Immediately, The Grind‘s crisp, clean exterior draws you in.
The wood paneling on the awning and outdoor patio are welcoming, and rightfully so, as you’re in for some good eats. The new restaurant, which sits inside of Quarters, the arcade, bowling alley and laser tag arena on Sherwood Forest Boulevard, certainly lives up to the “sports lounge” name. There are TVs displaying the latest game highlights from every in-season sport everywhere you look.
The atmosphere is upbeat and electric, with the sounds of children’s laughter and families having a good time at the attached arcade reverberating throughout the building. It was Sunday when I went, and there was nonstop football action on each TV screen. So, I thought, what could be more fitting than a big burger and fries on a football Sunday in the afternoon?
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I ordered the “Hogzilla” burger, which consisted of a lean Angus beef patty topped with applewood bacon, glazed honey-bourbon pork belly, cheddar cheese, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato and onions with chipotle aioli.
When a burger is named “Hogzilla,” you might worry that it’ll be too massive to eat. But, luckily, this one was perfect. The crisp, juicy bacon and pork belly with fried egg underneath perfectly complemented the Angus beef. It’s a hearty burger that leaves you more satisfied than stuffed.
As a side, I ordered the regular house fries, which to my surprise was a mixed basket charmingly presented in a newspaper. The basket contained an assortment of fries, from crinkle cut to waffle cut, and regular to Cajun fried.
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My lunchmate ordered the “Rajun Cajun” pizza, and it looked so good that I had to try some. The pizza was made with a tomato basil sauce and featured blackened shrimp, Tabasco chili oil, andouille sausage, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, Roma tomatoes, sweet pepper and red onions. It tasted every bit as good as all those ingredients sound.
While there was a particularly long wait for the food—it was an extremely busy Sunday at a sports lounge after all—it was all worth it. For a lunch that good, I wouldn’t mind waiting again.
The Grind is at 4530 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. and is open the same hours as Quarters, Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
