Before the place was (somewhat) renovated into a restaurant, Herbs was a Seaside gas station and convenience store. Id driven by multiple times over the past few years wondering exactly what waited inside, and I must say I wasnt prepared for what I found.

Much of the look and feel of the place the cashier counter, the wall of glass cooler doors, the fluorescent lighting, the lottery games remains that of a gutted quick stop. The partially tinted windows say closed even as the neon sign says open. Theres one billiard and one shuffleboard table. A pinball machine and a nearly empty claw crane round out the rec room feel of the west wing of the space, while high partition-divided tables occur in a cluster near the counter. The makeshift open kitchen is in the northeast corner of the room a bit behind the counter. Ive encountered restaurants built in strange spaces, but we may have a winner. Many of the cooler doors are ghost towns no longer populated with a stock of beverages. Those few defiant holdouts a single can of local microbrew, two handle jugs of Mikes Hard Lemonade, five cans of Coke seemed lonely and out of place next to the tap handles and across the room from the fountain drinks. But that was the view from my table; I didnt take the grand tour.

As Ive written in the past, strange vibes from weird atmospheres can be partially nullified by good food, and for the most part, that is what I found at Herbs. While there were some clear winners on the roster, the menu is as jumbled and mishmashed as the restaurant itself. Not that theres anything wrong with that. I enjoy a menu that flaunts convention. Take, for instance, the appetizer menu. You have the regular options: nachos, fried cheese sticks, wings, onion rings; but then theres the vegetable basket ($4.95) with assorted fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, broccoli, cucumber) and dressings for dipping. Does that seem out of place on a fried app menu? Yes. But I think its great that its there! Also, for all of those fried items, Herbs doesnt offer French fries … at all. The burgers and sandwiches come with chips and salsa. This was a bit disappointing. Homemade chips, tri-colored chips, good kettle chips, something signature would have been appreciated. What we got were plain tortilla strips youd get at the store, and a basic factory salsa. I get tired of fries with everything, but a little more work or a better product would go a long way since this is a standard side.

The sandwiches alone were really good. The 1/3-lb. burgers are indeed handmade, as the menu claims, and can be cooked to temperature. I enjoyed a mushroom Swiss burger ($7.25), the bun griddled to a crunchy interior while maintaining a soft exterior, the medium-rare beef bolstered by shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and spicy white onion, and of course the griddled mushrooms and melted cheese. The chipotle burger ($7.50) is stacked with black olives, sliced pickled jalapenos and pepper jack. Messy but tasty. The Herbs reuben ($8.25) is griddled to a crunch, which I appreciate as it stands up to the standard filling of corned beef, kraut, Swiss and Thousand Island dressing, which are harmoniously proportioned.

Deli sandwiches the usual turkey, ham or roast beef with choice of cheese and choice of bread are nothing special here, but satisfactory in an average way (though I did expect a pickle spear!) I enjoyed the Little Herb Sub ($8.25), a roll with two cheeses, salami, bologna and choice of meat, particularly because of the inclusion of bologna, which I never see on menus but found portions to be rather chintzy for the size of the roll. A recent soup du jour of broccoli cheddar bacon ($3.50 cup) was incredibly thick and starchy so much so that it was mounded above the rim of the cup. The thick, yellowish, almost custardy base was easy to pin down, while the broccoli, usually in small mushy pieces, was actually in rather large florets, and a bit al dente. This leads me to conclude that a standard condensed canned cheddar cheese soup was doctored up with fresh bacon and broccoli, and not properly diluted with milk or stock. Some points given for semi-homemade.

An appetizer order of jalapeno bottle caps ($5.25) were instead jalapeno poppers, and an order of hot wings (on special for $4.95) were not accompanied by the promised veggies and dips and sauces, but rather came a la carte, with the hot trapped in the seasoned breading. Though one guest wanted her ranch, I found these to be less messy than sauced wings, and maintain my opposition to the unnecessary inclusion of salad dressing. However, when it comes to accoutrements, honor thy menu.

The last thing we tried was truly the best. Herbs broasted chicken and jojos are up there with any in the area, and thats already a short list. Some of the biggest examples of chicken parts Ive ever seen were among our four-piece basket ($8.25), and perfectly cooked at that. The pieces are dusted with a seasoned flour rather than crumbs, light batter or other coatings Ive encountered. The large breast remained juicy, while the wing wasnt overdone. Leg and thigh were just perfect. And though Ive never been much of a jojo fan, the ones served up at Herbs are superior, as theyre done fresh to order, and havent steamed to a soggy exterior or shriveled under a heat lamp.

If you can get past the ambiance, theres decent food to be had at Herbs.