By Abigail Martin Ӣ Special to The Collegian
The Bulldog Burger — a one-third pound certified Angus patty, bacon, pastrami, cheddar, American and all the usual fixings in a brioche bun — is one of several specialty burgers served at the new Bulldog.Burger.Bistro restaurant.
“We hand-craft our patties. We season them all to order,” said co-owner Kate Leonard. “They’re never frozen, 100 percent Angus.”
Co-owner Chris Dias said the restaurant serves gourmet burgers at a student-budget cost. The restaurant is located right behind the Bulldog Plaza shopping center, on the southeast corner of Cedar and Barstow avenues. The decision about location was made purposefully to be near the Fresno State campus, Dias said.
In addition to a number of specialty burgers, salads and wraps, customers also have the option of swapping out a full-beef patty for what Leonard called a “doggy style” patty. This patty is 50 percent ground beef and 50 percent bacon.
The restaurant also makes some of its own sauces, including two different kinds of Buffalo sauce, barbecue sauce and Sriracha aioli.
“A lot of it is just made from scratch, all natural ingredients,” Leonard said. “We have very little processed food here.”
Leonard said that some of the restaurant’s recipes are her and Dias’ own creations. Some are also borrowed from Dias’ brother-in-law, Jordan Woodward, who runs Sequoia Sandwich Company in Clovis.
Three large HD flat-screen televisions are also in place for sports fanatics to enjoy.
“We’re going to be showing all of the NBA games, the NFL games,” Leonard said. “We’re going to be showing all of the out-of-town Fresno State games.”
As for the restaurant’s beer and wine license, Leonard estimates it will be ready in about two months. Once it begins to serve alcohol, the restaurant will offer happy hour specials.
Besides drinks to the menu, the liquor license will also bring something new to the bistro.
“On Saturdays and Sundays we’re going to be doing hangover burritos,” Leonard said. “If you’re in our shop drinking the night before, you’re going to get a discount on your hangover burrito the next morning.”
Although Bulldog.Burger.Bistro has been open since Nov. 15, its grand opening is this Friday, in which all customers who like the restaurant’s Facebook page will get a free burger from 3 to 8 p.m., Leonard said.
“We’re kind of like a little hole-in-the-wall place, but those are the ones that have the best food,” Leonard said. “It’s really friendly people and a casual atmosphere.”