Grease.
When you hear the word a few things come to mind. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John may be one. The fact that you forgot to have your car serviced may be another. A bacon-laden cheeseburger dripping with melted cheese is what I think of.
If you’re on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach, Grease is the place to grab a burger, a cold beer and watch the game. Officially Called Grease Burger Bar, this burger joint is owned by the same restaurant group that owns Rocco’s Tacos, Big City Tavern, City Cellar and more.
I’ve been to Grease several times, usually on a Friday night when it’s noisy, a live band is playing (later in the night) and it’s next to impossible to get a seat at the bar. So when we arrived pretty late on Sunday night and there were only a few tables occupied and a scant few at the long bar, I was relieved we could enjoy a meal without the added hustle and bustle.
With Sunday Night Football playing on the many televisions at the bar, the volume was cranked up loud enough that I kept having to ask my dining companion to repeat himself. Either it’s a sign I’m getting old and going deaf, or they simply had the sound way too loud for a fairly empty restaurant.
We sat at one of the many high tops that line the wall opposite the bar. The restaurant is a long narrow space with the bar running the entire length of the restaurant with tables opposite. There’s also outside seating should you want to eat out on the sidewalk and do some people watching on Clematis Street.
We started out with some appetizers, the first being an order of wings. Available either breaded or “naked” we chose naked with classic Buffalo sauce. While not as crispy as I would have liked, they were average sized and there wasn’t much sauce on them, so it was hard to tell whether or not they were spicy.
Next up was an order of fried pickles. They were pickle chips dipped in a batter then deep fried and served with a side of sour cream. Fried pickles are an acquired taste and I will admit I like them! These were good and I liked the fact that they were chips rather than spears, as they were much easier to eat and share.
Since I’ve had the burger here before, I left my dining companion to give it a shot and I ventured into a menu section you won’t find at many restaurants – the Bratwurst section. There are several different brats to choose from and they’re all billed as being cooked in heaps of onion and butter in Arrogant Bastard Beer. I chose the “Sheboygan” Wisconsin Style brats, which are served on “everything” buns and topped with bacon, mushrooms, and onions and served with pickles. All orders of brats come two per order and admittedly I did not finish the second one.
It’s a big meal!
The brats were not fatty or greasy. I would have liked mine grilled a little longer, however. The casing gave a nice snap with each bite and the bacon, onions, and mushrooms were a great addition.
Enjoyable? Yeah.
My dining companion chose the Classic Cheeseburger, a 10oz burger topped with American Cheese and Bacon and cooked well done. The burger comes with a bun with the Grease logo “toasted” into the top which seems to be a fad for decorative purposes only. The burger was cooked to his liking and came with a good amount of bacon compared to the one disappointing slice you get at some places. The burger got two thumbs up, and I can attest to that, as I’ve had them here before and have never been disappointed.
If you’re going for a burger when you’re at Grease Burger Bar, don’t expect to get fries with your beef. Sides are extra, but the price of burgers start at $9.95 for the Classic Hamburger. Sides start at $2.25 for a small order of Russet Potato Fries, or you can get tots, broccoli, and other assorted additions to make your meal complete.
To make your burger your own, there are 20+ toppings to add (for an additional charge) from a fried egg and avocado to “Hell Sauce” and bacon wrapped goat cheese, “Burger Bling” starts at $0.75 and tops off at $2.50.
For the health conscious (kind of weird to be that when you’re having a cheeseburger), you can get it “bun-less” over a salad.
Overall, Grease is an affordable option for a good burger on Clematis. I would definitely pick it over Bar Louie or Duffy’s if you’re looking for that cheeseburger fix after a long day of partying on West Palm Beach’s most famous street.
For more pictures of my dining adventures around South Florida, check out my @soflafoodfinds Instagram and follow my own personal Instagram @scottsanfilippo.