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.
1401 N. Main St. East Peoria, Illinois
(309) 674-9191
257 References