Open daily 11am - 2:30am
Kitchen open till 2am
Food Specials
Monday- $5.99 1 lb boneless wings
Tuesday- $1.50 tacos
Wednesday- .75 cent wings
Thursday- $4 wraps
Friday- $5 fish sandwich
Saturday- $5 Cheese Pizza
Sunday- $3.50 burgers
***$10 Buckets of 5 Domestics*** During All Reds Games
Upcoming Events
Wednesdays Live music with Bird Brain Crash
Fridays
4- Live Music
11- Live Music
18- Live Music
25- DJ Mean Jean
Saturdays
5- DJ Mean Jean
12- Dr. Hue
19- Barefoot Pickers
26- Hoggleger
Reviews
Will this be the burger to topple
Terry’s Turf Club off it’s throne?
By Rowdy Roddy
I guess it’s safe to say, so far, the official “Best Burger” title goes to Terry’s Turf Club. Terry’s has landslided the last two Cincy Vibe (100% reader voted) Best Of issues. Citybeat readers named Zip’s Cafe #1 (whatever, I’ll never understand) with Terry’s #2, but their staff picked Terry’s as #1. Metromix also picked Terry’s Turf Club as #1. It would seem Terry is certainly the Burger King. But for how long? Several other restaurants are always in the running for the top spot too. Arthur’s Cafe, Sammy’s Gourmet Burgers, Quatman Cafe and Black Angus Burgers & Brew are all top dogs in the burger business. But, does anyone in Cincy have what it takes to truly steal Terry’s crown? Maybe, maybe not, however, someone across the river damn sure does.
Don’t smirk, you read it right, nestled in a Covington pub lies the burger that could topple Terry off his throne. Sidebar. Better known for bands and bar flair than burgers Sidebar should soon be in every Best Burger top 10 list, in print or online. Their customers will tell your straight away, “This is the burger that’s going to beat Terry’s.” The Sidebar owner has traveled the city tasting all the “best” burgers in the city. “I’ve tried them all, I admit, I love Terry’s burgers, but I still think we have the best.” He may be biased, (all owners are I guess) but I think he just may be right too.
I discovered Sidebar’s burger by pure coincidence. I stopped by for a quick in & out, when the sight of a burger caught my eye. Right beside me a lone customer chomped the first bite of his burger. It was just after lunch, the sun was shining in bright and I could see his burger glistening in the light. The bun caught my eye, dark but not rye, hmm? It looked fresh baked. Looking closer, I saw the patty peaking out, thick, irregular and obviously hand-patted, hmm? Again, I noticed the juicy goodness that was apparent after that single chomp. I looked at the guys face. Head down, slowly chewing happily, almost reverently. The zen-like patron noticed me so I casually said to him “Good looking burger.” Mid-chew he replied frankly, “Best damn burger in the city.” Best burger? Now how am I going to just walk away from that? This looked article worthy. Mike Andrew (kitchen manager) was behind the bar so I asked him about Sidebar’s seemingly soul satisfying beef burger. “What kind of bun is that?” “Servatii” he replied. “We use their bun’s because we think they’re the absolute best. Other than the cheese, everything else we make, the sauces, we hand season the 80/20 Black Angus beef, we use only super fresh toppings, people tell us all the time we have the best burger, it’s awesome, you need to try one.” That I did. In fact, I tried two.
Sidebar offers eight specialty burger combinations, all with house-made sauces and top shelf toppings (plus, one veggie burger and a “build your own” both $6.95). I chose two. First the “All American” ($7.95). I said, “I just want a normal burger, nothing fancy so I can compare it to others equally.” When asked how I wanted it cooked I said the same thing I always say... “perfect”. I do that because I like to see what the kitchen thinks perfect is. I’m screwed if I don’t like it (which happens a lot) because I never specified. This time
they read my mind. Somewhere between mid-rare and mid, no blood, but not cooked grey to the center either. The patty was cooked perfect. Savory & unctuous (in a great way). American deli cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, two big strips of bacon and a huge whole dill pickle. This was the quintessential burger. This is what you’d expect to find in an award winning burger joint. Maybe better.
The second was the “Devil’s Advocate” burger ($7.95). That same beautiful beef patty with fresh jalapeno slices tucked under spicy pepper jack cheese, with Sidebar’s own “Devil’s Crotch” hot sauce and spicy ranch. Be warned: the Devil’s Crotch sauce is a 10 on the hot scale. A purée of fresh Habanero peppers and spices. It’s not for the novice. I loved it. I even dipped my tater tots in a side of it, swiping up every last bit, eyes watering and all. Tater tots? You bet. When is the last time you saw tots along side a burger? Sure you can get seasoned battered fries or kettle chips at Sidebar, but who in their right mind would pass on tater tots! They’re big, crispy, lightly salted, black peppered and piled high. I don’t know where they get their terrific tots, but it sure as hell isn’t Sam’s Club.
What makes Sidebar’s burger a potential Turf Club toppler? It’s a combination of things. The lightly buttered and griddle grilled Servatii bakery bun, the rich deli style cheese and the fresh toppings all play a role. But the secretly seasoned beef is the star. It’s big but not overwhelming, it’s juicy but not greasy, it features a full body warming, relaxing, sink back in your seat “aaahh” factor that has to be tasted to be understood. It’s like slipping into a warm bath on a cold night. It’s a “That’s what I’ve been craving for so long” flavor. True, Terry’s has it too, the two are very similar but, for one, Terry’s is $11, and two, Terry’s isn’t $3 better. Plus, Terry’s Turf Club is cool but way too close quartered for me, somewhat snobbish and certainly not open for lunch, Sidebar is. Not to mention, Sidebar’s kitchen stays open 11 am-2 am seven days a week! (Feeding their late night live band fans and patrons from neighboring bars as well). Plus, Get a buck off anything on the menu during happy hour 11-8 (Mon-Fri). All in all, that’s a recipe for stealing the “Best Burger” awards from Terry Carter, or at the very least winning “Best place to get a burger”.
In the end, it’s all a matter of taste. If you prefer the smoky grilled flavor, Black Angus Burgers & Brew may be #1. If your seeking exotic gourmet toppings, Sammy’s may be the best. If you don’t mind rubbin’ elbows with strangers and squirming through tight tables repeating “Excuse me.. excuse me... oops! sorry mam, pat it with white wine, it should come out... excuse me... may I squeeze through... will you just freakin’ move your fat ass... excuse me... Terry’s may be your thing. If your the fad freak trendy type Five Guys should satisfy. Bottom line, it’s your opinion that means the most. Cincy Vibe, Citybeat, Metromix can all go piss off. No reviewer is right. No “Best Of” issue is right either. It’s just another opinion from another ass like me. Ol’ Polly Wolly included, after all, what the hell does she know about what you like! In fact I think Cincy Vibe should cut out the “Best Of” bullsh!t altogether. The results are biased no matter how you look at it (some more than others). Let’s do a “Worst Of” instead. At least it would be entertaining (and probably more accurate too). I’ll vote Zip’s as “Worst of Best of Winner”. It’s good, but not that good.
To sum it up, if your a burger fan (poor or pro), find a spot to park your ride on Greenup St. and then park your ass at Sidebar. Chow down on a burger and tell us what you think (not that we care). Who knows maybe it will be your new favorite. If you don’t like it, piss off.
Check out the rest of the menu, there is much good grub to discover in this little pub. Sidebar 322 Greenup St. Covington, 859.431.3456
topekaband@yahoo.com