In the 23 years we’ve lived in this area, we’d never been to The Sandbar, a local eatery established in 1948. That changed recently when we visited for the first time with friends. They armed us with advice as we met in the parking lot.
“It’s really loud in there,” C said. “Always. It’s crowded too, even when you come early.” Which we had.
The Sandbar is your basic burger joint. There’s not much to eat for vegetarians except for salads and novel “starters.” Like fried green beans or mac-n-cheese bites. Oh, wait, there was a black bean burger at the very bottom of the menu on the back page almost as an afterthought. And each table had its own roll of paper towels, which gives you a sense of the vibe. Definitely not white tablecloth.
There are stairs to navigate to get into place and the number of televisions is daunting. So is the variety of alcohol behind the bar.
But we had a great time in spite of the challenges because the food was excellent, our server was entertaining without being annoying, and he gave C three olives in her drink.
I can see why The Sandbar is a popular place. It’s unassuming and comfortable and reasonably priced. It’s also open until 2 AM, so perhaps this is where people go when other restaurants close for the night.
To make this restaurant review stand apart, I searched the internet and learned that the world’s largest sand bar is located along the southern coast of Queensland, Australia. It has been 750,000 years in the making and, unlike most sand bars, it is home to various vegetations and wildlife.
Perhaps The Sandbar in St. Joe, Michigan can say the same thing, but in terms of time it’s just a newcomer.