D is for Deemer's American Grill

We Lopez’s are meat eaters. So we were excited to try the not-just-fresh, but freshly ground, certified Angus beef, hand-formed burgers at on La Paz. Emma described it as tasting like a steak burger.

Deemer's bills itself as "a modern day hamburger grill" but it has a lot of variety and a good choice of healthy options, too. Deemer's has its own turkey burger, a veggie grill stack and a grilled chicken sandwich, as well as six different salads and mixed vegetables as a side, which is pretty rare.

I had the “Napa” burger which is topped with goat cheese, baby spinach, and basil aioli. I had to try it because I have never heard of such a combination. The flavor was smooth and creamy as opposed to salty and savory. I didn’t realize that the default doneness for the burgers there was medium well. Usually, I order my beef medium and thus was surprised how much I liked it. I wouldn’t change a thing.

My buddy Mike, a self-proclaimed turkey burger chef himself, got the Napa as a turkey burger, he prefers it to the beef it’s so good.

Emma ordered the hickory burger with barbecue sauce, bacon, and cheddar cheese. She raved about the bacon being the perfect size and crispiness. Her burger was as big as her and she put it away with scarcely a crumb left. She loves barbecue sauce on everything; she said, “It was smoky, sweet and just a little bit spicy but not too spicy.”

Xandy got the classic with cheddar cheese and loved the fresh bun that was buttered and grilled.

Frings! No one likes to choose between fries and onion rings so we were excited to see Frings, a basket of fries and onion rings. The Frings and all the sides come a la carte.

Evidently, Susan, my wife, had cookie dough for lunch because she ordered the Chinese salad as some sort of redemption dinner. She said the dressing was unique and wished they could sell her a bottle. She gave her stamp of approval to a small sample of both the fries and onion rings.

The manager was kind enough to give us a sample of the “two cabbage peanut slaw.” It was great: not creamy or greasy, but tangy and crisp. Try it. I want the recipe.

I like to grill just like many red-blooded American men, but getting a burger like I had, without all the shopping and clean up was a treat. And who am I kidding? I am never going to make basil aioli. I can barely even say it.