Slider Bar Cafe - Palo Alto, CA

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

Loui Loui Steakhouse - Palo Alto, CA

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

Palo Alto Creamery - Palo Alto, CA

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

Rose & Crown - Palo Alto, CA

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

Joya - Palo Alto, CA

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/

Palo Alto Creamery - Stanford, CA

The Creamery has been a favorite of mine for years. Both the Palo Alto and the Stanford restaurants feature the same menu. The Stanford store is usually packed at lunch with a line out the door. On Sunny days they have patio seating in the shadow of Bloomingdales. The crowd is an eclectic mix of ladies at lunch, tourists loaded with shopping bags, families with screaming infants, Stanford students and business people. Breakfast is served all day, but the claim to fame is the burgers and shakes. The Palo Alto location used to try to give off a 50s diner vibe with naugahyde booths, a juke box and old-fashioned candy at the counter, but the music is now current pop and the vibe more present day, particularly at the mall store.

I had never tried the Fountain Burger ($9.95 with fries). Strange, since it is the namesake burger of a burger joint. But in my guise of burger blogger, I felt it my sworn duty. So I dived in with relish. (Pun intended.) I also ordered Onion Rings ($6.95) and a chocolate shake ($5). The Creamery has table service and it is always quick and attentive. Clever slogans like "I am in the waiter protection program." grace the back of the servers' t-shirts.

The Fountain Burger was a delightful concoction. Thick and smoky Hobbes bacon and grilled onions topped a fresh beef patty cooked to a juicy medium. A mayonnaise sauce and melted Swiss also sat atop the grilled rye bread. The fries were thick and occasionally crispy with the skins left on. They were a little too darkly cooked for me. I was told that is because the recent batches have too much sugar in them. The large beer battered onion rings, Maui-style, faired better, especially when dipped in ranch dressing. The milk shake was killer - creamy, thick, cold and syrupy.

When you have worked up a massive hunger walking the among piles of luxury swag at Stanford Mall, give the credit card a cooling off for a few minutes and enjoy a burger at the Creamery.

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

Stanford Palo Alto Creamery
Stanford Sopping Center
Stanford, CA 94304
Phone 650-327-3141
www.paloaltocreamery.com

Kirk's Steakburgers - Palo Alto, CA

Kirk's is located in the Town & Country shopping Center right across from Palo Alto High School. But there are no high school kids in the restaurant on a recent Thursday at lunch time, just lot's of photos of old Paly sports teams. I hear Kirk's is mean to the students and shoos them away. Either that or the students don't feel like spending $8 for a hamburger. But I have no such hesitation in pursuit of the best burger in the Bay Area.

I was joined by my friends Jeff and Dave for lunch. We stepped up to the counter and ordered. Given a number, we retired to a table to wait for our feast. Jeff ordered the 1/3 pound burger with chedder and pineapple - he says it is a local legend. I stuck with the featured items with stars by them on the menu. Those were Kirk's Big Griller ($8), combo of shoestring onion rings and steakfries ($4.19) and the vanilla milkshake ($3.85). Dave wimped out and ordered the caesar salad with chicken. He didn't want to get too filled up for his stretching class. The salad resulted in our burgers sitting under the heat lamp while it arrived, possibly from the grocery store nearby.

The Big Griller is a half-pound of fresh beef cooked to order and served on a roll. It has grilled onions and swiss cheese. I added only mayo at the generous toppings bar. The burger was quite juicy and tasty, if slightly overcooked. I rated it 4 spatulas. The onion strings were fabulous - lightly battered and crisp. (5 Spatulas) The steak fries were hot, but too big. (2.5). Finally the vanilla shake was thick and very cold, but not headache cold. (3.5). Jeff rated his Burger a 4 and the mocha malt shake a 5.

In closing, Kirk's serves a very nice burger and deserves to remain in a Palo Alto fixture. Perhaps some coupons to the high school could patch up the relationship with the students.

Burger 4 spatulas (out of 5)
Fries 2.5
Onion Strings 5
Milk Shake 3.5

Kirk's Steakburgers
75 Town & Country Village
Palo Alto, CA 94309
650-326-6159

The Counter - Palo Alto, CA

The Counter recently opened on California Street in Palo Alto’s “second” down town. This is the second location with the first being in Santa Monica. The place has an L.A. feel with concrete floors, metal retro chairs and faux terrazzo counters and tables. Current hit music blasts from overhead. There is a full bar and always a line for a table at lunch, also much like L.A. I sit at the counter so I don’t have to wait for a table. There is also a full bar. Flat screens float above the counter.

All this would be a bit over-the-top if the burger weren’t great. And it is. The menu sports several suggested combinations for the burgers, but the real fun is the build-your-own menu. You can order 1/3 ($7.95), 2/3 ($9.95) or 1 pound ($12.95) burgers made from “all vegetarian diet” fresh Angus beef. (I hope after mad-cow that all beef is vegetarian fed, but at least this is going to be prion-free.) They also offer turkey or vegetarian versions.

Next you pick your cheese from 10 choices – gruyére, Danish blue, imported swiss. There are eighteen free toppings from which you can choose four, extras are 50 cents. These include pickles, bermuda red onions, grilled onions, jalapenos, etc. Then these are nine premium toppings for $1 each, like honey cured bacon, chili or fried egg. Next choose your sauce from 17 choices. So far I have tried the horseradish mayo, spicy sour cream and the peppercorn steak sauce, which you dip the burger in. Finally there are three buns. English muffin, hamburger bun and honey wheat bun.

My favorite combo in three tries has been 1/3 pound, gruyere, bacon, grilled onions and horseradish mayo. The burger is cooked to order, I had mine medium. It was just right. The beef is juicy, and flavorful. The onions are soft and sweet, but piled on a little higher than I like, but that is easy to correct. The bun is firm and in the right propotion to the burger. The burger has been delightful each time and I can’t recommend it more highly. It’s a five!

I also recommend the "Fifty-Fifty" of fries and onion rings ($3.95). The onion rings are micro thin sliced, and lightly breaded then fried brick style. They come out in clumps and taste great dunked in the ranch dressing provided. The fries are very thinly sliced and served with BBQ sauce. They are very good, but not as good as the o-rings. The whole thing is enough for two people, too much for just me.
The tab for Burger, Fries, O-rings and coke was about $16.

I was told that more of these restaurants are coming to the Bay Area. I think they will do quite well. (Update: There is now a counter is San Jose. Read the review.)

Burger - 5 spatulas (out of 5)
Fries 4
Onion Rings 4.5

The Counter
369 California Street
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650-321-3900
thecounterburger.com