Dive bars, it's what we do. It is what the the Quest, the Patrol, the Journey, whatever we call it, has always been about. Finding those curious taverns with enough peculiarity to remain unknown, yet food tempting enough to take another bite, first rate drink, and atmosphere with the character to bring us back, has always been the objective. Such lofty goals have required at most, weekly critiques and at minimum, monthly. Combined with the recording of our culinary/surf adventures (for historic preservation), I could see how the faint of heart and mind may begin to fade. Target and LWatt, my cohorts in crime, had never shown signs of dimming natures, but my concern as of recent has been their hardening of heart towards the lesser refined of taverns visited. Mention a name, and they immediately turn their noses up if it ain't by the water or on the beach. LWatt has walked in some of these places just looking them up and down, eyeing the middle aged, drunk, dancing bimbos in the corner, as if they didn't belong. Target especially has become a mite pretentious. He has even reached the point of insisting on being ready with alternative choices should the menu or ambiance not meet his expectations...prior to sitting down. I'm not sure what they're expecting. Linen napkins maybe or fancy, schmancy silverware? I fear they're turning into a couple of real dive snobs!
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| Berlin startin' to do the holiday dress-up. |
More seasonal weather had moved in last week. Nor'east winds and rain battered the shore at the close of the weekend. However, by mid-week the swell had cleaned up. Water now shuffles between 50 and 49F. The weekend opportunities are waning. We still have the Journey, and this week's choice cut was a real local dive on one of the side streets of Berlin, MD. The
Burley Inn Tavern was a literal hole-in-the-wall that
the Crew had critiqued about five years ago...and it didn't do too awful badly. Yet, true to his recent form, as LWatt and I were in transit, Target was calling and saying we still had a chance to change before we got there. I gave him an emphatic "No!". But, the damage was done. The power of suggestion was at work. LWatt was throwing up the wall of questions as we arrived. We marched on. The exterior was rather unassuming. Three large plate windows with two industrial glass doors on the bottom floor of a white brick apartment building. However upon entrance, the place was jumping. A dart tourney was in play. The bar, worn with age and replete with it's chrome, diner style stools, was packed. In the corner, the dancing bimbos. Definitely a locals night.
The dive snobs were eyeing the place up and down, shaking their heads. Regardless we found our table, the trooper in all of us pushed to the point of no-return. Our bartender turned waiter was on it with beers for Target and I, and a house Bloody Mary for LWatt. From the menu, we ordered up the Cheesesteak Sub, Spicy BBQ Wings, and the appetizer special- Broccoli Balls. "Balls!" said the King, and he laughed because he had...sorry, sidetracked. Our beer was served on room temp glasses, and were not overly cold. LWatt's Bloody Mary was fair...more a standard than a standout. The balls had a good mix of broccoli and cheese, fair taste, but were a hair overcooked. The Parmesan ranch sauce was killer...it needed to be to overcome the overcooked. For the 2nd week in a row, the wings were a disappointment. The Spicy BBQ were actually barbecue sauce over buffalo wings. No bueno. The sub was the most promising. Tender shaved top round with melted provolone on a toasted roll. Overall the place had a dank, loud local character to it. Great classic rock music, and plenty of screens around to catch Thursday Night Football. A mild tab helped to pull the place up a notch. If your nose is up expecting a 5-Star restaurant, forget about it. You've paddled out into the wrong break. And, although the
Burley Inn Tavern wasn't the greatest in our area, more of a place to chill and grab a beer with your girl and some bros, it was not a bad dive to pay a visit. Certainly wasn't the lowest scoring. Isn't that what the Journey is all about?
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THE RATINGS-
Cheesesteak Sub: B-
Spicy BBQ Wings: C
Broccoli Balls: C+
Beer: C
Atmosphere: B-
Value: B
Overall Score = 2.46
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