One of the things I’m starting to enjoy about this city is the feeling of everyone having recently come from a sunny day at the beach. People look a little sand-dusted, wave-beaten and sun-toasted. They look weather weary but eager to finish the day in eating and chatting with friends. I was hanging out at the Garage in Riverside after a gorgeous April day and noticed that lingering beachy air on folks walking around.
I like your beard
Other passers-by had a more retro look. Once a waiter told me that this was where greasers hung out, a kind of funny description for 2017. But now I’ve seen some of the looks of this town and realized my waiter wasn’t entirely wrong. Mix in some beards and fancy mustaches. Add a dash of vests on men and a handful of artists, and you just might be near 5 points.
The Garage is a really neat weekend hang out. The food is cheaper than a lot of the places and the portions are great. I got a giant steak salad with blue cheese which was super yummy. Not fancy, but completely filling. The Garage is an inside outside place with an overflowing porch area, complete with cornhole, wood barrel tables and even some antique cars. The servers zipped around and did a great job juggling the hustle and bustle of bar-goers that crowded the place. We heard some indie music in the background and got to watch people strolling toward Kickbacks and the Loft. Some people were tripping into traffic a little too easily.
Antique cars and yummy carbs
This place is very different from some sports bar or chain restaurant. It has a slight divey feel, but a bit more personality than some hole in the wall. For instance, hanging upside down from the ceiling in the bar is an old metal bike. On that bike is a skeleton riding. It was very unique.
I visited this restaurant with a group of new friends. They ordered some tasty looking treats: mac N cheese (very cheddary delicious), cheesecake (with chocolate chunks on top) and grill cheese (with ruffles and spicy, slightly strange dip). It was fun to discover a new place and think about how I’m not in Orlando anymore and there’s mysterious all around waiting to be explored.