Mystery Diner in Batavia: Eclectic fare draws fans to The GOAT burger + cocktail bar

One of the newer restaurants in downtown Batavia is The GOAT burger + cocktail bar. Nope, there’s no goat meat on the menu. Instead, the name is short for greatest of all time, which ties into the sports memorabilia decor and array of televisions tuned to games.

The full-service restaurant and bar, in a sleek and laid-back, two-story space, has added outdoor dining a couple doors to the east. The GOAT is on Wilson Street, just east of North River Street.

When we arrived for an early dinner, a nice crowd filled the main-floor bar area dotted with high-top seating and tables. Sound levels were great. We opted to sit upstairs and watch the view through the glass front wall.

The moniker The GOAT also reflects the eatery’s devotion to the quality of its fare, featuring gourmet burgers and other specialties.

We opened our meal by sharing one of the creative salads, the elote power bowl. The colorful dish was superlative, with delicious grilled corn paired with red cabbage, red pepper, green onion, quinoa, Cotija cheese, avocado, fresh spinach leaves and slices of jalapeño. It normally is served with chili wasabi ranch, but we swapped it for a luscious honey mustard dressing on the side.

The burgers feature two, 4-ounce patties, unless otherwise requested. My dining companion picked the Black + Blue, the flavorful, stacked patties melding with blue cheese, grilled onions, bacon and sautéed mushrooms. He chose onion rings as his side, for a small up-charge.

“The kitchen deftly assembled the burger ingredients into a flavorful tower that was totally satisfying,” he said.

I selected the namesake burger called The GOAT, and noticed we appropriately were seated under a joyful closeup photo of Michael Jordan celebrating a championship win.

Two side-by-side smashed patties arrived with herbed goat cheese, grilled onions, fig jam and arugula. I was able to order a tasty gluten-free bun instead of the brioche. The fig jam lent an earthy sweetness to the burger in a nice interplay with the tangy goat cheese. The fries are well seasoned.

Instead of beef, burgers can be prepared with a chicken patty or Beyond Burger for a meat substitute.

The GOAT also offers an array of interesting mac-and-cheese dishes, and such sandwiches as Nashville chicken; pork belly BLT; and Bahn Mi, a Vietnamese specialty with honey hoisin glazed pork belly, fried egg, citrus apple slaw and garlic aioli on a grilled french roll. There’s also a kids menu.

The restaurant offers grab-and-go breakfast items during the starting hours of the Batavia Farmers’ Market on Saturdays.

Our server was friendly, and the ambience warmly relaxed.

Generous portions left us with no room for dessert, but we learned an artisan baker provides the sweets, which that day included a French silk pie and orange creamsicle cheesecake.

We enjoyed our meal, and decided the shaded outdoor patio looks inviting for our next visit.

• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at the Kane County Chronicle. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The GOAT burger + cocktail bar

WHERE: 107 E. Wilson St., Batavia

PHONE: 630-326-9173

INFORMATION: www.thegoatburgerbar.com, Facebook at tinyurl.com/bdz86kt8