Mr. Dunderbak's in Daytona Beach

It's not often that a joint is a home run on all fronts.  It's even less often that a chain joint is a home run.  Even less oftener-ish is when said chain joint is located in a mall.  In spite of what would seem to be a recipe for total Solanum Tuberosum disappointment, Mr. Dunderbak's is THE BEST PLACE EVER!

Located in the Volusia County Mall in Daytona Beach, FL, Mr. Dunderbak's has been operating under the same family ownership since 1975 (I got that from their website, but we know it's true cause the original owner's son and now current owner waited on us).  He was super-cool.  BTW, there are Mr. Dunderbak's(s) all over the country.  Google it.

Anyhoo, Mr. Dunderbak's is this uber-weird concept.  It's a restaurant, bar, German stuff store, premium beer/wine store, and delicatessen (which includes fresh sausage, cheeses, desserts, and more).  It's a bit visually confusing.  We were there at like 2 o'clock on a Tuesday, so the only people there were old folks and college kids.

The place is jam-packed with stuff.  Here you can see the bottles of super-fancy beer piled on the bar that you can buy and take home.  They also have like 40 beers on tap.  Crazy!

German style food?  Check!  We got the sausage sampler:

The Jager Schnizel:

And the Reuben.  Awesome.

I was enjoying a tasty Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest when these came to the table.  $2.59 for 46 steaming-hot, savory fries that overflowed from the boat onto the plate (I love that).

The batter was clearly beer-related, and the seasoning had hints of curry, pepper, allspice, and cayenne.

Exquisite!  10 out of 10!

GRUNION:  Yo pops, these fries are great but I think you should let me out of this kid seat so I can do some shopping.
GIBBY:  By "shopping" do you mean running around and knocking stuff over?

GRUNION:  A little bit.
GIBBY: Then, no.

GRUNION:  Cool.  I'll just throw the king of all hissy fits here in the chair.  All those retired Germans at the next table will probably love it.
GIBBY:  Okay, go knock stuff over.

If heaven is like a mall, Mr. Dunderbak's better be what the section for people who like beer and fries is like.