The crew from Ben's Burgers has added local food lad Ben Devlin to their brand to create the Bleachers, West End's newest playground for snacks and booze. They've set a new benchmark for fried chicken by the way, for which a garlicky, crunchy coating clings to boneless thigh meat, and it's a droolworthy bit of thigh.
Out on the street front, bi-fold windows open to an all-white dining room with framed Charlie Brown comic strips on the walls. Delve deeper via a narrow hallway out the back, where you’ll find an outdoor bar and wooden, chain wire-backed, tiered bleachers. This is where all the action happens.
Smash through the menu starting with that luscious fried chicken with mayo and lemon wedge, or sink your teeth into some of that thigh inside a burger with lettuce, vinegary McClures pickles and creamy mayo. Glazed beef and eggplant burgers are given a tonkotsu flavour power-up, while the ‘Cheesy' is reminiscent of a Ben's Burger: furnished with a frill of lettuce, beef patty blanketed in cheese and the fat-cutting magic of pickles and onions.
As well as tonkotsu in the burgers, Japanese influence is found in a less likely contender for fusion – the waffle. Made with an okonomiyaki batter, the soft waffle is a platform for bacon, shreds of two-tone American cheese, tonkotsu and squiggles of Kewpi mayo. It's a dish richer than Donald Trump. Chili corn with thick slabs of garlic pickles, though mild, plays well as a side.
Finish with a Bleachers soft-serve cone – tonight’s flavour is a swirled duo of green tea and vanilla. Those rows of bleachers are the star spot to chug a few beers from the list of tinned or tapped with lagers, pale ales and ciders from Burleigh Brewing, Stone And Wood, Little Creatures and more. If it’s a school night fear not: there are milkshakes and sodas too. Head to the top tier and let the games begin.