Tonight’s visit is the exact definition of spontaneous adventure.

It’s technically Ted’s pick this week, but since it was sunny and above 70 degrees we decided it was a perfect night to invoke our new patio rule. Check off spontaneous choice #1.

So after a brief driveway discussion on the best patios in the area that we haven’t visited yet this summer (and a side conversation about how we somehow always forget these places when put on the spot), we decided on a trip to The Big Dog in Ravenna – which, pre-COVID, was known for their great patio and Wednesday wing specials.

We checked their FB page and it confirmed that the patio was open, so off we went.

What we failed to check, however, was if the kitchen was open as well. Silly us.

We should’ve guessed by the very empty parking lot. And in fact we did all question why it was so empty before we exited the car to walk in.

However, the super sweet bartender inside – after delivering the bad news that dinner would not be happening in that establishment – offered up some suggestions for food nearby. Which, spoiler alert, there are very few of. And even fewer with patios.

Here’s where we add a special side note to the owner of the Big Dog to maybe rethink that whole closing down the kitchen plan. Just a thought.

So when the bartender suggested a place called The Club House we were immediately surprised we had never even heard of it before. And thought for sure she must be making this place up. I mean, we’ve only been been doing this for 10 years now, how could we possibly have missed this spot?

But we listened as she called over to this mythical space to confirm they had dining on the patio that evening. And then took directions from her like we were following some sort of treasure map. It was about a 10 minute drive back in the direction we just came from, so we said yes to adventure and off we went.

Spontaneous choice #2.

The drive over gave us a chance to look up the Club House on FB, where we were assured both that it really did exist and that the burgers looked delicious.

Don’t you love that we just choose at this moment to forget that FB had burned us a mere moments earlier by letting us think we were off to enjoy wings at a great patio?

I think that thought went through all of our minds as Google Maps had us turning off the main road and into a clearly residential neighborhood. But hey, this has also been how we’ve found some of our most fun destinations in the past, too. Hidden gems are our specialty.

So we ventured in and immediately met the server/bartender, Bailey – who, spoiler alert, was so helpful throughout the evening that Ted decided he might propose to her – starting at the moment when we ordered our first round of drinks and she let us know that the evening’s special was a club house burger with fries for $8.

You have our attention.

Ted and Shane both ordered bottled beer and I went with canned High Noon. We headed out to the patio with our drinks and menus, after confirming with Bailey that we were the people the other bartender sent over in search of an outdoor dining experience. Nothing like feeling like the special guests of someone we don’t even know, but Bailey seemed cool about it so hopefully they’re friends.

I’d like to call our dinner choice for the evening Spontaneous Choice #3, but you all know as well as we do that as soon as the words “burger special for $8” left Bailey’s mouth that was going to be what we ordered. But we looked through the menu anyway so we could take notes for an eventual next visit, and learned they do breakfast on the weekends and pizza in the winter (Bailey confirmed it’s because they don’t have AC in the kitchen). But no wings, which the guys were a little disappointed about. You know, since that was the original plan for today and all.

So Bailey comes back out and we all order the burger special – me with provolone cheese, Shane with pepper jack and Ted with none (of course).

Shane and I also got the pretzel bites. Which she told us they just changed the recipe to include cheese inside. Once again, she’s saying all the right things here.

Well at least to me and Shane anyway. Ted was unimpressed.

But he was impressed that she offered to bring us our alcohol in buckets, so that not only did she not have to stress about missing an empty drink while she was the only person behind the bar and we were the only ones on the patio, but also it assured that we would be happy with full, cold drinks.

Remember how I mentioned Ted kinda wanted to marry her by the end of the night? This may be when that spark ignited.

The burgers were really good. Especially for the price – I mean, it’s hard to find a half pound burger with all the fixings AND a side of fries for $8 anywhere, and bonus points when it’s actually a decent meal. I mean, I don’t think we cracked Shane’s infamous Top (insert a random number here) List of favorite burgers or anything – but they were all done how we ordered them and enough to fill us up so definitely no complaints.

We asked how long The Club House had been there, and were shocked when we were told it opened in 1941. Excuse me? Tell me again how none of us even had this come up on our radar any time in the past decade?

But as Bailey told us, it’s one of those places that you don’t know about until you either stumble upon it like we did or know someone who know it exists. It’s definitely the definition of a hidden gem. But we warned her that now that we know, she hasn’t seen the last of us. The next time we’re in the mood for cheap burgers on a patio with an attentive staff (even if it is only one person) – this will be the top of our list for sure.