RESTAURANT REVIEW:Red Robin indulges burger-lovers and is family-friendly

The story is a familiar one to California. Sole proprietor with a modest burger stand works hard and slowly sees the business grow. Over time, it becomes more and more popular, and pretty soon it blossoms into a multi-million-dollar company.

McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr. and In-N-Out Burger are all examples of this business model that seems indigenous to Southern California.

Red Robin has a similar history. A man named Sam , started making burgers for college kids and bar patrons at a tavern near the University of Washington in the 1940s. In 60 years, the company has opened more than 250 restaurants, including one at Fashion Island.

Where Red Robin differs from the others — which is why I recommend it — is it peeled off the fast-food track and became more of a family-oriented restaurant.

While the restaurant doesn’t target children, it certainly accommodates them nicely. There are crayons and paper given out when families are seated, and the children’s menu has eight items, including a hamburger, chicken fingers and a grilled cheese sandwich.

While burgers are obviously a staple of the restaurant, there are plenty of other items for those not in the mood for red meat.

The wraps have become a popular item, and on this trip, I selected the Caesar chicken wrap in my never-ending quest to limit carbohydrates.

The spinach tortilla doesn’t help much, but it’s definitely better than a hamburger bun or two slices of bread. The Caesar wrap has grilled chicken breast, Caesar dressing, diced tomatoes, romaine lettuce and parmesan cheese.

The other wrap is much more caloric. The Whiskey River BBQ chicken wrap has too much barbecue sauce for my taste and has cheddar cheese, tortilla strips and ranch dressing.

Chicken is also a primary selection for the entrees. There are five, including one with pasta. Other entrees include fish and chips, carnitas fajitas and two new seafood dishes — shrimp and coleslaw and cod and shrimp combination platter. Six salads are also available.

My friend, however, was having none of that. He came here for a burger, and he wasn’t letting the possibility of something remotely healthy enter into his decision.

He confidently ordered the Whiskey River BBQ burger, a one-third-pound burger that comes with the restaurant’s signature barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, onion straws, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

It was exactly what he wanted, and the steak fries were a good compliment, not so thick that you feel as if you are eating an entire potato in one bite. That burger, though, is tame compared with some of the others the chain offers. The five-alarm burger has pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, salsa and chipotle mayonnaise. The banzai burger’s patty is marinated in teriyaki sauce and topped with grilled pineapple.

The facility’s signature burger is one that does not sound appealing at all to me, but others swear by it. The Royal Red Robin burger has the usual toppings — lettuce, onion, American cheese — but also come with bacon and a fried egg on top.

All of the burgers are of healthy size, so saving room for dessert was tough, especially when I saw what was delivered to the table next to me.

The mountain high mud pie is a monstrous creation of chocolate and vanilla gourmet ice cream, peanut better cookie bits, chopped peanuts and fudge in a chocolate cookie crust.

That would be enough, but the need to top it off with fudge and caramel sauce with whipped cream makes it a meal in itself. Four people could shared the dish and would have a hard time finishing it.

I ate the last bite of my wrap and felt full. And when the server asked if we wanted dessert, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Red Robin

Address: 987 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

Phone: (949) 759-0227

Cuisine: American

Specialty dish: One of their 27 burgers

Alcohol served: No

Dress: casual

Family friendly: Definitely, kid’s menu has eight items at $4.49

Credit cards accepted: Visa, MasterCard, American Express

Rating: *** (out of 5)