We had lunch at the new Decoy Bar and Grill yesterday (read The Source’s review here), and I was impressed. I won’t go as in-depth as The Source did, but I will agree with their assessment that they have one of the best burgers in town (if not the best).

The space isn’t as big as I envisioned it, but it’s not small, either. It’s very comfortable, lots of exposed brick and wood giving it the "Northwest atmosphere" they were aiming for. There are booths and table/booth combos along the walls, but most of the seating are the tall bar tables and bar stools you can see in the picture on their home page.

The food was excellent. My Decoy Burger was thick, juicy, served up with blue cheese on thick sourdough bread instead of a traditional bun. The patty is made fresh from ground chuck and seasonings, nothing frozen going on there. There were even sweet pickles on the side… something I’ve not seen anywhere else in town (and I love sweet pickles).

The kids ate every bit of their food and loved it. They have a "token" children’s menu, with three items: chicken nuggets, pasta and meatballs, and grilled cheese. They’re kid friendly, but are definitely catering to the more adult clientèle.

The tomato Florentine soup my wife had was very good, too. And the fries that came with my burger and the kids grilled cheese are hand-cut and oven roasted, quite tasty.

They are apparently known for their sours, but we just went "basic", beer and wine. Their wine list looked impressive, but the beer selection isn’t as large; about 5 or so on draught and another bunch in the bottle. Beer was $4.50 for glass.

It’s a bit expensive; not as expensive as Typhoon but comparable to (or slightly more than) the Village Grill. And while I liked the Village Grill, the Decoy was, yes, better for the price.

I’ll be back, and next time I’ll try a sour or something.

The Decoy Bar and Grill
1051 Bond Street, Suite 100
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 318-4833