The minute I tasted the baked beans at Anthony’s, a new sports bar in Guadalupe, I instantly recognized something familiar.
The smoky sweet beans had something different about them–a little kick of a heat that finished smooth at the end. I hadn’t tasted anything like this in years, but I instantly recognized the strong Southern barbecue roots coming through.
When I later tried to pry the secret behind the flavor from owner Anthony Burns, he laughed and politely told me that it was a family secret. But he did confirm what I suspected. Like everything at Anthony’s, the beans are heavily influenced by Burns’ Memphis roots.
The Burns family lives in Santa Maria but originally hails from Northern Louisiana and Memphis, where Burns owned and worked in several restaurants. A restaurant veteran for more than 28 years, Burns said the idea for opening a sports bar in Guadalupe came from doing focus group testing.
“We did one with 10 people and another with 15,” he said. “They wanted a sports bar, they wanted something open seven days a week, and they wanted to be able to eat a burger, watch a sports game, and drink a beer and not have to drive long distances home.”
The end result is Anthony’s, an eatery that has all the usual offerings of a traditional sports bar, including several big screen televisions playing a variety of games and sports-related content. Posters on the wall include one of Anthony’s son, a college basketball player who sometimes works in the restaurant, as well as a signed poster of Santa Maria boxer and Olympian Carlos Balderas, who recently visited the restaurant.
The menu is accessible yet unique, with starters that included Cajun fried pickles (another nod to Burns’ Southern background) and bacon cheese fries. Entrees on the dinner menu include a pork chop, ribeye steak (which I had served with Texas toast, beans, and mac and cheese), and fried catfish, which came fresh out of the fryer in a huge portion.
I absolutely love the addition of Texas toast (it comes with just about every meal), which is something you don’t see too often on the Central Coast. It seems like the perfect accompaniment to a basket of wings and fries, but I especially enjoyed it with the ribeye steak, which was big and well seasoned, nice and seared on the outside, and juicy on the inside (I’m a medium rare babe, don’t try to argue with me).
For Burns, a great sports bar is all about a great burger. On the current Anthony’s menu, Burns features four different burgers: a hamburger, a cheeseburger, a double cheeseburger, and the Tay B bacon cheeseburger.
The Tay B, made with a ground beef patty seasoned with Anthony’s own special blend, is hearty and packed with a lot of flavor. I particularly loved how fresh it tasted as a composed bite and the buttered toasted buns definitely held up well under the large stack of ingredients. It looks huge, but I still had room for fries, which are another slam dunk or home run or goal, whichever sports-related reference you’d prefer.
Mine were crisp and not greasy at all, but if fries aren’t your thing, the sides are pretty diverse and even include veggie sticks and sweet potato fries. Also, Anthony’s lists “bacon” as a side dish, which is obviously perfect and, yes, I did have it as a side served with my catfish.
My personal favorite on the entire menu are the chicken wings. Anthony’s offers a strong mix of flavors and size portions, perfect for sharing or snacking on during games. Flavor options include Buffalo, honey mustard, sweet and sour, a “Lights Out” version packed with heat, and a dry-rubbed version made with Burns’ own secret seasoning mix. The wings are deep fried without batter, a strong preference of Burns’.
“Wings shouldn’t be breaded wings,” Burns said. “I just think I have the best wings around.”
Starting in January, Anthony’s will feature live entertainment on certain nights of the week. Burns is also eager to introduce his own Memphis style barbecue to the menu, which I am absolutely looking forward to. He is a fixture at the venue, always there to say hello and get to know his customers. He said the response to the new restaurant has been positive so far.
“The support of the community has been real good,” he said. “We have repeat customers who come in for the games. We have been very pleased.”
Arts and Lifestyle Writer Rebecca Rose will take Texas toast with her wings. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
• Fans of avocado toast (pictured below left) have a new spot to hit up in Solvang for their favorite snack. Cafe Dolce is serving a really vibrant and fresh looking version. It’s a new addition to the coffee shop’s menu you can try out at 475 1st St., Solvang.
• According to Yelp, Garden Mediterranean is one of the highest rated restaurants in Santa Maria and it’s pretty deserving. I agree (and wrote about it in 2017) and it’s dishes such as the babaganoush and baclava (pictured right) that really make the restaurant a popular spot for local diners. See what the buzz is all about at 122 E. Boone St., Santa Maria.
• If you’re as curious as everyone else about the renovations at Al Pho, don’t worry, the Vietnamese restaurant promises to be open again soon. “Renovations are taking longer than expected we do apologize for the inconvenience,” a recent post on the restaurant’s Facebook page stated. “Our new date to open is [Jan. 3].” Al Pho is known for its pho, but the place’s popularity quickly outgrew the tight space. The restaurant is undergoing an expansion and I can’t wait to see the changes. I’ll be there when they reopen at 1201 E. Main St., Santa Maria.
• I know everyone likes the Swiss Restaurant and Bar for dinner or late night at the bar, but it’s a really satisfying place for lunch, too. The prime rib sandwich is well seasoned and juicy, and comes with soup or salad and a side of your choice, all for $19 at 516 N. Broadway, Santa Maria.
• It’s hella early for St. Patrick’s Day, but if you’re looking for a cozy Irish pub in town, check out The Wicked Shamrock in Lompoc and its jaw-dropping selection of beers. The pub has one million beers (maybe a slight exaggeration) including a pub ale from Boddington’s that is 4.7 ABV. Sample some beer and shoot some pool at 143 North H St., Lompoc.
• If you’ve got a big dinner party coming up and you’re not ready to slave over an oven for hours, check out the party packs at El Toro Tortilleria No. 2 in Santa Maria. Packages start at $55 that feed 10 and go all the way up to a $199 package that feeds 55 people. Packages include choice of beef or chicken, rice, beans, tortillas, and salsa. Visit 1135 W. Main St., Santa Maria.
• The Burton House in Nipomo is offering a plated brunch menu with a huge selection of items including made-to-order omelettes with ingredients such as andouille sausage, bacon, sausage links, ham, chicken apple sausage, vegetables, and cheese. Specialty omelettes include a Tuscan omelette with roasted tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese as well as a Greek omelette with red onion, roasted tomatoes, spinach, and feta cheese. Brunch is served Sundays starting at 9:30 a.m. at 151 W. Dana St., Nipomo.
This article appears in Jan 3-10, 2019.