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Just over two months after it served its final free-range burger at the Avanti Food & Beverage food hall in LoHi, American Grind opened its new brick-and-mortar location in the Speer neighborhood last Friday.
Tucked into a residential block on Pennsylvania Street, co-owner Jared Schwartz said the restaurant will focus on burgers. However, there are also new offerings, including a chicken sandwich served on a challah bun with jalapeno slaw, and a pork sandwich with mayo and tomato (when tomatoes are in season).
Schwartz said everything at the new restaurant is also made from scratch, with the exception of the buns and ice cream. Those buns are sourced from Rosenburg’s Bagels and Delicatessen in Five Points while the ice cream comes from Boulder’s Ice Cream Alchemy.
Schwartz said the 2,000 square foot space is supposed to feel like a backyard. To that end, it features a simple and clean design with a concrete bar and tabletops.
The American Grind team, which is also behind Berkeley’s The Way Back, had always intended to eventually turn American Grind into an independent restaurant. The restaurant made its debut as a food truck in 2014 before moving to a stall in Avanti Food & Beverage in 2017. They also have a Burger Time arcade game machine and a selection of board games.
“It’s supposed to be kind of a family friendly place but with a full bar for adults to still enjoy themselves when they come to eat, too,” Schwartz said.