Now Open, Burger and Beer Joint at CityPlace

As a resident of downtown, I pass by new places being built all the time. One day they’re a boarded up store front, then it seems like the next day they’re open for business.

The Burger & Beer Joint opened in late October on the lower level of the Rosemary Avenue, across the street from Macy’s and next door to Brio Tuscan Grill. The place used to be home to a draft beer place, so I guess nothing much has changed.

Yes, the beer is the main reason to come here. During Happy Hour, all drafts are half-price. And they have a nice selection, including many of the local breweries such as Funky Buddha and Due South. There are also some nice surprises, including the one I tried: Founder's Breakfast Stout. They also have Angry Orchard Hard Cider on draft, too.

The also have dozens of beers in bottles, but those are not offered on Happy Hour.

House wines and well drinks are half-off, as well. I don't know what their well brands are, but a quick glance at their wine list tells you pretty clearly to stick with beer.

There are no food specials, but they have plenty of appetizers ($7-12) to choose from, filed under "The Snacks" on the menu. I tried the Fish and Chips. Not bad, but not really $8 worth.

One other note. This place has the same issue endemic to most bars in the downtown West Palm Beach area--or indeed, much of South Florida, for that matter. I speaking out an entire bar staff that is visibly indifferent to the presence of customers. It's really hard to believe that these people work for tips, because they just can't be bothered to put forth the slightest effort at engaging with customers. 

I'm going to speak more about this in a future post. But suffice to say that I'd like to highlight the few exceptions to this rule, and encourage folks to consider the service at these places when choosing where to spend your time and money.

Burger & Beer Joint

Happy Hours: Monday through Friday only, from 4 -7.

550 SOUTH ROSEMARY AVE. #158

CITY PLACE WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33401

Phone: 561.366.7188

City Cellar Wine Bar and Grill

One of the anchor businesses in CityPlace is the City Cellar Wine Bar and Grill. It's located on the upper level next to Mojitos Cuban Cafe, and across from the now-defunct Brewzzi (soon to be replaced by City Tap House, the subject of a future post).

City Cellar is owned by the Big Time Restaurant Group, who also own several other brands around South Florida, such as Rocco's Tacos and Louie Bossi's. This group generally does a pretty good job of combining a fun environment with solid menu, and City Cellar is no exception. In fact, it's my favorite restaurant in their portfolio.

For Happy Hour, they offer 1/2 price on all drinks except bottles of wine and ultra-ultra premium liquor. So really anything you'd drink on a normal day is half off. No gimmicks, no 2-for-1, nothing that you have to think about. Just half price.

Note that their normal prices are on the high side, so half off, while a good deal, is not "cheap," light you'd find at a local smoke-filled tavern that serves only stale popcorn and pickled eggs for food.

Indeed, the food at City Tavern is quite good if you're coming for dinner. Their Happy Hour food menu is just "OK," with one notable exception. The Pizza. It's actually the best you can find in downtown WPB (and I lived in Italy for several years, so I feel like I know good pizza).

In South Florida, I normally opt to sit at an outdoor bar when available to enjoy the weather and the view. However, at City Tavern I almost always sit inside, for a few reasons. First, because the outdoor bar is small, and normally crowded and uncomfortable. And second, because the management seems to always station the better (read: friendly, efficient, knowledgeable) bartenders inside, while the ones outside are often distracted and indifferent. Plus, they don't have a full bar out there, so often the bartender has to go inside to get your drink.

Bottom line: in my opinion it's the best Happy Hour within CityPlace. There are several new places opening soon (November/December 2015 - January 2016) so let's see if any of them can knock City Cellar off the top spot. Stay tuned.

Happy Hour is ONLY at the two bars, not at the dinner tables.

Happy HOURS: Every day from 4 -7.

700 SOUTH ROSEMARY AVE.
CITY PLACE WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33401
Phone: 561.366.0071