This humble wooden building perched across from the Glenmark Centre has always caught my eye. Was it a bar? Was it a restaurant? What IS it? When some friends and I were around that area a little too late at night, we decided to check Rhythm & Brews out. We parked outside and walked up the ramp to the entrance.

What I didn't realize was that this building is not just the bar; there's a salon next door. So the actual bar area is quite small. To the left was a stage with a young woman and man strumming guitar and singing. Directly in front was the bar, with a dozen or so patrons sitting. To the right were some tables. We took a seat and got settled. A bartender came over with menus. I get that it's supposed to be a live music venue, but it was SO loud that I could barely hear the waitress or have a conversation.

The menu had typical bar food, like fries, onion rings, etc. It also had wings, burgers and some sandwiches. I wanted to keep it classic: I went with the All American Burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and American cheese. I ordered it medium-well with a side of onion rings. My onion rings were very tasty - battered crispy and dipped in ranch: perfect. My burger wasn't bad. The first few bites tasted pretty average. Then as I continued on, something about it just didn't taste as fresh as it could be. The meat, that is.

So, I set that to the side and finished my onion rings. I didn't want to take my chances. The waitress was extremely helpful, and she continued with refills until we were ready to leave. Service was great, and food was mediocre.

Grade: C