Red, White & Bleu: Mouthwatering Burgers & BBQ

Nothing says 4th of July like barbecue or a big juicy burger. If you’d rather not cook this holiday, try one of these local favorites!

Buckhorn Steakhouse

WINTERS – Here is the destination spot! Delight your taste for beef, lamb, pork and fresh fish as well as entertain your historical interest with over 130 years of stories wrapped up in this iconic, antiquated building in downtown Winters. We started with a Fire-Roasted Artichoke Appetizer (herb roasted and served with tarragon aioli dipping sauce; $12) and quickly moved to an amazing Caesar Salad ($14) and a Buckhorn Combo main course (6oz bacon-wrapped Angus beef filet, 3 beer-battered jumbo prawns and 1/4 rack of BBQ pork ribs) all done to perfection and served with Roadhouse Onions, a side of Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus ($38; a great sharing dish)…WOW! They offer locally sourced, simple, seasonal foods with catering options. Bar, restaurant and patio/street dining are available.

2 Main Street, Winters
Open daily, 5 – 9:30pm Mon-Thur (10pm close on Fridays) Saturday, 4:30 – 10pm. Sunday, 4 – 9pm.
BuckhornSteakhouse.com | 530-795-4503

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Bud’s Pub & Grill

DIXON – This quaint and cozy historical spot in the heart of downtown Dixon offers a friendly atmosphere and old-world charm with American cuisine at reasonable prices. Recently, we stopped in for lunch. Parking was plentiful and the greeting was sweet and charming. Bud’s was packed with a mix of clientele which told me this was a local favorite. We jumped into an order of Zucchini Sticks ($7.50) which were HUGE (a meal in itself) and a perfect starter for the Bud Burger ($8.99 with avocado for a CA twist), served with homemade potato salad. We also chose an order of French Dip (a house special at $9.99), with tender roast beef on a traditional roll with pepper jack cheese to spice it up. We will definitely be back!

100 S. First Street, Dixon
Open at 6:30am daily
BudsPubandGrill.com | 707-678-4745

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Burger City

VACAVILLE – Tucked off the beaten path, Burger City is a great take out or a quick stop to fill the tank with a bit of barbecue, sandwiches, burgers and more! If you’re looking for that over-the-top, messy, delicious diner-style burger experience, this may become your new favorite Vacaville stop. After chatting with the super friendly staff, I settled on their recommendation — the Western Bacon Cheeseburger ($9.99) topped with bacon, cheese and a large onion ring, smothered in barbecue sauce and “the works” along with their secret sauce. This delicious burger was served with a small side, but my favorite choice here was the Strawberry Milkshake ($5.99) made with real ice cream blended and served, just like the old diner days! Give Burger City a try!

500 Elmira Rd., Suite A in Vacaville
Open 11am – 9pm Mon-Fri, 7am – 9pm Sat-Sun
BurgerCityVacaville.com | 707-448 -3377

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Monsoon Burger

FAIRFIELD – This gourmet burger joint has a really unique vibe the minute you step through the door and has pulled off the classic burger in several gourmet styles Californians love. From spicy rubs, homemade guacamole, mushrooms, Louisiana hot links and pastrami toppers, they’re aiming to grab your taste buds and keep you coming back. I ordered the 6oz. Bleu Cheese Burger ($8.99) and upgraded the side available to onion rings for $1.65. The burger comes fairly plain so you can add your own condiments, which is a choice I like. The flavor was outstanding. With so many burger variations (as well as salads, fish & chips, hot dogs and gluten-free options) on the menu, I’ll definitely be back.

321 Texas Street, Fairfield
Open Mon-Tues 5:30am – 2pm, Wed-Fri 5:30am – 4:30pm, Sat – Sun 6am-4:30pm
MonsoonBurger.com | 707-429-9888

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Brandy Hart writes “Tastes of Your Town,” a monthly feature in the print edition of Your Town Monthly. This article was originally published in the July 2019 Solano and Yolo County print editions.