Gaslamp-going locals have an assortment of Vegas-style nightclubs to choose from. This San Diego nightlife genre translates to high heels, designer jeans, no "caps," and big bottle service fees to accompany ostentatious attitudes and lines. So where do we go to get back to our Diego-no pun intended-roots? Well, to New Zealand, of course.
Bare Back Grill, though it boasts "New Zealand Burgers and 'Wiches," represents everything we've ever loved about San Diego: the beach, burgers and brews, or in the wise words of Jeff Spicoli: "All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz and I'm fine."
The original Bare Back in Pacific Beach, though aptly placed along Mission Boulevard, is no longer the only spot where San Diegans can get their dose of New Zealand zest laced with a San Diego mindset, as the Bare Back Grill brotherhood has expanded its reach into the center of the Gaslamp Quarter.
PJ Lamont, Bare Back's founder, inspired by New Zealand's delectable recipes for mouth watering burgers and other tasty tidbits, wanted to create a relaxed and casual atmosphere to complement the tranquil San Diego lifestyle. Although "tranquility" rightly represents the beach, it may not be a term one would associate with the Gaslamp; yet, Lamont believes that bringing a little coast to the downtown skyline might be a much needed escape for all those down-townies looking for a place to kick back.
Like Bare Back's original location, the new Bare Back Grill of the Gaslamp is an open-air venue where guests can opt to sit along the sidewalk and watch the world go by on E Street, hang outdoors at the bar, or chill indoors and enjoy the pleasant breeze. Yet, being indoors, if one should so choose, is almost like being outside immersed in the wild. Each table and the main bar is handmade from Juniper trees. Above, beautifully crafted iron palms reign over the interior while reggae music wafts through the restaurant and surf movies play away along the walls.
This man-made paradise pairs well with any of Bare Back's drafts, like Steinlager from New Zealand or Cooper's, which hails from Australia - so heavy it'll make you feel like you're already down under. The new Gaslamp Bare Back has also added liquor to its behind-the-bar line-up, but don't ask for their one and only specialty - it makes a Jager Bomb seem like a Shirley Temple.
Let us note that a frosty brew on an empty stomach just isn't right. A Bare Back brew is never complete without a juicy burger, and this restaurant will never leave you feeling unsatisfied. Lamont, who picked up on these Queenstown favorites by literally, "standing in the kitchen and learning the recipes," stays true to one particular New Zealand taste with the BBG (Bare Back Grill sauce), a homemade tomato chutney. Organic obessives will also be pleasantly surprised to find that all of Bare Back's beef arrives from organic farmers from Northern California and is freshly ground at each Bare Back location.
Lamont has also added a few new menu items to the Bare Back Gaslamp, giving PB locals more reason to leave the beach. A few new menu residents are the meat and veggie pies, hand made by kiwi-import, "Aunt Devi." And if that's not enough, dessert is now being offered at the Gaslamp spot - and we aren't just talkin' about milk and cookies here. Go for a "Barely Legal," or "Illegal," cookie "pie," which is, put simply, a freshly baked, still gooey cookie in a small pan with velvety ice cream on top.
Though the food is tempting on its own, the Gaslamp location is offering other exclusives that locals just can't get anywhere else. Sports nuts should clear their calendars because Bare Back is giving several good reasons to get off the couch and drop the remote for the 2008-2009 San Diego Chargers season.
Every Monday night former NFL players will be personally delivering pitchers of beer, Jager shots or "players platters" during the Monday Night Football Party. Or stick around after the game and hang out for trivia and gift giveaways. Starving, or not so starving musicians should stop in on Big Wednesdays for open mic night, beginning early October. And for competitive drinkers Bare Back offers friendly beer pong games with the price of a $10 pitcher, every night of the week. More notable specials at the Bare Back Grill in Gaslamp include: Tijuana Tuesdays with $5 Kiwilango and $5 Margarita Schooners, and the Weekend Special with $2 Bloody Marys and Mimosas from 11am-3pm Saturdays and Sundays.
Though the new Bare Back Grill of the Gaslamp has certainly added some upscale flair to satisfy downtown standards, fans of the original Pacific Beach spot will discover the new Bare Back has not lost any of its laid back flavor; reggae devotees, dead-heads, surfers, beach babes and permanent vacationers alike are fixtures of both locations. From flowing draft beers to open air breeze, Bare Back Grill gives us a little of everything we love about San Diego - down-under-style.
Insider Tip: Bare Back keeps it real with $2 Red Stripes, Jamaican punch, and live Reggae music on Thursdays, as well as $4 you-call-its on Fridays - a deal you won't find anywhere else in the Gaslamp.
Check out Bare Back Grill Monday Night Football photos here.
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