Burgers and Brew, Davis, CA

The Bacon Cheeseburger at Burgers and Brew in Davis. A lively place day and night for a burger. 

Burgers and Brew is my daughter’s favorite burger place in Davis, CA. I went up to visit her at school on a Sunday at lunchtime. The small cottage was packed. They have turned the porch into outdoor dining. But this was a very cold day at Davis, so they had plastic draped over the openings and heaters straining in vain to keep the place warm.

It didn’t make the line short. Lots of people were waiting in line to order their burgers. Every table was packed. We placed our order and found a table. Our onion rings ($4.25) came out first. They were hot and battered. Slightly undercooked but crunchy, the onions on the inside were sweet.

A full house enjoys their burgers and brew. 

Next came the burgers. Sara had a cheeseburger ($7.50) and I had the Bacon Cheeseburger ($8.75).  The burgers are a half-pound of Niman Ranch beef. The patties seemed freshly and gently packed. The beef was tasty, but a little cooked past the medium I had ordered.  The bun was a handsome, lightly toasted sesame bun fit nicely to the burger. Fresh green-leaf lettuce, two tomato slices and red onion slices were joined by mayo on the burger. The two strips of applewood bacon were crisp and salty. Cheddar cheese was melted, but I couldn't really taste it. 

I found the burger to be very satisfying and (except for being overcooked) very nicely prepared but somewhat unremarkable. The fries were crispy and hot, medium size cut and lightly salted and peppered.

The crowd continued to keep the place packed as we finished our burger. It was a pleasant place for a burger. Sara pointed out they are open until 3 am on the weekends, which really seems to be appropriate for a college town.

Burger 3.5 out of 5 spatulas

Fries 3 out of 5

Onion Rings 3.5 out of 5

Burger and Brew

403 Third Street

Davis, CA 95616

530-750-3600

www.burgersbrew.com

Redrum Burger - Davis, CA

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