When you’re driving around downtown and lunch or dinner becomes a priority, if there’s at least one other person in the car, it’s a fair bet that the heated “Where are we eating?”debate is not far away. Well, that needn’t be the case anymore, not since One Twenty Three Burger House has opened at 123 King Street.
Owned by proprietors of nearby Carmello’s Joe and Cindy Tringali, One Twenty Three Burger House is quickly becoming a new choice downtown stop for lunch or dinner.
Here, seating is plentiful, and General Manager Doug Willis sees that the half dozen booths, the dozen tables and eight seats at the counter are filled and taken care of. One Twenty Three also offers take out for those of you who might need to get back to the office in a hurry. There are two designated “take out” spots in the parking lot, which fills quickly. Don’t fret, though, there’s another designated lot located just a block down Riberia Street.
The menu includes appetizers, ranging in price from $5.50 for fried jalapeno caps to $8.00 for three beef sliders. And, if you like wings, you won’t be disappointed. The jumbo wings are cooked perfectly. Be forewarned: Although very tasty, depending on the sauce you get, the wings can be tear inducing.
Chef Angelo Bondi is the type of chef who takes deep pride in his work. Two of his “knock it out of the park” pizza selections are the Margherita Pizza, made with fresh grande mozzarella, basil and San Marzano tomatoes and a pizza known as the “Wise Guy,” featuring sauteed red and yellow peppers, red onion and spicy Italian sausage. At $12.00 and $14.00 respectively, either of these could be an easy split lunch with a friend. Or, you could each just order your own pizza because, well, because you’re probably not going to want to share.
Of course, the words “Burger House” are in this restaurant’s name for a very good reason. There are a total of 12 burgers on the menu, including burgers made with salmon and bison. And, on the off chance that none of the listed dozen burgers catch your attention, you can always craft your own with the toppings of your choice. Oh, you’re a vegetarian? They’ve got you covered there as well with the help of their veggie burger.
Now, if you don’t like pizza or burgers (perish the thought), you’ll also find fresh fish, chicken, pulled pork, a ribeye “sammich” and even a turkey sub. The bottom line is that there’s something on the menu for everyone, and every one of those “somethings” is amazing. One Twenty Three also has a kid’s menu with half dozen tasty choices.
One Twenty Three offers beer and wine in addition to the non-alcoholic drinks you would expect. If you’re a beer drinker, be sure to try the “frozen beer.” One Twenty Three Burger House also offers signature shakes and malts.
Location: 123 King Street
Claim to Fame: Owned by the Tringali’s
Hours: 11 a.m – 9 p.m. Sunday – Thursday, open until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Fare: Burgers, Pizzas and Shakes
Favorites: Margherita Pizza and make your own burgers
Details: www.onetwentythreeburgerhouse.com
Written and photographed by Steve Parr for St. Augustine Social October/November 2015 Print Issue.
