When one grill closes, another one opens. Former local Diamond Springs favorite Mike’s Grill is now Beef ’N’ Brew—located in Diamond Center (just a couple doors down from Allez!, another Style favorite). 

The building—styled after the Gold Rush-era structures that already dot Highway 49—is brand new, with modern amenities and loads of space…and charisma. There’s a huge bar in back, a spacious dining room complete with a cozy fireplace and sofas, and ample room for live shows (which is a good thing because they’ve just started hosting their own Comedy Night on Saturday evenings). 

Though the establishment also serves breakfast and dinner (do yourself a favor and order the baby back ribs—they’re not only Flintstones-sized and fall-off-the bone tender, but served alongside buttery garlic bread, a side of veggies, a baked potato and soup or salad), my husband and I most recently dropped in for lunch. We started with an appetizer of beer-battered mushrooms and zucchini. The batter was thick (yay!), crunchy (double yay!) and golden brown (triple yay!), and the mushrooms and zucchini were tender and delicious. Talk about the perfect dish to kick-start your appetite. 

For mains, I ordered the “stuffed cheeseburger” crammed with Cheddar cheese and served alonside fries, while my husband ordered the mushroom Swiss burger with fries. All of the burgers are made from fresh Angus chuck, and let me tell you: They are tasty! Most places say their burgers are juicy, however, few truly deliver on this promise; and even if there’s juice—there’s not always an abundance of flavor. The burgers were so flavorful and so perfectly cooked, it was almost a shame to top them with anything. 

The stuffed burger was truly mouthwatering, and my husband raved about his mushroom Swiss, but don’t even get me started on how good the fries were. They were another stratosphere good. Crunchy, perfectly seasoned…you know those super crunchy salt and pepper potato chips? They tasted just like those, and I could have eaten a bucketful. 

You can bet we’ll be coming back—for more beef and more brews—soon.

By Sharon Penny // Photo by Dante Fontana © Style Media Group

Beef ’N’ Brew, 4232 Fowler Lane, Suite 101, Diamond Springs, 530-344-7296.