Food after 'Fore!'

Recharge with a meal after your golf game

Stacee Sledge

Jul 10, 2003 — Whatever your stand on Annika Sorenstam, everyone agrees the 19th hole is as key to the game as the right putter.

Here are some suggestions for great post-game grub:

Bob's Burgers and Brew

If you hanker for an extremely filling all-American after-golf meal, Bob's Burgers and Brew is the place to pull into after you've putted a few holes.

Bob's has two locations near popular golf courses that make for easy eating destinations, in both Lynden and Sudden Valley, and cooks up some of the best burgers in Whatcom County.

Big, juicy and done a variety of ways, the burgers here can be ordered with toppings as standard as grilled onions and mushrooms and as off-the-wall as pineapple or a hot dog — yes, a grilled hot dog.

I tend to like my burgers simple, so usually just ask for the plain version; the flavor of Bob's burgers is enough to satisfy my palate.

And their sesame seed buns are always fresh and soft, sopping up the burger's juices and condiments.

There's a choice of french fries, jojos, potato salad or soup to accompany the burger. I'm a fan of Bob's mustard-heavy potato salad, but also enjoy their jojos, large wedges of potatoes with the skin left on.

Golf course food

Bob's Burgers & Brew  8107 Guide Meridian, Lynden  Phone: 354-2125  Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday  Serving: Burgers, burgers and more burgers, with enormous portions and plenty of tantalizing toppings.  Menu items sampled:  1/3-pound broiled burger $6.75   C.J. Leghorn's at Homestead Farms  115 E. Homestead Boulevard, Lynden  Phone: 354-1196  Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to midnight, Saturday and Sunday  Serving: Grilled goodies from a family-friendly menu that includes salads, sandwiches, ribs, chicken, steak and more.  Menu items sampled:  Half order baby back ribs $9.99  Barbecue chicken $10.99   Stephani's Beachside Café  7878 Birch Bay Drive, Birch Bay  Phone: 371-3724  Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily  Serving: Golf-friendly grub, from burgers and sandwiches to salads and seafood baskets.  Menu items sampled:  Hot seafood salad $15.99  Black Jack Deluxe Burger $7.99

You can ask for additional side spuds until you can't eat another bite.

Bob's also offers salads, chicken sandwiches, veggie burgers and seafood or chicken dinners.

If you've worked up a thirst during your golf outing, Bob's brews will take care of you on that count, as well, with an extensive beer selection and fully stocked bar.

Homestead Golf and Country Club

I recently ate lunch at my first golf club, C.J. Leghorn's at Lynden's Homestead Farms Golf Resort and Convention Center.

The view was everything I imagined it would be: rolling greens, small ponds with water sprays — and the added beauty bonus of magnificent mountain views.

My friend Kris and I spent a leisurely late Saturday afternoon lunch at C.J. Leghorn's, a restaurant on the public course that serves grilled chicken, ribs and steaks, as well as sandwiches, burgers, wraps, soup and salad.

Only a moment after we placed our orders, three small bowls of macaroni salad, coleslaw and baked beans were brought to us to share, albeit without serving utensils.

After a bit of a wait, our entrées arrived. Even with an empty coleslaw bowl on our table, our server never asked if we wanted more.

Kris's half order of baby back ribs were tender and flavorful, but could have benefited from a bit more barbecue sauce.

Due to a misunderstanding with the server, I inadvertently accepted a full serving of barbecue chicken, rather than the half I ordered. After the bill arrived, I tried to politely point out the error, but the server insisted I'd made a mistake and billed me for the larger portion.

The bourbon-flavored sauce was strong and made the grilled chicken the best thing about our visit.

Kris and I agreed to feeling ignored during our meal, even though there was never more than one other table filled during our visit.

I'll remain optimistic and assume that luck of the draw dealt us a server who wasn't having a good day.

The calm, attractive surroundings are enough for me to give C.J. Leghorn's one more try.

Stephani's Beachside Café

Formerly the 19th Hole at Birch Bay Golf Club, Stephani's Beachside Café offers delectable burgers, steamer clams and cold microbrews in which to drown your far above-par sorrows.

Extend your outdoor golf experience by eating on Stephani's waterfront deck that overlooks picturesque Birch Bay.

This casual eatery, located at the Birch Bay Golf Club, offers a variety of mouth-watering lunch and dinner options, from intriguing salads to "beach buckets" and "beach baskets" of burgers, fish and chips, clams and mussels.

Stephani's hot seafood salad starts with a warm bed of greens topped with a variety of splendid seafood — tiger prawn, scallops, bay shrimp, fresh fish, clams, mussels and fresh veggies, all sauteed in a tangy honey-lime Italian dressing.

I'd heard that the Birch Bay Café burger was quite good, but decided to spend the extra dollar to try the Black Jack Deluxe version.

Fresh ground beef was hand-formed into a patty, and then dredged in cracked black pepper, lending a spicy flavor.

The burger was topped with bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, dill pickles and special sauce.

Any of these three eateries are ideally located and offer filling fare to follow the front side of an 18-hole course.