I have been to venues whose product offerings vary in an attempt to attract a broader audience, but I have never been to a restaurant that has left me with such confusion. Is this a burger joint? Or a coffee shop? Burgers and espresso? Mexican food and a smoothie bar? This leaves me to question the obvious: with such a diversified menu, what is your specialty?
Overwhelmed by the split personalities of the Buckhorn Grill, I followed the advice of the sweatshirt pinned to the wall behind me. Emblazoned across the back it read, ‘Buckhorn Grill: Best Bucking Burger in the World.’ Basing my decision on a slogan was perhaps not the wisest of decisions but so be it. I decided upon the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger – what I received was a plate full of disappointment. The fries were stringy and nearly tasteless! The burger itself was compacted and tasted freeze-dried. To top it off, the bun was crumbly to the touch and soaked with burger grease, what little satisfaction there was to be found was left to the two strips of bacon.
‘The best bucking burger in the world‘ is nothing more than a pretense. To shed a more truthful light it should be ‘the best Smart&Final has to offer.’ Of course this wouldn’t imply that you would receive your dinner at a wholesale price. Far from it. At around $10 a plate for a burger and fries, you could buy the whole bag of frozen patties and fire up the George Foreman with very similar results.
The gracious and very attentive wait staff softened my discontent, enough to order a scoop of Dreyer’s strawberry ice cream for dessert, which was an absolute delight. You can’t go wrong with the creamy delectable sweetness that is Dreyer’s ice cream. It was a pleasant way to end my meal.
At the arrival of the bill I was disgruntled at the price, in comparison to the quality, but very happy to tip my waitress. A great wait staff goes a long way.
The Buckhorn Grill is open promptly at 6 a.m. for breakfast and also serves lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Buckhorn Grill
11253 Brockway Rd Suite 106
Truckee, CA 96161
530-582-9800
