If someone told you to walk down an alley (dark or well lit), would you do it?

Of course not, that’s how people die.

But if someone told you to walk down an alley and at the end of it you saw a restaurant, would you do it uncertain of what would come out along the way?

Of course, that’s how you find delicious food!

TJ and I were in Koreatown walking down to Beer Belly to check out a few items on their menu. Unfortunately, the only way into the restaurant was down an alley. Sure it was the middle of the day, but I’ve seen enough horror movies (and I’m black) to know that I’ll probably die first. However, seeing the menu beforehand, I was excited to try out some of the food that lay just a matter of feet away. I didn’t let my fear and every murder flick get the best of me. Instead, we walked ever so quickly, until we entered the restaurant.

Once we sat outside in the patio area, we ordered. I started with a Vanilla Cream Soda ($3) which I haven’t had in while. Growing up, cream soda was my go-to soda, but over time I forgot about it and became familiar with popular drinks like Sprite or Dr. Pepper. To have the bubbly and sweet soda at Beer Belly was so reminiscent of being a kid and was a great way to start the lunch. I ordered a second bottle because you can get thirsty going on a trip down memory lane.

To start with food, TJ ordered the Jar O’ Pickles ($6.50). Since I’m not a fan of pickles I didn’t care much for these. TJ on the other hand loves them and started to rave about them as he ate them. With such praise, I had to try them for myself. Turns out, TJ was very right about these pickles. The pickles lean more on the sweet side than sour and were the definition of zesty!

Then came Death by Duck (9.50).  Duck fat fries were served with duck confiit and paired with an in-house made raspberry mustard. The fries were incredibly soft and topped with flavorful pieces of duck. While you would think the duck would be the best part of this side, it wasn’t for me. Instead, what I loved most about it was the seasoning on the fries. The fries were tossed in a salt and sweet onion sugar and sprinkled with smoked salt. It made the fries both sweet and salty to the point that it was a seasoning that excited my taste buds causing me to almost inhale the fries. I’m close to 100% positive that I’ve never had fries this delicious and since I’m not sure if I will find them anywhere else, I’ll visit Beer Belly for more again and again.

After the sides, we had the Beer Belly Grilled Cheese ($13.50). The sandwich took cheddar, Swiss, asiago, goat cheese, bacon, and drizzled maple syrup on top of it. The combination of all the cheese and the syrup made such a rich sandwich that it quickly became messy. Don’t be bothered by that, the taste of it all will make you overlook it. After a while all the gooey cheeses blend to create a nice super cheese that wraps around the salty bacon so nicely. That then becomes a welcome contrast to the sweet and sticky syrup that seals it all so perfectly. You will certainly lick your fingers as you eat this sandwich.

The last plate of our lunch was the Philly Roast Pork Sandwich ($12.50). We split the roasted pork shoulder, broccoli rabe, sharp provolone, waffle battered onion ring, pocketed Serranos, on an onion bun. It was massive and it almost toppled over. Cutting it in half you could see all that made the sandwich what it is known for. Biting into it, I loved the way the tender pork shoulder tasted alongside the provolone cheese. But it was the breaded thick onion ring that really brought it all together. It was such a juicy sandwich full of varying flavors that we finished it without regret.

After our lunch at Beer Belly, I can safely say that the only time walking down an alley should be encouraged is when it leads to food. Any other time you’re doing it, you’re setting yourself up as the main character in a horror movie and only God and 90+ minutes will tell if you survive. The walk TJ and I had that took us to Beer Belly didn’t have any frights or scares, but delicious food. I’m glad we went down the alley and ended up at the restaurant because if we hadn’t we wouldn’t have discovered the great dishes within the restaurant.

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