A NICE PAIR: Pesto chicken burger, cracked pepper burger, both with cyclone fries. Photo courtesy of FH Browne.
CHEF KEVIN BASARAB of The Coachmen shows off the cyclone fried potato before frying. Photo courtesy of FH Browne.
THE COACHMEN’S onion curls – fried onion strings with three dipping sauces. Photo courtesy of FH Browne.
THE COACHMEN RESTAURANT is located in Battle Ground Village. Photo courtesy of FH Browne.
Burgers. Literally by the dozen. That’s the main focus of The Coachmen, a small restaurant tucked at the back of Battle Ground Village. And, they do up potatoes and onions in special ways as well.
And indeed, at this writing they had over a dozen hamburgers on the menu, made with 1/2 pound of certified Angus beef, always fresh, never frozen. A partial list of the burgers gives one an idea of the variety they offer.
• Teriyaki (topped with pineapple-cilantro salsa)
• Grecian (with sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh spinach)
• Sesame (glazed with sesame-orange sauce and Asian slaw)
• Bacon-Blue (crisp bacon and cheese topped with crispy onion curls and bbq sauce)
• Jalapeño (topped with fresh cut jalapeños, onion curls, and pepper jack cheese)
• Cracked Pepper (horseradish mayo, bacon, Swiss, onion curls, cracked black pepper
Also on the menu as specials are the Roasted Garlic burger, the Southwest burger, and the Szechuan burger. And Chef and co-owner Kevin Basarab comes up with new specials frequently that are added to the list.
In addition to answering the question “where’s the beef?” The Coachmen also features chicken burgers (they’re called burgers, but they’re actually grilled chicken breasts, not ground chicken) with the same sesame glaze and slaw, garnished with jalapeños, slathered with pesto, and chopped in a mushroom-marsala sauce.
For those who love pork, The Coachmen also features four varieties of pulled pork as well. They also offer several varieties of black bean burgers for vegetarians.
All of the burgers and pulled pork sandwiches are accompanied by what they whimsically call “Cyclone Fries” – a potato skewered on a stick, cut into a continuous spiral, dipped in batter then deep fried. An unusual and tasty way to serve a fried potato that is especially popular with children. And yes, they do have a children’s menu that adds a grilled cheese sandwich and chicken tenders to their burger retinue.
Prices are reasonable, with most of the burgers priced at $9.25-$9.50, the children’s selections at $3.75-$4.95. Appetizers include the cyclone fries, a hummus plate, and a plateful of yummy and decadent fried onion strings (they call them curls) with three dipping sauces. They’re sometimes greasy, but our plateful vanished in seconds.
The restaurant is small, seating about 40 inside, and close to another 12-15 outside, but the place is homey in its simplicity, and is all about fast service. They also offer take-out service and recently opened the Swingtown Smoothies & Bakery just across the parking lot. The bakery offers up fresh baked goods including: cupcakes, cookies, muffins, quick breads, focaccia bread, cakes and made-to-order fruit smoothies.
The Coachmen dessert list currently features tasty mini-tarts of lemon, raspberry, apple, and Bavarian cream at $1 a pop. Future offerings will come fresh from their bakery across the way.
Co-owner Chef Kevin Basarab hails from California where he was an EMT for several years. He decided it was time to fulfill his dreams of becoming a chef and moved to Vancouver, attended Northwest Culinary, and became friends with fellow student Michael Horn, a Vancouver native and aspiring chef.
“We were both on the fast track, and volunteered for as many opportunities to learn as we could,” said Kevin.
After school, Kevin and Mike wanted to keep the momentum going and joined together to become The Coachmen. Co-owner Chef Michael says, “Northwest Culinary has had a major impact on the direction of my life. The opportunities they made available to us have definitely helped Kevin and I become successful.”
Horn continues, “Opening the doors of The Coachmen is one of the proudest moments of my life and I have my family and friends to thank for the support they’ve given to me in getting here.”
Overall, most should find The Coachmen to be a fun place, welcoming to families, and once found will be a place to visit often.
Restaurant hours are Tues.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun., noon-5 p.m., closed on Mondays. The Coachmen is located at 1417 SE Rasmussen Blvd., Suite: 130, Battle Ground, phone (360) 723-5283.
