Monday, April 26th, 2010—Bar 106

Day 106—Sunday, April 25th, 2010

Burger Barge

Okay, today I’m going to a bar that I’ve never been to in Peoria...well, actually it’s in East Peoria, right next to the Paradise Casino. It’s a place called the Burger Barge and my friend Rick Halberg suggested it. I’m meeting him there and heading over to Acme Comics where my pal Bob Gordon is going to drive us over the river and through the woods to the Burger Barge. Here we go! (P.S. Anyone who's emailing me or has a blog that I comment on, I want to let you know I'm on limited internet access for the next couple days. My folks don't have a computer or internet access, so if I don't get back to you or I haven't been commenting on your blog, that's why. I'll be back full time by the weekend.)

Here we are at Acme Comics, the only collectible store in Peoria at 2218 West Glen Avenue.

The store is packed with comics, dvd's, books, baseball cards, models, records and just about anything fun and collectible. I could spend all day in here, but I've got a bar to go to.

And I think I spy Bob right over there.

And yes, there he is, the owner and operator of Acme Comics, Bob Gordon!

And through the magic of the internet, here we are in East Peoria at the Burger Barge.

It's a funky and fun looking place.

Somebody give this guy a burger, it looks like he needs one!

And here's the Tiki Bar inside, looks like a fun joint.

Here's bartenders Turkey and Becky, they were friendly and fun from moment one.

Here I am with the lovely owner Gigi. She said she had a book in her office she had to show me. Perfect!

And here's my buddy Rick Halberg. Rick plays bass and adds vocals to the band Sister Groove. Check them out here: Sister Groove.

The Three Stooges, together again. Moe, Larry...cheese!

Candygram.

Jason and Jill were enjoying lunch at the end of the bar. I asked them the best thing on the menu and without hesitation they said, "everything."

Steve's a regular here who was wearing the Burger Barge's colors.

The back of his shirt says it all!

Here's the lively and fun dining room. Lots of tables to sit and enjoy food and drinks. Plus a couple big screen TV's.

There's surfboard tables in the back patio lounge area.

This giant party is the Twin City Crush party. Check out their facebook page here: Twin City Crush.

There's a great river view from the outside beach area.

Okay, back to the bar for some grub, I'm starvin' like Marvin over here!

We started out with the Breaded Luciano Cheese Blobs. Could these be named after my friend and PJS writer Phil Luciano? Upon closer inspection, I think so!

Our three cheeseburgers! Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo...they look delicious!

And they are! I attempt to devour mine in one Bluto-like bite. Goodnight everybody!

Review

The Burger Barge has been dry-docked in East Peoria for eight years now and the Captain of the ship is Gigi Irwin. She’s the owner and a friendly hostess who knows all her regulars by their fist name, it’s that kind of place. I found out that first timers are treated the same way and the bartenders, staff and patrons are all friendly and fun. There’s a large dining room in front with a large screen TV, colored lights and assorted tacky and wacky bric-a-brac on the walls which make for a fun and festive atmosphere in the joint. There’s a nice Tiki Bar to enjoy drinks and menus from the eclectic menu. The Burger Barge has an excellent river view and there’s a large  outside porch plus a little beach area with chairs and tables to fully enjoy the view on a nice day.

There’s a full bar at Burger Barge with a large selection of canned and bottled beer available. Cans go for $2.50 and bottles are a buck more. On Mondays cans of beer can be had for $1.75 a pop. The menu is huge, with burgers being their specialty. There’s 17 varieties to choose from and even a vegetarian one for those who don’t eat meat. Also on the menu are their Barge Sandwiches served on Pelican Bread and piled high with all kinds of ingredients. There’s also five assorted pork sandwiches, stuffed baked potatoes, hot dogs, fish sandwiches and appetizers. I recommend the Luciano Cheese Blobs (named after Peoria Journal Star writer, Phil Luciano). After all, I’m having lunch with him today.

Burger Barge

1401 N. Main St. East Peoria, Illinois

(309) 674-9191

Comments

[Professor Dungpie, Fountainhead of Enlightenment]

Looks like a fun little place with fun people! I think you and Gigi could make a nice couple! It may be fate...........She has a book she has been holding on to all these years called " A guy walks into a bar"..............and Shazam!........You walk into her Bar, and life! Marty and Gigi......Gigi and Marty.......Yeah.......has a nice sound! If not for love.........then website ratings perhaps..........I think a Marty wedding would be a nice touch for 365 bars!

[Gidget]

Ya Gigi is kinda hot.. and has great hair.. I like her...
and she likes burgers.. hummm....
this makes me want a burger...
I swear the midwest is the best place for burgers:)

Someday I gotta get to Peoria.. it looks cute:)

[Jaws the Cabbie]

I'ne been gobbling painkillers like crazy because pf the problems I've been having with my teeth and a lot of weird imagery tends to attach itself to whatever I look at or read about nowadays. This posting made me think of an Imperial Star ship (One of the big Corrillian jobs) pulling up to the Death Star with the Burger Barge's sign mounted on the upper deck, pulling up to the service port to service all those hungry Technicians (and perhaps even Darth Vader Himself
ordering up the house special with drool dripping out the side of his mask) inside the Death Star, while Luke Skywalker (stomach grumbling 'cause he don't get no Burger Barge) drops a couple of hot photon torpedoes in the Death Star's thermal exaust port!

[Zioum Zioum The Chainsaw who wants JHwang French!!]

I love this place !!!! the skeleton is hilarious !!! yum burgers look so good!! Everybody look so friendly in here! Brief, THIS BAR IS SO COOL !!!!!!!!

I totally agree with Professor Dungpie !!! :D and I strongly believe in Fate and there's sign you should look at to understand where life wants you to go through !! ;) ;) ;) ;)

It's like when I noticed that I almost wrote "Jason Hwang" in one of my painting (remember comentator corner!! http://www.themartywombachershow.com/daily-postings/2009/8/3/commentator-corner.html#comments), I did it unconsciously before to meet Jason ! and ... Shazam ! It has been the begining of the Love Story!! :D
And at the question "where did you meet dad?" I just love the idea to answer : "on The Marty Wombacher Show!" See motherfucker !!! ;) ha ha !

[Zioum Zioum The Chainsaw who wants JHwang French!!]

PS : TO GIGI AND MARTY !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[Biff]

Hey, are you that landshark? HA HA HA! I love this place and wish I had gone there for lunch instead of trying to turn a healthy corner by eating heart-healthy Campbell's old style chicken noodle soup. It BLEW! I'd much rather have a couple of Luciano balls.

["Boris"]

Cool Joint Marty and I can get there in about an hour.
(Speed Limits are for the rest of the World!)
Love the shark and the burgers look amazing!

[fitzy]

hey Marty, hey 365, sorry i've been outa the picture..... some how i managed to fuck my puter up & have just fixed the problem...gotta alot of catchin up to do....& $2.50 beers at the Burger Barge, now we're talkin! same price as at Kim's Place (inc bottled beer).....i would be taking advantage of those river views too, well as long as i didnt freeze my littl' sunburnt aussie arse off....is it warmin up over there YET or WOT????? its starting to cool down here of a morning, this morning i even had to put a t-shirt on....time to think bout moving on to my next summer....

[JHwang in France]

Great Place , Friendly people , & Dam Good Food , Yum .

Isn't faith spelled this way ?

Jaws The cabbie , sorry for your pain , but can I have some of the drugs you taking , want to trip about Star wars while at work , since this is the Death Star & need to find the port hole to blow it up !!!

[JHwang wants to be French]

Opp's I am not in France

[Jaws the Cabbie]

Jaws to JHwang, These drugs don't really enhance anything, they wreck your eye hand coordination and make you spill shit everywhere, and when sleep comes (if the pain will let it) everything has this sepia toned nightmare quality in my dreams, it's like being locked in a theatre and forced to watch a version of Eraserhead that never ends, while the lady in the radiator just won't shut up and insists on pointing out all the good parts!

[meleah rebeccah]

I love the kind of place where the hostess knows all her regulars by their fist name!

[Barfly]

I'd like to set up dock at this place, looks great. Lovin your Peoria road trip!

[rita r.]

i love this place, it must rock in the summertime!