Finney’s Crafthouse in Burbank has great brews, great eats

Wine by the glass is expensive, and getting more so. (The notion of paying for a glass of vino what I used to pay for a whole bottle rattles my thrifty bones!) Beer, on the other hand, even top-quality craft draft, never costs all that much.

At Finney’s Crafthouse — where brew is venerated as a religious totem — most of the 16-ounce mugs of suds run $7, with a few creeping all the way up to $8, and one actually hitting $9. (Go crazy! Indulge!) This is what I call a very good deal!

Especially when it’s consumed in a multiplicity of rooms in the heart of downtown Burbank, decorated with black & white images of legends lifting a glass. Look! There’s Ronnie Reagan, accompanied by a beaming Nancy, beer in his mitt, none in hers. There’s David Bowie in a bespoke double-breasted suit, carrying a beer with elegance to match. And Sammy Davis Jr., casual as ever, big Rat Pack grin on his face, a sudsy brew in his hand. They drank beer. They liked beer. We can too. (And I bet the beer they quaffed wasn’t near as fine as what Finney’s serves on draft, with pride.)

The Finney’s in Burbank is part of a chain, with other locations in Porter Ranch,San Luis Obispo, Westlake Village, Santa Barbara and Ventura. There’s a menu section of 14 “Craft Cocktails” and 14 wines — by the glass and the bottle. There are six American whiskeys. Fine. Good. It’s nice to be offered a choice. But for me, and most of the locals bending the elbow, Finney’s is all about the beer. And, based on the old school Skee-Ball machine, and the Photo Booth in the backroom, sort of goofy fun as well.

But there’s nothing goofy about the 30 craft drafts on the list. Except maybe for some of the names; beer-makers seem to drink lots of their own product thinking up monikers. Like Captain Fatty’s Sour from Santa Barbara, 14 Cannons Peanut Butter Cup from Westlake Village (which is, yes, made with cocoa ad roasted peanuts), and Lincoln Subtle Smurk (sic) Hazy IPA from right here in Burbank.

The beers are divided into six styles: Light, Fruity, Hoppy, Hoppier, Toasty and Malty. Not one of them is a generic American beer, the sort that inspires wags to graffiti bathroom walls with commentary akin to, “They Don’t Sell Beer Here…They Rent It!” Even the five beers described as “Light” have heft and body — the Fig Mountain Agua Santa Mexican Lager, described as “dry, light & refreshing,” doesn’t have that forgettable nothingness of what’s called “Lawn Mower Beer” — the sort of can you inhale while cutting the grass, because it won’t get you drunk, and you don’t feel like a Coke.

One can, of course, live on beer alone; goodness knows, at various times in my checkered existence, I have. (Well, okay, pretzels too!) But Finney’s has a sizable menu of dishes that go well with beer. Familiar favorites like hot wings and crispy tacos. But much more as well. Indeed, even wings and tacos take turns unique to Finney’s.

The wings come seven ways. But actually, since we have a choice of with bones and without, I guess that’s 14 ways. There’s yuzu Buffalo, orange chili, garlic parmesan, Cajun 7-spice, Nashville hot, mango habanero, and sauceless “naked.” And there’s a choice of two out of the four dipping sauces — ranch, blue cheese, honey mustard and umami. (And how much does it say about our culinary world when terms like “umami” and “yuzu” can be simply batted around with the ease of a Whiffle ball. These days, we all know our quinoa from our tofu.)

And we know there’s nothing especially outré about an order of tacos packed with cauliflower and chickpeas with cilantro crema and yuzu sauce. Or mahi mahi with “firecracker” aioli. There are mini ahi poke tacos as well, up in the Starters & Snacks section of the menu, next to the deviled eggs packed with candied bacon and Sriracha sauce.

The Sriracha is turned into a maple butter served with the chicken & waffle bites. And yes, retro happiness incarnate, there are Bavarian pretzels, thick and crunchy, served with pale ale cheese, sweet mustard and…caramel? Which seems like a sin against the god of beery rituals. Mustard yes! Caramel…nah!

There are no entrées here, no platters of ribs and such. But goodness knows, there’s plenty to eat. The biggest dishes are the Sandwiches & Burgers, to which you can add Tater Tots, fries, sweet potato fries, truffle fries or a small side salad. (Which isn’t near as much fun as the rest of the menu!)

The burger meat is a combo of chuck, brisket and hanger steak, though there’s also an Impossible Burger, a veggie patty and a bison burger.

You can order a gluten-free bun, or substitute a lettuce wrap. Though what you’re doing in a beer house is a bit of a mystery.

It’s a bit like the fellow I used to know who went to Lawry’s Prime Rib for the fish. Even the servers looked at him as if he were strange. And he complained every time that the fish was awful. Well…yeah! It’s Lawry’s Prime Rib. This is Finney’s Crafthouse. Crafty is the way to play it.

Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email [email protected].

Finney’s Crafthouse

• Rating: 2.5 stars
• Address: 164 E. Palm Ave., Burbank (also in Porter Ranch and Westlake Village)
• Information: 818-572-4610, www.finneyscrafthouse.com
• Cuisine: Beer and Bar Food
• When: Lunch and dinner, every day
• Details: Full bar; reservations helpful
• Prices: About $20 per person
• Suggested dishes: 18 Starters & Snacks ($9-$14), 7 Salads ($10-$16), 7 Hot Wings ($12), 7 Flatbread Pizzas ($12-$14), 5 Crispy Tacos ($12-$14), 15 Sandwiches & Burgers ($12-$15), 30 Craft Drafts ($7-$8)
• Credit cards: MC, V
• What the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional. Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)