High on Fire - Not Just for Ears Anymore!

My friends, if they read my blog, will probably roll their eyes as soon as they realize I'm writing a blog entry about Kuma's Corner. I can understand that reaction. As it's been written up by GQ, Playboy, Time Out, Check Please!, I'm hardly breaking new ground. There is probably little I can add to the masses of letters in print and digital form that have been spoken about Kuma's.

But I don't care. I love the place.

If you go, no matter what time, you should expect to wait. And wait. And wait some more. The kitchen is small; your clothes will smell of meat. You will have heard more doom metal than you ever thought you'd listen to at a restaurant. And as the wait will take at least an hour, sometimes two hours, you will probably be much drunker than you expected by the time you sit down. With a nice beer list of some offbeat and enjoyable beers, as well as whiskey on tap, getting more inebriated than you expect is a treat - if you like whiskey or beer. If not, waiting can be a chore.

After finally being seated; face flush with alcohol, cheeks red, ears humming with tinnitus (okay, not really, it's not that loud, but you get the idea), you're faced with a menu. Over 20 burgers, with names like Dark Throne, Motorhead, Pantera, Mastodon flash before your eyes. Do I want a burger with bourbon soaked pears? Chipotle peppers and goat cheese? Ranchero sauce and tortilla strips? The choices are dizzying. One of my favorites is the High on Fire. A 10 oz patty atop a pretzel roll. Topping it are: Siracha hot chili sauce, a slice of prosciutto, a roasted red pepper, grilled pineapple and sweet chili paste. No cheese; I don't think it needs it, although my wife to be disagrees with that. I think all women believe cheese makes anything better.

High on Fire:


Bay Area metal band High on Fire inspired the luscious burger above. Check out the video for "Rumors of War" from Death is This Communion, their fourth record. Like the burger, it's loud, awesome...and no cheese.