Come on Get Happy! | Dr. Ink
Gone are the bookies and horse racing enthusiasts that reportedly gathered here from the late 1940s through the 1960s. Fueled socially by the betting seasons of racetracks in Del Mar and Mexico, they left behind a bar and indoor grill that still defines the now-iconic Turf Club.
The watering hole has since attracted a mixed patronage that prefers antiquity over high design. This is, after all, Golden Hill, where pre-20th Century homes dotting quiet streets sit in refreshing contrast to our city’s overdevelopment.
Pass through Turf Club’s campy green façade and the vestiges of yesteryear slowly begin piercing through the dusky lighting inside. Opposite the bar are tufted Naugahyde booths that are either brown or faded red. It’s hard to tell. They sit beneath discolored wallpaper revealing cutesy horses dressed in various outfits. Lamps with antique shades dangle above the tables. In the middle of the room is a hot grill, where you cook your own sustenance while quenching your thirst with alcohol.
All drinks are $1 off during happy hour, which translates to drafts for $4, wells for $5 and most specialty cocktails like side cars and watermelon coolers for $6. My cohort sprung for a “sneaky tiki” made with Malibu Rum, amaretto and orange and pineapple juices. The drink tasted pretty much like a frilly mai tai, complete with a paper umbrella.
A Coronado Golden Pilsner put me in gear for the lean sirloin burgers we ordered, priced at $5 each, including a chubby bun, cheese, garnishments and a bag of Dirty All Natural Potato Chips. It’s a burger deal that is superior to most out there.
“Make sure you remove the Saran Wrap before grilling,” our waitress advised when bringing out the raw patties. “Some customers don’t know to do that.”
Even my kitchen-challenged companion was stunned to hear of such mishaps as he successfully cooked his meat to medium-rare. The grill is about the size of a card table, though accommodating for several bodies to gather around while spying upon each other’s spatula skills. Single chicken breasts and duos of hot links are also in the offing for $5. Or if you arrive more ravenous, the sirloin steak and surf-n-turf during happy hour cost $6.75 and $10.25, respectively.
The play list on the jukebox fits Turf Club’s ambiance like a glove. During our visit, we traveled back in time to tunes by The Yard Birds, Etta James and Bob Dylan. And with a lack of windows on this sunny afternoon, combined with drinks, the outing felt like a night on the town.
Turf Club
1116 25th St. (Golden Hill)
619-234-6363
Happy Hour: Noon to 4 p.m. for food specials; until 5 p.m. for drink specials on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
RATINGS
Drinks: 4
Amid a limited beer selection are cocktails resurrected from the Frank Sinatra days, such as side cars, grasshoppers, Manhattans and a swooped-up version of the mai tai, called the sneaky tiki.
Food: 5
Customers cook their own burgers, chicken breasts and hot links, all of decent quality and size. Blame yourself if they’re overcooked.
Value: 4
Anything with alcohol in it is $1 off during happy hour, though you save a little more on burgers, chicken sandwiches and hot links, each priced at $5.
Service: 5
A spunky bartender who also worked the floor provided us with the happy-hour rundown minutes after we grabbed a booth. Conversely, the menu doesn’t explain it all.
Duration: 4
Turf Club’s happy hour caters kindly to weekend revelers who like starting on early afternoons, on Friday through Sunday.
