Sunday, April 17, 2011

Congregration Ale House in LBC: Great Beer Selection and Juicy Burger


As many of you know, I love burgers. So when I perused the menu at this beer heaven, Congregation Ale House in Long Beach, it was a no-brainer. It was called a grilled rib-eye and cheddar burger. I confess my expectations weren't super high, only because I've been disappointed at other pubs many times before (York comes to mind. Village Idiot may be an exception).



This burger was very good. The patty was cooked medium rare just the way I like it -- slightly bloody but charred on the edges from the grilling. The works, including roasted tomatoes, grilled onions, arugula mixed greens and rosemary garlic mayo (although couldn't taste the garlic much), all blended together well. The bun was a ciabatta-type bread, which was not bad but I guess I just prefer a brioche bun with my burger.

The fries, both potatoes and sweet potato fries, were crispy, a bit on the oily side, but ok. I didn't love the dips they came with but maybe I should just try other ones as it offers a wide variety.

Speaking of variety, the beer selection is awesome. I, of course, had an IPA with my burger and the name escapes me. But part of the fun is trying new kinds of beer. The world is your oyster. Our group tried everything from a chocolate-flavored stout (sounds better than it tastes) and some pale ales that were very refreshing, to a "beer sangria" that mixed different kinds of beer to interesting results.

It got a bit hectic and crowded on a Friday night but worth a visit if you're a beer (and burger) person.

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