In 1591 Solano Avenue in Albany sits a pleasant burger joint with a social, family friendly approach and a great atmosphere where customers can enjoy big, delicious burgers at a reasonable price.

Barney’s Gourmet Burgers is a crowded, yet comfortable restaurant.

Customers are able to take refuge from the busy avenue and indulge themselves with a meal from Barney’s large menu.

The menu contains a variety of burgers, fries, hot dogs, salads, sodas, milkshakes and malts.

Barney’s establishes an atmosphere that invites family and friends to sit in booth-styled seats and engage in conversation all while enjoying a meal.

Despite the highly social environment this is definitely not the place to bring someone for a first date.

This is due to the crowded area and the large amount of distracting conversations and chatter from customers and cooks.

However it is a great place to buy and share a milkshake or malt while walking up Solano.

I had lunch at Barney’s, which was a satisfying time for me and to my empty, aching stomach.

During this visit I started with the “Barney’s Salad,” a crunchy salad with various ingredients including beans, sprouts and olives topped off with a vinaigrette dressing.

I had it with a delicious ginger ale soda, which married both to make a tasty appetizer.

For the main course I ordered the one-pound “Big Barney’s Burger” with a side of very crisp, thin, aromatic truffle fries and a blackberry malt that tasted divine.

Within 10 minutes my table had received all of the dishes.

I was expecting the burger to be served on a more rounded bread roll, but this enormous hunk of ground beef came on a rectangular roll with the patty and cheese hanging off the side.

It made it the most visually unappealing dish on the table.

Let’s just say that I had to ask for a to-go box at the end of my meal.

What really made the afternoon stand out was the ambiance of the restaurant.

Barney’s has large windows providing ample natural lighting and a welcoming and relaxing setting, I was able to get comfortable and enjoy my food in peace.

As a result, through the gloomy clouds and the pouring rain of that afternoon, I had a exceptionally bright afternoon.

Overall, I spent $40 on a meal that was good, but not the best.

For anyone looking for a comfortable dining experience with quality, classic American food, this is a solid spot.

Even though the meal wasn’t the best I would definitely go to Barney’s again.