While I rarely venture into the valley after work hours, I recently took a trip there after dark for a bit of a birthday celebration. The gathering was at the Mad Bull’s Tavern in Sherman Oaks and although I wasn’t quite in a drinking mood (plus I was the driver and Sherman Oaks is a long way from home), I actually found myself in an eating mood. It was five minutes to 11:00 pm and when I asked for a menu, I was told that most of the food, except for appetizers, would only be available until 11. I had to think fast.

Although they had a buffalo burger, this did not seem like the right place to get one. Instead, I looked to the MBT Burger ($12), which presumably stood for Mad Bull’s Tavern. It was prepared with onion, bacon and manchego cheese. Hoping the Mad Bull was in now way related to Mad Cow, I made this my order, without the onions of course.

It arrived pretty quickly and looked pretty great. The bun glistened and the crispy bacon poked out from within. It was a good start. Inside, the bacon that had looked crispy turned out to be just so. The manchego cheese was also a nice touch and the bun was nice and moist, but not too much so. The burger, although made with tasty beef, was just a little too cooked. It was pretty brown all the way through and although it wasn’t dry, it probably could have come off the grill a bit sooner. The fries were pretty awesome, though, and a great burger partner.

So although Mad Bull’s Tavern wasn’t great, it was a pretty good burger. But for 12 bucks, you’ve gotta do better than that.