Last Updated on Monday, 22 November 2010 17:45

Restaurants - Hamburger Specialists

Beachcorner

Mid-City: 4905 Canal. 504-488-7357. Map.
Very Casual
AE DC DS MC V

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
It's primarily a bar. But bars have a way of making the best hamburgers, and the Beachcorner is a good example of that phenomenon.

WHY IT'S GOOD
The hamburger here is the thick kind we used to call a "steakburger" in the 1960s, when such places as Ruby Red's and the Port of Call made them popular. The Beachcorner grills their burgers with excitement and serves them with good -quality grated Cheddar and all the dressings on the side. Also here are onion rings and overly thick French fries. Their menu includes other sandwiches, too. None are quite the standout that the hamburger is, but the grilled fish comes close.

BACKSTORY
The Beachcorner has been bar since at least the late 1960s, but the current management (and menu) didn't begin until 1993.

DINING ROOM
It's nowhere near any beach, and the closest corners are those of the cemeteries at the end of Canal Street. As a bar, it's unexceptional: pool tables, standard drinks and beer, televisions--all the usual accoutrements of the neighborhood hangout. The food keeps a more various stream of customers coming through, making the place friendlier to newcomers than the typical neighborhood bar.

ESSENTIAL MENU
Onion rings.
Hamburger.
Sausage sandwich.
Grilled chicken sandwich.
Grilled fish sandwiches.

FOR BEST RESULTS
The best time to eat here is late at lunch. But they stay open into the wee hours.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
It's a bar, and that means cigarette smoke.

FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.

• Dining Environment
• Consistency +2
• Service
• Value +1
• Attitude +1
• Wine and Bar
• Hipness
• Local Color +1

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES

• Open all afternoon
• Quick, good meal
• Easy, nearby parking