Desert Post Weekly - Thursday, June 9, 2005

That's one Giant gorilla burger

New downtown restaurant puts America's favorite food in the jungle

By Valerie Christopher

It's a jungle downtown Palm Springs. So why not devour a patty between bread like you never have before?

Grill-A-Burger opened in January and celebrates an All-American food that never gets old - it just gets bigger.

That is what business partners Rick Ameil and Dean Talbott understood about the hamburger - that it was a food so gigantic it needed a gorilla as its logo.

"If you say Grill-A-Burger really fast, it sounds like you're saying, 'Gorilla Burger,'" says Ameil. "We wanted to create a fun, unique experience in Palm Springs that would have people coming back for more."

And they will. In this diner-style restaurant, Ameil has created an environment with walls reminiscent of a jungle. Yellow orchids decorate the marbled stone bar, and bamboo poles give the impression a monkey may come out of nowhere swinging from one.

Pull up a chair at the bar and take in the sounds of eclectic music from 1970s rock to 1060s Motown.

All the food is made by hand - even their French fries, Ameil says.

With 12 different burgers on the menu, it's one reason why a Palm Springs couple says Grill-A-Burger is the way to go to get food that'll fill you up.

"The food is great," say Bill Buxton and Mindy Hodge.

"Oh yeah, I have two favorite burgers, and all I know is that when you can fill me up and send me back down the street to work, I'm a happy man," Buxton, manager at downtown's Kids Korner, says.

Buxton says he loves the magic mushroom burger served with fresh sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese ($6.95). His second favorite is the La Vida Loca burger served with mild Ortega chilies and Monterey Jack ($6.95).

The couple says they love Grill-A-Burger so much they have been coming every Saturday since it opened.

Buxton is also a fan of the eatery's iced tea, which is made fresh hourly.

A recent burger of the month was so popular it has found itself a permanent place on the menu. The New York steak sandwich, made with 8 ounces of grilled New York steak on a toasted roll with crisp romaine lettuce and vine ripened tomato, Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, is served with coleslaw or potato salad ($12.95). It is the most expensive item on the menu.

The double whammy burger truly is a bun buster. It's a double-decker with two half-pound patties, three slices of bacon and three pieces of cheese that seem to be a favorite among Marines and 18-year-olds, Ameil says.

"I have seen Marines or 18-year-olds with a 20-inch waistline come in here and demolish the double whammy and I wonder, 'where is the food going?'"

For beef haters, there is the mother clucker ($5.95), a 1/3-pound freshly ground chicken patty, seasoned, hand-pressed and grilled and served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle.

Or try salads such as the Beyond Be-leaf garden salad ($6.95) or Hail Caesar! Salad ($6.95) made with crisp lettuce tossed with crisp croutons, Parmesan cheese and a zippy Caesar dressing. Add grilled chicken breast for $2 more.

If there is room for more after guzzling Grill-A-Burger's Idaho potatoes and juicy burgers, try the handmade milkshakes served thick, rich and creamy in chocolate, vanilla or strawberry ($3.75) or an old-fashioned root beer float made with Dreyer's Grand vanilla ice cream ($3.25).

The patio can seat up to 70, and misters keep the area cooler. Hibiscus plants in full bloom highlight the patio.

"I wanted to create the jungle atmosphere outside so it reminds you of the movie 'Gorillas in the Mist,'" Ameil says.

Ameil has owned restaurants in San Francisco and Honolulu for more than 12 years. It's one reason he and Talbott knew downtown couldn't live with 'gorilla' burgers.

"I just think we are trying to concentrate on America's favorite sandwich," Talbott says.