onions. A bedding of smoky paprika sauce prevents it from tasting completely like falafel. The Angus chuck burger is fairly juicy and receives a simple seasoning of salt and pepper. But if you’ve hit the saturation point on ubiquitous beef patties, the one made with ground turkey is leaner and better seasoned in comparison.
Toppings such as house-made sauerkraut, bacon, a fried egg and caramelized onions cost between 50 cents and $2 extra. There are also a number of different sauces listed at the bottom of the menu priced at 50 cents apiece. For those, you’ll want to keep an order of Tater Tots parked alongside your burger.
Ever since these cylindrical-shaped grated spuds came back into vogue a decade ago, their nostalgic, toasted flavor has demanded something other than ketchup. Station’s house-made condiments give Taters the boost they deserve with lime-cilantro sauce, chipotle mayo, honey mustard with thyme and the above-mentioned smoky paprika sauce that comes on the house veggie burger. There’s also buttermilk-rich Ranch, which a friend in our group rated as the best he’s ever tasted.
The sauces double as dressings for the lone salad on the menu, a “farmer’s market” medley of organic lettuces garnished with large, thin slices of pretty watermelon radishes. The bowl also packs substantial pilings of string-cut beets and carrots.
It wasn’t until after our group ordered off the regular menu that we paid attention to a list of daily specials, particularly the beer-steeped bratwurst available on Sundays. For me at least, this would have been a game changer since I’ve tried every burger in the house over several visits. Other specials include a steak sandwich on Tuesdays, sloppy Joes on Fridays and “train wreck tots” covered in sloppy Joe mix and cheese sauce on Saturdays.
Station’s beer selection is bigger than its wine and cocktail list, with most drinks priced reasonably at $8 or less. Among several local brews is the prized, subtly sweet Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier on tap from Bavaria and bottled Lindemans Kriek Lambic made with black cherries, which I’ve yet to try.
With plenty of kids occupying the patio, we were surprised to learn that Station doesn’t serve dessert. Customers instead mosey down the block for ice cream and frozen yogurt at Daily Scoop on Juniper.
“There’s a reason for that,” a server explained. “Burgers and beer is what we do best.”
Station Tavern & Burgers
2204 Fern St. (South Park)
619-255-0657
Prices: Salads and sides, $2.50 to $5; burgers and dogs, $3 to $7.50
