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(2 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
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Oh sweet vacation. TIME OFF is what I’m talking about! So what did I do with the time that I had off? Well, I went with the wife and her family to Washington. I had never been so I looked forward to the trip. Of course I did a little planning and found a few potential Burger Tyme locations! I’m always searching for the best burger and was looking forward to branching out to the northwest! So our flight arrived in Seattle late and we made it to the Hotel at around 11:30pm. I didn’t have time to eat that night and slept late the following morning so needless to say by lunch time I was ready for my first WASHINGTON STATE BURGER TYME! For this edition we made our way, in laws and all, to the supposed Best Burger in Seattle, Red Mill Burgers. This was also rated one of the TOP 20 Burgers you HAVE to eat before you die by GQ magazine. I read some mixed reviews from locals who warned me of the Cash Only and No Cell Phones policy (I like to show up prepared). After weaving our way through hilly downtown Seattle we headed north-ish to 1613 West Dravus St. When we pulled up I saw a line of people that was to the door. This is always a good sign that we’re in for a good Burger Tyme. We parked, walked up, and got in line. The menu was pretty straightforward with a wide variety of burgers and sandwiches. Burger Tyme’s vegetarian member would have been pleased to see the number of Veggie Burger options. Then line did not move particularly fast but we were in no hurry. We were in the mood for a good burger!
Once our turn came up in line I placed my order for the Red Mill Deluxe w/Cheese with everything on it, a side of fries, and a chocolate shake. When I stepped aside to let everyone else order I saw the most amazing thing. BACON! Bacon as high as the the eye could see. Seriously they had the biggest pile of cooked bacon that I’ve ever seen ready to be put on some lucky burger. After recovering from “bacon awe” I sat down and waited for our order to be called up. Given how busy Red Mill was at this lunch hour, it only took about 10 minutes for our order to be ready. While waiting I was able to enjoy various memorabilia on the wall including a letter from a child begging Red Mill to open a restaurant in West Seattle. Once I got my order I was first struck by the vegetables. The best way to describe them is “pretty”. It was the nicest lettuce, tomatoes, and onions I think I’ve ever had on a burger. The patty was 1/4 pound and fried. It’s juiciness was overpowered by the large bun which was toasted on the griddle. They put a special “Mill Sauce” on it which seemed to be some variation of ketchup mixed with mayonnaise and a few other seasonings. It was pretty good. The fries were thick and well cooked. They were very crunchy on the outside and still soft on the inside. Other Burger Tymers ordered the onion rings which were quite good (I don’t even really like onion rings). The milkshake was good but not great. They did have a large variety of shakes to choose from so maybe I should branch out next time.
So what did I think of the best burger in Seattle? It was pretty good. It could stand a little more flavor and a little bigger patty. I should have followed the GQ’s recommendation and tried the Double Bacon Deluxe with Cheese. This burger has been rated the top burger in Seattle for many years but I would venture a guess that is by virtue of the lack of true burger competition in the Seattle area. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good burger, but it felt unfinished, like it had all of the right ingredients but lacked something that would make it stand out as unique amongst other burgers. All in all, if you are in Seattle and are craving a good burger, you will not leave Red Mill Burger unsatisfied.
Stay tuned for more of Burger Tyme adventures in Washington State including the BIGGEST BURGER in Burger Tyme history!
(7 votes, average: 8.29 out of 10, ) Loading ...
The much touted and highly anticipated In-N-Out Burger. While this burger chain is only in western states, I’ve been hearing about “Animal Style” this and “It’s so great” that since I was fifteen. Well, a few years ago my brother was getting married in Las Vegas (his wife is from there) and we all made the trip to the Strip. Along with the Hoover Dam and Slurpees what did I find in that desert city of lights? In-N-Out Burger!! My memory of In-N-Out was that it was so good that my younger brother and I ate there each of the four days we were there, including us stopping there on our way to the reception from the wedding. I loved it so much, in fact, that I emailed them to inquire about franchising opportunities thinking one would do well in Baton Rouge. Their response was that they were a family owned company and do not franchise but they would keep Louisiana in mind for possible expansion. My response was if they are family owned, is there perhaps an In-N-Out heiress to whom I could wed to get in on the business…. Six years later, no In-N-Out in Louisiana.
Most recently my wife was in California with her family for my sister-in-law’s wedding (I’m starting to notice a pattern). I insisted that they try In-N-Out. I raved about how great the Animal style burger is, how fresh the fries are, how happy the people are to server you. I also asked them to document their experience there so that we could get it up on Burger Tyme.
I’m going to hearken back to my first memory of my In-N-Out order. The menu is simple, at first. Burgers, fries, drinks…. That’s it. That’s all they have on the menu. But wait! There is the secret menu. While it’s no real secret it does make ordering kind of fun. I ordered the double double (double cheese burger) animal style, with fries and a drink. While we were ordering you could see a person behind the counter cutting potatoes into fries. That’s how fresh they are! The animal style request means that they are going to double fry the patty with mustard, put grilled onions on it, and add special sauce. When I got my order I remember be overwhelmed by the flavor. While the patty was smallish, the double meat more than makes up for it. The bun was buttered and toasted on the griddle which I found particularly good. The cheese was melted perfectly over the patties and added to the juiciness of the whole package. The veggies were not particularly prominent in this burger, although, the grilled onions were great. I mentioned previously that the fries were fresh cut. They were, in my opinion, fried perfectly. They were crispy on the outside and a little soft on the inside. Not overcooked. They were so good that my dad placed a second order of fries after we had all finished our meals. I regret that I did not try the shakes. I’ve heard they are good. The “fry sauce” they serve there was pretty good. It seemed to be nothing more than ketchup and mayonnaise mixed together.
Ahhh memories… While I haven’t had it in a while, my wife’s recent trip confirmed how I remember it. In-N-Out Burger was and is a great Burger Tyme. The prices are reasonable and the quality is amazing. I only wish that they had them nearby so that I could eat it more frequently. Maybe that’s the magic of it. For me, it is some far off dream of what the perfect burger joint would be, only meant to be experienced a few times in one’s life… Here is my plea:
Dear In-N-Out,
Please bring your delicious food closer to those who love it. While I’ve considered making the trip to the west merely to eat an animaled up cheeseburger, I find the cost of plane tickets to be prohibitively expensive. For now I must settle for Christian’s Totem or Hubcap Grill but they are different burgers all together, and Five Guy’s, while very good for a chain burger doesn’t compare. Please In-N-Out. Please.
BurgerTyme.com
(4 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10, ) Loading ...
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On a warm summer evening, my wife and I invited a few friends of ours to join us in a walk over to the Memorial Park Golf Club to have a Beck’s Prime Burger Tyme. There are many locations of this great burger place around Houston, including the tunnels downtown, but I had not yet been to this location. We brought our dog, Pearl the Australian Shepherd, along since we heard there was outside seating. After about a half mile walk or so we arrived at the golf club. Flanked on either side by a nice golf course, a driving range, and running trails, this was a very lively place for 8pm on a Thursday. We walked into Becks and were greeted by a very friendly guy behind the counter. He patiently took our order while my wife and dog found a table outside for us to sit. There are two places to order at this particular location, an inside counter and an outside window. The menu at Beck’s is pretty impressive. They have everything from Burgers to grilled chicken to steaks and milkshakes. Their burger variety is also pretty vast, from plain hamburgers, to hickory barbecue bacon burgers.
Everyone placed their orders and I placed mine for the usual cheeseburger with everything on it, a large order of fries for the table, and a lemonade (it’s summer time). I headed out to join the rest of the group and was able to enjoy the nice weather and the scene of golfers futilely trying to improve their game (I recently started playing golf and I’m terrible). After a pleasant couple of minutes our orders were ready. As you can see, the burgers at Beck’s Prime are h-u-g-e! The patty is supposedly a half pound but I think it was a bit more. They are flame grilled which I usually don’t prefer, but this patty was very juicy and flavorful. The bun was lightly toasted and fresh. The veggies were adequate but not outstanding. Obviously the focal point of this burger was the meat. The fries were very good in my opinion although a few people at the table didn’t agree. They were fresh cut and fried in grease that was maybe a little to hot making them crispy on the outside and a little underdone on the inside. Again, I liked them.
Beck’s Prime was one of the best flame grilled burger’s I’ve ever had however these are not cheap burgers. Burger, fries, and a drink will run you around $10+. Another thing to note is that I’ve eaten at four Beck’s Prime Houston location multiple times for both lunch and dinner, early and late. They have all been consistently good burgers with friendly service. While I didn’t get a milkshake for this Burger Tyme, I’ve had them before at Beck’s. It was almost too much of a good thing. Their milkshakes are great but should be treated more of as a desert to be shared rather than a drink as they are very large and thick. While all Beck’s Prime locations offer outside seating I would also have to say that the Memorial Park location is my favorite because was very peaceful out there that night. All in all, Beck’s is a great Burger Tyme.
(1 votes, average: 6.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
Back in Midland and time for another review of a far away burger. This edition of Burger Tyme brought me to Michael’s Charcoal Grill. This establishment was all about grilled meat and airplanes. The interior was designed to resemble an airport terminal which is good or bad depending on how much you like airport terminals. I personally thought it was a pretty neat design. When you walk in you enter the “Check-in” line to place your order. Once the order is ready they call your name out to pick it up at a certain “Gate” just like at the airport! Behind the counter was the giant charcoal grill with a propeller above it. The menu features a variety of different meat related options. Of the burger options they were listed by order of size as either the Kong Burger which was a half pounder and the KING KONG Burger which was a full pound.
After waiting in the line for a few minutes I placed my order for the Kong Burger with cheese and a side of tater tots. The wait wasn’t very long even though there were a number of people there. When my name was called I picked it up at Gate 2. The burgers here are served plain so I took it over the toppings bar to add on the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. The Kong Burger was a good sized half-pound burger. It was a grilled burger which is not my favorite. I prefer a fried burger because they tend to be juicier. The patty was fresh ground. This was an adequately juicy burger. The charcoal flavor was noticeable. The bun was a run of the mill sesame bun. It was fresh but just tasted like regular white bread. The veggies were just OK. I don’t like that I had to assemble myself. I find that these kind of burgers don’t stay together very well. Overall it was a good burger. The tot’s were very good. They were very crispy on the outside but not overcooked making them dry on the inside.
Michael’s Charcoal Grill was a nice establishment with a variety of items on the menu. The burger was good but not amazing. To recap, it was a grilled burger and not fried. It is served plain and you have to put on the veggies yourself. If you are in Midland and are looking for a good place where you’ll have many options Michael’s is your place. There are better burgers out there but in Midland you are pretty limited. I’ve already reviewed Bob’s Better Burger in Midland and many of the locals recommended going to Fudrucker’s.
(4 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
When I think back to my first memories of a burger joint, I think of Frost Top on the corner of Range and Florida in Denham Springs, LA. I remember the chocolate dipped ice cream cones. I remember the super, huge cookies. I remember root beer floats. Most of all I remember their amazing color changing jukebox that played 7″ vinyl records. Unfortunately that Frost Top location is now a Walgreen’s but one still remains in Baton Rouge! On the last day of my Easter Vacation, I managed to gather four Burger Tymers from our Baton Rouge chapter to join me in experiencing nostalgia in its fullest. The location in downtown Baton Rouge has been around since the 50’s. Now, Frost Top’s claim to fame is their root beer, which I will talk about later, but we were there for a burger! The interior of this location was not as childhood, dreamy as I remember the other one being but it had it’s own appeal. From the big root beer mugs on the side of the road to the the black and white checkered tile, this place is classic! It was reassuring that when we arrived a little after noon that the parking lot was full. We walked in and got in line to place our order. There are a few options at Frost Top including poboys, burgers, sandwiches, and even gumbo. Frost Top classifies their burgers as “Lotaburger” and “Wholotaburger”. That translates in to 1/4 lb and 1/2 lb respectively.
So we made it through the line and I placed my order for the “Lotaburger” with cheese and everything on it. I also ordered a side of fries and of course, the Frost Top Root Beer. While paying for the order I inquired as to whether they made their own beef patties and was informed that in fact they do. While waiting for our order I enjoyed the frosty mug of root beer that I ordered (more on this later). Our number was called after a few minutes and we sat down to a very good looking burger spread. Every element of the burger was pretty good. The bun was fresh as were the veggies. The 1/4 lb patty was a not particularly flavorful or juicy. The cheese was not as melted on the patty as I like. As you can see, it was placed under the patty on the burger which is not that big of a deal, but I like to see the cheese slice draped on top of the patty, like a burger patty shirt. The fries were adequate. They were freshly fried which was good but were of the frozen, not fresh cut variety.
Everything combined at Frost Top to a good burger but not a great one. The atmosphere and the history of Frost Top were very cool and make it worth checking out. While there was nothing wrong with the burger, nothing quite stood out to make it great. The 1/4 lb patty was a little thinner than I would have liked. Perhaps I should have opted for the “Wholotaburger”. All in all it was a good Burger Tyme for around $6 including burger, fries, and a drink. Oh, and what a drink. The Root Beer at Frost Top is AMAZING!!!! They keep the mugs chilled in a freezer which as the root beer leaves the tap and hits the glass, begins to frost up in the mug. It creates a thick layer of root beer ice around the mug which I loved! It was like drinking candy! I may return to Frost Top if only for the burger but I will DEFINITELY return to Frost Top for the Root Beer. It’s that good!
Hint – Frost top also had great milkshakes. My wife and I ordered a large chocolate shake to split which was about $4. It was HUGE! Between the two of us we could only drink about half. My sixteen year old, high school football player younger brother, however, was able to drink the whole thing.
(5 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
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Cheeburger Cheeburger, though hard to say, has been a favorite of my parent’s in Baton Rouge, LA for the past few years. I took a few days off of work for Easter so my wife and I made the 5 hour drive to stay in Baton Rouge for the holiday. Our first night here I rounded up a few willing family members and headed out for my second Burger Tyme in as many days. Cheeburger is a 50’s diner themed burger chain that allows people to customize their orders to an almost obscene amount. From the dozens of burger combinations to the 78 different shake options, an unprepared customer has a lot of decisions to make. When we arrived we were greeted by the milkshake “bar” were the milkshake orders are filled. Cheeburger Cheeburger prides itself on their delicious milkshakes of which I’ve heard good things but we are here for the burgers. There is a disclaimer on the menu stating that orders are cooked fresh when you order and that you can expect to wait about 15 minutes while they prepare your burger. I’m OK with that. I can wait for a good burger. This place is more of your typical sit-down restaurant with a waiter who takes your order as opposed to most burger joints where you wait in line, place your order, and then find a place to sit. Once I opened the menu and viewed the list of options for the burger, I knew I had my work cut out for me.
Given the plethora of options I was not intimidated. I managed to order my usual 1/3rd lb cheeseburger with what I consider typical toppings; lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, mayo, mustard, ketchup, and American cheese. Fries come separate at Cheeburger. We ordered a large basket to split for the table of four. True to their word, we waited about fifteen minutes and our burgers were delivered to our table. The patty was very thick and juicy. It was made of fresh ground beef and was adequately flavorful. The cheese was nicely melted over the patty. The veggies were OK but were unevenly spread on the burger. The bun, I thought, was good. It was soft and slightly chewy (in a good way). One problem I had was that the bottom bun was slightly soggy which in my mind makes the initial bites unpleasant. Once I bit in I was delighted by the combinations of all the flavors as they worked together well however they all began to slide around and juices were running down my arm. I guess what I’m saying is, this is a good but messy burger. Fortunately they provide each table with an entire roll of napkins! The fries were exceptionally good. They were fresh cut and fried to a nice crisp.
I’ve had Cheeburger a few times before but this was the first time I went with the goal of finding great burgers! As I previously mentioned, this is a favorite of my parents and I can see why. Everyone that came with us was pleased with their burger orders of various combinations. Some had onion rings and honey mustard, while another had Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces on their burger. We ordered shakes too but I’d have to say that for the cost, skip the shakes unless you want a dessert. They are thick and not really drinkable while you’re eating your burger. Another thing to note is that Cheeburger Cheeburger was one of the more costly Burger Tymes. While the burger and fries were very good, the burger, fry, and regular drink combo is going to run you about $10 or more.
Here’s a hint – if you like onion rings but want fries too, you can order “frings” which is a basket of half fries and half rings.
(6 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
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I was first introduced to Five Guys by a friend in Washington, DC where some of the first Five Guys were opened. My wife an I ate at one of the original five guys in Alexandria, VA and for a “chain” burger it was darn good! I think the secret to their success is the simplicity of the menu. I realize that I’m not going out on a limb by saying that but good burgers are simple burgers and they have it down. One detail I liked that was unique to this chain was the cork board that displayed customer “art”. There was a stack of 3″X5″ index cards and some pencils for customers to write notes, draw pictures, or whatever else you can do with fifteen square inches of real estate. My wife and I found that along with the boxes of roasted peanuts it was a good way to pass the time while we waited for our order.
The menu is short. Burgers and Dogs. I ordered my usual Cheeseburger but ran into a hiccup when I said everything on it. At Five Guys you have a list of around sixteen items and condiments you can put on your burger. I had to specify lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, grilled onions, mustard, mayo, and ketchup. The burger itself was made from very good ingredients. The patties (that’s right, there were two) were hand formed and the toppings were fresh. This is a fried burger but I actually prefer a fried burger to a grilled one because they tend to be juicier. This burger had just the right amount of grease and juiciness though it became a little hard to manage towards the last few bites.The bun (or as I like to call them, bread gloves) was also a notable component to the whole Five Guys experience. It was soft and a little chewy (in a good way) and held everything together pretty well. The fries are a big selling point in my book. My wife and I split an single order of Cajun fries. To our surprise a single order means a brown lunch bag full of fries. The cajun seasoning was different at first but matched really well with the ketchup and the burger. After my wife and I ate at the one in Alexandria I tried it at the one in Georgetown and most recently in Houston, TX. The burgers were consistently good.
An item that I found to be both good and bad was the variety of toppings and condiments you can add to your burger. While the menu is simple, the condiment selection can really get complicated for the unprepared. I tend to freeze up in moments like this because I’m afraid that I may pick something like barbecue sauce or green peppers and essentially ruin a perfectly good burger. While I applaud Five Guys’ commitment to the customers’ unique tastes, I’m fearful that people who aren’t the most burger savvy may choose a topping(s) that would make an exceptional burger just OK or even bad. But hey, it’s worked for them so far. For a “chain” burger this one probably tops my list.
