Granville Casual Gourmet Cafe

American like you’ve never had it. Casual and fun. (Not Americans aren’t casual and fun. We are.  Honest!)

This is one of the more unusual chains I’ve encountered in SoCal. It’s like the ultimate after-movie dinner place. It’s fun and funky, but it has a sliver of formality that makes it possible for you to walk into the place and not embarrass whoever you’re with. The inside, has a very Z-Gallerie feel. It’s like you’re in some hipster’s home. There’s even a fireplace (at the Burbank location), so you feel like you’re at home.

It serves mostly American bar food, you know Quesadillas and Chicken Fingers, etc. It has a number of its own quirky creations, which are fabulous, but mostly importantly…they make you want to come back and try the one’s that you’ve missed.

WHAT SHOULD I GET?: There are a lot of tempting things on this menu, but every time I come here, every time I try to allow myself to get tempted by something else, I always wind up with the Thick-Cut Pork Chop. What’s that?, you say. How could I?, you say. Just wait. This is how the Pork Chop is described on their own website (as of January 12, 2012):

12 oz. Thick-Cut Bone-In Pork Chop rubbed in Cajun Spices and topped with a Cranberry-Mango Compote, served with Sautéed Spinach and our Yukon Gold & Russet Mashed Potatoes.

Worth…any…price.

PARKING: For once, I’ve been to both locations, and…the Parking situations differ greatly. In Burbank, your choices are Street Parking (which is always full up), or three of the nearby Burbank Parking structures. The Burbank location is on San Fernando between Olive and Orange Grove.

As far as the Glendale location, while there is not-that-ample street parking, save yourself the trouble, park at the Americana Center, and walk the block and a half for your grub.

MAP DIRECTIONS:
Granville Casual Gourmet
121 N. San Fernando Boulevard (between Olive & Orange Grove)
Burbank, California 91502
(818) 848-4726

Hours:
Mon – Thu 11am – 10pm
Fri 11am – 11pm
Sat 9am – 11pm
Sun 9am – 10pm

Happy Hour
Mon – Fri 4pm – 7pm (in the bar and on the patio)

The Americana at Brand
807 Americana Way (on Brand between Broadway & Colorado)
Glendale, California 91210
(818) 550-0472

Hours:
Mon – Thu 11am – 10pm
Fri 11am – 11pm
Sat 10am – 11pm
Sun 10am – 10pm

Happy Hour
Mon – Fri 4pm – 7pm (on the patio)
Mon – Thu 4pm – close (in the bar)