Nick Badovinus opened Desert Racer in 2019. The Covid 19 outbreak temporarily closed the place and when it recently re-opened several major changes happened. A concrete wall surrounds the small restaurant and large 8,000 sq. ft. patio. Wall signs point to the original entrance but now the exit and entrance are through the same break in the wall, under the motorcycle. Inside is a long bar and tables with garage door type windows that roll up to let the outside in. The menu is currently called Vantina and based on a pop-up food truck, which is now parked in the patio but the food comes from the kitchen. That means the menu is much smaller than when the place first opened but fits the setting. (The only dessert offered was soft serve ice cream). Currently they have just 4 “indoor” tables and two groupings of 2 seats at the bar were open. The large patio had various means of shade and fans but some did receive full sun. Lots of plants are inside and out and outside the polished wood tables are mostly on artificial grass. Inside the same tables are on rugs on a concrete floor. There is lots of parking in a dedicated lot and the patio is smoke free. Servers were friendly, efficient and wore masks.
The burgers are reported to be the same as was served at the Off Site Kitchen, which has now closed. The menu offers a few variations on the make-up of the burger and you can get it with fries and a taco. This was a generous option. A good amount of crispy fries were nicely seasoned and packets of ketchup were on a separate plate. The taco was a thin crisp shell stuffed lettuce, tomato, cheese and seasoned ground beef mixture. It was good but more ordinary than a stand out. The burger was served slightly pink and we both opted for the addition of caramelized onions and jalapeños. I heartily endorse this addition, even though you still get the raw onion, cause it added lots of flavor and a bit of spice to the juicy burger. No pickle is in the mix, which was just fine. It was a good balance of bun to meat and the secret sauce was tasty. I would go again for the burger but probably pass on the taco.
Grandson will be thrilled to know they serve Off Site Kitchen burgers!!