I had noticed the renovations taking place over the past few months at the old Island Grill property. The social media posts started unfolding several weeks ago, and it looked like a cool concept -- burgers and cars. The St. Augustine Record reported the background of the new business and its owners on Sunday, July 5 (read the story here). Obi's opened for business at 4pm yesterday (July 6).
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| Blast from the past gas pumps, and a real working air pump for your bikes and inflatable beach toys |
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| Check this out! |
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| "Sit on it, Potsie".... |
Obi's has a house-branded beer, the Obi's High Octane Red Ale. And, what's that about "frozen beer"? More on that...
All of the automotive signs in the dining area make for a fun environment. There's a lot of fun stuff to look at. And, you can look out the front window right onto A1A Beach Blvd. and watch the cars and people. There are tables and counter seating. The staff is very friendly, and I even met one of the owners, Angelo!
The menu, as you might expect, revolves around cars. The "Jump Starts" appetizer menu includes such things as "Cadillac Chips," "Big Block Piston Rings," and "Dip Sticks." The burgers are generally half-pound behemoths, each with different toppings, with names like "The Corvette," "The Fire Engine," "The Rolls Royce," and "The Jalopy." There's even "The Dominator," a 24oz. mega burger with brisket, bacon, cheeses, grilled onions, sweet peppers and sauce on a pretzel bun. Eat that one in 24 minutes, and you'll get your photo on the Obi's Wall of Fame (not sure what you'll look like after that, but if you're up for that, go for it!) You get the "standard equipment" on the burgers, and you can opt for "performance upgrades" for a slight upcharge. If you don't want the bun, you can get just the burger, "convertible" style! But, let's talk about the buns: they're big enough to hold the burger, but they're just right. Just get your hands on one, and you'll see what I mean.
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| That's me with the red ale and The Mustang burger: half-pound, with onion rings, bacon, barbeque sauce on Obi's bun. Get your hands on one. (Photo from Obi's Facebook page) |
And, if burgers aren't your thing (say what), there are other options here, too: bison burger, turkey burger, chicken, ahi tuna steak, and fresh catch sandwiches. If you're looking for a deli sandwich, they've got that covered, too: grilled cheese, BLT, pastrami, corned beef, ham, and brisket. Add in a few hot dog/sausages choices. Dessert? There's a fried cheesecake, banana puddin', and cookies, cakes and pies. They also offer some breakfast items, including Elvis' Pink Cadillac Pancakes with peaut butter and bananas.
Like I said last night, you might need to go run a 5k after this, but your stomach and taste buds are gonna be happy campers.
There are seven taps of beer on draft, including a house-branded red ale, the Obi's High Octane Red. It's an all-around easy-drinking red. And, then, there's that frozen beer. Get a shot of frozen margarita or frozen apple cider on top of any beer. It'll keep the beer cool! Of course, I tried one: Stella with margarita. Might give a whole new meaning to "start your engines."
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| Keep cool, baby... frozen beer |
All in all, very cool and fun place here with some amazing burgers. Obi's Fillin' Station is located at 590 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine Beach. You don't need a "little deuce coupe," and if "Daddy took your T-bird away," your other car will know how to get here.
Well, I have to go do that 5k now....
Hey, I'm always looking for a new place to visit, but it's gotta be fun! (and usually there's a beer or two around, because let's face it, I need something to do). Got an event coming up that you think I might like to know about, or food or drink that's really cool? Get at me, I wanna know! It's harmless, really: brewnymph@comcast.net, or through the box on the brewnymph.com website.
Cheers! Til next time!