Elmer's Beer & Sandwiches - Scott

My turn at the wheel. In the true spirit of the 'Dinner Club' I chose a decidedly guy's place that none of us would think of bringing the wives. It's a small beer bar called Elmer's down the hill from my house. They have steady local clientele, a pool table and plenty of historic flavor. Legend has it that they tried to update the 1970s decor at one point and the locals talked them out of it. 'Leave it alone' was the vote and they relented after only one wall of the bathroom was refinished. Anyhow, I've seen in our local paper that they have 'the best burgers in Simi' so it deserved a look. The draw here is the brick grill at the end of the bar. You can watch your burger being prepared right next to you as you sip the 'coldest beer' in town. As you can see by the menu, it's been around since 1972 so these guys have the script down cold. It has that aged and comfortable feeling that you can't fake.. The bartender and the fellow patrons couldn't have been friendlier. That says a lot considering it's pretty much all regulars night after night. Bill, son of the original owner Elmer, has a wooden plaque displayed prominently near the cooler that keeps his burger tally from his high school days until now. Yes, that's 11,368 he has personally consumed himself. It's a number that baffles the mind (and heart).
We each enjoyed a few beers and good conversation before ordering dinner. It's very simple here, just burgers or burgers and maybe a burger. No sides, no fries, just ground chuck grilled with pastrami, onions, cheese and/or a little mayo on the bun. Our orders varied from singles to doubles, extra cheese and that pastrami. All were hot off the grill and tasty. They're a lot like backyard burgers...simple but good. Comfort food. We enjoyed a long block of southern rock over the sound system, a sloppy game of pool and just took in the old-fashioned bar charm. There aren't too many places around like this in suburbia so we need to do our part in keeping them going. I like Elmers, there's definitely a time and a place for it. Since the crowd is friendly (and apparently there's no ageism), I'll bring Griffin in for a game of pool and some grub when he's older. It's a slice of life he'll need to experience.