This East Side landmark restaurant was closed in December by the original owner who retired and then quickly re-opened under new management under the name The Turf Club. I have not been since the change, but the new owner would be foolish not to adhere to the attributes that made Terry’s Turf Club so popular.
Certainly, a large factor in the restaurant’s popularity is its garish and kitsch decor. The outside is absolutely covered in neon signs from various other businesses and the inside is no different. It is filled with neon as well as vintage beer posters and enormous beer coolers made in the 1950s that hold 264 cases of beer each in their refrigerated interiors. The place is a feast for the eyes as much as the food is a feast for the stomach. Their self-description is “a quirky joint doling out beers and jumbo burgers with adventurous toppings in a neon-lit room.”
The Turf Club is often crowded on the weekends so be prepared to wait, but the burgers really are quite good. The burgers are made with Black Angus patties and served on buns made locally by Shadeau Breads. The burger menu is designed so you build your own burger from their broad selection of toppings.
The standard burger comes with two slices of American or Swiss cheese, but for an additional fee, you can get other options like a triple cream brie from France or an onion-infused cheddar from the UK. They also have goat cheese, gouda, gorgonzola, and others.
You can also choose from many sauces such as a cheese sauce made with gouda, cheddar, French Mimolette, asiago, and heavy cream or their Foghorn Leghorn sauce made with “garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, sage, thyme, apricot, shallots, onions, pear balsamic, and more garlic.”
Other toppings often found in many restaurants are available such as bacon (though at The Turf Club it is automatically three slices) or a fried egg, but they have more unusual options such as a balsamic glaze, a lump crab and lobster cake, or a slice of grilled pineapple.
The burgers are usually served with fresh-cut fries but they also offer mac & cheese, onion rings, or fried corn on the cob.
Let’s hope the new owners keep up the same high standards as the original.