Burgers, beer, bourbon, and now brunch! The simply named “B Penn Quarter” restaurant (formerly Plan B Burger Bar) opened a year ago to rave reviews for the three things they do best: huge, juicy burgers, a lengthy rotating tap list that hits all the right hoppy notes, and a refined, specifically sourced bourbon collection numbering nearly 100.

Recently, the restaurant rolled out the newest addition to the B set. That would be brunch, possibly the most popular meal in this city. The chef told us that beginning a brunch menu was a no-brainer, since people wander in from shopping or the mall, and want to be together for a good meal on the weekend. Of course, brunch here is burger-forward, with the star being the Breakfast Burger – thick slices of bacon sitting snugly under a hefty ground-in-house patty, topped with a local fried egg, cheddar and jack cheese, all stuffed into a gently buttered croissant bun. And, you get fries with that!

Bourbon makes lots of appearances across the menu, unsurprisingly, including in the bourbon caramel, bourbon maple syrup, bourbon whipped cream for the baked goods, bourbon BBQ sauce, and of course, bourbon-soaked French toast.

There’s another ‘b’ that makes its presence proudly known – trendy bacon. It’s all over the place. On the burger, in maple syrup, in a Cajun aioli, a bit thicker in the form of porcetta, and used to sauté the just-as-trendy kale. Not a vegetarian paradise, but one unsung hero was the impressive veggie burger, made in-house from three types of beans, quinoa, and sautéed sun-dried tomatoes. Certainly no previously-frozen crumbly way-too-many breadcrumb patty here.

But back to the best bit: bourbon. Brunch drinks come in many options, but the only one you should really be drinking: the bottomless bourbon sour. Yes there are mimosas and Bloodys, but at a bourbon establishment, drink the bourbon. Other bourbon-forward cocktails include the Kentucky Coffee (like Irish, only, you know, bourbon) and a Ryed the Mule (again, Moscow Mule, but… bourbon). However, real aficionados would get the mixologist’s tasting flight: three pours of hand-selected whiskeys, specifically curated to your tastes. On my gorgeous barrel-wood plank, from left to right:

1. Whistlepig rye – classic and award-winning
2. Mitcher ten-year aged whiskey – a clean, bracing bite with a corn base
3. Templeton rye – to provide that real rye comparison

We were able to try other dishes, like a super-creamy four-cheese mac ‘n’ cheese, but the star, as we know, is the bourbony, burgery brunch. Bon appetite!

-ESC