Off the Wagon (Restaurant and Brewery)

Last Friday I was craving a burger. We've been making our own burgers at home, including the rolls, and they are pretty darn good. But not quite the same as eating out. Sometimes it's just nice to let someone else do the cooking! 

I've been wanting to try Off the Wagon ever since I heard they have one of the best burgers here in Venice. Loads of strangers on Facebook recommended this place! We arrived at around 4:30pm. (You know I like to eat early!!) And the place was almost empty. This was not a bummer as I also despise crowds.

Off the Wagon is a large, industrial-looking space with high ceilings, exposed ductwork, concrete floors, and urban-style accents. One side is reserved for dining, while the other side has a bar and pool tables, as well as a stage for live music. The metal chairs are not very comfy and don't encourage a relaxed dining experience.

Off the Wagon is also the home of Three Bridges Brewing Company. They offer a complete beer menu, and brew all their own beers on site. I tried a chocolate milk stout which was not too sweet and lighter than a Guinness. Interesting flavor and totally drinkable, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to have it again. The beers are $6.50 for a 12 ounce pour.

The burgers are about $12-$15 and come with your choice of cheese as well as fries. You can customize your burger with a wide variety of added toppings such as bacon, mushrooms, jalapeños, etc. Most of the optional toppings are $1 extra.

I chose to have cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, and spicy mayo on my medium-rare burger. I also selected the brioche roll, which is standard. I requested both fries and coleslaw on the side.

My burger came out a little on the rare side, with some of the beef actually raw and still cold in the center. This is not a disaster, as I'd prefer this to overcooked. But the grated cheese was not fully melted. The chopped romaine was difficult to keep on the burger. The spicy mayo was great, though.

My hubby chose the pretzel bun for $1 extra. His burger also came out cold in the center. This issue might be fixed if we went with a medium cooking temperature instead.

Our fries came out very dark brown. This may have been due to the cooking oil being older or possibly overcooking. The fries were not memorable and definitely not worth the calories. I have yet to find any fantastic fries here in Florida...

My coleslaw looked and tasted fresh, but lacked salt. This is a very common issue, and I'm always surprised that no one tastes the coleslaw to adjust the seasonings before serving it. 

Overall, I'd give our burgers a solid B. If I were grading the whole meal, I'd have to drop that down to a B- at best. The burgers are supposed to be a signature dish, so I had hoped for something outstanding.

We're still searching for the best burger in Sarasota County. At the present time, Shakespeare's English Pub in Sarasota is in the lead. Have you found a fantastic burger near me? Please let know where to go next!