Juicy Burger in Santa Clara was my accidental choice. I was headed for Chubby Burger in Sunnyvale, which had great reviews on line, but I was sad to find it closed when I pulled up. I typed "Best Burger" into my iPhone and found Juicy Burger to be the closest non-chain.
Set in a pink strip mall on El Camino, it wasn't hard to find. As I pulled up I noticed a sign in the window that said "Recession Burger". There was another sign that said "Vegan Luncheon". Knowing that someone had a sense of humor, I was encouraged. There were three guys eating at the larger of two sets of unmatched tables. The fellow at the counter took my order of one 1/2 pound Super Juicy Burger ($6.65), Fries ($1.90) and Onion Rings ($3.75). I asked if he could give me a half order of fries and onion rings and he accommodated me.
I took my table and looked around. The place is a little seedy, but generally clean. Some kittens outside the window meowed at me through the glass. On one side of the restaurant the walls are covered with posters of bad guys. Al Pacino as Scarface. The Sopranos. Barry Bonds. Stephen Jackson. On the opposite wall it was all good guys. San Francisco 49ers for the most part.
The burger has two patties of beef stacked up and cooked through. I think they start frozen, but I am not sure. They were charcoal broiled with American Cheese on top. The sesame bun was nicely grilled. I topped it from the amply stocked condiment bar that included lettuce, tomato, onions and most of the other things you would suggest. Everything looked very fresh.
I must say the burger was fairly unremarkable. Although it was well prepared and hot and the condiments were fresh, it just didn't excite me. The fies were so hot I burnt my tongue. Maybe that is why they didn't seem to have much flavor. The onion rings were overcooked, standard-issue, breaded frozen o-rings.
Overall I would say that Juicy Burger is OK in a pinch, but I wouldn't make a special trip back. I am still looking for great burger in the Santa Clara / Sunnyvale area. St. John's is the best so far. By the way, I asked about the recession burger. The guy at the counter shrugged and said it is a bun and lettuce.
Burger 2.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2 spatulas
Onion rings 1.5 spatulas
Juicy Burger
2725 El Camino Real #102
Santa Clara, CA 95051
408-985-8444
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