Smashburger - Thousand Oaks, CA

Smashburger in Thousand Oaks, CA presents a clean modern looking restaurant to have your hamburger. I liked the laminate wood grained tables and wood chairs.  No faux 50s aesthetic that has become a cliché in burger places. You walk right up to the counter and order from the flat screen menus behind the server. I ordered up a Classic Smash in the big size ($5.99). The regular ($4.99) is 5 ounces. The big is a half pound. They also offer a double, which is two quarter pound patties rather than one half pound ($5.99).

I barely sat down and my order was there. It is a nice looking burger. The yellow bun was left open with the burger on one side and all the veggies and condiments on the other. I assembled as served and took a bite. The patty was cooked through, but still plenty moist if not particularly juicy as billed. The theory on the "smash" in Smashburger is that they start with a ball of fresh Angus beef and then smash it onto a buttered griddle, searing in the flavor and juice. I have always thought that you compress the ground beef as little as possible to keep the patty light, juicy and soft. The thicker patty also allows more pink beef in the middle. Having said all that, this is a very high quality enjoyable burger. The meat tasted savory and flavorful. All the flavors had a nice balance with the very fresh veggies: pickle chips, green leaf lettuce, tomato slice and red onion. There is also mustard and ketchup.  The American cheese was mostly melted, although it could have been more so. 

The Haystack Onions ($2.29) were light, thin, peppery and flavorful. Served hot and crisp they were supposed to be served with a dipping sauce, which I did not get. I had to go back to the counter and ask for it. Turns out that they were out of the containers for it and had to improvise a french fry container for it. Not a big deal, but leaving that great sauce out of the order would have robbed me of the delightful concoction. The sauce stings the taste buds with a delightful, creamy horseradish mix. 

The Smash Fries were the best of the lot. For a chain, I really appreciate the creativity here. Smashburger rolls the thin, crisp fries in rosemary, olive oil and garlic. The subtle garlic didn't overpower like garlic fries. These fries would be great without the extra spices, but with them, they are a don't-miss addition to the burger. 

Smashburger is a worthy option against other burger chains. It compares well with In-N-Out and beats Five Guys in my opinion. The more substantial burger is a plus. It is more expensive than the previous mentions, but that is not unexpected given the quality of the items ordered.

Burger 4 out of 5 spatulas

Haystack Onions 3.5 spatulas (Get the sauce)

Fries 5 spatulas

Smashburger

650 North Moorpark Road

Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

805-409-3792

smashburger.com

Five Guys Burgers and Fries - Fremont, CA

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

Steak 'n Shake - Austin, TX

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

Chili's Grill & Bar - Union City, CA

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

Taxi's Hamburgers - Santa Clara, CA

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

Houston's - San Francisco, CA

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

In-N-Out Burger - best thing about the U.S.A.

In-N-Out Burger in Mountain View, CA is a California burger chain. According to two young ladies visiting the U.S. from Mexico for the first time ever, it is the best thing about the United States.

For a few years now I have worked with kids in Juarez Mexico with a charity I co-founded called the Juarez Children’s Education Program. We sponsor children through school in Mexico that would otherwise drop out for lack of money. Recently two of our best students graduated from high school and came to California for 4 weeks of cultural exchange ad English immersion.

At the end of the 4 weeks, I asked them what their favorite thing was on their visit. In-N-Out burger they both answered without hesitation. Their graduation celebration had just ended so we decided to take them to the In-N-Out for a final celebration.

Both of them had the #2 combo, of a single burger with fries and a drink. I had a #1 Combo of a Double-Double, Fries and a drink ($5.54).

We took our number and set down at the spotless white and red booths. In-N-Out is family owned and runs all its own stores without franchising. They pay their employees relatively well and everyone that works there is courteous and hard working. This store is always packed, so you have to wait a good 10 minutes for your meal, but when your number is called the food is always hot and fresh. Why is that so hard for all the other fast-food chains?

Usually the girls had eaten much slower than me when we had meals. Not here, they dug right into their food with gusto. My Double-Double was great as always. The small beef patties are all fresh cooked, buns baked locally. The lettuce and tomato are crisp and fresh. American cheese is melted over the whole mess. I add grilled onions to mine. Their special sauce is thousand-island like and great.

Fries are cut right before they go in the fryer and come right out of the fryer onto you tray. They are thin, salty and hot and don’t taste like any other fries I have tried. They have an unusual spongy quality and aren’t crisp on the outside like other fries. Some people like them more than the burgers.

A few days later I took the girls back to their homes in Juarez. We flew into the El Paso airport and before crossing the border back to El Paso, I asked them where they wanted to eat. They both said In-N-Out even though they know there are none in Texas. We settled for Wendy’s, but that is another review.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 5 spatulas

In-N-Out Burger
1159 Rengstorff Ave.
Mountain View, CA
www.in-n-out.com

Whataburger - El Paso, TX

Whataburger in El Paso, Texas is a ubiquitous presence. You cannot drive more than a few miles without seeing another of the anachronistic orange W hanging up in the air. The logo reminds me of the logo for the band Weezer. For this reason alone, I had to check it out, even if it is a chain. Their site says they have stores in 10 southern states. My friend Steve, who used to live in El Paso, said they are all over the place.

The orange theme runs strongly throughout the store. It came off charmingly seedy and dated. But the place was clean and well lit. I ordered at the counter. $5.69 for a Bacon & Cheese Whataburger Combo with fires and a drink. I was handed an orange striped Styrofoam cup and a number 3. I filled up with iced tea and took a faux-oak booth.


In no time at all a very sweet girl clad in the orange uniform brought out my lunch to the table. Besides my meal on its tray she carried a molded plastic tray with compartments for condiments, napkins and other assorted necessities. It was orange of course. I thought a unique and nice touch - worth the trip alone.

The burger appeared to be your standard 1/4-pound patty. It sat on a white, ungrilled bun. The whole team accompanied the burger - lettuce, tomato, bacon, American cheese, mustard, onion and pickle. It was surprisingly good for a chain burger. What a Whopper probably tasted like before microwave ovens.

The fries were thin and crisp and salty, sort of like McDonald’s. At least the closest I have tasted. I mean that as a compliment.

Burger 3 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas

Whataburger
Multiple Locations
El Paso, Texas
http://www.whataburger.com/