The names of the burgers alone got me excited: "Caliente", "Napa" and "Californian". And the menu is just the start. Before I dive into the food, first a bit on Deemers. During our recent lunchtime visit we spoke to the manager, who was friendly and eager to share the restaurant's story. Recently opened by Kevin Deemers, a Newport Beach chef and restauranteur, Deemers American Grill offers a straightforward menu of burgers (beef, turkey or chicken), salads and sandwiches. Kevin was the man behind the former Yankee Tavern in Newport Beach and also spent time in the kitchen of the Ritz Carlton. Deemer's, his latest venture, is focused on gourmet burgers in a non-white table cloth environment. The competitive advantage: Deemer's is one of the only burger joints to grind their own meat. According to the manager, most of the competition buys their patties pre-made.
The friendly staff, comfortable and clean interior and enticing menu forshadowed a tasty Sunday afternoon lunch. I ordered the Caliente burger while my wife sampled the Classic with Cheese. The Caliente was a no-brainer order for me:queso fresco cheese, sauteed jalepenos, beefsteak tomato, iceberg lettuce, with Deemer's fire sauce. We also ordered a basket of fries and a side of peanut coleslaw.
The Caliente was fantastic and the freshness was obvious. The patty itself was slightly crumbled (in a good way) and to me indicated that it was not a pre-formed patty. You know those hand-formed homemade burgers that sort of crumble when you sink into them? Not sure how these guys form the patties, but I got the feeling of homemade while I was eating. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the Classic with cheese...so much that I wasn't able to steal a bit for research purposes!
The Caliente was fantastic and the freshness was obvious. The patty itself was slightly crumbled (in a good way) and to me indicated that it was not a pre-formed patty. You know those hand-formed homemade burgers that sort of crumble when you sink into them? Not sure how these guys form the patties, but I got the feeling of homemade while I was eating. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the Classic with cheese...so much that I wasn't able to steal a bit for research purposes!
The fries might have been the dark horse of the whole matter. Thick-sliced potatoes lead to crispy and lightly seasoned goodness. The peanut coleslaw was a bit of a let down. I love peanut coleslaw, but this one left much to be desired. I think the peanuts were on strike--I couldn't find them in my bowl.
Bottom line: Deemer's delivered a fresh, tasty burger and an overall great experience. So far my favorite burger of the year and I can't wait to go back to test the "Buffalo": blue cheese, red hot sauce with two cabbage peanut coleslaw.
Deemer's American Grill
27221 La Paz Road
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(949) 425-8770
-B
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