The Pacific City complex by the water in downtown Huntington Beach has brought a whole host of shops and restaurants to the seaside area of our great city; one of them being Simmzy’s Pub. A very small California concept – they only have five locations – Simmzy’s specializes in boldly crafted American fare, craft brews, cocktails, wine, with a big splash of SoCal surfer laid back vibes. With another location just up the road in Long Beach, I’d heard from others that Simmzy’s was a delicious and fun place to eat. Finally, this weekend I got the chance to dine at there latest and greatest location in Pacific City.
Situated on the first floor closest to the ocean, Simmzy’s offers stunning views of the beach on the south side of the pier. The seating at this restaurant is half inside, half outside on the patio; and they are known for having a great patio with those stunning views. However, no matter where you are sitting, you get to enjoy the views of the sea and the light ocean breezes sweeps into the restaurant and weave around the guests. On a sunny day, it just feels like a great place to be!
Simmzy’s is known for having tons of craft beers on tap, both local micro and domestic macro. You definitely get a pub feel as the kegs for the beers are visible throughout and portions of the walls are dedicated to tap handles and chalkboards with beer names and specs. They also have a great amount of thoughtfully mixed cocktails and carefully selected wines.
For some reason, I have been on a Sangria kick, so I ordered up a glass of the Cabernet red sangria, which also had champagne in it. Hell yes! It was bright and refreshing without being too sweet.
My friend ordered up a cocktail staple: the Moscow Mule which she said was on point! Gingery and minty with that nice bite of vodka. Plus bonus, it is served with a piece of candied ginger, which as you can imagine really up levels the drink!
As a shareable between the three of us, we simply enjoyed an order of fries with a garlic aioli. As basic as it sounds, these fries were anything but! Shoestring thin, crispy, salty, and with subtle hints of other savor flavorings, these fries were just divine with the pungent garlic aioli dipping sauce. I rarely eat fries, but when I do, I want them to be great, and these definitely were!
For my main meal, I tried the Thai Turkey Burger. This unique burger features a ginger and lemongrass seasoned patty topped with a tropical mango slaw in between a brioche bun that has been smothered in a red curry mayo. The description just sounded so different and unusual, so I was very interested to try this burger out. It did not disappoint. The burger was uniquely flavored; spicy and sweet, without being overpowering. The bread was very fresh and the burger was cooked to juicy perfection. I enjoyed with a simple side of artisan greens with a honey Dijon vinaigrette that really rounded out the meal. If you’re up for a different type of burger, this one should be the one.
My buddy David had the famed Bacon Bleu Deluxe Burger for his main meal. I had my eyes on this one too; angus patty topped with bleu cheese and candied bacon (hello!), served with lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli, and frizzled shallots. According to David, this burger was truly and utterly divine. The beef rich and juicy, the garlic aioli providing the perfect sauce, the shallots giving a nice salty crunch, and the sweet smoky candied bacon and tangy bleu cheese shining through to truly flavor the dish. If I had been in a beef mood, I would have gotten this bad boy!
My friend Nicole opted for the classic Simmzy’s Burger. Angus patty, onions, melted cheddar, garlic aioli, lettuce, and tomato. Basic, but great! You know, there is something to be said about a place that serves up a great basic burger that doesn’t have anything especially unique going on; if the basic burger is delicious, it is a good place, and this burger definitely was. Nicole said that again, the bun was fresh, the burger cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of sharp cheddar and bold garlic aioli.
And thus concluded our meal. In summary, everything we had was great. To make it all better, the craft atmosphere with the views of the sea and the cool ocean breeze along with the delicious food and drinks made this simple lunch get together feel like a little slice of vacation for just a couple of hours on our Saturday. That is what Simmzy’s Huntington Beach is offering, so take advantage friends!
Johnny La Pasta 