BJ’s Bar (aka Dancing Sandwiches) in Burton Gets an Artsy Facelift [PHOTOS]

BJ's Bar in Burton has a few fresh coats of paint, and a new mural that lives up to the "dancing sandwiches" nickname.

It sounds weird to outsiders, but any native Burtuckian can tell you where to find Dancing Sandwiches -- on the corner of Belsay and Lapeer. For many years, BJ's Bar has gone by the nickname, which was born from the oddly close placement of, what we're assuming were supposed to be two separate selling points on their sign. However, instead of looking at the sign and thinking, "Let's go to that place that has both dancing and sandwiches," it sort of turned into an inside joke for locals to say "Let's go that place with the dancing sandwiches," or "Let's go to dancing sandwiches."

The small corner bar has been a local fave for a long time, and is one of the few establishments near that intersection that hasn't closed for business since I was a kid. Other nearby spots like tanning salons, Home Video Gallery, Scotti's (closed, but now re-opened), pizza places, and grocery stores have all came and went, but BJ's, along with Johnny's Hardware, the Bentley Florist, and a few others remain the OGs of the block.

The exterior of BJ's largely matched the aesthetic of the rest of the block, which, if we're being honest, was a bit outdated. Much of that corner still looks like it did when I attended the nearby Barhitte Elementary in the mid to late 1980s. In other words, the place was overdue for a facelift, and I'm not the only who noticed.

The new owners of BJ's, Tim & Linda Jackson, had local Myles Nakamura of MPC - My Paint Company give the building a few fresh coats of paint last week. The finishing touches were provided by artist Kevin Burdick, who painted the mural on the side of the bar earlier today. I'm looking forward to seeing this awesome piece of art on my daily commute to work.

Myles actually painted the old Family Dollar across the street, and will be brightening up a few other spots on that corner as well. Myles and his crew do great work, and if you're looking to get something painted -- he's your guy. Just hit him up via Facebook or call 810-922-1921.