Our columnist Harris David highlights the spots across the country intersecting heavy culture and good food in creative, delicious ways.
Table for 1 or 2? We won’t judge, we just want to make sure you’re eating good! We have put together another awesome menu full of burgers, pizza, sandwiches and even a boozy milkshake.
Every month we try our hardest to find you great burgers, pizza, drinks, tacos for both the meat-eater and Vegan crowd; and this month is no different. For February, we have you lovers covered with a heavy dose of monthly burgers and pizza. February is dropping new monthly menu items from our friends at Grill Em All, Kuma’s Corner, Sizzle Pie, Epic Deli and Zombie Burger + Drink Lab. Our friends the Evil Cooks are returning to menu with another awesome creation. We hope you dig this month’s menu as much as we do. Cheers!Grill Em’ All just celebrated their 10 year anniversary of their Valhalla last month. This Los Angeles burger institution was started by Chef Ryan Harkins and former professional wrestler Matt Chernus. They served gourmet burgers out of a food truck back in 2009. Before opening up their heavy metal themed brick and mortar they won the first ‘Great Food Truck Race’ and were featured on the ‘Best Thing I Ever Ate.’ Their popularity led them to lay their food trucks to rest and serve burgers and fries out their restaurant in Alhambra, California.
This month’s featured burger is named after the multi-hyphenate metal legends, PRIMUS, and AEW Champion, Max Friedman. Just a personal note, I think the great folks at Grill Em’ All really missed the boat on calling this the ‘Wynona’s Big Brown Burger’. This monster burger takes a 1/2 lb burger patty and absolutely smothers it in ‘Sailing the Seas of Cheese’ cheesy chili, jalapeño bacon, cheddar, and garlic chipotle sauce.
This month’s PRIMUS Fries take this house cut fries and smother them in cheddar, cheesy chili, jalapeño bacon, and garlic chipotle sauce.
It’s been a few months but we can’t keep our good friends off of the menu for too long. Pobre Diablo and La Bruja have been in business over a decade but in the past few years they’ve decided to focus on food production on a smaller scale to give more attention to their customers. LA has some of the best taquerias outside of Mexico but their concept is a little different than most. They specialize in street gourmet tacos and are notorious for their Black Al Pastor and Black Octopus.
This mega sized torta takes 2 lbs of pure heavy metal black al pastor mixed in a mosh pit of flavor with green chorizo and mozzarella cheese.
Kuma’s started in 2005 with its flagship location at the corner of Belmont and Francisco avenues in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood. From their origins as a corner bar with solid American bistro fare, they’ve grown to five locations that offer the finest burgers available on this planet or any other.
Our Fierce Bites faithful know Kuma’s Corner comes correct with a crazy burger and a stacked Mac N Cheese of the month. And with every BOTM and MOTM purchase, $1 gets donated to a charity. This month’s unholy offering is benefitting Insect Asylum. The non-profit museum, created and curated by Nina Salem, offers daily tours, classes, events, artisan products, commission art, live animal and insect interactions.
The Ghost burger takes a 10oz Kuma’s patty and blesses it with braised goat shoulder, ghost pepper aioli, aged white cheddar, red wine reduction and an unconsecrated communion wafer.
Founders Matt Jacobson and Mikey McKennedy came together and envisioned an independent pizzeria that would serve up the perfect slice. In 2011, they opened up their first location on East Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon. Since then, they have consistently ranked in the top 10 independent pizzerias in the country. They serve East Coast style slices and pies with a healthy blend of West Coast flair by turning the freshest, highest-quality ingredients into tried and true classics with bold new pizza visions in a variety of meat, veggie, and vegan options.Sizzle Pie has started this awesome program where they partner with a different charity every month. When ordering online or through their app, opt for the ‘Sauce Heart’ to support the charity. This month’s sauce hearts support JOYRX. Their programs help reduce the loneliness, stress and perception of pain for more than 21,000 sick children annually.
This month’s pie is inspired by the Oscar nominated film ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once.’ The Hot Dog Fingers has a red sauce base topped with their signature cheese blend, Olympia Provisions Frankfurters, topped with Bubbies Pickles, fresh diced white onion and aspirin of yellow mustard.
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab are famous for their inventive flavor combos and once you look through their menu you’ll see just how inventive they can get. The GOREmet eatery evokes a classic roadside burger stand but in a ‘post apocalyptic chic’ setting. They proudly pair fresh ingredients with expert preparation. Zombie Burger features their very own custom three-cut beef burger blend, specially-crafted buns, and hand-mixed shakes.
This appropriately named sandwich stacks shaved Chicago-style Italian beef, fried fresh mozzarella, house-made giardiniera and served with au jus.
This popular McHenry, Illinois eatery is known for their subs, sandwiches, chimichangas, crazy appetizers, craft beer, cold brew coffee, and dessert. Epic Deli creates a special menu every month along with a Vegan companion. Whether you’re Vegan, vegetarian, keto/low carb or just an over-indulging carnivore; they have something for you.
The shake is blended with Below Zero Soft Serve ice cream, Dough Ball Chocolate Chip Whiskey and Dr. Pepper Strawberries and Cream soda.
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