Hoosier Burger Boy

Five Guys Burgers and Fries - Fremont, CA

2011-06-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Fremont, CA has finally arrived on the west coast. I had heard good things, so I thought - despite its chainness - I would check it out. Located in one of those generic, California shopping strips, it was a 10-minute, three left turn exit from the freeway. Five Guys is stuck between a pizza place and some other chain store in a non-descript place. I entered and found the entry stacked with bags of potatoes. Everything was white or red. At least they didn’t add yellow like McDonalds or In-N-Out. It was only 11:45 AM, but there was a line. I waited 13 minutes to order. I took a seat at one of the cheapest tables and chairs I have ever seen. Five minutes later, my number was called.

Rather than a serve the food on a tray, it arrived in a brown bag. Inside was my burger, wrapped in foil and a mound of fries spilling over its cup. And about 10 napkins. A lot of trash generated for one burger.

Ok. Ok. What about the burger? I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger ($6.49). It comes with two 3.5-ounce patties of fresh ground beef. (Not ground at the store I was told, but shipped in already ground.) The burger is quite a stack. I ordered the everything, which includes, American cheese, bacon, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, tomato slice, pickle slices, ketchup, mustard and mayo. The whole tower was nestled between a soft, white sesame bun which was toasted. Everything worked together quite well, with a pleasant blend of flavors. The beef was a little overcooked for my taste but had good flavor. The hand-shaped patty reminded me of a home-made burger. The thin bacon pieces were crisp. The onions sweet. The cheese was not completely melted. This was an ok burger, but I figured with all the signs in the restaurant proclaiming things like “Best Burger in Florida” and other such nonsense, that it would be exceptional. In-N-Out is better. Hands down. I would also prefer Nations, a local chain over this. Of course, they don't have those on the east coast.

The fries were medium cut with skins on. Like a lot of fresh–cut fires, they fry up brown, even though they aren’t overcooked. I am fine with that. But these were greasy, limp and not that great. They were hot though.

I suppose if I had walked into Five Guys without any expectations, I would have been impressed with the burger a little more. But the lousy location, long wait and mediocre presentation dragged down the whole experience.

Burger 3 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2 spatulas

Five Guys Burgers and Fries
43518 Christy St.
Fremont, CA 94538
510-353-1331
www.fiveguys.com

Working Man's Friend - Indianapolis, IN

2011-06-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

The following blog was written by my good friend Ron Newlin

Our mutual friend Greg Hoover emailed me early this week to tell me he was going to be in Indianapolis on business on Friday, and to see if I was free for lunch. I was. On Friday morning when we texted our confirmation messages, I had a mid-text inspiration: “As a tribute to Hoosier Burger Boy, I know where we should go.”

Like Hoosier Burger Boy, I grew up in small towns and the Indiana countryside (we went to high school together), but today I’m 30 years into being a heart-of-the-city urban dweller. Nine times out of ten, when I’m entertaining guests from out of town, I take them to one of my favorite trendy neighborhoods, either MassAve (Massachusetts Avenue) or SoBro (South Broad Ripple) – both places full of locally-owned bistros with diverse menus and clientele and lots of sidewalk dining for the sixty days each year when the Indiana weather will allow it.

But ever since I started following this blog, I’ve known that if Scott ever visits, I have to take him to The Workingman’s Friend. So this week, I decided a visit from Hoov and a guest-blog on Hoosier Burger Boy would be the next best thing.

The Workingman’s Friend is a 92-year-old, continuously-family-owned bar on the near west side of Indianapolis, on Belmont Avenue just north of US 40, the National Road. It’s a simple cinder-block building that got its last makeover sometime around 1940, I’m guessing, when the owners must have got a great deal on glass blocks. Combined with an art moderne backbar in blonde ash that runs across the entire south wall of the building, a sea of formica tables and red vinyl chairs, and some vintage cigarette machines around the perimeter, the place is a time capsule.

Near-west Indy is and always has been a working-class neighborhood, although it’s close enough to downtown that the The Workingman’s Friend’s clientele is always a mix of blue and white collars. It’s the kind of place where you can order a braunschwieger sandwich, although not very many people do. According to our vivacious waitress (and an article in a book called Hamburger America that she was pleased to showed us), “99%” of their business is the double cheeseburger.

That’s what we both ordered, of course, along with homemade onion rings. The rings are crispy, not too batter-y and not too greasy, and just small enough to not leave you feeling like you wish you had eaten two fewer. Considering the small portion size, the $2.95 price tag is a little on the high side, but they’re so much more satisfying than French fries that I can’t resist.

The burgers, at $4.95, are both a steal, and (to my taste), fifteen bites of perfection. I love a burger that has some juiciness in the middle but is smashed down and fried to a crispy lace around the edges, and that’s how they make them at The Workingman’s Friend. The double comes on a simple soft white bun, no seeds, with a separate layer of bun between the two patties. The cheese is American and is content to not compete with the beef for flavor. To my way of thinking, the glory of this kind of burger is as much about the texture as the taste. I love to try new combinations on a big thick burger, but at Workingman’s Friend I don’t want anything more than the little extra tartness of yellow mustard and dill slices. Hoov goes with the works. We both agree that it’s a five-spatula experiencae.

ABOVE: Hoov with the "vivacious waitress".

I tell Hoov that a burger is one of my earliest food memories. Sometime before I started first grade, sometime between the ages of 2 and 5, my family lived in Dubois County in southern Indiana, and my favorite baby sitter was an older German immigrant that I knew only as Mrs. Seitz. Mrs. Seitz would pan-fry me a hamburger for dinner when my parents were out with friends, and my parents could never understand why I preferred her austere, crunchy little patties to the thick juicy ones that they were proud to make for us all.

I’m going from 50-year-old memories now, but it seems that we understood that Mrs. Seitz had come to the US only since the end of the War. That would be World War II, which at that time was less remote in our memories than Desert Storm is to us today. If that’s the case, this was a woman who spent much of her life in Germany during World War I, the Weimar Republic, the Great Depression, and World War II. For much of her life, I speculate, a pound of hamburger probably was expected to feed twenty people. “For a week,” Hoov adds.

I wonder how many other Eastern Europeans who made up the original clientele and staff for The Workingman’s Friend had a similar approach. I’ve never thought of a hamburger as soul food, but this particular affinity for the crunchy edge may just come from that kind of approach … from the effort to get an extra burger out of each pound, by making the burger fill a bun by smashing the edges out flat … and from the deep appreciation that its still beef, and its still a treat.

These burgers aren’t crunchy all the way through; the middles are rich and satisfying. I just think of the crisp edge as a tribute.

And oh yeah, The Workingman’s Friend is a bar. Hoov quickly spied the big vintage 32-ounce fishbowl beer glasses behind the bar and ordered one, filled with one of the two beers on tap – Bud Light (the other option was Bud). I’m no beer snob, I’m perfectly happy with a Miller High Life; which I ordered by the bottle. Our waitress offered some curious commentary on the relative merits of the two containers that we didn’t quite understand but really enjoyed …

The existence of the Hamburger America book causes me to feel both validated and vaguely disappointed. I’m glad to know that this favorite place of mine is recognized by others for the quality of the food, and that I’m not just projecting my attraction to the ambience and the good company that I always share it with, on to the burger itself. I only regret a little bit that I might not be the first person to tell readers of this blog about it!

But if you’re ever in the urban capital city of Hoosier Burger Boy’s agrarian home state, this is the place to go.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Onion Rings 4 Spatulas

Working Man's Friend
234 N Belmont Ave.
Indianapolis, CA 46222
317-636-2067

Spork - San Francisco, CA

2011-01-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Spork in San Francisco is my new favorite restaurant. Pat and I went there for dinner after a lovely day in the Mission, checking out all the vintage stores and eating Dymano Donuts. Spork is a place serving old-school classics in a new-school fashion. They have sustainable-this and local-that versions of slow-food takes on old classics. And despite the political correctness of their offerings, everything tastes like it was pan-fried in lard in a steel skillet by my grandmother. That's a very good thing!

The In-Side-Out Burger ($14) screamed "eat me" from the menu. The beef is fresh from Sun Marin Farms. Two patties griddle-fried, peppery and crispy on the outside. Moist and pink on the inside. The concoction towers over the plate. It is a stack of ingredients as follows starting at the plate: Butter lettuce, tomato slice, beef patty, bun circle, special sauce, beef patty, tillamook chedder and a grilled onion topping so sweet it could be applesauce. The special sauce reminded me of the spicy thousand-island type I make at home, only no islands. You have to eat this with a fork and knife, but it doesn't diminish the burger experience.

The Smashed Fries are an interesting idea. Small potatoes with the skins on, are deep-fried and smashed flat. They are crispy and salty and tasty. Not your classic fries, but a very scrumptious alternative like everything at Spork.

Pat had the pork chop ($23). Big enough to feed a family of four, it was thick and juicy and perfect. For desert we had the After School Special ($6). Humphry Slocumbe malted vanilla ice cream with chucks of chocolate covered potato chips and caramel swirls. Enough said.

As for the ambience, the place is in a converted KFC location. Turns out KFC invented the spork, a combination spoon and fork. The kitchen is in the old freezer. They have converted the old oven hood to a light fixture. We lucked out with a table by the window and watched Valencia Street traffic with more stylish bicyclists than cars. Go. Eat. Spork.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas out of 5

Spork Restaurant
1058 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-643-5000
www.sporksf.com/

Bay Burger - Redwood City, CA

2010-12-18T14:33:00.000-08:00

Bay Burger Gourmet Hamburger in Redwood City was recently pointed out to me by my burger buddy Jeff. They picked a nice spot on Woodside road where there aren't any great burgers to my knowledge. It is set in a strip mall with ample parking behind. The room is large and on this rainy day a little cold. But the place is pleasant, painted in bright colors and offering cheerful table service. The Dalai Lama's instructions for life are posted on the wall, something I have not seen at any other burger joints. It sits there between the big screen TV playing sports and the Giants pennants.

I ordered the 1/2 lb Bacon Burger ($9.99). It comes with fries or you can upgrade to onion rings for a buck. In no time at all my server had brought the impressive looking plate. The burger is presented open faced with the patty, smothered in cheese and covered with grilled onions. The top of the bun is toasted inside and out. There are piles of fresh fixings including pickle chips, green leaf lettuce, red onion and tomato slices. The bacon was crisp salty and excellent. (I always try a piece apart form the burger.) I assembled the whole thing and put on a little of the sauce that had come with my wife's 1/4 pound cheeseburger ($7.50 with fries.) The sauce is a little spicier version of a thousand island sauce minus the relish in it. Very good. But it didn't come with my burger.

The first bite crunched pleasantly. All the flavors blended nicely. The bun enveloped the whole thing, firm but soft. The Niman Ranch beef (no hormones, no antibiotics, vegetarian feed, humanely raised) was cooked close to well-done, despite me asking for medium. This was a little disappointment in an otherwise delightful burger.

Fries were thin and hot. Crunchy but unremarkable. Onion rings were more interesting, light, thin, crunchy and flavorful. The chocolate shake ($4.95) was delightfully smooth, creamy and just chocolatey enough.

My favorite touch was the salt and pepper shakers stacked and made to look like a hamburger. It is a shame this place is not busier. It has been pretty sparse both times I have been in.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas
Onion Rings 3.5 spatulas
Shake 4 spatulas

Bay Burger Gourmet Hamburgers
764 Woodside Road
Redwood City, CA 94061
650-701-0992
Fax 650-701-0952 (For carry out)
www.bayburgergourmet.com

Boon Eat + Drink - Guerneville, CA

2010-07-23T11:17:00.001-07:00

Boon Eat + Drink in Guerneville on the Russian River is a delightful place with delightful food. We stopped by one Saturday to have lunch. The summertime crowd was out in force. The restaurant was pleasantly busy, but not too crowded.

Perusing the menu, I spotted the Boon Burger with grass fed beef, fiscalini aged white cheddar, arugula on a toasted milk bun with house made Parmesan herb chips ($11). I could not resist adding the truffle fries with house made ketchup and garlic aioli ($6). While we waited I soaked in the modern feel of this small storefront restaurant. It has a great vibe with both locals and visitors mixing in together.

The flavorful burger ported salty and savory beef in a hand formed patty. The sharp and zingy cheddar complimented the arugula well. The bun was baked soft and toasted nicely. The pickled onion was a nice touch. Sweat and spicy it contrasted with the other tastes. I added house made ketchup and may too. This is a finely crafted burger that I recommend without reservation.

The truffle fries were elegant and astounding with their crispy and garlicky tones. Cooked dark, they were cut medium with skins on.

Make sure you drive around after eating. This is a beautiful area with trees, mountains and the Russian River all working together.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 5 spatulas

Boon Eat + Drink
16248 Main Street
Guerneville, CA 95446
707-869-0780
www.eatatboon.com

Burger Me! - Truckee, CA

2010-07-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

Burger Me! In Truckee, CA was another recommendation from my cardiologist. He took his family there when he was in Tahoe at North Star and texted me some photos. I decided to swing by on my way back to Cali from my three week road trip across the U.S. It was a nice ending to my trip.

The proprietor happened to be taking orders at the counter and recommended the BBQ Bison Burger ($9.95) a 1/3 pound patty of fresh Durham Ranch Bison with bacon, cheddar, jalapeños and BBQ sauce. I also ordered up hand cut fries ($2.50), hand cut onion rings ($3). The even had house made tea. I gave my name and took a seat at the concrete topped table. In fact everything in the place was either concrete or corrugated metal. This fit in well with the building, which appeared to be a former fire station or car repair garage. It was all opened to the beautiful alpine day. People also sat outside at picnic tables.

The burger came nicely wrapped in red and white-checkered paper. It towered, having shredded lettuce, tomato and pickle slices mixed in with all the ingredients mentioned above. The bun was firm and toasted, a little heavier than most, but to good effect. Burger was cooked well, which with bison, one would think would be a bit dry to due to the lower fat content, but it was still fairly juicy. I would like to try it a little more medium next time. The mix of ingredients was interesting. Not as much BBQ sauce as one gets on most BBQ burgers. This left room to taste the crisp and yummy bacon, the pickle and jalapeños. I removed the jalapeños while I ate the second half of the burger and really enjoyed the flavor.

The innovative onion rings wrapped themselves in a thick batter featuring paprika, onion and garlic powders. The onion was thick and sweet. This was a very different o ring than I have experienced and I quite enjoyed them.

Fries were medium cut with the skins on. Soft and tasty on the inside, they were crisp and salty on the outside.

Great food and a very pleasant atmosphere on a sunny Sierra day, made this a great burger experience.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Onion Rings 5 spatulas
Fries 4 spatulas

Burger Me!
10418 Donner Pass Road, Suite A
Truckee, CA 96161
339-587-8852
burgermetruckee.com

Wonder Bar - Casper, WY

2010-07-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

Wonder Bar in Casper, Wyoming is way more than a burger place. My friend Teresa took me there to get a burger on a Wednesday night and the place was hoppin’. (For those of you not from the Midwest, hoppin’ means there were a lot of people there having a good time.) We went through the lively bar with its live music and sat in the restaurant. Our very attentive server took our orders.

I had the Roadhouse Burger ($8.99). A half-pound Weinrich Meat fresh ground patty topped with a fresh jumbo fried egg, bacon, Swiss cheese and served with Miracle Whip; not just mayonnaise. The bun was a Kaiser type bun, soft and nicely toasted. The beef was tasty, if slightly over cooked. It also included fresh onion, tomato and lettuce. The egg was fried hard. I would have preferred it slightly runny. The bacon was crisp and tasty. Overall it was a nice tasting burger, but I would tweak it by having it cooked a little less and having the aforementioned egg, runny.

Teresa had a Patty Melt Burger $7.99 and was quite pleased. One nice twist is that they include house made, freshly seasoned potato chips with the burgers instead of fries. We found these quite addictive, salty and crisp.

We also ordered onion rings ($6.49). These beer-nattered beauties were very tasty, crunchy and hot. Yum.

Reading up on the Wonder Bar, they have a nice history in Wyoming. Founded in 1942, a cowboy could ride his horse right up to the bar and get a beer for both he and his horse. They had actual pictures to prove it. You gotta like that.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Onion Rings 4.5 spatulas
Potato Chips 4 spatulas

Wonder Bar
256 South Center Street
Casper, WY 82601
307-234-4110
www.thewonderbar.net

Hemmer Brothers Burgers, Sioux Falls, SD

2010-07-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hemmer Brothers Burgers in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is easy to drive by as it is placed inside an office building on bustling S. Phillips Avenue. But make sure you find it. They make a nice burger. I parked in the nearby garage and went inside. The décor is basic tables with red vinyl covers, faux plaster exposing faux bricks, but that isn’t why we come to a burger place is it? The brothers put all their creativity into the food and it shows.

I ordered the Piggy Back Double Bacon Cheeseburger ($5.99). Hemmers’ grinds their own beef on site and in a little twist they grind in the bacon as well into each quarter pound patty. The single patty version is called the Squealer ($4.29). I ordered mine with American cheese. All the toppings and condiments are laid out fresh in the nearby condiment bar. I threw lettuce and onion under my bun, along with some mayo. The bun looks kind of crunchy on top, but in fact is fresh and soft. The first bite yields a sausage patty like effect, but I grew to like it more and more with each bite. The beef was juicy and flavorful.

Fries are hand cut on site as well. They are medium cut, crisp and hot. They don’t sag limply like some fresh-cut fries. They have fresh squeezed lemonade. Don’t miss this spot if you are heading to Sioux Falls. Or maybe even head there just to try these burgers.

Burger 4.5 Spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas

Hemmer Brothers Hamburgers
230 S. Phillips Ave., #101
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
605-334-3301

Hotel Crandon Restaurant - Crandon, WI

2010-06-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Hotel Crandon Restaurant in Crandon, Wisconsin came highly recommended from the ladies at the local visitor’s bureau. Seems the husband of one of them liked their Hotel Heart Attack burger very much. How could I resist. I had stumbled into the visitor’s bureau after being unable to find Ed’s Main Street Grill, which turned out to be 20 miles farther off my path in another town. (Never trust a free tourist pamphlet.)

I walked into the restaurant and all heads turned to see the interloper into their small town haven. Undeterred, I sat at one of the tables covered neatly in red vinyl tablecloths. A very pleasant server greeted me in that familiar northern Wisconsin accent and I was put right at ease. I ordered the Hotel Heart Attack ($5.95), which features both burger and bratwurst patties, pepperjack cheese and grilled onions. The menu states “Doctor’s Release Required”. My cardiologist recommends such fare and also encourages I wash it down with scotch. I added fries for an additional $2.

The burger is a very handsome looking sandwich, sitting on a soft Kaiser roll. The bratwurst was on the bottom, hand-formed burger patty on top of that, with Pepperjack and onions evenly distributed on top. I added mustard from the accompanying packet. The Hotel Heart Attack was great. The brat dominated the flavor, but with the cheese and onions, everything seemed to work well. I had no trouble finishing the sandwich and lived to write about it. I was very pleased to get my Wisconsin brat and burger experience in one fell swoop.

The medium-cut, piping-hot fries were amply supplied and very tasty. As I ate them, I overheard an introduction at the next table. “This is Bill he and John fought in World War one on opposite sides. Bill came to this country after the war.” What a cool little town in which to have a burger.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas

Hotel Crandon Restaurant
200 N. Lake Avenue
Crandon, WI 54520
715-478-2414

The Original Root Beer Stand - Culver, IN

2010-06-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

The Original Root Beer Stand In Culver, Indiana has overlooked the beach at Lake Maxinkuckee since before I was a kid swimming in the lake. It has changed names and owners over the years, but is still a summer staple for the folks who descend on the lake for summer fun. It offers its drive-in, car-hop service, walk-up window and picnic tables. The drive-in has a real waitress who takes your order and delivers it on a tray. Sonic should take notes.

We stopped to try the burger and the breaded tenderloin. I ordered the Big Guy Burger with two quarter-pound patties for $4.20. The burger patties are frozen, but are thawed and seasoned before cooking, according to Katelyn, our cheerfully helpful server. One of the melted American cheese slices oozed from between the patties and another underneath. There was shredded lettuce, fresh tomato slices and soft white bun. I added ketchup and mayo. It was a good burger, somehow the patties were tasty and crumbly – better than the typical burger of that ilk.

The crinkle cut fries ($1.60) were thin, hot and salty. Very enjoyable. But as always, when we come home, the breaded tenderloin sandwich ($2.95) steals the show. Big as your face, the thin-pounded pork tenderloin, breaded and deep fried, extends out and beyond the bun. When done right, this is a treat you just can’t get just anywhere. The stand did a nice job with theirs.

We actually got out of the car and sat at a table overlooking the lake. It was a beautiful summer day to enjoy lunch at the stand.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3.5 spatulas

The Original Root Beer Stand
824 Lakeshore Dr.
Culver, IN 46511
574-842-2122

Top-Notch Beefburgers - Chicago, IL

2010-06-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

Top-Notch Beefburger Shop in Chicago has been a fixture in the south side’s Beverly neighborhood since 1942. Surviving the onslaught of fast-food burger chains for 86 years is a testament to their staying power. This old-school place sports wood paneling and booths with tan Naugahyde. The place is well-worn, but clean and sports a friendly, lived-in vibe, like having a burger at your aunt’s house.

Choose from the Basic or Deluxe Beefburger. The Deluxe adds lettuce, tomato and pickles. Either can be had in ¼, ½ or larger versions. I ordered the half-pound Deluxe with cheese ($8.10). My wife had the quarter-pound Basic cheeseburger $3.75. The deluxe came with a nicely toasted sesame bun. The basic had a plain white bun. Both buns were fresh and spongy.

The beef, which is US choice ground round, rather than chuck, was very flavorful. The thick patty on the deluxe was juicy, despite the lower fat content of round. Both burgers were cooked well-done, but did not seem too dry. I had the onions grilled on my Deluxe, a good choice that added to the enjoyment of the burger. There was a small container of mayo with the plate, which I slathered on the bun. Pickle slices were abundant. There was a mound of lettuce and two big fresh tomato slices. The whole thing was very good, and I wolfed mine down without hesitation. Pat equally enjoyed her Basic, which she ate plain.

The onion rings ($2.60) were heavily battered. The crunchy exterior wrapped itself around the moist breading and sweet onion on the inside. Pat’s fries were unusual, as stated on the menu. They appeared very brown and a little limp, signs that they are fresh cut on site. They were very tasty and we enjoyed the thin cut morsels.

I also ordered a small chocolate shake ($2.40). It was very thick and came stacked over the rim of the small glass. Barely suckable through the little straw, the shake was very creamy and very chocolaty.

We really enjoyed our trip to Top-Notch. I hope they last another 68 years at least.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas
Onion rings 3.5 spatulas

Top-Notch Beefburger Shop
2116 West 95th Street
Chicago, IL 60643
773-445-7218
www.topnotchbeverly.com

The Garage Pub and Grill - Columbus, IN

2010-06-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

The Garage Pub and Grill in Columbus, Indiana, sits amongst the modern architecture that dominates this town in the middle of Southern Indiana. My wife and I traveled south to see the sites. When we got there we were hungry and stopped to get a bite. The Garage Pub and Grill looked like a good spot. It is fairly new, with flat screens adorning the wall. It has a vaguely chain restaurant feel, but a very extensive menu.

I ordered the BBQ Bacon Burger ($9.49) with onion rings. It comes with a thick, tasty Angus Chuck patty. The sauce, American cheese and bacon were tasty. Lettuce, onion and tomato fresh. Kaiser roll was a little tough and not as fresh tasting. It was a good burger, but didn’t really knock my socks off.

The onion rings were breaded, crisp and very thin. Crunchy and pretty good.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Onion rings 3 spatulas

The Garage Pub and Grill
308 4th Street
Columbus, IN 47201
812-418-8918

Triple XXX - Lafayette, IN

2010-06-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

The Triple XXX Restaurant in West Lafayette, Indiana is one of those classic places where everyone should experience a burger. When I was in college, I enjoyed it, as generations of Purdue Boilermakers have. My favorite was always the Duane Purvis All-American ($6.75) - a ¼ pound ground sirloin burger with peanut butter. I have always said peanut butter should be the third condiment on the table after mustard and ketchup. This burger makes that argument more forcefully than I ever could.

The Triple XXX cannot be ignored with its black and orange stripes screaming from along the street in West Lafayette. Inside are U-shaped counters, autographed photos from all the Purdue greats like, Gene Keady, Drew Brees, Bob Griese and Joe Tiller.

The burger comes with peanut butter smeared on the bottom of a spongy, toasted sesame bun along with American Cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. You bite into the burger and taste the great combo of tastes that a well-prepared burger always exhibits, followed by a nice peanut after taste.

The onion rings are thin and very crisp, with not a lot of onion to them. The fries are thin and salty and hot, very good.

By the way, my daughter had the grilled cheese. At $1.85, it is the deal of the century.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Onion rings 2.5 spatulas
Fries 3.5 spatulas

Triple XXX Restaurant
State & Salisbury Street
Lafayette, IN 47906
765-743-5373
www.triplexxxfamilyrestaurant.com

Powhatan Restaurant - Pocahantas, IL

2010-06-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

The Powhatan Restaurant in Pocahantas, Illinois, beckoned to us as we sailed along I-70. We had just veered off our Route 66 trip to head toward our final destination in Indiana. A very well-kept scarbine establishment, the Powhatan has tasteful billboards along I-70 along with its sister restaurant the Blue Sky Café, home of the Mile High Pie.

We stopped in at about three in the afternoon, so there were only a couple of farmers seated among the wood tables and booths. Gretchen Wilson stared out in to the restaurant from a signed poster. The Red Necked Woman is a resident of Pocahontas and in fact has a song about just that.

I ordered the Colby and Bacon Burger ($6.95). This is a fabulous burger made just the was my grandma used to make burgers. Fresh ground beef is smashed into a patty on the griddle, resulting in a thick, juicy patty with a crisp outer “crust”. Shredded Colby cheese was melted on top with crisp, salty bacon. The bun toasted bun held the whole thing together. This was not your standard frozen patty cheeseburger. A lot of care and thought went into producing a unique and flavorful product.

Onion rings were killer as well, thick sweet and battered crisp. The fries were thin, hot and salty.

What a delectable find in the middle of the infinite flatness of middle Illinois. Don’t miss the Powhatan.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 spatulas

Powhatan Restaurant
Exit 36, I-70
Pocahontas, IL 62275
618-669-2233

Tally's Cafe - Tulsa, OK

2010-06-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

Tally’s Café in Tulsa, Oklahoma was shown on our Route 66 map as we motored across the U.S. It sounded good so we stopped in for a burger. Nestled on a corner in the old section of Tulsa, it is a bustling place. It seats at least 100 people in its red booths and stools. The place looks like it probably has for forty years. Not a re-creation of a 50’s diner, but the real deal. The waitresses have probably been there for years. They have plenty of attitude, but are sweet at the same time.

I ordered Double Meat Cheeseburger ($6.95) with Bacon ($1). I upgraded from fries to Onion rings for another dollar. An order of the Tally-Os goes for $4.95 by itself. My daughter had fries with here Texas Toast Grilled Cheese, so I got to have those as well.

The burger was great. The sesame bun was perfectly toasted. The two 1/3 pound patties were juicy and just smoky enough after being charbroiled. The bacon was crisp and flavorful. Fresh lettuce, tomato and onion sat under the burger. American cheese was melted on top. I also selected mayo, when asked “mayo or mustard” by the server. I think this is the best burger I have had in a long time.

The onion rings were just as good. Crisp and lightly battered, juicy and sweet on the inside, I cannot say I have had better. The fries were medium cut and coated, not my cup of tea, but hot and tasty none-the-less.

I found Tally’s the perfect mix of atmosphere, authenticity and good food. Check it out when you are cruising Route 66.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 5 spatulas

Tally’s Café
1102 South Yale Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74112-5343
918-835-8038
www.tallyscafe.com

Aurelia's Diner - Gallup, NM

2010-06-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Aurelia’s Diner in Gallup, New Mexico was named after the grandmother of our server, the day we stopped in on our Route 66 trip. This is a clean, spotless little gem of a diner. It is obviously run with pride by the family that owns it.

All, chrome, white tile and red naugahyde, it is tastefully decorated to feel like a fifties diner. I ordered the Bacon Swiss Mushroom Burger ($7.95) with fries included. We also had onion rings ($4.50 and a chocolate shake ($4.25).

The burger looked great. It was a big patty, probably frozen, that was a little overcooked. The bun was soft but a little crumbly on the edges. The Swiss cheese was nicely melted and gooey, to good effect. The mushroom blended nicely with the flavors. It should probably come with mayo. If it sounds like I am overly critical, I guess it was because the lovely place and great service got my expectations up. With a little more attention to detail, this could be a very good burger.

The onion rings fared better, huge, crunchy and sweet. The fries seemed fresh cut. They were wide and flat and quite unusual. I liked them.

The shake was good. Creamy but maybe a little thin, it was presented well in the coke glass.

I would recommend Aurelia’s, despite the quibbles. It was a fun place with good food. Just a few details from being very good.

Burger 3 spatulas out of 5
Fires 3.5 spatulas
Onion rings 3.5 spatulas

Aurelia’s Diner
2502 E. Historic Highway 66
Gallup, NM 87301
505-726-2800

Mr. D's Route 66 Diner - Kingman, AZ

2010-06-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

Mr. D’s Route 66 Diner in Kingman, Arizona is a nice stop on your visit to the old route 66. We set out to take the old Route 66 that breaks off from Interstate 40 from Kingman to Seligman. We kicked it off at Mr. D’s.

The restaurant is a clean and attractive diner with pink and turquoise chairs and booths. I ordered a Cheeseburger ($6.95.) The patty is one half pound. The burger has shredded lettuce, tomato, onions and a pickle spear. It comes with fries.

It is a big burger, moist and cooked nicely, but obviously from a frozen patty. Bun was soft and toasted. The veggies fresh. Fries standard issue medium cut, but hot.

The service was cheerful and the place had a nice charm. You could do a lot worse.

Burger 3 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas

Mr. D's Route 66 Diner,
Old Route 66 & 1st St
105 E. Divine Ave
Kingman, AZ 86401
928-718-0066
www,mrdzrtdiner.com

Snackbar - Austin, TX

2010-06-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Snack Bar in Austin, Texas, sits right in the middle of my favorite part of Austin, the South Congress area. I had visited earlier in the week and enjoyed their pulled pork sliders, but had noticed the Brie Burger on the menu. Drea the charming hostess, waitress, artist that works there, assured me it was quote good. Anyone sporting a "Where the Wild Things Are" monster tattoo on her arm has credibility with me. So I ordered it the second time I ate there.

The Brie Burger ($10) is made with "Beef raised right", caramalized onions, brie cheese, of course and the usual lettuce, tomato, etc. The bun is nicely toasted and fits the large patty well. The onions are so sweet, they could have been apples. The beef is prepared to order, medium for me, and was cooked right and tasted very good.

As good as the burger is the ambience of Snackbar. There is outdoor dining and indoor. Indoor they have a dining area and bar area. They play movies on the wall. This night, Kung Fu Hustle, was playing on the wall with subtitles below. A steady stream of Autsin's energetic young crowd came in and out keeping the place lively on this "First Thursday", a night once a month that South Congress stores stay open and the street is packed.

Drea recommended I try the burger at Jackalope next. A fine idea next time I am in Autsin.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5

Snackbar
1224 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
512-445-2626
www.snackbaraustin.com

Steak 'n Shake - Austin, TX

2010-05-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

Steak 'n Shake has been a favorite of mine since we used to stop there in Indianapolis when I was a kid. I was very happy to see one in Austin Texas on a recent trip and felt compelled to stop by and see if it still held the magic it did when I was young. I am happy to report it does.

First of all, Steak 'n Shake, sets out to set itself apart from the other burger chains. The signs inside read “Famous for Steakburgers”. I ordered a double Steak 'n Cheese Burger with fries. $3.99. But instead of ordering from a drive up window (which they also have) or at a counter, they actually have table service. And here in Austin, the service was polite and speedy. I also ordered a chocolate milkshake $2.99 and a side of baked beans $1.69.

The food came before I could even finish my notes about the clean restaurant trimmed out in black, red and white. The food serves up on an actual plate, not in a paper box. The burger tasted yummy, with crisp toasted bun, tender flavorful beef from “real cuts of steak”, and fresh and crisp pickle, lettuce, tomato and onion. There was no sauce but Ketchup and mustard were at the table. The skinny shoestring fries were crisp and light, but a little tepid. The beans brimmed with the taste of onion and bacon. The shake towered over the table, a creamy chocolate confection with a mound of whipped cream on top.

The place was cheerful on this Friday night. Families filled the place and bubbly staff kept it hopping. Yes, Steak 'n Shake still has the magic.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas
Shake 5 spatulas

Steak N Shake
Bldg E, 9300 S I H 35
Austin, TX 78748-1751
(512) 291-8095
www.steaknshake.com

Slider Bar Cafe - Palo Alto, CA

2010-04-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

Slider Bar Café in Palo Alto recently opened on the popular main drag, University Street. There were countless restaurants bustling on a Friday night, including this place. A striking, high ceilinged room welcomes folks to the café. We sat at the bar as all the tables were full. Slider Bar Café has a sophisticated take on the slider concept, also serving several micro brew type beers and mid-level wines. If you sit at the bar, the friendly bar tender will take your order and get your wine, while you watch the soccer game or ESPN on the flat screens behind the counter. If you sit at a table, you have to order at the counter, take a number and have the food brought out later.

Pat and I ordered up three sliders: the Classic American $2.89, a plain Classic American and a Mediterranean $3.69. The price drops for each additional slider you get. For instance, for the American, one slider costs $2.89. Two are $5.29. Three will set you back $7.49 and a dozen are $28. We also ordered baked fries $1.99. They don’t have a fryer.

The order got messed up in the back and took about 15 minutes to come out, but we didn’t really mind. The beer and wine were good, the young lady at the counter charming and the other customers friendly. When the sliders did arrive, the burgers were nicely arranged on the white plate. A little more than 3” in diameter, the little burgers are artfully and carefully constructed. On my American Classic, the yellow bun was squishy and fresh. The Niman Ranch all natural beef patty, was thick and nicely cooked to medium. On top was the melted American cheese. Stuffed underneath the patty were shredded lettuce, tomato, onion and a crisp pickle chip. A little mayo lubed the thing up. The burger was quite enjoyable.

The Mediterranean was a combo of flavors I had not had before on a burger: garlic and ginger spiced lamb was accompanied by Bleu cheese, artichokes, tomatoes, red onions and garlic sauce. But the nicest touch were the sliced black olives, which I don’t usually like.

The baked fries were surprisingly good, served up in a little silver pail. They were thin and light and not the limp soggy things I expected.

Two sliders, baked fries and a beer, I could get used to hanging out at the Slider Bar Café and enjoy it.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5.
Fries 3.5 spatulas

Slider Bar Café
324 University Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94031
650-322-7300
www.sliderbarcafe.com

Jack's Prime Burgers & Shakes - San Mateo, CA

2010-02-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

Jack’s Prime Burger’s & Shakes in San Mateo, CA came highly recommended by a fellow burger enthusiast. I wasted no time in getting my self to the clean, modern looking place to give a burger a try. Jack himself greeted me at the door and showed me to a wood-tabled booth. I compliment Jack for not going for the faux chrome-and-white-tile 50’s diner look, but rather a more authentic and classy mid-century vibe in the converted shell of the old hubcap store on El Camino Real.

A diminutive young lady with a British accent, like Jack’s, quickly took my order of Jack’s Prime Classic Cheeseburger ($9.00 with bacon added). It also comes with shoestring fries. The fries are normally $2.50 on their own, but there are a whole host of other sides offered including onion rings, sweet potato fries, fried pickles (all $3.95 each) or Irish Nacho Fries ($4.50). My server nicely offered to make my fries a half and half with onion rings. Perusing the menu, I am intrigued to go back and order the Ultimate Bacon Burger with maple bacon mayo and bacon in the burger.

The burger was delivered to my table in less than ten minutes on an impressive plate with fries, onion rings and fixings, which included pickle strips placed artfully in an X, lettuce, tomato slices and onion. The crisp and tasty bacon sat on top of melted American cheese. The bun was puffy white with an X cut in the top. The patty itself is made from 1/3 pound of Meyer Ranch natural Angus Beef. It is not ground on site, but brought to the store and cooked fresh. I found the burger to be cooked perfect medium, juicy and flavorful. The Thousand-island inspired sauce was updated with what I think was a little dill for a nice twist. Among lots of new burger places lately, this the best new burger on the Peninsula since the Counter opened in Palo Alto.

The onion rings were beer battered and crisp with sweet onion in the middle. The first were a little too thick for what I would call shoestring – more about the size of MacDonald’s fries. They were hot and fine, but not as outstanding as the burger.

I will definitely be returning to Jack’s. I liked the vibe as much as the burger.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 Spatulas
Onion Rings 3.5 spatulas

Jack’s Prime Burger’s & Shakes
3723 S. El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA 94403
650-638-1479
www.jacksprime.com

Burger Bar - Macy's San Francisco, CA

2009-10-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Burger Bar recently opened to much fanfare in San Francisco. One Friday afternoon I took the crowded elevator to the sixth floor of Macy’s on Union Square. I almost couldn’t get off with the crowd waiting to get in the restaurant. I went in and noticed no one sitting at the tables, but the hostess quoting a half hour wait for a table. So I sat at the bar without waiting. There was lots to look at with a full compliment of booze behind the bar and memorabilia for sale.

After perusing the menu I chose the basic Black Angus Beef Burger ($9.75). I added Swiss cheese (75 cents), Bacon ($1.15) and got it on the sesame bun. The choices of buns (6), cheeses (8) and other toppings were endless. They even offer a half lobster ($12). I also ordered buttermilk onion rings ($3.55).

The burger arrived very quickly and I dug right in. The burger patty was thick and pink and perfectly cooked. It was especially light and airy and had not been over-packed like so many often are. The bacon was crisp and all the topping, lettuce onion and tomato were fresh and crisp. The sesame bun was toasted and firm, but fresh. I must say t is one of the better burgers I have tasted this year.

The onion rings were also fabulous. Crisp batter covered sweet and juicy onions.

Next time, I think I will go for one of the many combo burgers, maybe the Rossini with Kobe beef, sautéed foie gras and truffles for $60. But more likely, I will try the Country Natural made with sustainable beef for $10.50.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Onion Rings 5 spatulas

Burger Bar
6th Floor of Macy’s
251 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-296-4271
www.burgerbarlv.com

Oasis Double Cheeseburger always good.

2009-10-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hoosier Burger Boy Interviewed on A Hamburger Today

2009-09-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

Your humble Burger Boy interviewed on A Hamburger Today.

Hegen Burger, Oakland, CA

2009-09-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hegenburger

Double Hegenburger $5.45
Fries $1.25
Onion Rings $1.75
Ranch Dressing $.55

Near the entrance to the Oakland Airport you can drive right past this place. In a somewhat seedy strip, the place is immaculate on the inside. Everything is made of old laminate and wood paneling, but is spotless. Classical music plays on the overhead speakers.

The burger is served neatly wrapped at your table in a neat little red and white basket. The burger patties come with your standard lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles. Mayo is the loan condiment but you can add mustard or ketchup at your table.

The burger was very good. Just the right balance of fresh tasting beef and American cheese. It was hard to get my mouth around the stack. Fries were thin, hot but nothing special. I liked the onion rings a little better. Small, battered, thin, crips and hot.

I really liked this comfortable old shoe of a place.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 3 spatulas

Hegenburger
280 Hegenberger Rd.
Oakland, CA 94622
510-569-9115

Classic 101 Burgers and Shakes, Belmont, CA

2009-09-11T12:07:00.001-07:00

Double Bacon Cheeseburger, $5.89. Fries $1.39.

Formerly the Dairy Belle, this restaurant has changed its name to better reflect what they do. The place is clean and bright. The double has two quarter-pound patties, American cheese, mayo, mustard, ketchup, onion, lettuce and tomato. The burger was served hot and fresh. The sesame bun was soft and tasty. The crisp bacon was placed between the two patties, a nice touch. Fries were thin, salty and fresh. Overall, a nice classic burger.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas

Classic 101 Burgers and Shakes
575 Ralston Ave.
Belmont, CA 94002
650-592-0505

BBC, Menlo Park, CA

2009-09-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

I had never had the burger at the BBC in Menlo Park before, but everyone had always told me it was very good. It is. The BBC Angus burger is made from free-range, hormone-free beef, impressive brioche bun, tomato aioli, red onion, tomato and pickle. I thought the burger pattry itself was fresh and tasty. it was cooked just right. The "secret sauce" style aioli made a nive addition to the whole thing. The fries were medium cut, hot and tasty. The outdoor setting near Cafe Barrone pleasantly added to the mix.

Burger 4.5 Spatulas out of 5

Fries 4 spatulas

BBC

1090 El Camino Real

Menlo Park, CA 94025

650-327-8789

www.britishbankersclub.com/

Pretzel Burger, 3 Squares, Venice

2009-08-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Burger Gourmet - Oakland, CA

2009-06-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Burger Gourmet in Oakland, CA was a pleasant find one day when I found myself in downtown Oakland for an appointment. I typed “burger” into my iPhone and found the Gourmet was just a few blocks away.

As I approached, I spotted their green awning and entered to find myself in a high-ceilinged room full of people enjoying their burgers. Handwritten on the board behind the counter were dozens of burger choices. I went with the basic Bacon Cheeseburger ($6.25) and Frings ($1.95); fries and Onions Rings for $1.95 constituting a hell of a bargain, which I applaud.

The place is very green. Not in the earthly sense so overused in marketing, but green tabletops, green carpet and the aforementioned green awning. Everything was clean and orderly too.

My 6-ounce burger came a little overcooked, but the rest of it was very nice. A sesame bun was toasted and nicely fit the burger. Bacon crunched atop the nicely melted cheese. The usual compliment of fresh veggies was all in attendance as well. Everything balanced properly with some nice spicing to the meat.

Two big, battered onion rings perched on top of medium cut skinless fries, a tidy accompaniment to the burger.

It was all quote lovely, next time I am downtown, I will stop by again and try one of the more adventuress burgers from the big board.
Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 3.5 spatulas

Burger Gourmet
351 19th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
510-268-9022

Nobby's - Chico, CA

2009-06-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Nobby’s in Chico, CA impresses with a great burger in a clean unassuming setting. I found Nobby’s on a recent business trip to Chico. Before I went, I verified with a local that if there is one burger to have in Chico, it is Nobby’s. He did not mislead me.

Nobby’s sits on a corner next to a strip center with a poker club. The cinderblock building is clean, clean and clean. Green paint and corrugated steel give it a more modern industrial look. The friendly lady at the counter took my order and recommended “the best tea in town”. Only one refill, but the cup was huge. I also ordered the Nobby burger ($4.25) with cheese ($.95) and bacon ($1.35), fries ($1.75) and onion rings ($2.45).

I took my seat at a green laminate table on a black plastic chair. It was still before noon on a Friday, but the people were starting to stream in. There are about 8 tables inside and more in front outside. The fries and rings came first. Fries were cut medium with the skins on. They were hot and a little too brown and nothing special. The onion rings were battered and thin, featuring more batter than onion for my taste.

The feature though was the burger. A 1/3-pound, fresh ground patty was buried beneath an impressive shelf of cheese which was allowed to run outside the burger and get crisp on the griddle, giving it a chip-like texture on the edges. The white bun was spongy and lightly toasted. Tons of veggies accompanied the burger, tomato, lettuce, pickle chips and red onion. There was mayo as well. The whole concoction was excellent. The burger by itself was flavorful griddled instead of charcoal.

As I finished up, I heard the lady at the counter say 30 minutes, to a call in order. Nobby’s was cranking up for the local burger lovers.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 3 spatulas

Nobby’s
1444 Park Ave.
Chico, CA 95928
530-342-2285

Gordos Gourmet Hamburgers - Walnut Creek, CA

2009-06-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Gordos Gourmet Hamburgers in Walnut Creek was a last second burger before an unexpected appointment in Walnut Creek. Everyone on Yelp seemed to like it, save a few curmudgeons, so I asked my buddy Mark to join me and giver them a taste.

Gordos hides in the corner of a busy shopping center. Tables sit out front in the warm air of a June afternoon. Inside, the walls are hand painted in scenes from around town. The place feels old-school and comfortable. Behind the counter, the cook formed patties from fresh ground beef, sprinkling it with pepper and salt.

I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger ($8.50). It comes with fries. Mark had the bleu cheese burger. We also grabbed an order of onion rings ($2.50).

The burger was brought to the table sitting on a silver metal flat pan, like a small pizza pan. There was yellow paper between it and the plate. On top, a generous portion of scrumptious looking fries joined the ample burger. The fries tasted even better than they looked. Crisp and medium thin with skins on; they must have been cooked in the freshest oil ever. The burger had a very pillowy, white bun that was fresh and lightly toasted. The lettuce, tomato and red onion were all very cool and crisp. The meat was tasty and cooked just right.

The onion rings were battered style, hot, sweet and crisp.

We enjoyed the burgers and really enjoyed the fries at Gordos but the atmosphere was just as good. Gordos is a comfortable, neighborly place to share a burger with a good friend.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 5 spatulas
Onion Rings 3 spatulas

Gordos Gourmet Hamburgers
1815 Ygnacio Valley Rd. Unit D
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
925-934-0778

Nations Giant Hamburgers - Livermore, CA

2009-06-12T00:17:00.000-07:00

Nations Giant Hamburgers in Livermore is another in the NorCal Nations chain. This store is a little newer than the one I reviewed in Fremont. But like other Nations, the burgers are consistently good.

I walked in on a Friday around 1 PM and was greeted warmly by the staff. I ordered at the counter and took my red Naugahyde seat at a booth. When my name was called I retrieved my meal at the counter. My bacon cheeseburger ($5.70) was nicely wrapped in white Nations paper. Sitting beside were salty medium cut french fries ($1.50).

The white bun was toasted and fresh. Inside sat a hot fresh patty of beef with melted American cheese and crisp bacon, lots of fresh lettuce, tomato and onion. Mayo generously covered one half of the bun. For $5.70 this place is a consistently good bargain. The fries were hot, salty and tasty as well.

If a Nations sits nearby, there is no reason to hit one of the big guys for lunch. For the price it is a great, tasty bargain.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas

Nations Giant Hamburgers
1424 First St.
Livermore, CA 94550
925-373-8132
www.nationsrestaurants.com

The Mountain Room - Yosemite National Park, CA

2009-06-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

The Mountain Room restaurant at Yosemite Lodge in Yosemite National Park in California is a great place to have a burger after a hike. If you have never visited Yosemite, there are plenty of hikes to work up an appetite. I joined 10 friends as we assaulted Half Dome over 2 days. The hike covers about 4800 feet of altitude gain over a 17-mile hike. (Photo left: The author standing beneath Half Dome before ascending the cables.)

After a night of martinis at the Ahwahnee Hotel bar, we rose early on Saturday morning and started on our hike. After climbing about 2000 feet and hiking past Vernal and Nevada falls, we camped out in little Yosemite Valley. The next morning we headed up the trail to Half Dome reaching “the Cables”. The cables are two parallel cables stretching up the shear side of half dome. It is the only way up unless you are a rock climber and was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. The views up top were incredible. (Photo below: The team perches on top for a photo before descending 8.5 miles for a burger.)At 9:30 AM we began our 8.5-mile descent back to the Valley and our burgers. We stopped for a camper’s lunch and packed up our tents. At 4:30 we made it to Yosemite Lodge and our much anticipated burger rendezvous at the Mountain Room. We were very disappointed to see they didn’t open until 5:30. So we had to make due with beers and guacamole at the bar.

Finally we sat down in the Mountain Room and ordered our burgers. All seven of us at dinner ordered the Hamburger. For $15 you get a 1/2-pound locally raised, grass fed beef burger with Gruyere cheese. It sat on a huge white sesame bun that was not toasted and was a bit large for the burger. It came with lettuce, tomato and onion on request. The burger was nicely prepared and had a good charcoal flavor. For the price it was not as spectacular as one would expect, but after a long hike, was devoured by the team. The burger also came with some rather pathetic roasted red potatoes on the side.

In the end, the burger was a nice capper to an amazing weekend. If you have never been to Yosemite, you are missing quite a treat. And I am not just talking about the burger.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5

The Mountain Room
Yosemite Lodge
Yosemite National Park
California

Taylor's Automatic Refresher - San Francisco, CA

2009-05-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher in San Francisco at the Ferry building tries its level best to recreate the experience at the original site in Napa Valley (Click here for review of Napa Location). The two sites couldn’t be more different. The Ferry Building location is crowded and busy as foodies stream through the Ferry Building buying mushrooms, gourmet chocolate, olive oil, cheese and other gourmet items. Glass windows provide a nice view of the busy Embarcadero as one sits at the counter height wood tables waiting for the pager to go off.

Moments earlier we had waited in the line to order our food. There always seems to be a line at Taylor’s. That is something that it does have in common with the Napa location. Another is the menu. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger for $8.99. Pat ordered the plain cheeseburger for $7.99. We also got sweet potato fries ($3.99) and onion rings ($3.99).

The buzzer rattled on the table after a mere 10 minutes or so, quite speedy given the volume of customers on a busy Saturday. Everything is served in paper baskets perched on a metal baking sheet. The burger looks pretty much the same as the Napa one. The yellow egg bun, not quite as fluffy or moist as a standard white bun, envelopes a hot patty of tasty ground beef and toppings, including nicely melted American cheese, crisp bacon, lettuce, crunchy pickle chips and the special sauce, much like Thousand Island.

My burger was very enjoyable with the juiciness of the sauce and veggies counteracting the slightly dry bun. When I had a bite of Pat’s plain cheeseburger, the dryness of the bun stood out much more.

The sweet potato fries were bladelike, very thin in one dimension and thick in the other. They are dusted with Chili powder and are quite delightful. The onion rings are beer-battered and crisp on the outside with a sweet and soft onion on the inside.

Taylor’s is a great accompaniment to the Ferry Building with its big red-letter sign above the counter screaming the motto of the place. “EAT”.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Sweet Potato Fries 4.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 spatulas

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
Ferry Building Marketplace
1 Ferry Building, Space #6
San Francisco, CA 94111
866-328-3663
www.taylorsrefresher.com

Loui Loui Steakhouse - Palo Alto, CA

2009-05-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

Loui Loui Steakhouse in Palo Alto, CA is recently opened on University where Niebaum Coppola used to be. Since Coppola housed my favorite spaghetti carbonara this side of Rome, they had a tough act to follow.

I had not planned on getting a burger, but my friend Jeff, who has been with me on many a burger mission, twisted my arm. Okay, all he did was point out they had a burger and I ordered it. The Kobe Beef Cheeseburger went for $13.50. I ordered mine with Gruyere. Jeff went for the wimpier mozzarella.

The burgers were impressive in their size and looks. A massive white bun was fresh and spongy. The burger patty was thick and smothered with cheese. The flavor of the burger had a heavily spiced taste that I could not identify. I did not like it as much as the straightforward pepper and salt with good beef. It would seem to me if one were going to use expensive Kobe beef, you wouldn’t want to hide the flavor.

We also had fries ($4) and onion rings ($4). Both were hot and crisp, flavorful and plentiful. We also had a pleasant experience eating at a table outside on the sidewalk on a sunny May day.

Burger 3.5 out of 5 spatulas
Fries 4 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 spatulas

Loui Loui Steakhouse
473 University Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-326-2900
www.louilouisteak.com

Brown's Diner - Nashville, TN

2009-05-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Brown’s Diner in Nashville, Tennessee is another recommendation from Hamburger America. When we showed up at Brown’s, we were glad to see it was open. An unassuming double-wide tacked onto an old bar, Brown’s definitely does not bring the folks in for its beauty.

We entered the dark dining room and took a seat at one of the booths made up of a parquet wood table top and a slatted, pew-style seat. Mom was not that up for a burger and asked about the chicken sandwich. “It’s okay if you like Tyson frozen chicken.” Our server said this purely objectively and without judgment. “But you really should get the cheeseburger.” So we did. I ordered the cheeseburger with fries ($4.75) Mom got the hushpuppies as her side.

We had arrived around 11:30 am, so the place was only about one-third full, by the time our burgers arrived 10 minutes later, Brown’s was almost full. All walks of people rolled in; contractors, business people, a grandfather and teenage granddaughter and every other demographic one could think of.

Our burgers were very minimalist and classic. The patty was thick and griddle-fried, just like my Mom used to make on the farm. A toothpick pierced the basic white bun, holding in place three pickle slices on top. I had gotten my onions grilled. They sat on top of nicely melted American cheese. Lettuce, tomato and mayo nestled under the patty.

The first bite transported me back in time to all those handmade fresh burgers of my youth. The burger was cooked medium-well as we had been told, but the thicker patty kept it juicy. Everything balanced nicely together and Mom and I both really enjoyed the burger.

I guess I love Brown’s the most because like all my favorite burger joints it is just about the burger. No gleaming 50s retro theme, because it really existed like it is now in the 50s. My guess is that Brown’s will outlast all the chains, mega burger places and national gimmicks and be serving their burgers on the same parquet tables for years to come.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas

Brown’s Diner
2102 Blair Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37212
615-269-5509

Drive Across the Smokeys

2009-05-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

After a great breakfast burger in Greenville at the Northgate Soda Shop, we headed north toward Asheville. Pulling into town after a beautiful trip up through the hills, we found our next destination. I usually don’t do two burgers in a day, but I really wanted to try the burger at Burgermeister's in Asheville. Most of the reviews on line had been good and it sounded like a cool place. Sure enough when we pulled up it looked like a lot of fun with a big burger sign and blue and white façade.

My excitement faded as I noticed only a carpet-cleaning truck parked in front. Sure enough they were closed. I went inside and asked the manager what the scoop was. “Always closed on Tuesday’s.” He said. My burger bad luck continued.

Mom and I enjoyed Asheville and had a very nice lunch in the river district at the Clingman Cafe, but I couldn’t help thinking of my lost opportunity.

We set off for Knoxville, making our way through Smokey Mountain National Park. I had never been here before ad the country really is beautiful all verdant and spring lively.

As we drove over the river into Knoxville, we saw a restaurant right on the river. Calhoun’s. We made our way to the parking lot after a few wrong turns. Calhoun’s is a barbeque place, but claimed to have a great burger. I wanted to try their barbeque, so we ordered up a burger as an appetizer before the brisket. Our server was a lovely young lady who had moved out from California, and told us how at 25 she already owned three houses and was working in the restaurant to keep busy in the evenings.

She brought out the burger first. It looked impressive, but a little overcooked. I figured it was just the fact that it was cooked on a charcoal grill. I cut it in half and verified that it was overcooked. Biting in, it was dry and tasted like charcoal and not much else. The brisket was similarly overcooked and Mom had to send back her ribs because they too were overcooked. Our server cheerily replaced the ribs and we finished dinner. Really the service and the great views of the river were the only thing to recommend Calhoun’s.

Thank goodness I had opted for my breakfast burger at Northgate that morning.

Burger 1.5 spatulas out of 5

Calhoun’s
400 Neyland Drive
Knoxville, TN
865-673-3355
www.calhouns.com

Northgate Soda Shop - Greenville, SC

2009-05-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Northgate Soda Shop in Greenville, South Carolina proved an elusive target for a burger. But one can never keep a good burger seeker down.

Our trip across South Carolina continued as we headed east. In Columbia, we decided to call ahead to Greenville to make sure the Northgate Soda Shop would be open. “We are open until 8 o’clock”, said the voice on the other end. So we diverted our trip from Charlotte to Greenville specifically to hit Northgate. I had read this was one of the classic burger joints of all time in Hamburger America.

We arrived at seven o’clock only to find a closed Northgate. Walking next door to The Other Side Bar, owned by the same people, we were told the cook had gone home sick. Miffed, we left and headed to downtown Greenville for pizza.

The next morning we tried again for breakfast. Walking into Northgate one can travel back to 1947 when the place opened. Jim DeYoung had bought the place in the 60’s. Over the years he filled it with memorabilia he had been collecting. Old soda bottles, model boats, photos and traffic lights were arranged neatly on the shelves. Jim himself was there having coffee with his buddies. We were introduced to Jim by Tom Carr, the cook and host in the morning at Northgate. Tom’s sister Catherine Christophillis bought the shop a few years ago.

Tom gave us the nine-item breakfast menu consisting of various biscuits and eggs, but no burgers. I asked Tom if he would mind making me a burger for breakfast since I had driven all this way. Of course he would. Tom fried me up a Chris Evans Burger with bacon, American cheese and a fried egg ($4.15). Mom had an egg biscuit ($1.25).

While Tom was cooking up the grubb, Mom and I took in the museum that doubles as a soda shop. There is a long old counter with black Naugahyde stools. Various faux wood tables and chairs sit among shelf after shelf of memorabilia. Brass nameplates grace tables. Each plate holds the name of a patron who has passed to the burger joint in the sky. Jim pointed to the end of the counter and said only one nameplate has a name of a patron still alive. “He has been in a few times.” Jim said.

Tom brought over the breakfast and it was just as good as advertised. The burger meat was thick and juicy, old-fashioned burger style. The white sesame bun was grilled inside and out. American cheese melted down the sides. I bit in and the yolk from the egg ran out the side, a great breakfast sandwich. Why hasn’t McDonald’s tried this? Mom’s biscuit was buttery and tasty, like you would expect in the south.

We paid our bill and said our good-byes. As I was walking out I remembered to take a peak at the nameplate at the end of the bar. Elvis Pressley [sic] was the name.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5

Northgate Soda Shop
918 North Main Street
Greenville, SC 29609
864-235-6770

B&D Burgers - Savannah, GA

2009-05-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

B&D Burgers in Savannah, GA, is a great place to take Mom for Mother’s Day. I know because I did so today. Mom and I are on a drive from Florida to Indiana. We are taking the scenic route through the Carolinas, so that means a swing through the lovely and historic town of Savannah, Georgia on our way.

B&D resides in the middle of the busier more touristy part of Savannah. It sports clean wood booths and alligators on the walls (photo above). Our lovely and charming server was a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), which dominates much of Savannah, in a good way. She suggested I have the Colonial ($8.29 for 1/2-pound), from the expansive menu of burgers. Mom had a 1/3-pound Broughton, a cheeseburger named after the street in front. All burgers are available in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 pound versions of fresh ground Angus. Burgers include fries. I had potato. Mom ordered sweet potato.

We started it all off with onion rings. I really liked these beer-battered lovelies, which are crunchy and almost hushpuppy-like in their cakey consistency.

The burgers came next. They are served open faced with lettuce, tomato and onion. Mustard, mayo and other condiments sit at the table. My Colonial sported American cheese, bacon and a fried egg, ordered over-easy by this reviewer. I assembled the burger, capping it with a very white and fluffy bun. The first bite squirted yolk out the side onto my hand and face. All the flavors ran together for a satisfying, breakfast-like burger. This worked well for me being on California time and eating at 9 A.M. as my stomach saw it. (Noon in Savannah.)

The sweet potato fries were cooked with a firm outside and a sweet inside. They were not heavily salted or spiced, but served natural style. Same with the potato fries. Skins on and thin-sliced, the fries were presented in a similar bare-bones fashion. They tasted fresh as if cut on site.

As we ate another charming student/busgirl stopped at the table and chatted us up about the alligators sculptures all over the walls. All were just castings it turned out. Except for one skinned fellow hanging on the wall in front of the restaurant. It had been killed in the restaurant owner’s yard. Our trip was of to a fun start.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 spatulas
Sweet Potato Fries 3 spatulas

B&D Burgers
13 East Broughton Street
Savannah, GA
912-231-0986
www.bdburgers.net

Stations Burger Challenge

2009-05-10T04:05:00.000-07:00

Stations is my labor company in the office furniture business. When their people go ninety days without an injury at work, they throw a BBQ. The theme of the most recent BBQ was a burger challenge. Andrew and Brian, the owners, decided to see who could cook the best burger and they asked me to be the judge.

When I arrived at Stations, two grills were hot and smoking in the back. One grill, a smoker, puffed smoke out its back chimney. Andrew cooked up his burgers on this one. He decided to let me try two different burgers.

Burger #1, sat on a beautiful sesame bun, that looked vaguely familiar. Andrew placed a large patty, estimated at about a half pound, on top of the toasted bun slathered with “secret sauce”. Grilled onion, tomato and crisp, honey-tasting bacon sat on top of a patty whose juices flowed despite the burger being cooked medium well. With no cheese on the burger, I noticed the unique taste of the patty resulted from bleu cheese in the burger.

Burger #2, also Andrew’s, had the same bun, sauce, vegetables, but added jack cheese to an even juicier patty. The flavor of this burger was exquisite. I could taste a little garlic an Andrew confirmed he added garlic salt, pepper and a little Worcestershire sauce to the meat. He had cooked it a perfect medium to my enjoyment. I preferred the cheese outside the patty.

Next came Brian on the gas grill. As Brian unwrapped his patties, I was astounded at the size. Some pushed close to a full pound. He cooked them up along with slices of thick bacon on the grill right beside them. He finished grilling and had me grab a whole-wheat bun, laying the massive patty of Burger #3 on the bun and topping it off with the bacon. Left to choose from the many condiments Brian had provided, I picked them all, putting a little mayo, mustard and Brian’s special BBQ sauce on top. I also added some lettuce.

The burger was very smoky and flavorful. Like nothing I have tasted before. I wished I had not put the BBQ sauce on. It masked the burger flavor a bit. I took some of the meat by itself and could not figure out what I tasted. Brian confided that he had purchased really low-fat ground beef and then added bacon fat to the mix to bring the fat up to 20 percent. The bacon was a little undercooked for my taste and that may be what pushed me to giving Andrew’s number two burger a slight edge in the contest.

As the guys pounded down their burgers, a little secret came out. I had been played. Andrew sandbagged me by reading my blog and cooking his burger to my taste. He purchased the déjà vu buns from the Palo Alto Creamery, my current favorite. The crisp bacon was cooked just like I describe in several of my blogs. He kept the meat seasoning to a minimum and relied on the meat to provide the flavor. The "Secret Sauce" was Thousand Island.

Then again, after thinking it over, maybe I hadn’t been played. Maybe I had unwittingly schooled Andrew on how to cook a fine hamburger through the blog and my search to Master the Hamburger.

Sliders Burger - San Jose, CA

2009-05-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Sliders Burger in San Jose, CA hides in a strip mall. I drove right by the first time. But was glad I turned around and headed back. Started about 4 years ago, the place takes its burgers seriously, grinding their own chuck in the store and grilling them up on a very cool rotary grill over coals.

Given a choice between a six-ounce and an eight-ounce burger, I chose the half-pound. The Bacon Cheeseburger combo with fries and a drink costs $7.50. Add onion rings into the mix for an extra buck.

Sliders features a clean dining room with wood tables and a tiled floor. CNN blared from a flat screen mounted on the wall in the back of the restaurant. Everyone in the crowded place watched the updates on swine flu. Stainless steel and black-and-white tiles on the walls give the place a slight retro feel.

The burger comes with only the patty, American cheese and bacon sitting on a nicely toasted sesame bun. Someone else got the grilled onions and mushrooms. I will try that next time. The well-equipped condiment bar features lettuce, tomato, onion, and several sauces. I added some lettuce and thousand-island dressing to my burger.

The burger sported a juicy and flavorful patty, very nice with a charcoal-tinged flavor. The bun sprang fresh and tasty, the bacon crunching along.

The thickly cut fries radiated their heat but disappointed when compared to the burger. Though hot and crunchy, the unremarkable onion rings sat blandly on the tongue.

Putting as much energy into the side dishes as the burger would make Sliders a standout burger joint in San Jose. But the burger alone makes the trip worthwhile.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 2.5 spatulas

Sliders Burger
1645 W. San Carlos St.
San Jose, CA 95128
408-298-4340

Juicy's Giant Hamburgers - Reno, NV

2009-04-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

Juicy’s Giant Hamburgers in Reno, Nevada is a clean, new burger joint on Wells Avenue, a recently paved and face-lifted area that is in sharp contrast with much of the rest of Reno. There are no slot machines; this place is about the burger.

There are lots of places in the Bay Area named Giant Hamburger. They tend to be older burger places where you get a 1/4-pound burger that might have been considered giant back in the day, but now seems average at best. This is not one of those. The standard patty is 1/3 pound of fresh ground beef. I got the Double Cheese burger ($6.57). I added fries ($1.47). There were no onion rings.

The burger came out quickly, wrapped in white paper, with the fries in a plain white bag. Piled on top of ample lettuce, tomato and onion, the two patties covered in melted American cheese towered above the tray. I took a big bite and was very impressed that the burger was indeed juicy. Although presented like your classic burger with all the vegetables, mayo and mustard, this one had enough beef that the meat dominated the experience in all the right ways. The sesame bun was grilled nicely as well.
The fries were thicker than most, with the skins on. They were very crisp and tasty.

With its spare concrete floor, wood walls and basic laminate tables ad vinyl chairs, the restaurant was a clean, friendly port in the midst of all the casinos and cigarette smoke I had experienced the previous day or two. I recommend Juicy’s, especially if you are looking for a burger with your family.

Another nice escape in Reno is to walk out the river trail west toward the mountains. There are rapids, geese, people walking their dogs and a couple nice parks. It is a great way to work off your burger.

Burger 4.5 Spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas

Juicy’s Giant Hamburgers
301 S. Wells Ave.
Reno, NV 89502
775-322-2600

The Nugget Diner - Reno, NV

2009-04-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Nugget Diner in Reno, Nevada represents much of what Reno is all about. From a run down strip near downtown Reno, one enters through the gaudy exterior, which portrays a nugget of gold glistening in the sun. The Metallic rendering of the shining nugget is preserved from an earlier time. After entering the door, you see a seedy bar and rows of slot machines. Nestled in the back under a little red sign that says “Diner”, awaits the Awful-Awful.

The Awful-Awful ($6.00) is a half-pound burger that sits on an onion bun. Called the Awful-Awful because it is awful big and awful good, the burger is indeed an impressive stack when you add in the lettuce, tomato, onion and the Thousand Island-style sauce. The burger sits on top of one pound of fries, seasoned and cut thin. It is rare to find both fries and burgers this good, especially at that price.
The burgers are griddled and greasy, but in the right way. The meat is seasoned with pepper and has a great flavor. American cheese blends well with the whole stack. The grilled onion bun is fantastic as it holds together the entire production.

We also had onion rings a big basket of massive Maui style beer-battered onion rings. At $6.75 they cost more than the burger and fries. They weren’t up to the high standards of the rest, but the onions were sweet and hot and the batter crunchy.

I realized I hadn’t ordered the shake and got a chocolate shake ($5.25). It was a little too Hershey’s syrup for my taste and not that thick.
As my friend Bill and I sat at the counter and took in the place, a constant flow of customers ordered their own Awful-Awful burgers. I loved the signs above the counter. “The Famous Nugget Hangover Omelet – a 4 egg omelet stuffed with chili grande and smothered in melted cheese and salsa.” My favorite was “9 out of 10 Vegetarians Don’t Eat Here.” That says it all.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 5 spatulas
Onion Rings 3.5 spatulas
Shake 3 spatulas

The Nugget Diner
233 N. Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89501
775-323-0716

Good Burger Hunting

2009-04-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

Nicholaster posted a second Burger video about the hunting of the hamburger and its history. Very funny. See it on youtube.

Video Promotion for Hoosier Burger Boy

2009-04-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

My friend the Nicholaster, an 8th grade student here in Menlo Park, CA is also a burger lover. He used his considerable video talents to put together a promo spot for Hoosier Burger Boy. It is a lot of fun. Check out the spot on youtube.

M&G Burgers & Beverages - Fairfax, CA

2009-04-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

M&G Burger in Fairfax, CA is a great throwback burger place in the shadow of Mt. Tamalpais. “Mayberry on Acid” a sticker read in the window of one store. Fairfax has a high percentage of folks wearing tie die. The smell of patchouli oil wafts through the air as you walk by store after funky store.

Just up the hill after you have driven through town, there sits a small building that has housed M&G since 1962. You walk in and are transported back to the 60’s. M&G has kept up with the times by serving all organic Prather Ranch beef. Even the hot dog that my three-year-old nephew ordered was organic. I ordered a double cheeseburger ($5.75), fries ($1.90), onion rings ($2.95) and a chocolate shake.

We took a seat at a small table back by the bathrooms. There were charming old signs hanging on the wall including one right on the bathroom door saying “Full Serve”. I loved sitting among the paneled walls with my sister and nephews. Our food came neatly wrapped in white paper.
The burger looked yummy with two patties sitting on its lettuce, tomato, chopped onions and special sauce. Everything was cradled in a toasted yellow bun. The beef was tasty and smothered in American cheese. My sister and I both liked our burgers very much.

The fries were crinkle-cut and tucked into a white bag. Something about these kinds of fries always takes me back to the Penguin Point when I was kid in Indiana. It is a good memory and I enjoyed the fries. The onion rings had a similar old-time taste. They were breaded and crispy. Make sure you ask for the special honey-mustard sauce to dunk the onion rings.

The shake was just okay. It tasted like soft serve.
There was a steady stream of nice, friendly people coming through the restaurant the entire time we were there. We left and walked down the street to the Fairfax Scoop, which was very popular on this hot Saturday. Bike riders still in their spandex were gaining back the calories they had just burned. Each person ordered their ice cream and then would recommend the flavors as they left the store. I had a Mexican chocolate and Love Parade. The Mexican chocolate had cinnamon. Love Parade was a creamy vanilla with peanut butter and chocolate chunks.

We walked around town and even found a toy store with Burger Town characters in the window. I really enjoyed M&G and Fairfax. It is what Marin is all about – small towns tucked into the hills, each with their own unique character.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas
Onion Rings 3 spatulas
Shake 2.5 spatulas

M&G Burgers & Beverages
2417 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Fairfax, CA 94930
415-454-0655

Bix - San Francisco

2009-04-19T22:09:00.001-07:00

Bix in San Francisco has been reviewed here before. We actually went for dinner, not expecting a burger experience. But the Hors D'Oeuvres menu sported Mini Lamb Burgers with Cucumber, Dill and Harissa ($10.95). They were quote good. The meat was spicy and nicely countered by the cucumber. The little buns were spongy and perfect. I must say the food was much better than this picture I snapped with my iPhone. The light was quite dim. The Lobster Spaghetti was amazing as my main dish.

Redrum Burger - Davis, CA

2009-04-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

Redrum Burger in Davis, CA sits catty-corner to an In-N-Out Burger just off the freeway. Redrum was there long before In-N-Out and judging from the line at lunch time on a recent Thursday, they will be there for a while longer. Originally called Murder Burger when it was established in 1986, Murder changed to Redrum (murder spelled backwards) when a contest determined the winning name in 2001. (Thanks to daviswiki.org for the history lesson.)

The place feels a little shabby when you walk in, but it seems comfortable like an old sweatshirt. I went to the counter to choose between burgers. 1/4 lb. $4.29, 1/3 lb. $5.49, 1 lb. $11.49 or my choice 1/2 lb. $6.49. They have Buffalo too. The burger comes with cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. I ordered fries ($1.49), onion rings ($4.99) and on the recommendation of the counter-minder a strawberry shake ($3.99). They have various combo specials to save you money. “Twelve minutes”, he told me when he handed me my change.

I picked a duct-taped, red vinyl bench and sat down. A steady stream of contractors, men in uniforms and students came through to order. My name was called and I retrieved a huge tray of food.
The half-pound burger is a massive affair with a big puffy bun, lot’s of veggies and a big flavorful patty cooked a nice medium. I found the burger quite tasty. The bun seemed a little dry on top but plenty spongy enough to soak up the juices, mustard and mayo without falling apart. I found myself eating around the edges where there was more cheese.

The fries were thin and had the skins on. They seemed to be fresh cut and a little under cooked. They reminded me a lot of the In-N-Out fries in flavor and consistency but not looks.

The onion rings were very impressive. Robust and thick they were covered in a crispy fried batter. I loved the thick sweet onion inside.

The shake was great, with the fresh strawberries, dancing on the tongue. It was thick and creamy.
I did not even come close to finishing all my food. But I did enjoy it. I love places like Redrum with their history and ties to the community. There was a sign on the wall, Best Burger, California Aggie, 2007, 2nd Place. I guessed number one was In-N-Out and checking the web I was right. But Redrum is probably happy with second and its hard-core fans. Long may it thumb its nose at the burger colossus across the street.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 5 spatulas
Strawberry Shake 4.5 spatulas

Redrum Burger
978 Olive Drive
Davis, CA 95616
daviswiki.org/Redrum_Burger

Triple XXX - West Lafayette, IN

2009-04-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

Three of my burger spies pointed out the article on cnn.com about "Five tasty burger joints worth visiting". I had read about Ann's in Atlanta before, but the real eye opener was the mention of one of my old college haunts - Triple XXX, in West Lafayette, IN. They even mentioned my favorite burger. The Duane Purvis All-American featured peanut butter.

I tried ordering a version of this at Johnny Rockets one time. I added bacon. The waitress asked me three times if I was sure. I have always maintained that peanut butter should be a condiment. (photo from the Triple -XXX website.)

Burger Beast - The Best Burgers in South Florida

2009-04-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Through the wonder of the internet I have become acquainted with the Burger Beast. A kindred spirit in all things burger, I asked him to give us an overview of his top three choices for burgers in South Florida. His reviews are below. I can’t wait to get to Miami to try them out.

SRK

SRK aka Hoosier Burger Boy suggested I might give you a heads-up as to where to get the Best Burgers in South Florida. When visiting SoFl there are a couple of burger must tries.
Located in Miami's Design District is Kingdom where you can get either a Queen (8 oz.), King (12 oz.) or Doomsday Burger (24 oz.) (See photo above.). There is also the Doomsday Challenge for whoever thinks they can finish a Doomsday as well as fries and onion rings (see photo below) in under 15 minutes. If you're able to complete the Doomsday Challenge, you get your meal for free. So let's pretend you decide on a King burger because I would be disappointed in you if you had a Queen. I would suggest you add bacon as they cook their bacon crispy, It's a great tasting burger and you also have to order the onion rings/fries combo side. Of the 2, the onion rings are better but the crinkle cuts are not bad. They both do have some good seasoning on them.
What else.....Oh yeah....next place. Le Tub is located in Hollywood, Fl right on the water, as a mater of a fact, I think if you have a boat you can dock there but don't hold me to that. Le Tub is known nationally for a few reasons GQ as well as Oprah (no last name necessary) named it the Best Burger in the U.S. (See next photo.) I do want to make one important suggestion if you decide to go to Le Tub. They open at Noon, try to get there as early as you can. When this place gets busy, it can take upwards of an hour to get your burger. Now I'm not saying it's not worth the wait, it is but I thought you should know. I love the Le Tub burger (13 oz.) and it definitely should be up there in some sort of Burger Hall of Fame. They serve steak fries (fried in peanut oil) at Le Tub, which were pretty good (but not homemade).
Now, Kingdom and Le Tub have 1 thing in common with my 3rd choice, the flavor of their burgers is reminiscent of Keg South's burgers. I've been going to Keg South for well over 10 years and when asked where is the best burger in Miami, my reply is always "Keg South" There are a couple of Keg South locations in South Florida and for some reason they are not affiliated with one another. The Kendall location is where my burger heart has been for years but lately I've been going to the location on South Dixie Highway aka US1. Both locations have the same amazing burger (in either 1/3 lb. or 1/2 lb. sizes). This is where my burger obsession comes from and you must definitely check this place out. Keg South also serves awesome fresh cut fries; one order is enough for two people. When in South Florida, Kingdom, Le Tub and Keg South are 3 must stops but it doesn't end there. You must also try a Frita better known as a Cuban Hamburger but I'll leave that for another post.

Kingdom

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 spatulas

Le Tub

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas

Keg South (photo below)

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 5 spatulas

Addresses:

Kingdom
6708 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Fl
305-757-0074
Hours: Mon-Thu 4pm- Midnight, Fri 11:30 AM-2Am, Sat-Sun 11AM-2AM

Le Tub
1100 N Ocean Drive, Hollywood, Fl
954-921-9425
Hours: Noon-4AM 365 Days A Year
www.letub.com

Keg South
10417 S. Dixie Hwy, Miami, Fl
305-284-9296
Hours: Mon-Sat 11AM-1AM, Sun 12PM-12AM

Local Burger and Fries

2009-04-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Local Burger and Fries continues a trend I see of hamburgers getting more green. Or at least trying to be healthier and have less impact on the planet. An article in today's New York Times, features the Northampton, MA restaurant and talks about how they try to use locally sourced, humanely raised beef. Apparently it tastes good too.

Velvet Grill & Creamery - Modesto, CA

2009-04-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Velvet Grill & Creamery in Modesto, CA is a friendly, cozy place for a burger. Make sure you get the sweet potato fries. I wasn’t going to and the server brought them anyway. It was a fine treat.

In the middle of the tree-lined streets of Modesto, the Velvet, sits invitingly. I wandered in through the glass block entrance at noon on a Saturday. The place was about half full. I was greeted warmly and led across the carpeted floor to a teal-colored corner booth. I had a nice view of the Breakfast At Tiffany’s poster and the other memorabilia on the wall.

At the suggestion of my server, I ordered the avocado & bacon cheddar burger with fries ($8.99). They were also nice enough to put some onion rings on there for me. The rings are normally $5.99 by themselves. She tried to convince me to take the sweet potato fries, but I wanted to review the regular fries as I always do. I also ordered a Chocolate Shake ($4.25) from their extensive dessert menu. In my experience, any place with “Creamery” in the name usually has a good shake. No exception here. It came in a parfait glass with whip cream. It was cold, creamy and smooth. The chocolate even seemed to have a faint hint of fruit.

The burger came extremely quickly. It was an impressive stack of patty, cheddar, grilled red onion, bacon, lettuce, tomato and smashed avocado on a pillow of white toasted bun. Everything was wrapped tightly in white paper to hold it together. The fries and onion rings were crowded onto the plate with ranch dressing.

The burger was very tasty, I think I would put a little less avocado on it as it overwhelmed everything else a little. The bacon was thick and firm without being chewy. The burger patty itself was tasty like I used to get at the Penguin Point drive in back in Indiana.

The fries were forgettable medium thick and nothing special. The onion rings fared better. They were battered and crisp and tasted good dunked in the ranch. About the time I was regretting not getting the sweet potato fries, the server brought me a plate. “I think you should try these.” She said.

They were really tasty. Cut very thin about the size of a wide noodle, maybe 1/8 inch by 1/2 inch. They were crisp and did not sag when you picked them up – not even the ones that were four inches long. They were sweet, but a little spicy. The chipotle ranch dressing was a perfect compliment. I ate the whole plate, never looking at the potato fries again. I felt right at home at the Velvet Grill & Creamery. Next time I am in Modesto, I am going in the morning. The breakfast menu looked very good.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 spatulas
Shake 4.5 spatulas
Sweet Potato Fries 5 spatulas

Velvet Grill & Creamery
2204 McHenry Ave.
Modesto, CA 95350
209-544-9029

Scrambl'z Diner - Morgan Hill, CA

2009-04-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Scrambl’z in Morgan Hill is a 50s style diner with yellow tables and black and white checkerboard design. It is a happy clean place with cheerful servers and a fun family atmosphere. I was attracted by the “burgers” signed prominently featured on the outside.

I visited on a Friday at lunch. The place was about half full. I ordered up a Bacon Cheeseburger with fries ($8.99), onion rings ($6.99) and a chocolate shake ($3.99).

The onion rings came first - a big pile of crispy battered rings accompanied by ranch dressing. They were hot and tasty and a good appetizer. The shake soon arrived. It was impressively displayed in a plastic mug with prominent swirls of chocolate syrup. It was cold, smooth, thick and tasty.

Finally the burger. The bun looked fresh baked and was nicely toasted. Two small patties with lots of cheese melted around them had two strips of bacon on top. Lettuce, onion and tomato were on the side. I thought the beef was a little overcooked. The burger was serviceable but unimpressive. I will go with my usual comment that it is still better than most fast food chains just by the fact that it is cooked fresh and hot and delivered to you right after it leaves the griddle. The fries were thin slices a little undercooked and not very tasty.
I guess overall, I would have wanted the burger to be a little more creative and more attention paid to the beef. But the restaurant itself was a nice place to have lunch and the people were very friendly. Get the onion rings for sure!

Burger 3 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2 spatulas
Onion Rings 3.5 spatulas
Shake 3.5 spatulas

Scrambl’z
775 E. Dunne Ave.
Morgan Hill, CA

Palo Alto Creamery - Palo Alto, CA

2009-04-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

The Palo Alto Creamery in Palo Alto, California is one of my favorite places for lunch or breakfast. They also make one of the best burgers in the San Francisco Bay Area. We have been going to the "Creamery" for years. It used to be called the Peninsula Creamery but they split a few years back from the original Peninsula Creamery and changed the name. The sign out front says Peninsula Fountain and Grill. Everyone I know just calls it the Creamery.

Inside are vinyl booths remodeled a few years ago. The wood paneling on the walls and the old jukebox hark back to the pre-remodel days. I like to sit at the counter when I am there by myself and read the NY Times that one can pick up at nearby Mac's Smoke Shop. Recently, I ordered up the California Burger ($10.95). It is made from 1/3 pound of fresh hormone free, natural certified angus. The sesame bun is baked on premises in their excellent bakery. Also on the burger were avocado, Hobb's Bacon, Jack Cheese and grilled onions. No condiments were needed as the flavors all worked together perfectly with the medium cooked and flavorful beef. I don't think a burger can taste much better.
The burger comes with very thick cut fries that are cut on site. This day they were dark brown and looked overcooked, but they tasted great. I also ordered the onion rings ($7.50). Also cut fresh at the restaurant, a thick ring of sweet onion is breaded and cooked crisp. They are piled high on a plate that should be shared among 4 or 5 diners. Dunk them in the ranch dressing for full effect.

The chocolate shake was dynamite. It is made and served in a big metal cup combining hand scooped ice cream and milk. It was creamy and thick and cold. There are many flavors of ice cream one can try. People stop in to the Creamery just for the shakes.

Other favorites for me are the albacore tuna melt in sourdough ($9.95) with cole slaw. On weekends they have an eggs benedict ($12.50) that no one can beat. Get the hash browns with that one. I can also recommend the Fountain Burger that I reviewed previously at the Stanford store. But if you are only in town once, go to the downtown Palo Alto location. It is cozier and has more tradition. The service is friendly, the place is lively and welcoming and the food is fresh and tasty.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas
Onion Rings 5 spatulas
Shake 5 spatulas

Palo Alto Creamery
566 Emerson St.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-323-3131
www.paloaltocreamery.com

Grind Your Own Beef

2009-03-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

I always wanted to try grinding my own beef for my hamburgers. I had read how to do it and finally got around to it. It was quite satisfying to understand how the process works and what the benefits are.

I started off by getting a meat grinder - a hand crank model by Porkert from the Czech Republic. (A good friend of mine who happens to be Czech claims that everything great in civilization came from the Czechs: robots, revolvers, beer and now awesome meat grinders.) My Porkert cost me $46.95 at Sur le Table.

A trip to Schaubs at the local Stanford mall garnered two pounds of boneless chuck roast ($9). I asked the butcher if the beef had the requisite 20 percent fat. He didn’t know. He said their ground beef had 20 percent, but that was because they added the right amount of fat. Not to be deterred, I took it anyway, fat percent be damned. By the way, Schaubs has a local delicacy called Fred’s Steak. It is a marinated tri-tip that is about as good as any meat you will taste.

Once home, I washed the Porkert (love that name) to remove the any residual oils from the manufacturer. It was easy to assemble. I inserted the quarter inch grind plate. I clamped it to my wife’s breadboard, much to her chagrin, to started grinding.

I cut the chuck into short strips and ran it through the grinder. The grinding took a little longer than I thought it would. To make sure the fat was all broken up I ran it through again. (Always ask for your hamburger to be ground twice when you are having it ground fresh at the butcher.)

Next I added salt and fresh ground pepper to the mix. I formed it into 4 half-pound patties. I noticed the beef seemed airy and light compared to the ground beef I usually get.

I cooked the patties on my Weber Summit gas grill for about 5 minutes per side on 400 degrees. I like to rotate the patty 90 degrees on each side to get cross pattern from the grill bars. But you only turn the patties once, to lock in the juices. Also, don’t smash them down and force out the juices.

A minute before taking them off I melted a slice of Gruyere cheese on the patty. I had mine on a fresh bun. Pat had hers on a bed of greens. I also added my favorite HoosierBurgerBoy sauce to mine.

The burger was very tasty. It was a little drier than I expected. Next time I will cook it a little less and try to add a little more fat. But overall it a lighter and fresher than other hamburger I had bought.

Alpine Inn (Zott's) - Portola Valley, CA

2009-03-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Alpine Inn in Portola Valley is usually referred by locals as Zott's. The sign out front says The Alpine Inn formerly Rissotti’s. Whatever you call it, locals of all types enjoy eating there. In the fenced area outside on a recent sunny Sunday in March, it was filled with every type of person of every age. There were Harley riding bikers, a kid’s rugby team, hikers and bicyclists taking a break from rides through the green hills of spring.

The line was long inside the cozy old main room that houses the bar and the grill. Vintage beer posters hung on the ceiling. A bikini clad girl holding a Stroh’s. St. Pauli girl before she was redrawn with huge breasts. There were deer heads with hats hanging on the antlers. The line to order was long. The 15 minutes went fast as I spoke with my new friends in line. Everyone at Zott's seemed to be in a good mood.
After ordering, I grabbed a newspaper from the community pile of papers and books that was stacked on a picnic table. My name was called within a couple of minutes. I retrieved my double-cheeseburger ($7.25) with grilled onions (30 cents) and small fries ($2.75).

The burger was prepared from a stack of rectangular beef patties separated by paper stacked next to the grill. Small chunks of sweet grilled onion and American Cheese melted together on top of the patties. They sat on a crunchy roll that had been toasted. Fresh lettuce and tomato finished of the combo. It was a fabulous mess that satisfied my hunger after riding my bike the six miles to the restaurant.

The fries were old style crinkle fries that were lightly coated. They were crisp, but only warm. I didn’t really find them to my taste. But I usually don’t enjoy coated fries.
I enjoyed the sunny afternoon sitting at the picnic table next to the creek full of playing kids. Zott's is a great place for a burger on a sunny afternoon in Northern California.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2 spatulas

Alpine Inn
3915 Alpine Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028
650-854-4004

Best-O-Burger - San Francisco, CA

2009-03-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

Best-O-Burger in San Francisco is a unique way to get your burger. The choices are few. The burgers are slider-small. The onion strings and fries that come with your burger are crunchy and flavorful. The experience is inexpensive and fresh. Have a bag and chow down.

I walked over from the Sutter Street garage, working up a good appetite. As I rounded the corner from Kearney onto Pine I almost missed the small unassuming burger stand. Tucked in a little from the corner in an unassuming place, yellow and red colors dominate the place, like MacDonald's or In-N-0ut. What's up with yellow and red?

I ordered a 2 Cheese Bag ($3.78), strings and rings ($1.79) and a soda. The whole tab of $7.99 with tax is very reasonable. There are no tables in the tiny store. I stood and watched as my burgers were fried up in an iron skillet. Trays of fresh buns sat above the counter. In no time, I had my bag and headed across the street to sit on a bench and eat.

The burgers are small, probably 6 to a pound of beef. They are a gourmet take on the White Castle slider, but ten times better tasting. Each burger had a small slice of cheese and a nicely tangy sauce, sort of like thousand island. Slightly pink beef sat inside a soft and springy bun that held up well in all the juice.

The potato strings were crisp and slightly sweet, almost like someone had slipped sweet potato flavoring in. They were thin with skins on the end and stayed crunchy and tasty even as they got cold. The rings were really onion strings. They were equally tasty.

Treat yourself before word gets out. I think Best-O-Burger will be a big hit.

Burger 4.5 out of 5
Fries 4.5 out of 5
O-Ring 4.5 out of 5

Best-O-Burger
89 Belden Place
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-227-1150
www.bestoburger.com

Unami Burger - Flanksteak Burger, With Mushroom Roll

2009-03-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Umami - the fifth taste - is a pleasant sensation that takes place on our tongue and in our stomach when certain chemical called glutamates activate those senses. This all according to the website Playing with Fire and Water. That all sounds kind of complicated to me, but the site points out examples of great combinations the world over that exhibit this phenomenon. Things like Italian pizza, Fish and Chips and of course, our hamburger and fries. The site has a great recipe that combines a flanksteak ground up for the patty and a fresh-made roll with mushrooms. Sounds very tasty. (Photo from the Playing with Fire and Water website.)

Meatpaper

2009-03-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

Meatpaper is a magazine about meat. But rather than the preparation or eating of meat, it is more about the ideas. The art of meat. The conflict of meat. The culture around meat. Even meat art. Rather than attempt to resolve the conflicted nature of our relationship with meat, they explore it. Things like the environmental impact of meat or pants made from meat. (See photo above from meatpaper.com.)

Meatpaper struck a chord me with me. I tried be a vegetarian earlier in life. I made it 18 months before the lure of the hamburger became too strong. Meatpaper explores and exposes that conflict. Visit meatpaper on line at www.meatpaper.com.

Bob's Giant Hamburgers - Pleasanton, CA

2009-03-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

Bob's Giant Hamburgers in Pleasanton, CA is an old school burger stand set on a corner near downtown. I was there at 3 in the afternoon one Friday and was the only burger guy. A steady stream of soft-serve ice cream customers kept them busy.

As I sat in the clean dining room, I noted how blue it all was. Blue tables. Blue floor. Photos of old cars that covered the walls. They had faded to blue as old color photos are inclined to do.

The cheeseburger ($4.55), fries ($1.85) and onion rings ($2.75) were all hot and served up fast. The onion rings were my favorite. They were battered and thin. Crispy and tasty and unique without any old grease taste I often get in these kinds of places. The fries were hot, salty, medium-think, skins-free and served in a big white paper bag.
The burger itself was a thin patty served pink and hot. There was ample shredded lettuce, an onion slice, tomato slice and American cheese melted on top. The thousand-island-style sauce was thinly applied to the toasted sesame bun and lost in the pile of vegetables. It was a pretty good classic-style burger.
As I was leaving, I got a chocolate shake ($3.40) for the road. It was interesting seeing it prepared on the "Electrofreeze" machines. First syrup and milk were poured into a Styrofoam cup. It was topped off with chocolate soft-serve. The cup was inserted under a mechanical stirrer that mixed the whole concoction. After all that, it tasted like chocolate soft-serve. I think I prefer the Hamilton Beach method with scoops of ice cream.

Burger 3 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas
Onion Rings 3.5 spatulas
Milk Shake 2 spatulas

Bob's Giant Hamburgers
4223 First St.
Pleasanton, CA 94566
925-846-4657

Marqs in Menlo

2009-03-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

Marqs in Menlo Park, CA was a total surprise. We had heard it was opened by the former bartender at Oak City, which is a good bar. We headed in and what to our wondering eyes should appear but Kobe Slider's Duet ($12)? This was so unexpected that I had not brought my notebook or camera. Fortunately, Pat had her camera and the photo attached resulted.

Marq's sliders were excellent. Hot, juicy, petite. The accompanying fresh cut fries were enticingly thin, hot and salty. The lobster spring rolls ($9) and wild mushrooms on toasted brioche ($10) were equally enjoyable.

As soon as Marq gets his full liquor license, I can see some sliders and Tanqueray Martini's in my future.

Burgers 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4.5 out of 5

Marqs in Menlo
1143 Crane Street
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650-853-1143
www.marqsinmenlo.com

Burgertory - Another great burger blog.

2009-03-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

Burgatory.wordpress.com is a great burger blog. East coast based but a nice mix of burger spots and perspectives.

Nick's English Hut - Bloomington, IN

2009-03-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

Nick’s English Hut in Bloomington Indiana, is not a bad place despite being in the shadow of the enemy. I flew to Indiana to meet some high school buddies near Indiana University. Having been a Purdue Boilermaker, IU’s bitter, instate rival, I had never spent much time in Bloomington.

We went to Nick’s an hour or two before an IU basketball game was to be broadcast. My buddies wanted to get there early to guarantee a good seat. The vast space was mostly empty when we got there. I attribute this to the fact that IU was 1-14 in Big Ten play at that point. (Author’s note: Purdue was 10-5 and in the process of winning number 11 when we arrived.)

Nick’s is huge. The original downstairs is a charming and dark with a double row of wood booths and more seating in back. We went upstairs to the newer large upstairs space, which had a little less soul, but more than made up for it with lot’s of big screens to watch the game. We grabbed a table, six stools and several brews.
I ordered the 1/3-pound Bacon Cheeseburger with fries ($8.50). The Bleu burger was recommended, but I like to go with a milder cheese so I can taste the beef. I also, ordered onion rings ($3.50 for a half order.) There were lots of other tempting appetizer items on the menu like Breaded Mushrooms and Sink-The-Bismarck Fries ($6.50 with cheese). These are a bucket of fries all spiced up with chili powder and Parmesan cheese and accompanied by a spicy kind of thousand-island type dressing. I highly recommend these over the regular fries. They are unique and very tasty. They go great with beer.

The onion rings came with the Bismarcks and mushrooms. They were battered and large and pretty good, although not that unique. The mushrooms were more interesting. They were a very large chunk of portobello, battered and hot, but crunchy on the outside.

The burger came and looked very nice sitting on a fresh white Kaiser bun. The American cheese was melted enticingly and covered with bits of bacon that were crunchy and salty. A nice touch I had not had before. I had mustard and mayo on the sandwich as well. Biting in, I found the whole thing very pleasing. It was a bit smokier than I like, but the beef was juicy and cooked a nice medium. I had a bite of the bleu burger and didn’t think it was quite as good with too much bleu cheese for my taste.

But the real treat of the evening was the breaded tenderloin sandwich. (See photo below.) This is an Indiana favorite. A pork tenderloin is pounded thin and then breaded and deep-fried. A perfect version is much larger than the bun and this one was very, very good with fresh lettuce and onions too. Don’t miss this treat if you go to Nick’s.
Another great meal I had in Bloomington was breakfast at the Runcible Spoon. They have a unique version of Eggs Benedict, but the real find is the superb corned beef hash. This hash mixed mashed potatoes and corned beef fried up in a skillet. Put a runny egg over it and you are half way to heaven. Have the burger at Nick’s in the afternoon and complete the trip.

Of course, then you remember you are in IU territory and cannot possibly be in heaven. That is, until IU loses at the buzzer. Then order is restored.

(One more tip: Stay away from Opie Taylor’s. My burger there was severely overcooked and inferior in every way to Nick’s a few blocks away.)

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Standard Fries 2.5 spatulas
Sink The Bismark Fries 5 spatulas
Onion Rings 2.5 spatulas

Nick’s English Hut
423 E. Kirkwood Ave.
Bloomington, IN 47408
812-332-4040
www.nicksenglishhut.com

Burger Business

2009-03-03T11:06:00.001-08:00

Burger Business is a great site for keeping up with the business side of the burger world. Just to show how up they are on the business, they have Hoosier Burger Boy as a permanent link on their site. Check out their website at www.burgerbusiness.com.

SaveTheBurger.Org

2009-03-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Sure it is just a fun site to promote Good Times Burgers, but SaveTheBurger.org is fun. And really on the right track. It is kind of what HoosierBurgerBoy is trying to do, except without being tied to one restaurant.

Chili's Grill & Bar - Union City, CA

2009-02-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

Chili’s Grill & Bar in Union City was my second choice to the Fuddruckers in the same shopping center. The Fuddruckers is now closed permanently, so my brother-in-law John and I went to the nearby Chili’s. I haven’t had a burger in a Chili’s for some time. I remember when they first opened. In the 80’s, we used to eat at a Chili’s in Cupertino. They had a great burger that tasted fresh and juicy. Many years ago when they went to frozen beef, I stopped going regularly.

So it was definitely with low expectations that I ordered the Southern Smoked Bacon Big Mouth Burger ($8.79). It comes with brown sugar chili rubbed bacon, smoked cheddar, onion strings, mayo, lettuce, tomato and ancho chili BBQ sauce. It also comes with fries. John ordered the Big Mouth Bites ($7.99), which are basically Chili’s take on sliders. I verified with the server that the beef is frozen and not fresh.
I must say the burger was very good. The flavors mixed very well. The bacon was great by itself, thick, sweet and a little spicy. I ate the whole thing and was happy I did. The fries are run-of-the-mill medium cut with skins on. They were salty and hot, but unremarkable.

So, in a pinch, Chili’s isn’t a bad option, even though it is a chain. They get my props for giving it a solid effort on the burger.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2 spatulas

Chili’s Bar & Grill
32120 Dyer St.
Union City, CA 94587
510-675-9810
www.chilis.com

Peggy Sue's Restaurant - San Jose, CA

2009-02-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

Peggy Sue’s Restaurant in San Jose is a 50’s diner-style restaurant in downtown San Jose. I had a break from watching my daughter’s volleyball tournament at the nearby convention center. So I walked over in the rain and entered a packed restaurant. A line of volleyball players, fifteen-deep waited at the order counter.

Ten minutes later I placed my order for a Lucy Burger ($7.45), I upped it from 1/3-pound to 1/2-pound. The Lucy comes with bacon and American cheese. I also ordered fries ($1.85), onion rings ($2.15) and chocolate, peanut butter shake ($5.00).

I took my seat at one of the few unoccupied laminate tables sitting on the clean black and white tile floor. Posters, photos and articles from the 50’s adorned the walls. My number was called and I retrieved my food.

The shake was thick and creamy, and nicely presented with whip cream topped with sprinkles and a cherry. There was way too much peanut butter, in the mix, overwhelming the chocolate.

The burger looked good. The bun looked right out of the bakery, but it was not toasted. Although the patty was cooked medium, the meat was not juicy. The bacon was not that crisp and the burger wasn’t that hot. Overall, it was pretty average.

The fries were medium cut but, equally unremarkable. The onion rings were medium thick and battered, but not crisp.

As I walked out I noticed a sign on the front that said “Best Burger Silicon Valley 2004, Wave Magazine Readers Choice.” Either that means Silicon Valley readers didn’t try many burgers or Peggy Sue’s has lost some quality since 2004.

Burger 2.5 spatulas out of 5
French Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 2 spatulas
Milk Shake 3 spatulas

Peggy Sue’s Restaurant
29 N. San Pedro
San Jose, CA 95110
408-298-6750
www.peggysues.com

www.eatbite.com

2009-02-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

The folks at www.eatbite.com emailed me for some recommendations for burger photos to put on their site. They have a fun gallery of burger photos and locations. Most in New York. You can see photos and get addresses for each type of food like, burgers, Thai and cheap. Can't wait to try some when I go out there next.

The Boardwalk - Los Altos, CA

2009-02-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

The Boardwalk in Los Altos, CA is a cozy hang out for having a classic style burger. They also have pizza and a bar and lots of comfort food like chicken wings, tuna melts and pastrami. But I came into the wood-lined hangout with a burger on my mind.

There was a line at the counter at noontime on a rainy Wednesday. The flat screen TV's had soccer going. I think it was a World Cup qualifying match.

I ordered a double cheeseburger ($6.80) consisting of two 1/4-pound patties, American cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato and onion slice. I also ordered onion rings ($2.45) and fries ($2.25). The nice girl at the counter offered to split the order so I didn't have to pay for both.

They gave me coaster-pager and I walked across the wood floor, to take a seat at a wood table on a wood chair next to a wooden bar. It was about 5 minutes later that the pager went off. I strolled to the counter to get my food. I asked for ranch dressing for the onion rings and was granted my request.

The burger looked fantastic. A very nicely formed white bun cradled two impressive patties dripping with melted cheese. As I bit in, the bun was pleasantly crunchy on top but springy and spongy on the inside to soak up the juice. The combo was a very tasty and balanced blend of all the flavors.

It reminded me a lot of the Oasis in Menlo Park. I learned the restaurants are related, because I got a gift card for Christmas that has them both on it. Checking the website, the Oasis is listed as another location along with the Garrett in Campbell and Jakes in Willow Glen, Sunnyvale and Saratoga. The menu looked the same on the other sites.

The onion rings were battered and while hot, I found them, to be not too crisp on the outside and a little chewy on the inside. The fries were better, although standard-issue medium-cut with skins on. They were hot and relatively tasty and didn't have the "old grease" taste I seem to find at a lot of places.

But the burger is definitely worth the visit. It also looks like a fun place to take in a game or the upcoming March Madness.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 2 spatulas

The Boardwalk
4940 El Camino Real
Los Altos, CA 94022
650-964-7500
www.theboardwalkrestaurant.com

Jim-Denny's - Sacramento, CA

2009-02-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

Jim Denny’s in Sacramento is a Jim Dandy of a place for a burger. A Sacramento fixture for years, it was resurrected a few years ago and now serves up a great hamburger.

You can’t miss the landmark as you walk up 12th street from the Convention center. It is a small white building with a vintage red sign out front. On a Saturday afternoon, the tables outside were packed with people eating and waiting for their to-go orders served up at the side window. The real action is inside, where a small counter of about 10 chairs faces the griddle. Patsy, the owner fries up burgers starting with the tiny 1/6-pound model going all the way up to a 1-pound monster. I went for the 1/2-pound Superburger with fries ($8.75). I added American cheese ($1), Bacon ($1) and grilled onions. Patsy slapped the fresh beef on the griddle and chatted with us as we waited. I also ordered up a blackberry-Oreo shake on her recommendation.

The shake came first. I found it creamy and perfect. The Oreo and blackberry nicely played off against one another. Yum. My friend Margaret ordered a chocolate shake along with her Superburger. She liked it as well.

When the burger was ready, one of the servers asked us what we wanted on it. Mustard, yes. Mayo, yes. Lettuce, no. Tomato, no. I really liked the interaction. At one point a friend called to join us. I ordered a burger and fries for him and they let us save a place at the counter. When he arrived the burger came right off the grill for him. Great service.

My burger was yummy. The classic white bun was toasted nicely. The American cheese hung out on the side artfully. It was just the right amount of mayo and mustard. The beef was tasty and juicy. The fries were thin, crisp and salty.

I really do not know how you can improve on an experience like this. (Except if they had onion rings.) It was a fun walk back to a time when things were simpler and everyone was friendly. I cannot recommend Jim Denny’s any more highly.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas
Shake 5 spatulas

Jim Denny’s
816 12th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-443-9655
www.jim-dennys.com

Ford's Real Hamburgers - Sacramento, CA

2009-02-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

Ford’s Real Hamburgers is Sacramento has the look of an old ice cream stand. It is pretty seedy looking when you pull up, giving one pause to eat there. But the place was very busy mid-afternoon one Sunday, so I went ahead and gave it a shot.

I placed my order at the window, which is inside an area that was probably once outdoors under an awning, but has now been glassed in. I ordered the 1/2-pound burger with bacon and American cheese ($10.51), eschewing the tomato and lettuce when asked. I also ordered the onion rings ($4.04) and fries ($1.68). Just for grins, I also ordered a small chocolate shake ($3.58).

I took my place at a very worn wood table attached to the wall. There where other threadbare tables and chairs strewn about. A dusty sign leaned precariously in the window next to me proclaiming Best Hamburger 2001, City Search. It seemed a place in decline and my expectations were low.

My name was called and I retrieved my brown plastic tray loaded with grub. Ford’s does not cheat you on quantity. The shake was in a Styrofoam cup. It was very chocolaty with a hint of coffee, and none of the Hershey’s chocolate taste you often find in shakes. I liked it for its uniqueness.

The onion rings were thin and dark, looking a little overcooked. They were hot and crisp and tasted good dunked in the spicy mustard sauce that accompanied them, another unique little touch. Fries were very thin and hot. Also, a little overcooked. I can’t be sure, but they tasted fresh cut, but also tasted a little of old grease.

The burger was a big patty with lots of crisp bacon top and bottom. There were two slices of cheese on the top and two more on the bottom. Also, a tangy Thousand Island sauce graced the top and bottom bun, which was a little crunchy and toasted, but good. The burger was not that hot and the cheese not melted, but the flavor of the burger was really good. Along with a slice of red onion, Ford’s achieved a nice blending of all the flavors. I would like to try this burger piping hot and with the cheese next to the patty instead of having the bacon in between the patty and cheese.

I left and took external shots of the faded signed and worn exterior. Ford’s is a real enigma. A lot of good ideas, executed in a fashion that results in less of an impression than they could have with a little more attention to detail.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 3 spatulas
Shake 4 spatulas

Ford’s Real Hamburgers
1948 Sutterville Rd.
Sacramento, CA 95822
916-452-6979
www.fordsrealhamburgers.com

Rose & Crown - Palo Alto, CA

2009-02-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

The Rose and Crown in Palo Alto is a classic English style pub set back from the street in a parking lot. It has been there forever, but my guess is lots of residents don’t even know it exists. It is so hidden. You know it is an English pub when you walk in at lunch time and people are sitting at the counter drinking Guinness.

My friend Jeff and I decided to go there when he told me they have a good burger. I ordered the 1/3-pound Ground Beef Burger with cheese ($7.95). I added Stilton, of course, but I could of just as easily gone for Cheshire. The burger also came with their “famous” watercress mayo. I also ordered Onion rings ($5.95). Jeff got chips ($5.95) with his fish and chips.

We sat outside and the food came quickly. The burger seemed a little small atop a great looking homemade bun that was very light colored and spongy. It was toasted perfectly and very tasty. The burger itself was good with the Stilton and the deservedly famous mayo was very tasty.
The best thing though was the chips. They cut the potatoes up every morning and fry them up thick, fresh and hot with vinegar. These may be the best fried potatoes I have ever had. The onion rings were more standard issue battered and medium thick.

The Rose & Crown is a nice place to hang out for lunch. Quiet and inviting, it is a place I will go back for a Guinness ad some chips.

Burger 3 spatulas out of 5
Fries (Chips) 5 spatulas

The Rose & Crown
547 Emerson Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-327-7673
www.roseandcrownpa.com

Custom Burger - San Francisco, CA

2009-02-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

Custom Burger in San Francisco is a modern looking, creative place to get your burger. I stopped by on my way to a business meeting in San Francisco. Just .3 miles off of 101 on 7th street, it is a very convenient burger place if you are passing through S.F.

Walking in I was impressed by the stark, clean design of the place. The chalk boards behind the counter for each step of building your custom burger we very clear and easy to follow. I barked out my order to the cashier. Step one Angus Burger ($6.99). Step 2 Bleu Cheese (1.49), Bacon ($1.29), Step 3, sautéed onions, Step 4 secret sauce, Step 5 seeded bun. I also ordered a side of half and half fries and sweet potato fries ($3.79). After I saw a stack of onion rings come out, I wish I had ordered them too. I guess I will have to go back.

By the way, they have lots of patty options, including a Kobe Beef, lamb, turkey, veggie, chicken or salmon! With similar variety in every step of ordering too. According to their website, they have a big commitment to local too, using locally raised hormone-free beef, buns from a local bakery and pies baked locally from scratch.

I took my number a red chair at a clean laminate table. There is a standing counter with stools in the middle for those in a hurry. I had barely written a few notes when the burger arrived. The burger was in a cool little basket lined with red checked paper and sporting a side holder for a small container of the secret sauce, which looks and tastes suspiciously like thousand island.

I happen to like Thousand Island dressing. I slathered it liberally on my ample sesame bun. I then placed the bun on the mound of cheese, crispy bacon and generously applied onions and took a bite. The burger was smoky and nicely pink in the middle-a good, strong flavor to counteract the bleu cheese and the secret sauce. I really liked this burger. I think next time I would tweak it with a slightly milder cheese or less bleu.

The fries were also in a red-checked-paper-lined wire basket. The potato fries were hot, medium cut with skins on. Tasty and good. The sweet potato fries were crisp on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. Yummy.

I was running late for my meeting and did not have time to hang around and soak up the ambiance. But I really liked the sophistication and creativity of Custom Burger. Certainly the best I have tried South of Market. It was also nice to see someone not go for the retro theme that is so overdone in burger places.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas
Sweet Potato Fries 4 spatulas

Custom Burger
121 Seventh Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-252-2634
www.jdvhotels.com/dining/custom

Windmill Restaurant - Gonzales, CA

2009-01-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

The Windmill Restaurant in Gonzales, California is a convenient place to stop and have a bite on your way between The San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. About 16 miles south of Salinas, it is located just off 101 (“THE” 101 if you are from SoCal) it is easy to get to from the freeway.

The building is an old Wells Fargo bank building on the main drag in the quaint downtown. The main street runs parallel to (the) 101. The inside has been nicely remodeled and is a comfortable hang out to have lunch. The vault is still in place and is used as a walk-in pantry.

We sat down and ordered. I had the Windmill Burger ($8.75). Its long list of accoutrements includes a 1/2-pound patty, BBQ sauce, bacon, avocado, tomato, and grilled sourdough Parmesan bread. I also ordered a vanilla shake ($3.95) and onion rings ($5.95).

The shake came first. It was a pretty concoction with a rolled cookie, cherry and spoon. The yellow straw was fat enough through which to easily suck the thick, creamy shake.

The onion rings were thick, crunchy and very good. I sneaked a fry from my daughter’s plate. Although hot, they were frozen, coated fries and not real distinctive.

The burger was a nice looking thing. It was cut in half and presented with flair on a traditional white diner plate with stripes. The sourdough was grilled and crisp. What an interesting idea to have the cheese flavor be in the bread. The BBQ sauce was tangy and sweet and blended nicely with the crisp bacon and the avocado. In fact all the components blended together nicely into a tasty whole.

Next time you are heading to L.A., stay off of (the) 5 and go down (the) 101. There are lots of great places to stop along the way. I will be reviewing more in the future.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 spatulas
Vanillas Milk Shake 3.5 spatulas

Windmill Restaurant
346 Alta Street
Gonzales, CA 93926
831-675-2909

The Ivy - Los Angeles, CA

2009-01-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

The Ivy in Los Angeles is the hang out for seeing stars and paying star prices for the privilege. I ate at the Ivy, Santa Monica a year or so ago, but lost the notes. This will pretty much cover it. Although the atmosphere is different the burger is the same.

We put our name in and were seated relatively quickly, about 10 minutes. We knew there were no stars there because out on the sidewalk on Robertson, there were no paparazzi.

Our table was in the back. Everyone in the restaurant seemed to be looking around to see if they recognized anyone. But if there were stars there, they were dim ones.

Our server took our order. I ordered the 10-ounce burger with fries for an astounding $23.75. It was served on a huge plate along with the fries. Amazingly, the fries were cold. I asked for warm ones. When they came they were thin and hot with the skins on. Pretty good.

The burger itself was okay, the meat was good with a mesquite charcoal flavor. It was nice and juicy. The toasted sesame bun was impressive looking. The jack cheese was nicely melted. All the side veggies were cold and fresh.

Overall, I would say the Ivy is okay for a burger and fun to hang out at. But maybe get a burger somewhere else for $18 less and set up a lawn chair out front and wait for the stars to appear.

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fires 3 spatulas

The Ivy
113 N Robertson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
310-274-8303
www.ivyrestaurantgroup.com

Fred 62 - Los Angeles, CA

2009-01-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

Fred 62 in Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood is a great place to hang out with the hip crowd and have a burger. My family and I went south to Los Angeles for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We were excited to check out college campuses for my daughter and burgers for me. We had heard that one of the great burger places in L.A. is Fred 62.

We parked on Vermont Street a block from Fred 62. There are lots of vintage shops and places with unusual things. There is a great T-shirt shop Y-Que that has shirts for each neighborhood in L.A. Also, a great newsstand on the sidewalk with all the low-circulation magazines you can only find in L.A.

All the tables were taken at Fred. It is first-come, first-anarchy trying to get a table. It was an unusually crisp and sunny 75 degrees, so we took a bright yellow table outside. We had just enough of an awning that we didn’t roast in the sun. A lovely platinum-blonde young lady in fishnet stockings covered with red leg-warmers, took our order. Fred 62 likes it dark and goth from the workers to the lettering on its cards and menus. A nice change from the over-used 50s theme of so many burger places, Fred’s is more Rock-A-Billy and tattoos.

I ordered the Juicy Lucy Burger with Fries ($9.99), Chocolate Shake ($4.89), Onion rings ($4.10). The shake came first. The chocolate syrup was not stirred in giving it a pinto effect through the clear glass. Very cool. Also very tasty, creamy and cold.

The onion rings were battered and thin. They were too thin, a little soggy and not that flavorful. Just okay. Fries were medium cut with skins on. Hot and pretty good, but not exceptional. But I liked the presentation of the fries in a little brown bag cut and folded neatly.

The burger itself came on an impressive homemade bun nicely toasted. The 1/2-pound patty was cooked medium rare with Cheddar cheese. Lots of impressive toppings were piled on, all fresh and crisp with tomato, onions and lettuce. There was only a small dab of the promised Thousand Island dressing in the middle. I should have asked for more.

I enjoyed hanging out in Los Feliz and people watching from our sidewalk table. I wanted the food to be better. But I did feel hip for a brief time, so that is worth something. I should have had some ink done.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3.5 Spatulas
Onion Rings 2.5 spatulas
Shake 4 spatulas

Fred 62
1850 N. Vermont Street
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-667-0062
www.fred62.com

Hat Creek Burger Co. - Austin, TX

2008-12-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

When I was recently in Austin, I observed a really cool trailer selling cupcakes. My wife Pat loves baking so I snapped a photo for her. (See my photo below.)

Sounds like "trailer cuisine" is a big thing in Austin. I found a company called Hat Creek Burger Co. that has a mobile feast for burger lovers. I cannot wait to try it next time I am in Austin.

There are a whole host of fine foods being served on trailers. Check out the Austin Chronicle Article from February outlining different cuisines. They have cupcakes, tacos, pizzas, crepes and even Turkish food.

SRK

Bistro Burger - San Francisco, CA

2008-12-22T19:52:00.000-08:00

I was shopping at yule time in good old San Fran,
With nieces and nephews and all of the clan.
We grew very hungry from spending our cash,
We needed some food so we would not crash.

Down to the food court we flew as a group,
Looking for salad or Chinese or soup.
But what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But Bistro Burger in the food court rear.

I knew in a moment a cheeseburger was mine,
I ordered one up, with o-rings and fries.
The beef was from niman it said on the sign,
I added gorgonzola and bacon to mine.

My bro-in-law John and sis-in-law Shake,
Had burgers along with a veggie for Kate.
We ate with great gusto the burgers were fine,
Our tray was all empty in almost no time.

And wiping our mouths and straightening our clothes,
We finished our meal and from our chairs rose.
And as we exited the food court and faded from sight,
We said, “Merry burgers to all and a good Christmas night.”

Burger 3 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 2.5 spatulas

Bistro Burger
Westfield Shopping Center
865 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
415-495-2266
www.bistroburger.net/

Taxi's Hamburgers - Santa Clara, CA

2008-12-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Taxi's Hamburgers in Santa Clara, CA brings back memories of when I used to take my daughter there many year's ago. I would get the burger and she the grilled cheese. Then we discovered Johnny Rockets and switched burger joints. We went to the Taxi's in Palo Alto, which has since changed it's name. The lady at the counter in Santa Clara told me they were all changing their names. The place felt a little tired and neglected. Maybe they are trying to breath a little life into things by changing the name.

I ordered the 7 ounce Big Taxi Burger with cheese ($5.29), French Fries ($1.49) and a half order or onion rings ($2.19). I can tell you, for a half order you get a lot of o-rings.

The burger is made from fresh beef and sits atop a toasted sesame bun. It comes with American cheese, mustard, mayo, a big chunk of iceberg lettuce, red onion slices, and tomato slice. Although the burger was cooked nicely and looked great, the beef seemed a little lacking in flavor. The other items tasted good and blended well, but I might try a different combo next time. Maybe some bacon to spice things up.

The fries are very thin and have skins on. They were crisp and hot. The onion rings were battered and fried crisp. They were also very hot. But the o-rings didn't have much flavor either. In fact they tasted a lot like the fries.

So overall, I think it was all okay, but I wouldn't rush to take my daughter back for a reunion meal.

Taxi's is a small chain with stores in San Mateo, Palo Alto, Modesto, Dublin and Walnut Creek. Their site also lists Georgia as having locations. I hope they get back to their lively old ways. I used to really like Taxi's.

Hamburger 3 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 2.5 spatulas

Taxi's Hamburgers
3139 Mission College Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA
(408) 235-8877
www.taxishamburgers.com

Little Red Wagon Hamburgers - Round Rock, TX

2008-12-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

Little Red Wagon Hamburgers in Round Rock, Texas beckons from the side of the road like an old favorite uncle. You know, the one that used to have all the funny nicknames and was fun to hang out with when you were a kid. The one that would say, “You want a hamburger for breakfast? You got it!”

My friend Jeff and I pulled up to the little red building that houses the restaurant and strolled in. Like that old uncle, the place is a little tired looking, but charming and very comfortable to hang out in. Yellow tabletops and red vinyl chairs are neatly situated next to the Salad Wagon. You order at the counter and love it when the bill comes to under $15 to feed two grown men a tasty repast.

I ordered the Double Meat Cheeseburger ($3.39), Fries ($1.49) and a 20 oz drink. They have a special deal for those three for $5.29. I also ordered onion rings. Jeff had a standard Quarter Pounder with fries.

While we waited for our food, a steady stream of folks filtered through. The carry-out phone didn’t stop ringing. There was music playing but it sounded more like Western than Country. The old stuff.

The burgers came and were piping hot and fresh. Kind of the classic style with the thin patties and lots of toppings, there was pickle, tomato, shredded lettuce, onions, American cheese and lot’s of mayo and mustard. The white bun was nicely toasted. It all tasted very nice together.

The fries were standard medium cut, with no skins, but were smokin’ hot and perfectly salted. They tasted great. I liked the light coating on the thinly sliced onion rings too.

Next time you are in the Round Rock area north of Austin with your uncle, drive past all the chains with their me-too burgers and take him to Little Red Wagon. Makes sure you take him for breakfast. He will feel very comfortable there.(See below.)

Burger 3.5 out of 5 spatulas
Fries 3.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 3.5 spatulas

Little Red Barn Hamburgers
1211 E palm Valley Blvd.
Round Rock, TX 78664
512-218-1235

Mojo Burger - Campbell, CA

2008-12-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

Mojo Burger in San Jose has finally brought a good burger to the South Bay masses. I have been searching for a good burger in San Jose, in addition to the Counter. I finally stumbled into Mojo in the San Jose Pruneyard one Saturday. My daughter, who has her learner’s permit (for driving, not burgers) needed some practice, so she drove me down.

Mojo is in the old Johnny Rocket’s space at the Pruneyard. Not much has been done to the place other than take out the jukeboxes at each table and put up some signs and a menu board. You order at the counter and take a seat.

One of the signs read Meyer Natural Angus Beef. So I looked forward to trying it out. The Meyer website says that the beef is fed a combination of grains and grass. So it may not be all grass fed.

I ordered the Mojo w/ Cheese ($4.79), Fries ($1.79), Onion Rings ($3.89) and a regular chocolate shake ($1.99). You can also get a combo and save money.

Our number was called and we got our food. Sara thought the fries were pretty good. They are medium cut with skins and were very hot. The onion rings were also very hot. They were big, battered and crunchy. The milk shake was creamy and very cold. Excellent.

But, what about the burger? It is always a good sign when the bun is white, enriched bread and toasted. The American chese was nicely melted on the 1/3 pound patty. The pickle chips were crisp and the lettuce and tomato fresh. I had asked for grilled onions, but they weren’t. The patty it self had a very nice flavor and was pink as it should be. A very good burger.

As I was leaving, someone behind the counter asked how I liked my burger. Turns out it was Peter Favre, the owner of Mojo Burger. I told Peter I really liked the burger and I was happy to find a good burger in San Jose. Peter says they are really trying to create a family atmosphere and indeed, they have lot’s of kids items on the menu like grilled cheese, chili dogs and of course great cheeseburgers.

I will be back to Mojo. They are really onto something.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 spatulas
Shake 4 spatulas

Mojo Burger
Pruneyard
1875 S. Bascom Ave.
Campbell, CA
408-629-9321
www.mojoburger.com

Also in San Jose at Willow Glenn and Snell Avenue.

Hut's Hamburgers - Austin, TX

2008-12-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Hut’s Hamburgers in Austin, Texas is great place to have a hamburger right in the middle of Austin’s downtown scene. I got into the airport about 2:30 in the afternoon and was very hungry. I locked in “American Food” and “$” on Urban Spoon on my iPhone. Hut’s came up on the second shake. The Austin Chronicle review said “The legendary Hut’s rests not on its laurels but often atop beef eater’s picks for Best Boiger.” How could I not go?

As I approached on 6th street, I couldn’t miss the distinctive white building with red and blue trim. Hut;s is situated near the river, which flooded in 1981. Apparently, Hut’s was the only thing nearby to survive the flood and when a local said “God Bless Hut’s”, it stuck as their motto.

I sat down inside amongst the red tables and hanging sports penents. The restaurant was crowded with mostly students and families of students. I placed my order with the charming young server. A Hut’s Favorite Burger ($6.25), a Half & Half order of fries and pepper onion rings ($3.75) and a chocolate shake ($3.25).

Five minutes later my food arrived at the table. The burger consisted of a 6 ounce Texas Grassfed Natural Beef patty, topped with American cheese. A lightly toasted bun encased the burger, bacon, cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato slice and mayo. My bite was rewarded with a nicely seasoned patty of pink beef. It was thick and juicy and nicely complimented by the other elements.

The onion rings were magnificent looking monster slices of sweet onions thickly breaded with pepper flakes visible. They weren’t as crunchy as they looked though. I found the fries more to my liking. I forgot to ask if they were fresh-cut, a rarity these days, but they sure tasted like it. Long and medium thick with the skins on, they were excellent.

The milk shake was as good as any I have tasted. It was cold and creamy, but not too thick to suck through the straw. I sucked it down quickly and was very disappointed when the whipped cream made it to the bottom of the glass. All that was left was the cherry, now on the bottom.

As, I was eating, I heard the fellow next to me naming off penents. He said “Purdue”, my alma mater. I looked up and there was the black and old gold banner right above me. God Bless Hut’s.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas
Onion Rings 3 spatulas
Milk Shake 5 spatulas

HUT'S HAMBURGERS
807 West 6th Street
Austin,Texas 78703
512-472-0693
www.hutsfrankandangies.com

Atkins Burger at the Counter

2008-12-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

I have been on a modified Atkins diet for a week or two. You know the one, no carbs. Only eat meat and salad. Although I can't satisfy my french fry fix I can at least try for a burger. The Counter in Palo Alto, offers a burger on a bed of lettuce. After a couple of tries I dialed in a pretty good combo.

I ordered the 1/3 pound burger on the bed of mixed greens. Toppings were Blue Cheese, Bacon, Grilled Onion, Roasted Red Peppers and just for fun, the fried egg. I also recommend the Honey Dijon Balsamic dressing. Sort of the American version of the classic french Salad Lyonnaise.

I found this to be quite satisfying and I left the counter full. Give it a try. You can have your burger and lose the weight.

SRK

Greening Of Meat Production

2008-12-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

The New York Times reports that farmers in the Netherlands are making headway in reducing greenhouse gasses from the production of meat. According to the article over 18 percent of harmful gasses are caused by meat production. More than by cars, buses and trucks. This article adds some hope that through new methods we might still be able to enjoy our hamburgers with careful planning and management of feeds, waste disposal and limiting the cutting down of forests for grazing. Check out the article at www.nytimes.com. The photo is from the New York Times.

Heart Attack Grill - Chandler Arizona

2008-12-01T09:42:00.000-08:00

Burger scout Mark sent me a link to a recent report on the Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, AZ. Their Quadruple Bypass Burger weighs two pounds. Their all-you-can eat french fry bar features lard-fries. See the report from CBS Sunday Morning. Fortunately, they have qualified nurses on staff if you overdose on fat. See photo on the right.

Flipper's Gourmet Burgers- San Francisco, CA

2008-11-24T20:29:00.000-08:00

Flipper's in San Francisco's Hayes Valley has been recommended to me several times. Set on the very hip Hayes street amongst edgy fashion and home stores, Flipper's is anything but trendy. As you walk up you notice all the folks eating in the side patio under umbrellas. Inside, there are wood tables and charmingly disheveled interior.

I sat down and was instantly waited on by a nice young lady who immediately brought me my Iced Tea. I ordered the Big Flipper burger ($9.25 with fries and salad.) I also ordered onion rings ($5.25) when I was told they couldn't do a split. But when the meal came, she had gotten the split for me. Special orders do not upset them at Flipper's.

The burger comes with both Jack and Cheddar cheese. On the side are tomato, lettuce, red onion and a kosher pickle. The burger, from fresh ground chuck, was cooked a little under medium and the meat was delicious. The sesame bun was nicely toasted.

The fries were thick steak fries, hot and tasty. The onion rings were thin and crisply breaded.

Flipper's is a great place to chillax in Hayes Valley. They also have two locations in Petaluma.

Burger 4.5 Spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 Spatulas

Flipper's Gourmet Burgers
482 Hayes Street
San Francisco, CA
415-552-8880
www.flippersgourmetburgers.com

Houston's - San Francisco, CA

2008-11-18T18:48:00.001-08:00

Houston's in San Francisco is a national chain of steak houses with a pretty good reputation for food. I was meeting some business associates there for lunch. Jimmy V. told me that the burger was pretty good. I always do what Jimmy V. suggests, so I ordered the Cheeseburger ($14).

The burger comes with fries. The menu said it was ground daily from fresh beef. I believe it. The burger was nicely pink. The patty, probably 8 ounces, was covered with cheddar cheese. It sits on a toasted sesame bun and has mustard and mayo. There was also shredded lettuce, tomato slices and onion. I brushed the vegetables aside. The burger was rather salty, almost like it had au jus on it. Overall a nice burger, but nothing special for $14.

The fries were excellent. Very thin, almost matchstick size, with skins on the ends.

Overall, I think the burger at Houston's is good enough, but not as great as Jimmy V. thinks. But please don't tell him.

Burger 4 out of 5 spatulas
Fries 4.5 spatulas

Canned Cheeseburger?

2008-11-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

I am a camper. And I love hamburgers. But I am not sure I could eat this. I tried to order it, but the German Company that makes the canned Cheeseburger does not ship to the U.S. Thanks to burger lover Steve who told me about the canned cheeseburger. See the original website for the canned cheeseburger, www.trekking-mahlzeiten.de.

One brave soul actually ate one. It is all on youtube.

Taylor's Automatic Refresher - St. Helena, CA

2008-11-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher in St. Helena has been a Napa Valley institution for years. Everyone talks about wine when they think of Napa, but they should also think of great hamburgers.

My wife, Patricia, and I visited the St. Helena location on an unseasonably hot Saturday in November. This is a great time of year to visit Napa, because the fall colors are in full swing. The great weather brought out a throng of like-minded folk. The mid-century style building sits just south of town. A sheet metal smoke stack belched smoke form the grill.

At the refresher you order at one of two windows. They take your name and you sit at one of the many picnic tables outside to wait for your order. There was a line of at least 50 people waiting to order when we arrived. It took a good 20 minutes. But we got acquainted with burger lovers from Fresno, Denver and Mississippi while we waited in line. Pat got a white wine for her and a beer for me while we waited.

When we finally got to the front of the line, Pat ordered a plain Cheese Burger ($6.79) and I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger ($7.99). We also ordered fries ($1.99), Onion Rings ($3.99) and a Black & White Milk Shake ($4.99).

We sat down with our new friends and quickly got our shake. It was a handsome looking concoction with chocolate syrup artfully flowing in the shake. It was very creamy and tasty. Perfect on this hot day.

About 10 minutes later our name was called. We retrieved our feast from a nice young man carrying it on a metal baking sheet rather than a tray. Everything looked very good.

I immediately bit into the burger. An ample patty, I guess 8 oz., was nicely cooked over a flame until pink. The California beef is all natural with no added growth hormones or antibiotics. On top of the patty was crisp bacon, American cheese, pickle chips and a secret sauce, that resembled thousand island with a little extra spice. The yellow egg bun was toasted and firm. Everything blended very nicely. I quibble that the cheese should have been directly on the patty instead of on top of the bacon. The cheese was not all melted.

Pat’s plain cheeseburger was actually better. You could taste the excellently flavored beef and the American cheese was all melted.

The fries were thin cut with skins on. They were crisp and fresh tasting. Very nicely salted and yummy eaten several at a time. The onion rings were beer batter style. They were crunchy on the outside and sweet on the inside.

I asked if I could try the sweet potato fries that our Mississippi friends had ordered. Southern hospitality still reigns and I was rewarded with a chili-spiced fry. They were very good, even better than the French fries.

The line continued to build throughout our meal and was only slightly shorter when we left around 2 PM. When we drove back by at 3 PM it was still there but considerably shorter. It is no wonder that at some time in the past Taylor's Refresher decided to do away with the carhops. They could never have kept up with the demand. The drive-under awning is still there though if they should ever decide to revive it.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas
Onion Rings 4.5 spatulas
Milk Shake 5 spatulas

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
933 Main Street
St. Helena, CA 94574
707-963-3486
www.taylorsrefresher.com

Also locations in Napa and in San Francisco at the Ferry building.

(Photo Below: Vines and trees battle to show the most fall color in Yountville.)

Joya - Palo Alto, CA

2008-11-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

Joya in Palo Alto is not a burger joint. It is a tapas and small plate restaurant with "modern latin cuisine". My wife, Pat and I went to the restaurant one evening for dinner. The tables were all full so we sat at the bar.

This is a great room. Front lanai doors were opened up to the warm evening. The cool bar was crowded. We found two chairs and checked out the menu. I could not resist the Kobe Beef Mini-Burgers ($11).

The burgers were served artfully on a white plate. They have Oaxaca cheese, soria chorizo and chipotle mayonnaise. Our first bite revealed a luke warm burger. We sent them back.

When the next set came out they were hot. The burgers had a charcoal taste and a weird aftertaste. Probably the chorizo. I wasn't too crazy about them. The couple sitting next to us had ordered them too and liked them a lot. So maybe they just didn't hit me right.

We struck up a nice conversation in the relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere of Joya and enjoyed sipping our wine and eating our other food. Joya is a great place to kick back with friends and enjoy an evening out. But maybe focus on the latin food.

Kobe Beef Mini-Burgers 2.5 spatulas out of 5

Joya
339 University Ave.
Palo Alto, CA
650-853-9800
www.joyarestaurant.com

http://www.joyarestaurant.com/

Jeffrey's Hamburgers - Menlo Park

2008-11-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

Jeffrey's Hamburgers in Menlo Park is a great venue. The restaurant is a retro blend of steel, red laminate and great lighting. I can't think of a nicer place to have a burger and the throngs that migrate there from open until close every day must agree.

The only catch is, I was never too crazy about the burger. It always seemed a little bland and unimaginative although very well prepared. It is made from fresh ground chuck, just like it should be. The bun is a white bun, nicely grilled. The onion rings ($2.99) are fantastic crunchy, yummy perfect. The fries ($1.39) are good medium cut fries. Jeffrey's have a nice condiment bar.

Having tried several combinations, I gave it one more shot on a Saturday afternoon. I ordered the Bacon Cheese Burger and added the grilled onions ($7.99). When my burger came, I put some brown mustard and ketchup on it. I dug in and realized I had finally hit the right combo. The American cheese blended with all the other flavors in a perfect balance. The mustard-ketchup combo kind of created the special sauce that I always thought Jeffrey's needed.

I am now happy to know that Jeffrey's, practical walking distance from my house, is a reliable burger fix whenever I want. Jeffrey's San Mateo was reviewed previously.

Sorry about the lousy burger photo. I took it with my phone since I wasn't expecting to do a review.

SRK

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Onion Rings 5 spatulas
Fries 3 spatulas

Jeffrey's Hamburgers
888 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650-322-1959
www.jeffreyshamburgers.com

Juicy Burger - Santa Clara, CA

2008-11-13T17:04:00.000-08:00

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

Boston Food Fight

2008-11-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

Jon Defreest writes a great food blog in Boston and he is on the Great Burger Quest. His blog is called Food Fight, check it out.

SRK

Counter Opens in Roseville

2008-11-13T09:41:00.000-08:00

The counter is now open in Roseville, with another one coming to Corte Madera in 2009. See my review of the Counter in Palo Alto and in San Jose. Also they have a cool graphic of a hamburger building itself on their website. Check it out at www.thecounterburger.com.

Chicago Burger Project

2008-11-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

I go to Chicago frequently having grown up in Indiana. So I was very pleased to find a link to the Chicago Burger Project on one of my fellow burger sites, Portland Hamburgers. The guy is passionate and loves photos. Next time I am back home, I will definitely use this resource to find my burgers.

SRK

Classic Burger Recipe

2008-11-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

A HoosierBurgerBoy reader recently logged onto the blog and asked me the best way to make an American burger for their new restaurant in Mallorca, Spain. Here is the response I posted. I would love to get any comments back on what you would put down as the recipe for the Classic American Burger.

My response:

Be glad to give advice for an American style burger. I recently had a burger in Bilbao and it was awful. Bland meat, basically flavorless.

Here is what I would do.

1. Make sure the beef is ground chuck. Freshly ground each day. Preferably naturally raised or grass fed.
2. Make sure you serve it on a white enriched bun. Not a brioche, or roll or other type of bread.
3. The patty should weigh between 1/3 and 1/2 pound pre-cooked weight.
4. Use swiss or american cheese.
5. Serve with fresh tomato and lettuce on the side.
6. Thousand Island Dressing for Sauce or if not then offer, mustard, mayo and ketchup.
7. Offer grilled sweet onions sliced very thin.
8. Don't overcook. Medium is best.

Good luck and send me a story and photo when you are done. I will put it on my blog!

SRK

Val's Burgers - Hayward, CA - Update

2008-11-07T17:10:00.001-08:00

I recently revisited Val's to make sure that it was still deserving of it's Best Burger ranking for the Bay Area. I am glad to report it was. Nothing much has changed since 2007. The burgers are still charcoal-broiled perfection. The o-rings are crisp and the atmosphere is retro-perfect. I added photos to the old review, since I didn't take photos on my original visit.

See the original review updated with photos.

SRK

Green Hamburger?

2008-11-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

Is their such a thing as a green hamburger? Recently I was involved in launching a line of cubicles that are green. I never thought I would say that. So why not a green hamburger?

Looking on google for a green hamburger doesn't yield much. There is an article on treehugger.com that looks into the carbon footprint of a burger. It is not pretty. To put this in perspective, the average American eats three hamburgers per week! That produces enough carbon as more than 7,500 S.U.V.s.

Much of this is due to the feed produced to raise a pound of beef. Also, the 600 liters of methane per day that a cow belches is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas according to Thomas Freidman in "Hot, Flat and Crowded", his excellent book on the coming green revolution.

But like the green cube, I am committed to either finding or creating a green burger. Certainly grass-fed locally produced beef is a start. Burger Joint and Burger Meister in San Francisco move in this direction with "naturally fed" beef from local sources. I reviewed Burger Joint and reviewed Burger Meister previously. But naturally fed probably also means grain fed. So I will be keeping an eye out for grass fed, locally grown beef. We will see if it tastes as good and if it costs anywhere near a traditionally produced burger.

If you know of any green burgers, let me know. We will continue our search for the World's Best Burger.

SRK

Tighten the Belt, Loosen The Belt

2008-11-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

Johnny at askmen.com alerted me to a nice article about tasty designer burgers that I might be interested in. I read the article outlining recipes for a Smokin' Meat Burger and Hot Wings Burger among others and agreed. So if you are tightening your belt in these hard economic times, try one of these at home. Then after you eat, loosen the belt back up to make some room.

Billy's Giant Hamburger - Jackson Hole, WY

2008-10-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

Billy’s Giant Hamburgers in Jackson, Wyoming really does have giant burgers. We were in Jackson Hole for a few days to celebrate my friend Bill’s 50th birthday. After a morning of mountain biking through the Tetons we slipped into Jackson for some refueling.

Billy’s is a small place. The grill is surrounded by a counter that seats about 20. Billy’s is located right across the street from the main square in Jackson. Just look for the giant arches made of elk antlers, then head to the west side of the square. It shares a space with the Cadillac Grille, but eat in Billy’s at the counter.

They were a little backed up. The grill was loaded with huge patties of fresh meat and our server said we would have to wait about 20 minutes. Billy’s supplies burgers to the Cadillac Grille too. I ordered the Cheeseburger and fries ($6.70) with grilled onions (50 cents). Bill had a cheeseburger.

The guys behind the counter efficiently got caught up and before too long we had our burgers. They sat upon a nicely grilled sesame bun amongst a pile of criss-cut fries. Each burger has mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. The meat was nicely seasoned with pepper and salt and cooked nicely medium, although Bill’s was closer to medium rare.

It had been a good six weeks since I had my last burger. It was heavenly and I downed it in minutes. In my beef deprived state I might have gotten a little carried away, but I thought it was superb. The meat and the vegetables were well-balanced with the burger coming out prominently in the mix.

We headed off for the afternoon for some beautiful hiking in the Tetons – well fueled and satisfied. They like their elk meat and trout here, but nothing beats a good slab of ground chuck, well-prepared like they do at Billy’s.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3.5 spatulas

Billy’s Giant Hamburgers
55 N. Cashe St.
Jackson, WY 83001
307-733-3279
www.cadillac-grille.com/Billys.html