Longnecks

Recently, with Josh off doing his own thing, I met with a family friend, Ben, to talk about a number of things. Ben, who lives in Northern Kentucky, suggested we try Longnecks Sports Grill. Located at 1009 Town Dr. in Wilder (and on the web at http://longneckssportsgrill.com/), Longnecks is the "big brother" to Newport's Shortneck Grill (which was reviewed here: http://turnerbudds-burgerblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/shortnecks-bar-and-grill.html). Like Shortnecks, Longnecks knows exactly what it is and that is a sports bar and grill. With 18 big screen TVs positioned around the room there and all tuned to active sports channels there is little to no doubt what the atmosphere of this neighborhood place is.

We showed up at a mid week lunch time and found that they were a little understaffed with the bartender having to wait on most of the inside tables. That isn't to say that we had to wait a painfully long time to be served but had there been any more people there that poor bartender would have never had a chance to slow down.

The place is pretty big and in addition to the TVs, sports video games and pool tables and a very nice outdoor patio that in good weather would present a nice place to sit and enjoy a meal. With a full menu of everything from the standard appetizers and bar food to a large selection of sandwiches and even pizza and calzones, this place is sure to have something for everyone. But we were there for just one reason: burgers.

Burgers

We each ordered the basic Longneck Burger, a half pound of beef grilled to order on their flattop. The best way to sum up the burger is to quote what Ben said after he took his first bite: "You can actually taste the burger." And it's true. This isn't hidden by a lot of special sauces or overly sweet buns. The meat flavor comes through and that is a good thing because these are some very tasty burgers. I'm not sure if they get their meat and other items from the same place as Shortnecks but it wouldn't surprise me. Both have very high quality products.

The condiments, the garden, the cheese and the bun were all fresh and enhanced the burger rather than covering it as is sometimes the case. The fries were pretty basic but were also fresh and cooked perfectly, with that crisp outside and an oh, so soft center. 

Yes, it took us a little longer than it might have to put in our order but the burgers arrived fairly quickly and any extra wait was well worth it. Longnecks might be a little off the beaten path for most of you but if you are heading in that direction any time it's worth the side trip to check out this place.