Kuma's Corner

This is the Neurosis Burger. It is named after the heavy metal band Neurosis, as are the other 23 burgers and sandwiches on the menu at Kuma's Corner (named after heavy metal bands). If there is any connection between the name of the burger and the name of the band, it is generally a big stretch. There are a few that make some sense, Hate Beak is a Chicken Sandwich, Pig Destroyer is pork, and Black Sabbath uses blackening spice but, for the most part, the names just play to the theme of the restaurant, a heavy metal biker bar. Kuma is a Japanese word for bear and is the name of the owner's Akita (which kind of look like bears). The art is what you might expect from a heavy metal bar named after a bear, a lot of bears and blood. There are also many paintings of semi-clothed women in S/M poses as one also might expect in a heavy metal bar. All of the wait and bar staff have tattoos and the music is all heavy metal. The place is small, seating about 40 people in the main dining area and an additional 20 at the bar. The patio in the back which is open in good weather adds about another 30. There is a TV behind the bar that plays fantasy, action, and horror movies when it's on, close-captioned because the music is pretty loud. The food here is fantastic and they don't take reservations. Because of this, the wait can frequently be 2 hours plus although the bar is first come, first served. I am generally not a heavy metal guy but I am a music guy and the music adds to the ambience of the bar. I really like this place and will deal with the line every few months to have another fantastic burger. While the appetizers are really good, trying to eat an appetizer and a burger by yourself is overkill. This time around I had the Neurosis Burger. It is a 10 oz burger on a pretzel roll with carmelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, cheddar and swiss cheese, horseradish mayo, with lettuce, tomato, and red onions. It was one of the messiest burgers that I have had but, like every other burger I have had here, it was fantastic. The one thing that I missed (slightly) was the waffle fries that they used to serve with the burgers. The hand cut fries that took their place were pretty good but the waffle fries were better. This will not stop me from coming back though, I have more burgers to try.