Por ROBIN DOHRN-SIMPSON

Although the Longhorn Bar & Grill has been in Allied Gardens for 50 years, the current owners, Paul and Bettyann Bernhardt, have had the pleasure of owning it for 10.

This local neighborhood restaurant and bar is known for its burgers — And that’s exactly what the Bernhardt’s want.

“We want to be a comfortable neighborhood burger joint. We want people to feel welcome here,” Paul said. “We have our regulars and our local sports teams who like to end their evening here to celebrate wins and losses.”

Bettyann grew up in Allied Gardens and she and Paul still live there.

“We met when we were both bartenders in the area. I got my college degree and proceeded to keep bartending,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in this business.”

So when the opportunity to purchase this icon came up they grabbed it. The Bernhardt’s have raised their kids here and love living in the area.

“We’ve remodeled a lot of the restaurant since we bought it; newly upholstered red pleather chairs, burnt pinewood tables, inviting red lights and multiple televisions. We removed the pool table in favor of more seating,” Paul, a self-confessed sports nut, said.

Join the Bernhardt’s on June 19 for their 10th anniversary celebration. There will be live music from 2-10 p.m., and plenty of food and drink.

This past year they’ve been able to serve food outdoors, but that will change in a couple of weeks when the state makes its final push for opening up and allowing everyone to return indoors.

The Longhorn Bar & Grill is famous for its burgers like the Double Duke, made with two half-pound patties with cheese and bacon, served with onion rings and topped with barbaque sauce. The also serve a bison burger and a chicken burger. The California Burger is a favorite with pepper jack cheese and guacamole.

If you’re not in the mood for a burger, you can enjoy a wedge salad or a Longhorn California Salad created with mixed greens, walnuts, dried cranberries and chicken breast sprinkled with blue cheese crumbles.

If you’re looking for a breakfast spot on weekends, the Longhorn has got you covered. The Wrangler Breakfast has two eggs, and home fries topped with sausage gravy. They serve a variety of omelets including a vegetarian one loaded with mushrooms, onion and green peppers. You can even have a breakfast burger.

Longhorn Bar & Grill is located at 6519 Mission Gorge Road in the Vons shopping center, find more information at: www.longhornbng.com.

— Robin Dohrn-Simpson es un escritor local de comida y viajes. llegar a ella en [email protected] o www.robindohrnsimpson.com.