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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
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Yumé Burger www.yumeburger.com Austin, TX
Food trucks are nothing new in Austin, Texas. Food truck culture has long been embraced and pioneered here. After recently having several successful Burger Tymes dining at food trucks that specialize in burgers, I was excited when I received a work assignment that would bring me back to this fun city. A quick search turned up Yumé Burger, a ‘Japanese Style’ burger truck. Not sure what that means, I went to the website and whoa! These have to be the best looking burgers I have ever seen. I mean, check them out here! I had to try one so we tracked them down parked outside of a local bar that evening. Austin food trucks seem a little more advanced than others I’ve been to with built-in ice chests, shelves for chips, multiple windows for ordering and picking up on both sides… The lack of congestion was hopefully a sign of tremendous efficiency
After seeing the menu online I walked up to the window with my mind made up. I couldn’t resist the Japajam burger; Japanese tomato jam, jalapeno jack cheese, fried egg, Japanese BBQ sauce, and crispy onion strings. I added some hand cut fries and bottled Mexican Coke to ensure maximum Burger Tyme. The weather was nice and this being Austin, there were a lot of people hanging out after work-outs or group runs or some other kind of fit activity. I was able to squeeze in at a table next to some guys talking about craft beers like it was fine art and wait for my name to be called. The wait was surprisingly short. I hadn’t sat down for two minutes and my burger was done, but my fries were going to be a few minutes. That’s fine, I can wait for hot fries. They came out shortly and included a side of Japanese BBQ sauce.
I unwrapped the burger package and, well, it didn’t look exactly like the picture on the website. That’s fine, as long as it was good. The first bite was good. Beefy patty, onions, egg, and BBQ sauce was a good combination. The patty was very dry and overcooked. I really could not taste the tomato jam as being any different that a regular tomato. In fact, texturally it was almost as if there was no tomato on the burger at all.The Japanese BBQ sauce on the burger and for the fries tasted very similar to Hoisin sauce. That’s not a bad thing per se, but the flavor was a bit overpowering after a few bites. The bun, again, was nice at first but quickly got soggy after a few bites. The fries were not great. They were limp and pretty greasy, probably cooked in oil that was not hot enough to get a good crisp.
Burger trucks to date have been a big hit on Burger Tyme. Yumé Burger seemed definitely had a unique twist on regular burger. Unfortunately the experience at fell short on execution. Perhaps expectations were a little too high given the amazing online photos of these burgers, or maybe it was an anomaly from what are usually excellent burgers. Either way, food trucks are fun, especially in Austin. So if you are set on eating at a food truck AND you want a burger, Yumé will do. However, if you are in Austin AND you want a burger, you might want to pass this up.
(2 votes, average: 8.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Umami Burger www.umami.com/umami-burger
A while back, a friend of mine moved to Los Angeles. I’ve promised to visit whenever I got the chance and so far the closest I have ever come was San Francisco, which after a few texts to meet up I realized is not very close to LA. Among her many tales of improv comedy and LL Cool J sightings was mention of a truly unique burger. On my way back from skiing in Salt Lake City, I had a fortunate three hour layover at LAX. That seemed like enough time to have a Burger Tyme while writing my business documents at sodapdf. Within minutes of landing, she picked us up, and we were on our way to try Umami Burger. I had heard many great things about this place and was excited to finally try it out. We were headed to the Hermosa Beach location which means on this first visit to southern California, I’d also get to see the beach!
When we arrived at around 6pm, this place was already packed. Our server showed us to our table and began explaining what Umami was all about. According to here and confirmed by the website Umami is the “pleasant and savory taste imparted by glutamate”. Um, OK. My interpretation, it is the indescribable sensation of flavor… or mushrooms… I’m not sure which. With that in mind, the menu seems almost genius. Every ingredient seemed to have an element of caramelized this, roasted that, or truffled something which invoked flavor sensations of some of my favorite burgers. Add to it the sights and smells of the “U” branded burgers being dished out, and I was ready to crane kick the nearest Cobra Kai who tried to get in between me and this Burger Tyme.
I placed my order for the Umami Burger thinking it would offer the best example of the umami concept. Toppings include shitake mushrooms, roasted tomato, caramelized onions, a parmesan ‘crisp’, and umami ketchup. I also could not resist the special of the day umami tater tots and, being from Louisiana, an Abita root beer. Once our order was in, the waitress served us some of the house made condiments and revealed to us that her favorite burger was Ray’s Hell Burger in DC. I found it slightly odd that Umami wasn’t her favorite but I made a mental note to give it a try next time I’m there anyway.
The wait seemed longer than it was given how hungry I’d become but I was soon presented with an inspiring burger. The buns alone looked delicious enough to fill up on. Visually this was a very well executed burger. The sear on the patty with the deep colors of the roasted veggies (and fungis?) combined with the Saturn ring of parmesan made me slightly reluctant to disturb it… but only slightly. I took my first bite and the flavor (there’s that word again) was amazing. It was sweet, savory, meaty, and had great texture. The bun was as good as it looked, pillowy, chewy, and slightly sweet. The ‘crisp’ of parmesan gave it a nice crunch. The patty was thick and perfectly cooked to medium rare. I loved it. The tater tots were not so inspiring. They looked amazing but had the texture of warm play dough. They supposedly were stuffed with cheese but other than a few cheese colored specks were just deep fried starch balls that were not very good.
Once our meal was over, we walked to the beach for a brief view of the Pacific Ocean, and then it was back to the airport. The visit was short and bittersweet. Oh Umami… You’ve teased me. Now I am thousands of miles away without any chance in the foreseeable future to have another. Word is that they are on the verge of expanding to other locales than LA. I would love that. This is a pricey meal, $20 when it is all said and done, but this is a unique, original burger that I would gladly pay for. Again and again!
(2 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Cowbell www.cowbell-nola.com 8801 Oak Street New Orleans, LA 70118 (map)
New Orleans. How you’ve stepped up your game. While in town to see an Andrew Bird show, a few friends and I set out to find another recently lauded burger in the awesomely named Leonidas neighborhood near the Riverbend area. Cowbell is set up in what appears to be an old service station on the corner of Oak and Eagle. On a street like Oak it takes a lot for an eatery to stand out and Cowbell was voted as New Orleans’ Best New Restaurant in 2011 by Gambit. That’s good enough for me for another Big Easy Burger Tyme.
So on one of the more lovely South Louisiana Friday evenings, we meandered our way through the narrow, poorly paved streets. Luckily, we found a spot in the Cowbell parking lot, which seems to have a maximum capacity of four cars. All of the outside seating was full and we were told that the wait would be about a 30 minutes. Time was pressing as the show started in about an hour but having peered at other diners already enjoying burgers, we quickly confirmed that it would be worth the wait. True to expectations, we were seated outside after 25.
Our server, wearing a vintage looking apron, was friendly and gladly answered our questions about duck fat fries and what ‘Agogo’ sauce is. She took our drink orders and quickly brought them out. Each burger comes with the usual toppings and fries. Anything extra, well, would be extra. I ordered mine with added american cheese, a farm egg, and bacon and onion compote. All added up this would be a $15 burger and fries. With our orders in we had time, lots of time, to chit chat and enjoy the weather and people watching. The servers remained attentive and friendly but it became a noticeably long wait. Three refills and another 25 minutes later, our burgers arrived.
Each basket was filled to the brim with the open face burger components and fries. At first glance, the vivid red of the tomatoes with the bright yellow of the melted cheese and the caramel brown of the buns made this a very appealing looking burger. Did I also mention that this burger was rather large? With a little effort I managed to fit the majority of the burger between the two potato roll halves, but only just. I took a bite and instantly was in heaven. This burger had it all. Sweet and savory onion and bacon compote. Buttery, crispy bun. Rich egg. Big beefy patty that was well seasoned. Perfectly melted cheese. Veggies with actual flavor. It was big, it was messy, and it was good! It was New Orleans incarnated in a burger. The fries were also pretty great. They were fresh cut, crisp, and tasted like they were fried in duck fat. The waitress was not able to confirm whether they were on not but they were good so I didn’t really press the issue.
It just got real. Thanks to places like The Company Burger and Cowbell, New Orleans is two for two in recent Burger Tymes. Cowbell has what I think is one of the tastiest burgers anywhere. It also is one of the priciest when you add in all of the extras. Burger & fries + drink + tip = roughly $20. That’s a lot to ask of the general burger eating public. However, on special occasions, or when I find myself craving this burger (like I am right now), I would pay that in a heartbeat. It was that good that it sticks in my memory like my 8th birthday. If in the area, and if you want a burger, and if you have the money, ring the bell. Click site web for more details.
PS – In case you were wondering, service at Cowbell did take a while, even for a Friday night, but we still made it to the show in time. All in all, a great evening.
(2 votes, average: 7.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Curbside www.curbsidetruck.com Check the website for locations
Perhaps it is the elusive nature of foodtrucks, or perhaps it is only my semi-recent awareness of great burgers, but somehow Curbside has just now popped up on my burger radar. After my recent visit to Baton Rouge and reviewing the high end burger offerings at Fat Cow, a friend recommended I try Curbside next time I was in town. This was same way I learned about what is currently one of my favorite burgers, and coincidentally also a burger truck (bus). Thanks to spring break schedules, I had a free week and would be back in town so my first goal was to try the Curb out.
On a particularly nice south Louisiana evening we decided to give it a try. Typical of food trucks, Curbside serves burgers at a different place every day and utilizes social media to keep the tech savvy crowd up to speed. There was a food truck “round up” going on that night where Curbside and several other trucks with differing cuisines were gathered. We made our way out and found the round up. Without a doubt, Curbside was the most popular. While other trucks had between 5-10 people lined up, Curbside easily had 30 people just waiting to place an order. This was a good sign and I was kicking myself for seemingly being the last person to know about this.
The line was moving surprisingly fast. The only thing really slowing it down was when they had to pass orders through the same window that they were taking them in. The menu was also surprisingly high end for burgers. This being only the second burger truck Burger Tyme, I was noticing a trend. Not having a fixed location apparently frees you to have gourmet, local ingredients like; fresh ground beef, house made pickles, praline (prah-leen for those who say it wrong) bacon, and their signature condiment – pork belly preserves. They explain it as pork belly cooked down with garlic, shallots, and some other things until it has a texture of marmalade (see photo below)…
Our turn to order came as I attempted to stop drooling. I ordered the K.G.B. burger which combined the praline bacon, pickles, cheddar cheese, and a fried egg (my weakness). “We’re out of eggs but we still have the bacon”, I was told… What a dilemma! Still thinking of candied meat I told her that was fine. My wife ordered the Brian burger which had the preserves on it. I was secretly very happy because I was going to have a bite of hers, although she did not know it yet. We rounded out the order with some fresh cut fries. We were given a number and the waiting began.As with all food truck dining, seating was at a premium, meaning there was none. Fortunately there was plenty of ground to sit on, so we grabbed a premium spot under an oak tree and watched as the line never seemed to get shorter. With impressive speed our number came closer and was finally called.
The first thing I noticed was the presence of an EGG! Either they were messing with me or they could see how sad I was and found one. Either way I was already happy. I was also impressed with the quality of the lettuce. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more vibrantly green and appetizing leaf, be it on a burger, salad, or anywhere! Visual inspections over I took a bite. WOW! This was a flavorful burger. While difficult to put in to words,the praline bacon added a tasty sweetness with an almost vanilla or coconut note. It was crunchier than regular bacon, almost to the point of being too hard, but very good. The patty had a weaker sear on it than I prefer but was seasoned well and added a nice beefy foundation to the overall flavor. I’m usually not a fan of cheddar on burgers merely because it doesn’t melt well but the rich nuttiness was a good match with everything else going on in the burger. I took a bite of my wife’s burger to try the preserves and it was as good as I was led to believe. When I think of preserves I think of sweet jam but this was savory and smoky. It was a nice condiment and I can see why they would put it on everything they sell. The fries were very good too, thin cut and cooked perfectly.
What is it about food trucks? Specifically burger trucks?! The food has been consistently better than most of their brick and mortar counterparts. Curbside was no exception. The scavenger hunt aspect of tracking down your meal combined with the payoff at the end of delicious burger is what will keep me coming back. While there were few elements that I think could use a little refinement, a lot more about Curbside leads me to say that this is without a doubt one of my new favorite burgers in Baton Rouge! I just wish I had known sooner!
(2 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
The Shack www.theshackcypress.com 16602 Cypress Rosehill Rd Cypress, TX 77429 (map)
Finally! The Shack, originally called The Love Shack, has been on my burger radar for some time now. Consistently raved upon and touted as one of the best new places to get burgers near Houston, the Shack keeps what some would call slightly irregular hours. On several occasions I’ve rounded up coworkers for a Burger Tyme lunch only find out that the weren’t serving lunch during the week or they were closing to work on their garden. As I am writing this, they are closed while they switch water wells. Well, on a crisp Saturday evening, I cracked the code! My wife and I made the long drive to Cypress just outside of Houston. Just when I thought I may have gone a little too far, I saw an old bath tub by the side of the road. We made it and this place was hopping, not surprising given that it was a Saturday night. When you walk in to the Shack the entire spread opens before you. There are covered tents, open air seating, an outside bar, dining areas that look like living rooms, fireplaces and fire pits all with people gathered together, enjoying burgers, and having a great time. This seemed like a burger lovers resort!
We were seated near the entrance where we could take in the entire scene as well as see the bustle in the kitchen, that was well equipped with the best kitchen appliances and an Oak Circle Cabinet to store everything necessary. Our waiter, who happened to be the manager, introduced the menu to us in a rather laid back way and recommended we try the fried pickles. So I ordered some to tide us over while we reviewed the burger offerings on the menu. The Shack’s claim is that they give customers the freshest available local ingredients and all natural hormone free Texas meats. As they put it, “All burger, No Bull”. Well we were going to put that claim to the test. Many burger places claim to be fresh, be local, be all natural but what does that translate into in real terms? If it is not delicious burgers, than what is the point?
The menu has a very interesting array of burgers. There was brisket, caramelized onions, fried eggs, slab bacon, and pulled pork. Some burgers were “crunchified” with the addition of Cheetos, Zapp’s BBQ Chips, and chicharron. The one that caught my eye was the “Grease and Weasel”. It was beef, slab bacon, and Tillamook cheddar…. served between two glazed doughnuts. Ever since the phenomenon of making burgers with doughnuts began, I’ve wanted to try it. Maybe it was the atmosphere but I felt a little more brave than usual, and ordered it! My wife went with the 1015 which had beef with “Texas 1015 onion pile” cooked into the patty, pepper jack cheese and “crunchified” with Zapps BBQ chips. We ordered a side of fries to split and I asked for a Coke. The cokes come in a can and are poured over ice, my second favorite next to coke in a bottle. The only thing left to do was relax. A common theme it seemed.
While we waited our order of fried pickles arrived. The were very savory but good. They came with smokey, horseradishy dipping sauce that was a nice compliment to the sour pickles. Our burgers arrived shortly after and they were quite a sight. You could definitely sense that someone was having fun when they put them together. The first thing I noticed is that my doughnuts had been replaced with Honey Buns that had been slightly griddled. I’m not complaining but I rarely eat one honey bun… much less two… on my burger. The cheese was perfectly melted over the big patty and was making my mouth ache just looking at it. My first bite was as I expected. Beefy, bacony, savory, cheddary, sticky and sweeeeet! This was in no way a healthy burger, but it was tasty, most of the time we try to take good care of our bodies and have a healthy diet and an active life as well, even doing researches online to find the best diets at sites like Top health journal, so we learn what are the best practices in this, and also going to the gym at least 3 times a week, but from time to time we like to enjoy a good meal as well. The veggies were nice quality and did there best to lend nutritional value to this wife dissappointer. My wife’s burger, while more traditional in structure, had it’s own bit of odd goodness. The BBQ chips added a texture and flavor to the already flavorful patty and onions. My wife loved the bun. I honestly don’t recall specifics about it, perhaps because my mind had been blown with the buns on my burger and do not forget to visit dentist Milltown for your oral health. While we were both enjoying our selections, the fries were also were worth noting. They were fresh cut and cooked well. A perfect compliment to the order.
Fresh, local, all natural. Did I get a sense of this from The Shack? Not really. Nothing really fresh or local about honey buns, Zapp’s BBQ chips, or Tillamook cheddar cheese. However, I did find the whole experience to be a fresh take on dining and burgers. The local flair permeated the entire evening. It was very Austin-esque in a city where no one is really trying to be like Austin. The Shack offers what many fail at delivering. An experience. The food is good and if you are there with friends or family, they seem more than happy to provide a place to relax and enjoy yourself. The burger creations were fun, inventive, unpretentious, and frankly worth the trip. This may not be my go-to burger place on a regular basis, but if I have an evening to kill, this is the burger place that I want to go to.
