This is the Burger Wrap from The Bar on Buena in Buena Park, on 910 W. Buena. No, I’m not trying to set the record for “most times using Buena in a sentence,” that’s just how it works. This is quite an original twist on the burger for $8 at a great neighborhood pub and eatery (P&E). It was good, and you could tell if you were there because I didn’t talk much while I shoveled it in. It’s a generous helping of crumbled burger, cheddar cheese, some bacon, and guacamole. And even though the fries are positioned slightly behind the Burger Wrap in this picture, they don’t take a back seat to any foodstuffs because they are perfectly done.
In the interest of full disclosure, a friend of mine has a stake in this place. That won’t affect my take on it, but you should know, because if you haven’t recognized it already, there is some serious journalism happening here.
You want beer? They have a massive beer selection. It includes both bottles and beer on tap; they are grouped by country and each has its own glass. That could be why Metromix describes the place as having a “European quaintness.” If what they mean is that “you feel like you’re in Europe because regular humans there cherish each glass of beer in the same way that a sommelier cherishes a glass of wine.” Well then, Metromix is spot on old chap (I say that last part in my head with a British accent).
When I first stepped foot in this place, it felt like someone punched me in the jaw with a fist labeled “friendly neighborhood pub,” which probably looked something like this:
I mean this in a good way. It’s the kind of place that you go to because you’re hungry or thirsty and you want to talk with some friends, without the normal distractions of pub life. I was there on a Thursday night and the place was full, but there was no loud music to shout over and I never once thought “where is the wait staff?” It works, and it works well.