Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

A friend and I had lunch at a new restaurant this afternoon. When I asked where she wanted to go, her response was “Surprise me.” That’s hard to do when we both eat out regularly.

Additionally, many restaurants don’t open for lunch anymore. Given what’s happened to the restaurant industry since the pandemic, it probably isn’t very financially remunerative.

But I’d heard of AJ’s Bar and Grill from various sources; had checked the vibe on its website; and decided that a dive bar in the otherwise very conservative community of Berrien Springs was just the thing.

It was dark and quiet when we entered the door, and the bartendress broke the quiet by calling out for us to sit where we wanted. We passed up the back of a modified pick-up truck and chose a high-top halfway down the wall across from the bar. The place had “Country” written all over it, down to a copy of the Pledge of Allegiance on the wall and ads for the upcoming acoustic country star’s weekend performance. I doubt the recently deceased Toby Keith ever played there, but he would have felt right at home.

The bartendress doubled as our server and brought menus promptly without being overbearing. As is typical in restaurants these days, our choices brought a barrage of questions: How did I want my burger cooked, what did I want on it, what side did I want, what about a beverage besides water?

And when my friend chose chips to go with her patty melt, she had to choose between house made and commercial. I almost wondered if we had to choose the type of plate we wanted: plastic or a basket?

As we sipped our beers we waited for the moment of truth to arrive. Would our order meet our expectations and garner return visits? Or would this be a one visit relationship?

There was no question. My burger was cooked exactly as I’d requested (medium rare, which is often hard to come by), while her patty melt looked like something Earl would have loved. We both agreed our guys would like AJ’s and that this surprise – since I’d not been there before either – was a great one.