B List Burger Bar has been open for about two weeks and, despite a lack of signage, its owner reports business is booming.
Jeff Wetzel, the fresh restaurant's proprietor, said he's been in the foodservice industry a quarter of a century, working in catering and fine dining and he's brought all that experience to his new restaurant -- though it focuses on being affordable, he added.
"I'm okay being the b-list and getting back to just feeding the everyday people," he said.
The restaurant, located at 1721 Forest Hills Blvd., is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m.
Wetzel said he would like to open for lunch on Mondays but does not currently have adequate staff and does not want his current staff to see excessively long workdays.
The menu includes burgers with a wide array of meat and non-meat options, as well as seafood, which Wetzel said he's very proud of.
While seafood is something of a favorite and could have been a focal point of the restaurant, he explained, burgers were selected to make the menu more affordable.
Despite the emphasis on affordable food, he explained, the restaurant isn't skimping on quality. Wetzel said he's proud of the food he serves and everyone works hard to put it together.
"We do everything in-house. Everything. We bake all our own breads every day, we make the pickles, I mean everything is made in-house. There's no freezer in my building, everything is made fresh," he said.
"It's what my customers deserve, you know, we're a restaurant."
A personal favorite, he said, is the elk burger, Montana elk that's ground locally, then grilled, topped with smoked gouda, arugula and a roasted shallot aioli.
Another burger, the Back the Blue burger, features a blackened brisket burger topped with blue cheese, bacon, and a tomato fondue prepared in-house.
Deviled eggs have proven extremely popular, he added, noting he struggles to keep up with demand for them.
As the restaurant continues to get off the ground, he said, he plans to host live music Friday and Saturday evenings.
Wetzel said he opened the place after seeing the site vacant and going to check it out to sate his curiosity about the place.
"I actually ended up coming home with the keys that night ... so we weren't really planning on it," he said.
