Food – 5/5
After a long day of walking and errand running in the spring quarter sunshine (which, to be honest, we could use a little more of during mid-terms), a delicious, juicy sandwich and ice-cold drink were exactly what I needed. It was Saturday evening before one of Phi Sig’s always-awesome Bar Nights, so my friend decided to strike preemptively and order the Hangover Burger, a massive merger of premium Kobe beef, bacon, egg, avocado, cheddar, steak sauce, and chipotle spread with a side of thick-cut, golden brown French fries.
“In the words of Winston Churchill,” he began when I asked for a description, “fucking amazing.” Alright then.
At first, I wanted to go for the pulled pork sandwich, but that would’ve been redundant after The Creamery, so I went for the Island Burger instead: grilled chicken breast, Swiss cheese, grilled pineapple, house-made Teriyaki sauce, and special Workshop spread on a golden bun, with a side of some of the best sweet potato fries I’ve ever had in my life. The Axe and Palm are a bunch of amateurs next to these guys.
Service – 4/5
The restaurant is self-seating, and our waiter was very sweet and patient when my friend was a little late. Our orders were taken quickly but took about 20 minutes, and they were a pretty slow in dropping off and picking up the check, even though the restaurant was almost empty.
Price – 3/5
The prices were pretty average for University Avenue: my chicken sandwich was $9, and the epic Hangover Burger was about $13. (But really, can you put a price on hangover recovery?) I’m kind of bummed that we missed Happy Hour (3-6pm every day), but good info for next time, since they apparently offer a burger + fries + beer special, $2.50 beers, $2 sliders, $2 fries, and other great deals on small dishes.
Location and Setting – 4/5
Ladies, take heed: if I had one gripe about the Workshop, it would be that their seats are neither comfortable nor conducive to wearing short skirts. Especially the bar stools at our tall table by the street-side window. Poor planning on my part? Maybe, but it was the best table. The interior is pretty cool – it basically looks like a “workshop” with a long bar, wooden 4- and 6-tops, with a few taller 2-tops by the windows and a couple tables on their minimal sidewalk space. It’s clean, bright, homey, and has a bunch of big flatscreens always tuned to ESPN, or some NCAA variation thereof. The location, on the same block as Haagen-Dazs and that sushi place that people don’t really go to, is great for pre- or post-dinner strolls. On a warm evening, it was great for long, politically incorrect conversations, people-watching, and decompressing after a ridiculous Stanfordian week.
Good for… filling your stomach before Bar Night, eating magnificent burgers while watching sports, and taking out friends who are visiting from other schools. (I’ve never done that, but it seems like a good idea.)
Photos courtesy of The Workshop.