Home to tableside magic tricks and spontaneous half-price drink specials when fire trucks whiz past, it’s hard to believe that a kitchen fire ravaged The Gathering Bar & Grill in Mission Hills just two years ago.

While remaining enveloped in scaffolding for nearly a year, owner and magician Dan Thomas rallied a devoted team of friends to assist in the costly rebuilding process. Renovation resulted in a faithful replication of the ‘80s-style atmosphere The Gathering once held, involving an exterior paint job, new divided-light windows, fresh carpeting and chair upholstery typical of hotel banquet rooms, and an American oak bar centered in the middle.

“Smells like the Hob Nob Hill in here,” commented one of my tablemates upon seating ourselves at a front corner table impaired by indirect lighting. (A lit candle would’ve helped when reading the menu.) Indeed, the aroma was pure blue-plate from a bygone era, running along the lines of meatloaf, canned peas and green Jell-O – a nostalgic and welcoming scent to some; cause for concern to others.

A basket of super-bready table rolls started us off along with a ramekin of tasteless, whipped substance almost as white as the bread itself. Butter or margarine? Nobody in our foursome could truly determine.

We then became pleasantly confused when poring over the menu, a hodgepodge of American classics interspersed with a smattering of Caribbean, Italian, French and Mexican dishes. Two of my companions were skeptical, opting for char-grilled burgers instead. The other in our party reverted to his Midwestern roots with country-style meatloaf. For him, the monstrous white dinner rolls proved delightful for mopping up puddles of dark mushroom gravy draping the meat. I made a beeline for Jamaican pork tenderloin, which became my favorite dish on the table.

Soup is included with most selections. The French onion was salty and harsh tasting and riddled with too many outer sheets of the onions. New England clam chowder was much better – thick, white and sanctioned with discernible pieces of clams compensating for the slight lack of potatoes in the recipe.

We were ambivalent over an appetizer of baked artichokes, brined and buried awkwardly with Gorgonzola cream sauce. I would have preferred a more naked flavor from the chokes and a less overpowering sauce. Perhaps we should have taken a T.G.I. Friday’s path for our starter course – nachos, potato skins, calamari strips – or gone international with Caprese or Brie served over grilled baguette.

Based on my earliest recollections of eating here prior to the fire, The Gathering dabbles better in casual, laid-back fare than it does in ambitious experimentation. The burgers, for example, are hardy and flavorful and served on decent sesame buns. No complaints there. The meatloaf dinner, accompanied by real mashed potatoes, was pleasingly straightforward if you don’t mind it tasting a little “TV dinner-ish,” as one of my companions termed it. Blame that on the gravy, which I’m guessing uses a commercial starter loaded with monosodium glutamate and powdered spices.

Of the Jamaican pork I ordered, the delightfully tender meat was coated in homemade pineapple chutney that basically resembled fruity teriyaki from a jar. I liked it nonetheless, as the glaze revealed a touch of heat, possibly from cayenne pepper, plus bits of roasted red bell peppers for added perk. A generic medley of cauliflower, broccoli and carrots served alongside arrived at room temperature.

The menu takes additional unexpected turns with things like penne arrabiata, steak Napoli, blackened chicken salads, seafood crepes and chicken tortas. It’s a cosmopolitan mishmash seemingly meant to coax the club sandwich crowd into trying something different every now and then.

Visiting early in the week, we unfortunately missed out on tableside magic tricks that start at 6 p.m. (Thursdays through Sundays). Local magicians conduct their wizardry with coins, cards, sponges and other props that make for fun bargain entertainment. We also didn’t score any of the half-price drink specials, offered within a minute or so whenever a fire truck races past the restaurant with its siren blaring. The deal applies to mixed drinks, beer and wines by the glass – and the servers announce the offer so that everyone gets a fair shot, our waiter assured us.

Despite its humble atmosphere and the unremarkable food we consumed, The Gathering flies in the face of pretentious eateries that force you into particular themes and genres, giving you instead a refreshing dose of whimsy and comfort that has remained steadfast since the late 1980s.