Lockdown Bar &Grill

I have long claimed that Kuma's Corner makes the best burgers in town.  They are without question the most creative and there are many places that take aim at them.  Lockdown Bar & Grill is one of the most blatant Kuma's knock-offs.  They also are primarily a burger bar with a good beer list and a heavy metal soundtrack and a staff with a lot of ink.  They do differentiate themselves somewhat though by playing concert movies on their many flat screens instead of just having a very loud metal soundtrack.  The bar is also designed with a prison motif with black walls, a lot of steel bars, and chain link, and liberal use of deck plating.  The movie that was playing on the evening that I went was an Iron Maiden Concert Film.  I dined there on a Tuesday night recently when they have a half-price burger special.  I was happy to see that I picked the right night to go.  They have a pretty extensive beer list so it actually longer to pick my beer than it did my burger.  I ended up going with Evil Twin's Hipster Ale because I figured that I may never see it again.  Evil Twin is a gypsy brewer originally from Denmark and now from Brooklyn that produces limited edition and one-off beers.  I figured, if I saw something from Evil Twin, because their brews are short runs, I probably won't see Hipster Ale again.  As far as the beer was concerned, it was an American Pale Ale that was a bit simple of flavor, but done well.  I enjoyed it and would be happy to try another beer from Evil Twin.

The burgers at Lockdown, like the burgers at Kuma's, have a theme, although the theme at Lockdown is about crime and punishment.  The burger that I got was a minor crime but a major burger.  It was called a Public Disturbance.  It had Bacon, Gorgonzola, Onion Rings, and BBQ Sauce.  It was enormous and with the barbecue sauce dripping down, it looked like a crime scene.  It came with a side of Hand Cut Fries.  The burger was hard to get my mouth around, but it was very good.  The barbecue sauce was sweet, the bacon and onion rings were crispy, and the Gorgonzola had a good blue cheese flavor.  While the combination was not that unusual, it was very good and the burger itself was probably one of the best around.  It was tender, juicy, and very flavorful. 

The burgers at Lockdown, while not incredibly creative, are very good as is the beer list and the Tuesday burger deal is a win.  I will definitely be back for more.

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.