Adam & Eats: Lawrence’s Bricktown Grill

Editor’s note: Adam Brandt is a graduate from the Cobra Kai School of Culinary Callousness, where he received their highest award, the Red Apron of Merciless Eating. Aside from eating and talking about eating, he makes pots, paintings, prints, books, photographs, and generally, a big mess. He has been the studio assistant at Mudpuppy Pottery for 10 years and is attending a local university in a desperate attempt to earn a biology degree.

This week I have someplace very special for you. Not special in that short school bus kind of way, but in that Magical School Bus way. So, prepare yourself for a flavor adventure to a place with a simple menu and a tiny dining room where they manage to pull both off without a hitch.

Located way out on Rogers Avenue, in what was once the White Gloves Tea Room, is the new home of Lawrence’s Bricktown Grill. When you walk in the place your first gut response is about its size. The place is tiny. Maximum capacity is probably around 30 people and that would be a pretty tight squeeze for your friendly and efficient waitress. Somehow the place manages to feel quaint, cozy, and welcoming rather than claustrophobic. It is like coming over to a friend’s for dinner (or lunch). It is a surprisingly nice feeling to come into a small restaurant. Enough about their size, let’s talk chow.

The menu at Lawrence’s is pretty laid back and straight forward. They cook on a grill. Well, for the most part. What they do with the grilled food varies. You want a burrito? You can get one. You want pasta? They’ve got you covered. Are burgers more your bag? Lawrence’s has what the doctor ordered. Overall the menu is a little tiny bit scatter-brained. Not as bad as say, Sephy’s in Van Buren, but still a little all over the place. Normally, this is a very bad thing, but LBG manages to make it cohesive and it totally works. And it all tastes great.

However, the stars of the show, in my humble opinion, are the chorizo burger and the California dog. The chorizo burger is just what it sounds like: ground sirloin and chorizo (a spicy Spanish pork sausage) blended together and formed into a patty, grilled, topped with Monterrey Jack, and placed on a bun with tomato, lettuce, red onion, and pickles. It is spectacular. Whoever thought up mixing sirloin and chorizo and shaping into a burger deserves a raise.

That is the more healthy option of my two favorites.

The second and way more decadent is the California dog. Try and imagine, if you will, two extra long beef hot dogs, wrapped in Applewood smoked bacon, then deep fried, placed on two buns, covered with chili, and smothered in Cheddar cheese sauce. One bite of this deliciously sexy dish will have you begging for more. And it will probably having you praying to Batman for an extra special protection for the cooks at Lawrence’s against evildoers. It is just that good.

The side dishes at LBG are almost entrees on their own. Not in the size department, but in the flavor sector. I don’t know if I have ever had grilled veggies as wonderful as the ones here. Cooked, but still crispy and crunchy. Light and bright with just a hint of seasoning. They are magnificent.

Also, if you feel like taking a trip down nostalgia lane all the way back to elementary school, try the mac-n-cheese. It is the stuff of childhood. Thick and creamy, this stuff is guaranteed to lodge itself in the yummy condos on the beachfront of your ribs. Approach with caution!

If you haven’t meandered down to see Lawrence yet, you really, really should. They are a true testament to the old adage that size doesn’t matter, it’s how you use it.

Until next week, good eating to you and yours.

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