Berkeley's Eureka was for me, an aptly named accidental discovery. The man selling The Street Spirit on the corner of Bancroft pointed it out to me after I told him "no, I'm not looking for any weed, just a place to watch the Raiders game". Eureka, demarcated on their sign with only a "!", is not your typical sports bar. The entryway is lined with shelves of whiskeys, presumably stored at their ideal temperatures. The front wall is open to the street and closely arranged tables fill the central seating area in a way that makes the restaurant feel more like an indoor patio than the common sports bars, in which patrons slouch towards dimly lit corners. Further in is the bar, over which hang five TVs, each showing different sporting events including the Raiders game. Shelves of whiskeys, bourbons, moonshines, and ryes are illuminated from behind a warm, glowing light; a subliminal reminder of that pleasant whiskey burn that slides from throat to belly. Where's the Scotch you ask? Eureka only serves American whiskeys and in fact, with the exception of their tequilas, the entire food and drink selection is U.S.-made. And while American is good, Berkeley is better. Eureka's Farmers' Market cocktail is made from local Farmers' Market ingredients and thus the cocktail itself changes depending on the season and availability of produce.
The 16 draught beer selection includes several Scottish and English ales - in style, not origin, of course. My favorite among these was Oskar Blue's Old Chub, from Colorado and as dark as the burnt coffee at the bottom of a pot. It tasted more like a porter than any ale I've ever had, but with all that chocolaty froth and an 8.8% ABV, who's complaining? Good artisan beer calls for good artisan food and Eureka delivers. Their Bone Marrow Burger ($16.50), is topped with a buttery sauce, the consistency of grits, made from bone marrow and porcini mushrooms. Instead of balancing out this uber-rich, savory burger with fresh, crisp veggies they go full tilt by grilling their onions and tomatoes, imbuing them with a fresh-off-a-meat-shish kebab flavor. The Bone Marrow Burger is limited release each day, so come early. The fries, which came with the burger, had a good seasoning, but seemed stiff and stale to me. Save for the fries, everything was excellent and it seemed the lively crowd agreed. I overheard multiple patrons, mostly professional millennials dressed in smart casual, rave about their beers, whiskey samplers (4 for $22), and fanciful cocktails, including an Asian pear libation with a twisted bamboo stirring stick. Of course, one must take these reviews with a grain of salt, remembering that this type of venue attracts those who show up with the express purpose of pontificating on the virtues of their chosen drink. That said, let me take a note from their book and extol my dining choice. Go to Eureka. Do it to expand your beer and whiskey literacy. Do it to watch your favorite team in style. Do it for the sake of your taste buds. Besides their Berkeley location (2068 Center St), they have nearly a dozen other in-state locations, mostly Central and Southern California, though, they'll be opening Concord, Cupertino, and Mountain View locations soon.
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