Hollywoods Burger Bistro, Canton

UPDATE: THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED

I was invited to dinner at Hollywoods Burger Bistro, formerly home of Tangier's and Red Fish.  Though I was initially nervous about this restaurant's location - I think Hollywoods has the right kind of menu to get people to keep returning - it's interesting.  Seriously, take a look.  It's funny, first of all, but the choices are so intriguing that I think a lot of people will be willing to come back to try everything on the menu. I know I certainly want to, especially since I am bummed I didn't get to try these yummies:

o Nicole Kidman - $6 (sweet potato fries drizzled with chocolate and a side of cinnamon honey mustard)

o Princess Di Burger - $11 (bacon, sunny side egg, Lincolnshire cheddar on a toasted English muffin)
o Cheech & Chong - $13 (pot roast served over mash potatoes ) :)  

It also helps a restaurant when the food is delicious, and luckily, this place has that going for it as well!

Thai Calamari

So, let's start with the appetizers!  The Thai Calamari ($9) had a lovely sweet sauce, with a bit of a kick.  I’m usually not a fan of calamari, but perhaps I’m not a fan of it with marinara sauce because I definitely loved it served Thai-style. In fact, this was my favorite!

Sashimi Tuna Loin

The Sashimi Tuna Loin ($11) came in really nice thick slices with great seasoning, and topped with the Thai sauce that was also on the calamari. Excellent.  

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Not watching your weight?  Calories to blow?  Get this! :)  No, but seriously, the Lobster Mac and Cheese ($12) is just INCREDIBLY decadent.  It's so rich and creamy with a hint of sweetness from the lobster, of which there are plenty of large chunks.  Definitely share this treat – or order it along with a salad for a good dinner.  

 

Edamame

The Edamame ($6.50) was perfectly seasoned - definitely a crunchy and consistent appetizer for those watching your weight :)

Break Up Burger

Don't you just love these names?  The Break-Up Burger ($12) apparently pairs well with a Haagen-Dazs chocolate shake, according to the menu, but I'm not sure you're going to have room for that!  This burger is made with double thick apple wood smoked bacon and topped with chocolate (it doesn't say what kind, but I'd guess bittersweet).  

I was intrigued, but definitely a bit nervous, about trying this burger because of the chocolate (especially after the Peanut Burger at Abbey Burger Bistro), but the result was surprisingly tasty!  Despite the fact that it was dripping with chocolate it really wasn't overwhelmingly because the sweetness was tempered by the salty bacon.  You don't need to have gone through a messy breakup to have this burger, you just need to have a big appetite!

Additionally, if you want to create your own masterpiece - they have a great Create Your Own burger list with the greatest list of choices you will ever see!  Seriously. 

One important word about their burgers - they are fed an all-grain diet, free of hormones and steroids.  Knowing this, I am EXTREMELY impressed their prices are what they are.  You can taste the quality of the meat.  

Turkey Burger

On the other side of the spectrum is the Turkey Burger ($11) made with ground turkey, black beans, avocado, cheese, lettuce and crème fresh.  I LOVED this burger.  This is along the lines of something I would usually order, so I am so glad it met my expectations.  It tasted healthy yet hearty, very satisfying.

Carrot Cake

On to the desserts!  First up was the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese and Bacon.  Now, I am not a bacon fanatic, so I wasn't a huge fan of this - but I would imagine there are bacon lovers out there who would jump at the chance to try this.  Once again, I love the creativity of this place and they get bonus points for actually making the desserts in-house! I was told that they are constantly changing their desserts, so that's always fun!

Pistachio Cake

The Pistachio cake was definitely more of my taste - very light and moist with a creamy icing.  Loved it. 

They also have a ton of specials every day, here's a list and check it out here for more details:

Happy Hour Every Day 4-7pm: $3 House Wine, Yuengling & Loose Cannon Draught and $5 menu items
Monday: 2 for 1 burgers & pizzas for Monday Night Football
Tuesday: Karaoke
Wednesday: Bingo Night at 9pm
Thursday: Ladies Night, $5 bottomless cup for the ladies - guest DJs weekly upstairs
Saturday: Guest DJs at bar
Sunday:
o Brunch: 10:30-2pm - $14.95 for any item off the menu & bottomless bloody marys, mimosas, or sangrias
o Game Time Specials: 50 cent wings & buffalo shrimp, $3 Sierra Nevada & Blue Moon draughts
o 9pm-2am Industry Night: Drink specials all night for everyone in service industry with Guest DJs and Karaoke at the bar  

Sure, Hollywoods Burger Bistro is creative and interesting enough to draw people in initially, but I think people will quickly realize that you don't always need to order something wacky to get a good meal - everything, even the simplest of things just taste good.  So go there for the Nicole Kidman, but come back again and again for a juicy regular burger on a pretzel roll! So in one big conclusion - would I go here again?  Absolutely.

A big thanks to Dara for all her great pictures!

DISCLAIMER: Though this was a free tasting, I was not asked to write a positive review nor did I feel any inclination to write anything which did not reflect my true opinion of Hollywoods Burger Bistro.