By ROBIN DOHRN-SIMPSON

“Eureka!” is the California state motto — and the name and motto of a restaurant along College Avenue. “Eureka” as an expression means “We have found it!”

For diners in the College Area, it means they have found a fun, casual restaurant with unique burgers, salads, and chicken plates; found a comfortable and inviting patio for dining; found a comfortable open-air bar with craft brews for relaxing or game watching.

Eureka! Restaurant is in the new building right outside of SDSU that houses Trader Joe’s. It’s not just for students. It’s for regular townspeople also. Parking is validated and very convenient.

Discover for yourself a comfortable setting, both indoor and outdoor, a bank of televisions to watch a variety of sports games, an indoor/outdoor bar that is welcoming. The menu is moderately simple burgers with a twist. An example of a menu item is the Eureka! American — a standard burger with American Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and butter lettuce. Or you can go crazy with a Fresno Fig burger with fig marmalade, goat cheese, bacon, tomatoes, onions, arugula, and spice porter mustard.

They say their chicken is “Cluckin’ Tasty.” The Napa Chicken Sandwich with grilled chicken breast, roasted Roma tomato, pesto aioli, Havarti cheese, bacon and arugula will dazzle your tastebuds.

If you’re in the mood for a salad, they have a Cobb salad, a Seared Furikake Ahi Salad with a peanut sesame ginger sauce or a Blackened Salmon Kale Caesar Salad.

Two unique take-out menus are: Date night for Two, which include Crispy Glazed Brussels Sprouts, two burgers of your choice. A choice of a Boozy Beverage: Wild Child, Industry Margarita, or Old Fashioned (serves four) or a Hoppy Beer & Light Beer. The Family Bundle feeds four and includes Crispy Glazed Brussels Sprouts, Mac N’ Cheese Balls, two American cheeseburgers, a Cobb salad, a Spicy Chicken Sandwich, two dessert Bourbon Barrel Cakes and a Bottle of red or white wine.

Grab an Adirondack chair and sit around the fire pit. Visit with friends or catch up on the latest news or sporting event.

— Robin Dohrn-Simpson is a local food and travel writer. Reach her at www.robindohrnsimpson.com.