Stuff Mason Students Like #4: Brion's Grille

Students especially like the grille on Tuesdays, when all Mason-themed burgers are half-off their regular price. (Cathi Acosta)
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UPDATED 3:38 p.m. 

I would bet plenty of Mason students would say Tuesday is their favorite day of the week. Not because that is when TBS shows a marathon of The Office every week, or because of the “Butts and Guts” class offered every Tuesday at the Aquatic Center.

It is because starting at 5 p.m. every Tuesday, all burgers at Brion’s Grille are half off their regular prices. This means that until Brion’s closes, you can get one of their Black Angus burgers for less than $5.

Though Mason is out of the running for March Madness, Brion’s is one place that houses Mason spirit year-round, despite its NCAA standing.

Most of the burgers that fall under the half-off special are named after individuals from Mason. For example, if you are in the mood for something classic, then order a burger with American cheese and bacon. Called the Jay Marsh, it is named after Mason’s senior associate athletic director.

Or perhaps you want a burger with sautéed mushrooms and Monterey Jack cheese. Then order the Alan Merten, named after Mason’s president.

This is what Stephanie LaParre, a junior majoring in psychology, typically orders whenever she goes. “I take advantage when I can,” LaParre says when asked how often she goes to Brion’s on Tuesdays. Before he had classes on Tuesday nights, senior Mobin Jacob would go to Brion’s one to two times a month. His usual order is the Jim Larranaga, with spicy honey-mustard barbecue sauce, banana peppers and Jack cheese.

One thing to know if you go to Brion’s on Tuesdays is that it can get very busy. Senior Denelle Ryan, who used to work at Brion’s on Tuesday nights, points out that “there’s usually a wait of about 20 minutes or so. And there’s people everywhere. Almost 100 percent of people that come in on Tuesdays get burgers.”

According to Ryan, about 30 – 40 percent of those that come in are Mason students. Mobin Jacob affirms this, noting “it’s very common to run into friends and other Mason students.” No surprise there — Brion’s is located across campus in the University Mall shopping center.

With the restaurant open until 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Mason students can opt to head over to Brion’s for a late-night food run. Sometimes it’s great to have another option for burgers besides Ike’s.

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Writer's Note: Inspired by the popular blog, Stuff White People Like, “Stuff Mason Students Like” is pretty self-explanatory in drawing attention to the stuff that George Mason University students like.  This column aims to foster a common culture among Mason’s student population, publish what people are thinking and say, and most importantly, to poke some fun at the Mason student body.