Restaurant names that conjoin two words with and or an ampersand are everywhere. Sometimes, they're classic places that bear the names of their founders. In other cases, they're concocted to create a certain image or describe some aspect of the restaurant's operations. In other cases, two words and a conjunction do nothing more than describe the kitchen's signature food. That approach is adapted into Spanish and given a Mexican-American twist with the downtown Phoenix burger-and-beer spot known simply as Hamburguesas y Cervezas.
spicy BBQ burger and fries
If it's not obvious, those words translate into English as "hamburgers and beers," albeit with no relation to a local chain with a similar name. With apologies to Schoolhouse Rock, the conjunction junction for this restaurant is the triangular light rail station at Roosevelt/Central. Hamburguesas y Cervezas is found just a half a block south of there with a location in the ground floor of the Union apartment building and an entrance facing First Avenue. Bike racks are found inside the Union garage, and a linear patio and outdoor bar counter face the street.
Roosevelt Row nachos
The restaurant's interior has a clean, simple look held over from a breakfast place originally at this location. It's straightforward with just a few decorative touches like shelves with Mexican tissue paper flowers on display. The bar is at the center of the space with seating scattered around a wedge-shaped dining room. Chalkboards announce what beers are on tap at any given time, as well as daily lunch specials like a slider or half burger with more manageable prices and portions than the hefty half-pound hamburgers described on the printed menu.
chicken torta with tots
As the restaurant's name and theme suggests, this is primarily a place for a beer and a burger with some Mexican influence. Appetizers mix traditions from both sides of the border. Wings come in several varieties, including pineapple habanero and al pastor, modeled after the classic preparation of pork. The Roosevelt Row nachos involve chips smothered in green chile queso, sliced radishes and jalapeños, corn, pico de gallo, crema, beans, and cotija cheese. A worthwhile next step is elevating them to a full meal with an additional topping of carne asada.
chorizo burger with onion strings
Queso fundido is presented as a smooth dish full of melted jack cheese adorned with strips of Anaheim chiles and served with corn tortillas. The Teeter Tots are a variant of the ubiquitous loaded fries on so many menus, only with puffed potato nuggets rather than long, thin French fries. Salads available as both sides and as full-sized entrees include a house version with mixed greens, tomatoes, red onions, cotija, and tomatillo ranch dressing. There is also an HC version of a classic Caesar salad and a wedge of iceberg with bleu cheese and bacon.
al pastor burger and side salad
Of course, most of the action here is focused on the burgers, and those also sport a Mexican-American flair in their assortments of toppings. The spicy BBQ burger has only a mild-to-medium heat level, but the tangy sauce melds effectively into a composite with the cheese within the bun. The al pastor burger blends some pork with the usual ground beef and incorporates guacamole and pineapple as its main toppings. The chorizo burger also involves some pork in the form of loose sausage blended with beef and topped with green chilies.
pineapple habanero wings and Caesar salad
Under the heading of "otra comidas," there are various burger alternatives. Two solid choices are the meatless vegetarian burger and the "El Sinaloa" hot dog stuffed with jack cheese, wrapped in bacon, and topped with onions, tomato, mayo, avocado, jalapeños, and ketchup. One disappointment is the chicken torta. It's available with two different sets of toppings, but in both cases, the chicken breast has proven to be tough, dry, and overcooked. All entrees come with fries, onion strings, tots, or a side house, wedge, or Caesar salad as a choice of side dish.
pozole
One noteworthy item offered only on weekends is "America's Pozole," reflecting the restaurant's ownership by the same people behind the original America's Taco Shop. The red stew full of pork and hominy is tasty and tender, but mild. A request for some heat, though, will yield some ground red chilies that bring the dish up to the desired spice level. While it's more common to see radish and cabbage on the side to be added as desired, here they are already blended into the pozole. That's one way of ensuring the customer eats some vegetables along the way.
jamaica cheesecake
Hamburguesas y Cervezas offers just one dessert: cheesecake. Its two flavors, both inspired by Mexican aguas frescas, are horchata and jamaica. Both are worthwhile indulgences, but the latter has both bolder taste and color, as would be expected with a flavor derived from hibiscus. The cervezas part of the restaurant focuses on tap handles that carry both Mexican and American beers with an emphasis on both well-known brands like Dos Equis and Modelo Especial and regional craft brews like Pizza Port Chronic Ale and the Shop's Church Music IPA.
Pizza Port Chronic Ale
There is also a full bar, and staff behind the counter can make standard drinks as well as signature cocktails like a pineapple serrano margarita or a First Avenue paloma. With its simple approach and mostly successful results, Hamburguesas y Cervezas sticks to its theme of a border burger joint. It's not the most trendy restaurant concept or name, and since the conjunction y is only one letter, there's little need for an ampersand in place of a word. In this case, a restaurant near a junction uses a conjunction to accurately describe its function.
888 N. 1st Ave., Phoenix AZ 85003
https://www.hamburguesasycervezas.com
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