By Dr. Ink | SDUN Columnist

Ignore the fact that the historic Art Deco building housing Fat City Steakhouse needs a power washing and that it shares space with a Denny’s and the now-defunct China Camp. If you’re looking for drinks and steaks on the cheap, you’ve come to the right place.

Established in the 1930s as Top’s Supper Club, a trysting spot for visiting celebrities and hotrod showoffs, the Little Italy restaurant remains less withered inside compared to its aging pink exterior. The ambiance of a classic chophouse is comfortably captured through hexagon-tiled flooring, mahogany paneling, stained-glass ceilings and what appears to be a breeding ground for Tiffany lamps.

With a couple of cigar smokers in our group, we took to the spacious garden patio that sits under a circus-like white tent. The space is adorned by potted palms, an outdated water fountain made of glass blocks and white string lights hanging unlit for some reason during our visit. But there’s a lot of potential here for festive gatherings, and plenty of patio heaters to keep the blood flowing on chilly days.

Draft beers are $2 apiece, including the local artisan stuff like Karl Strauss Amber Lager and Airdale Pale Ale. We seized upon both, surprised by the fact they’re served in decent-size glasses that we estimated contained at least eight ounces. Well cocktails are only a buck more and wine sells at $4 a glass.

Dr. Ink’s prescription for curing those hunger pangs generated by copious intakes of hops and malts: a charry steak glistening in clear, thin juices. During happy hour, New York strips are served as open-faced sandwiches with a nest of shoestring fries for only $7.95. Add a few brews to your tab, and

you come away with a bellyful of suds and beef for less than $15.

In addition, appetizers are slashed by 50 percent, including liberal servings of crispy fried green beans escorted by Ranch dressing. Priced at $3 per order, their crispy snap and seasoned breading struck an addicting match to the mildly bitter finish of Strauss’ lager.

Deals such as these call for sustained consumption. So we opted also for a $5 order of fried shrimp coated evenly in golden-brown batter and containing wisps of coconut. The happy hour grub extends to crab and artichoke dip, Buffalo wings and potato skins.

And then there’s the longstanding half-pound house burger that kept winking at us between brews and the deafening blares of train horns whizzing past. The burger is crowned with shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, grilled onions and cheddar—an intriguing creation that Dr. Ink is reserving for a cheap whiskey bath in the next visit.

Location:

2137 Pacific Highway

San Diego, Calif.

(619) 232-9303

www.fatrestaurants.com