Video Promotion for Hoosier Burger Boy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.