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(2 votes, average: 5.50 out of 10, ) Loading ...
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The Christmas holidays are a wonderful time. It’s a time for both my wife and I to head back to Baton Rouge, LA and spend time with family and friends. Being that this was also the first Burger Tyme Christmas holiday I thought it to be extremely appropriate to add yet another Louisiana burger joint to the list. For years I’ve had friends tell me how great Port of Call in New Orleans is. This was also confirmed by being the only burger joint in Louisiana to make the book Hamburger America. It was also voted Gambit Weekly Best Burger in 2008 by local New Orleaneans. So with much free time and a few willing burger tymers, we made our way down to New Orleans on probably one of the coldest days in South Louisiana history. It was about 30F which is about as cold as it gets. When we arrived in the French Quarter we parked by beautiful Jackson Square and the St Louis Cathedral. The cold weather actually made it quite pleasant as usually bad smells in the French Quarter are usually compounded by the heat and humidity. We made our way past many world renowned restaurants, past art shops, and past a few other unknown burger places, to Dauphine and Esplanade, about half a block just North of Bourbon St to Port of Call. Like many other shops and restaurants in this eclectic and misunderstood part of New Orleans, Port of Call is inconspicuously situated in an old house with a sign hanging out front. I had heard tale that this place was kind of a dive but it was actually nicer than I expected. Something that surprised my was how every table was full inside even though they did not even look open from the outside. We made our way in and it was very dark inside at 1pm. After our eyes adjusted we were directed to take a seat. As we sat I looked around at what everyone else was having. Other than the many fruity drinks they offer, everyone was having the burger. That’s why we were here too.
The menu states :
“All our burgers are half pound ground fresh daily, and come with baked potato with butter.”
This seemed like a very promising start. Fresh beef, a baked potato instead of fries, a soft drink cup that I get to take home!!! I went ahead and placed my order for the cheeseburger which comes in at a hard to swallow $10.75 soft drink not included. But I’m willing to pay extra for burger perfection. The wait was not too long and we were able to fill our time listening to the bartender (who coincidentally spoke like a pirate, although I don’t think it was intentional) give parenting tips to his coworkers. When our burgers arrived there were mixed emotions running through my mind. The first thing I noticed was the cheese. The unmelted, shredded cheddar cheese on top of the patty. My eye was then drawn to the very uninspiring bun. It was at best a regular seeded bun from the grocery store with little if any toasting. This is OK at this point. The veggies served on the side were very plain. A whole slice of an onion, a leaf of iceberg lettuce, and a slice of tomato. The condiments were on the table for your use including mayonnaise (doesn’t this need to be refrigerated?). I assembled my burger and took a bite. It was juicy. The meat tasted fresh and of good quality but that is about all I can say good about it. The meat lacked almost any kind of seasoning. Almost everything about this burger was pretty unimpressive… Well, except for the baked potato. I actually really liked it in place of french fries. But even it was just basic butter, bacon bits, sour cream, and chives.
In spite of all of these objections running through my mind I ate the burger rather quickly. I have to give credit to the fresh and high quality of the meat used. The other ingredients, however, could definitely stand to step up their game. As I was talking to a friend in Baton Rouge about this burger his comment was that I was the first person he had heard say bad things about this burger. No doubt, Port of Call has it’s fans. They have been making the same burger there for almost 50 years. That being said (and it pains me to say this about a Louisiana Burger), I think there are better burger out there in the world and possibly New Orleans has a better one to offer. For a total of about $15 I would recommend trying some of the other excellent cuisine the French Quarter and getting some beignets and hot chocolate at Cafe du Monde while the weather is still cold.
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
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GQ does it again. While in Philadelphia I was continuing the search for the best burger in the WORLD and came across Rouge. It was highly touted by many online reviews but the one that made up my mind for me was GQ’s “20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die” in which Rouge was ranked 4th…. 4th! It must be amazing then, right? If you recall, I followed this list’s suggestions when in Seattle, WA and ate at Red Mill Burgers. It was good but only ranked 17th. So, with the recommendations from other burger reviewers and GQ telling me that it was essentially a “life experience” burger I decided that Rouge would be my next Philly Burger Tyme! Fortunately for my wife and I we have some friends that live in Philadelphia who were kind enough to let us stay with them. So as a vote of thanks we treated them to this “one of a kind”, “inspirational” burger experience. On a cool Saturday morning before our adventure to Valley Forge, we made our way to downtown Philly, to enjoy a nice lunch. Philly is a cool city with a lot of really impressive old architecture and deep history. Rouge sits across the street from a nice inner city park and across from that a centuries old cathedral. With this view in site its no wonder that the outside is prime seating at Rouge. Fortunately for us the weather was pretty chilly so there was plenty of outside seating. We took our seats and thus began the fanciest burger experience of Burger Tyme history.
The Rouge Burger. $16. Reading the menu, the Rouge Burger seems like a culinary masterpiece. “Challah Roll, Caramelized Onions, Gruyere Cheese & Pommes Frites”. How could one resist such fine ingredients. While I was not sure what a Challah roll was, we placed our order for four Rouge burgers. While we waited we were treated with a warm roll and salted butter. I’m sure this was traditional for all of the entrees that Rouge serves, but it was a little odd to start off a burger with more bread. In fairness the roll was very good. Rouge was pretty busy at the time we were there which might explain the long-ish wait. After about 20 minutes we were brought our burgers. The first impression based upon how the burger looked was “Wow”. I could hardly wait to try it. It was served open face with the veggies on the side. So after a little assembly I was finally able to dig in. The patty was huge. It had to be 3/4 of a pound of beef and 3 inches thick. It completely overpowered the rest of the burger. Every bite all I could taste was beef. Some liked this as it was high quality beef. I however was looking forward to the mingling of the other flavors such as the caramelized onions and the gruyere cheese. This was not a very well balanced burger. The veggies were also of high quality and the pomme frites, or in English, french fries, we very good as well.
The Rouge Burger. $16. This was the most expensive burger in Burger Tyme history. At $16 and being 4th on the list of “Burgers to eat before you die” I expected this to be the pinnacle of our burger journey so far. I was sadly disappointed. The Rouge burger, while consisting of high quality components, which in and of themselves are great, was a poor assemblage of a gourmet burger concept. I blame the overly thick patty. It was absurdly thick. I would recommend dropping the price a few dollars and shedding a 1/4 pound to allow the other flavors to come out. The balance was just not here. When in downtown Philly would I go to Rouge for a burger? No. I would walk a few more blocks and enjoy the $12 Good Dog Burger.
A second lesson learned here is that GQ and I have very different tastes in what makes a good burger. So far I’ve had number 17 and number 4 only to be disappointed at both when there were much better burger options nearby. Oh well… fortunately there are plenty of resources for the burger tymer to find the best buger in the world. Many of which can be found linked to this site!
(1 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
The city of Brotherly Love! Philadelphia! Home of Rocky, cheese steaks, and the liberty bell (not listed in order of importance). I was fortunate enough to attend a training for work and stayed in the heart of Philly. My hotel was across the street from the famous City Hall with the infamous statue of William Penn standing on top of the clock tower. It was a great location in a pretty cool city. This was my second time here. The first time I did all of the typical Philly tourist things; I ran to the Rocky stairs (aka The Philadelphia Museum of Art), I had some locally recommended cheese steaks, and saw the Liberty Bell. This time around I had a different goal in mind… Find the best burger in a city that gets their cheese in Whiz form. Much of my research turned up a solid list of candidates. On my first night in Philadelphia I was talking with a guy who had worked in Philadelphia for the past six months or so and was attending the same training. I asked him the questions “Where can I get a good burger around here?” was met with the immediate, unhesitating response “Good Dog!”. Lucky me! Good Dog showed up on quite a few of the best burger lists that I had been perusing. Being the extra lucky dog that I am, Good Dog was only a few blocks from where we were having this conversation. We were able to convince another person to join us and we headed down the narrow streets of downtown Philadelphia in search for a Great Burger Tyme. As we approached Good Dog, I almost walked right past it. It had a very cool, old pub facade that made it rather inconspicuous. As we entered I noticed that Good Dog had won the award for the “Best Gourmet Burger at a Dive Bar” in Philadelphia for 2005. While that seemed like an overly specific accolade, it was still impressive. We entered in and were greeted by low, pressed tin ceilings and a lot of people. We made our way down the bar and found a booth near the back. All along the walls were framed pictures of puppies and other dogs. Being a dog lover, this was great! There was heavy metal music playing when we arrived but it quickly moved into other genres providing quite an eclectic atmosphere. Over all it was cool place. But all of this would be meaningless if there was not decent food. I opened the menu and then the real excitement began!
As I read the menu I couldn’t believe what I was about to order. The good dog burger consists of 1/2 pound of sirloin that they grind themselves, the patty is stuffed with roquefort cheese, and topped with caramelized onions, all served on a brioche bun. Did I mention that this falls under “Gourmet Burgers”? It seems that if people in Philly want a burger, it has to be gourmet. Anyway, I placed my order for the Good Dog Burger cooked medium. I honestly couldn’t wait to get this burger not just b/c I was hungry from my Rocky stairs run earlier that evening (what can I say, I’m still a tourist). As we waited the music changed genres about 4 more times and we all chattered loudly. It was really a great atmosphere. Our food was brought to the table and I have to say I was extremely impressed. This was a big burger, and the cheese that was stuffing the patty was running over the side of the bun it sat on. The first bite was amazing! I can’t say that I have every had roquefort cheese before but it added a great savory, pungent flavor to the juicy beef patty. The sweet caramelized onions were a great counterpoint to the patty. The bun was great too. It was soft and just chewy enough to complement everything else. This was a burger that required NO ketchup. It was so juicy and flavorful the way it was that I don’t think you could have added anything to it and had it taste better. The fries were a mix of regular and sweet potato fries. They were good but did not really stand out at all compared to how much I was enjoying this burger! While it was big even for a 1/2 pound burger I managed to finish it with relative ease.
Ohh man!!!!! I couldn’t have possibly imagined a better start for Burger Tyme in Philadelphia. This was seriously a great burger! I talked about it for days after I had it. Being delicious however was not my only consideration. Did I mention that this was “Gourmet Burger”? While “gourmet” means better and non-traditional ingredients (in theory), it also means that it is not a cheap burger. Now this burger and fries meal was $11 but with a soft drink and tip it came out to about $15. That’s pretty steep for one meal but I have to admit, I would eat it again in a heart beat and maybe just get a water if cost were an issue. While a few notable burger review sites were not extremely impressed with Good Dog, I would recommend it to anyone who loves burgers and will be in the downtown Philadelphia area.
Original review here
The Sticky Burger. What the heck is a sticky burger? After a long hiatus from Hubcap, I finally returned to downtown Houston and had a chance to return to one of my (and most of Houston’s) favorite burger joints, Hubcap Grill. I was pleasantly surprised to see the improvements they made since I last visited. There was a cover over the patio/alley/seating area, they installed fans to keep outside diners cool, and most importantly they had an actual menu instead of the dry erase board they were using. This menu included a few items that were new to me. Muffaletta burger, philly cheese burger, frito pie burger, and the sticky burger. I read the ingredients of the sticky burger; cheese, peanut butter, meat, and bacon… For some reason, that sounded amazing to me. When it was my turn to order I asked the lady behind the counter “Is the sticky burger good?”. “Ehh. Some people like it.” she replied. That response scared me on this first visit back so I chickened out and ordered my usual cheeseburger. It was good but for days I couldn’t stop thinking about the sticky burger. The sticky burger was sticking to my dreams like peanut butter on the roof of my mouth!
A week later I couldn’t take it any more so I went back. This time I confidently ordered a sticky burger and an IBC root beer (that’s kind of like milk, right?). I decided to save my heart and passed on the fries. Eager with anticipation I waited for the lady to bring out my burger. My patience paid off and out came what would soon become one of my favorite burgers. As you can see, this burger looks like a regular bacon cheese burger with no veggies. But what you can’t see is the two layers of crunchy peanut butter coating the top and bottom bun. I bit into it and the flavor was miraculous! The savory bacon, creamy cheese, and seasoned patty combined with sweet and salty peanut butter to make my taste buds sing. This seemed a lot more like eating a peanut butter sandwich than a hamburger but there was no denying that it was a bacon cheeseburger. As typical with peanut butter, the eating was slow going. The crunchy peanut butter added a wonderful texture to the burger experience. Thankfully this was not a dry burger. It was plenty juicy to keep the chewing going without becoming a chore.
I loved the sticky burger! So much, in fact, that I went back a week later and had it again. Consistently good! Consistently strange! I’m tempted to try the other odd burger choices that Hubcap offers, but I’m probably more tempted to just get another sticky burger and then take an afternoon nap.
(1 votes, average: 6.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
Longview, Texas! Never heard of it? Well my friend it is the quaint little industrial town nestled quietly between Shreveport, Louisiana and Dallas, Texas. I can’t say that it’s a traveler’s dream destination. Nor can I say that it is an incredibly exciting town. However, if, like me, you are called upon to visit for work, it is not a bad place for a few week project. There are plenty of tennis courts, every chain restaurant you could want, but most importantly an abundance of local restaurants that are actually very good. I won’t go in to the surprisingly great sushi at Osaka on Tyler St, or the great Italian food at Joe’s. No, we are here for burgers. Well, for work, but I make the best of every travel opportunity by trying to find the best burger every where I go! So, upon the recommendation of one of our clients, we traveled to downtown (I use the term loosely) Longview to a place called Back Street Bar and Grill! Now, as the pictures may suggest, this is a bar but they serve lunch and dinner here. It is a favorite of mine because of the atmosphere. There are a few tables, a small dance floor, and beer advertisements that span many decades. I have been to Longview a few times over the past three years and Backstreet has not changed a bit. That is not a bad thing either. I always know what to expect when I go there. Grimy atmosphere with a not so subtle hint of cigarette smoke. So on this occasion I rounded up my co-worker and we met my wife who decided to visit Longview for a day and we headed to Backstreet Bar and Grill! Their menu is surprisingly (not really) diverse. There is burgers, steak, potatoes, salad, and any variation of those four that you can think of. We took our tall bar stool seats at a table with many names carved/burned into it and considered our options. Being that this is not Salad Tyme or Steak Tyme or Potato Tyme, we knew exactly what to order.
“A cheeseburger with everything on it and fries please”, I said to the nice older lady who came to take our order. I also ordered a coke because I think it was the only drink there that didn’t contain alcohol. My wife and coworker placed similar orders. Now we waited. We admired the nostalgic bar memorabilia and gazed in wonder at the Golden Tee 2000 machine! While there weren’t many people inside with us eating, the workers did seem very busy with to-go orders which is a comforting sign. Before long our order came out. It is the most unglamorous, unassuming burger that you could have. Fortunately it tastes much better than it is presented. The patty is hand formed and especially flavorful being almost on the verge of too salty. It is a fried burger and the cheese definitely helped the flavor but it was a little dry. The bun was a nothing special, run of the mill white burger buns but they butter and toast it on the griddle which is always a plus….always! The veggies were sub par. The lettuce is shredded thinly that it tended to fall out of the burger however the tomato was a decent slice that helped add some much needed juiciness. The fries seemed like they were frozen and store bought, which they very well could have been but they were cooked and salted well enough to make them enjoyable. All in all it is a pretty big meal. The burger takes two hands to start with but can easily be managed with one after a few bites. SO you must be saying to yourself “This can’t be a good burger. This description is horrible”. Well, read on, burger tymer!
Folks, this was a good burger. I know, I know. I gave it some pretty harsh critiquing, but the beauty of the Backstreet Burger is that in spite of it’s plane origins, the skillful old ladies put together a tasty burger combination that can satisfy a Burger Tyme craving in a place like Longview. The atmosphere is definitely great for a burger dive and the service is great. The wonderful ladies there treat you very nicely and even remembered me after these many years. This is not an elite burger. This is not a great burger. It is a good burger. While I wouldn’t recommend anyone go out of there way to go to Longview, Texas, I would recommend that if you are there, give Backstreet Bar and Grill a try! You won’t be disappointed! Particularly given the other burger options that exist.
Hint – If you like Patty Melts, Backstreet has a great one. It’s the same burger patty with swiss cheese and grilled onions on rye bread that they grill with butter. Greasy but tasty. Patty Melt Tyme!!!!!!!!!
(2 votes, average: 7.50 out of 10, ) Loading ...
Oh sweet vacation. TIME OFF is what I’m talking about! and it was sadly coming to an end. Of the few things left to look forward to experience while in Washington, one stood out in my mind high above the rest. Triple XXX Root Beer. In my preliminary research I found that XXX Root Beer ranked as high or higher than Red Mill Burgers in Seattle. Nestled in the outskirts of Seattle in a little place called Issaquah sits a gigantic root beer barrel atop a classic looking restaurant a midst a very well kept boulevard that looks straight out of the 50’s. The sun was shining and the weather felt fantastic. It was a good indication of the Burger Tyme to come. We walked up looking for the entrance and met our first challenge… Where was the entrance? Sure there were plenty of doors to enter in but we could not make out any discernible shape of a counter for ordering due to the amazing amount of memorabilia that covered every inch of the inside. It looked as if TGI Friday’s, Apple-bee’s, Chili’s, Bennigan’s, and Ruby Tuesday’s were all having a garage sale and XXX Root Beer was the garage… After much searching we were able to make our way to where we would place our order. The menu was the next challenge. The names. “58 Impala” “Chevelle SS 396″ “49 Woody”. These were all names of classic muscle cars that my friends and I would talk about in high school. How does this convert into a Burger? Well, I was hungry and didn’t want to try to figure it out. Fortunately in big bold letters at the top of the menu read “Famous ‘Incredible’ XXX Burger”. The topping sounded amazing, special fresh baked XXX bun: lots of beef, grilled onions, three cheeses, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, and XXX dressing. I asked the girl behind the counter how big it was. “Three quarters pound” was all she replied. I asked if it cam in a smaller size to which she only shook her head. This will eventually lead me to my next challenge. THE LARGEST BURGER IN BURGER TYME HISTORY!!!!!!!!
So I did it. I ordered the FAMOUS INCREDIBLE XXX BURGER. My wife was borderline mad at me, I’m sure out of concern for my poor, normal sized heart that was about to be introduced to an abnormal amount of Burger Tyme goodness. So I placed the order with everything on it because I couldn’t possibly add any more than it already came with. It came with fries and I also ordered the signature XXX large root beer. There were many pictures on the wall of people trying to eat the burger that I just ordered and few seemed successful. Our wait was brief but our anticipation great! After about 10 minutes my name was called over the intercom. I approached the counter and couldn’t believe what I was about to attempt to eat. This burger was HUGE!!! The girl behind the counter told me the burger was 3/4 pound but it had to be 1 1/2 pounds at least! It had what looked like five quarter pound patties lining the muffaletta style toasted bun. It was loaded with lots of veggies and the special XXX dressing. This burger took all of my two hands to manage. My first bite, though messy, was delicious! For being such a huge burger the flavors came together well. I couldn’t really discern how each component was contributing to the overall taste but I knew it was good. Was it juicy? Yes. Was it messy? Yes. Was it a typical burger? No. Everything combined to a very juicy, flavorful burger. The fries were just OK. They really seemed to be an afterthought. The root beer was probably about 64oz. It was quite good though not as good as the root beer at Frost Top in Baton Rouge.
So what is the verdict? This was one burger that I wasn’t able to finish. I got about half-way through it (which is saying a lot) and about half-way through the gallon pitcher of root beer before my stomach could take no more! This was the biggest burger but was it the best? Well, I think it was very good. Would I recommend XXX Root Beer for Burger Tymers around the Seattle area? Absolutely. Of all the places I ate burgers during the Washington State Burger Tyme, XXX was my favorite. The flavor was good, the root beer was better, and the summer weather of Washington State was the best. The nostalgia of the giant root beer barrel was cool too. This was a great Burger Tyme. I would recommend, however, trying a smaller version of this burger combined with the original XXX Root Beer.
(2 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
Oh sweet vacation. TIME OFF is what I’m talking about! After our brief foray in Seattle we headed east to visit family on the wife’s side. Aside from being covered in fog, the drive was beautiful! We passed through mountains and tunnels and lakes and valleys. We were heading to a small town called Naches, Washignton (nah-cheese) which is just outside of another town that I have slightly heard of, Yakima (Yak-em-aw). I love the town names in Washington. A lot of Native American influence. So while we were in Naches visiting I asked where was the best place to get a burger. “Oh”, said my wife’s sweet grandmother, “You have to go to Miner’s!”. She said that people will drive in from all around to have a “Big Miner’s” burger. SOLD! I had to try it. So for the second installation of Washington State Burger Tyme we headed to Miner’s of Yakima to try it for ourselves. Did I mention how beautiful Washington is? The drive from Naches to Yakima is about 15 miles and is filled with all kinds of fruit orchards and mountain ranges (in case you can’t tell, I grew up in the south where mountains are still a novelty). We arrived at Miner’s of Yakima at dusk and the scene was pretty amazing. It is a very large restaurant, much larger than traditional burger places we’ve been. The drive-thru featured a row of five full menus which in an of themselves featured a wide array of burgers and sandwiches. Miner’s of Yakima has a signature burger called the Big Miner Burger. There were a selection of 30 or so Milkshakes which was pretty exciting. Fortunately we arrived right before the rush which formed a line behind us.
I placed my order for a Big Miner Burger with cheese, with everything on it, a side of fries, and a chocolate shake. While waiting I looked at some of the accolades that were hanging on the wall including Best Burger in Yakima and also a photo of a prize winning cow that Miner’s bought and used for beef, I’m assuming. We went a grabbed a few tables in the HUGE dining area. Since the food is not pre-cooked we expected to wait but the actual wait was not very long, about twelve minutes for eight people. This can probably be attributed to the twenty plus people they had working behind the counter preparing the food. When our order arrived the first thing that struck me was the size! The Big Miner Burger definitely lived up to it’s name. It was BIG! and full of everything you could ever want on a burger. The patty was probably a third pound or more. It was hard to gauge because it was so big that it was a thin patty but still a lot of meat. This is a fried burger, like I like it, but the patty was not noticeably flavorful or juicy. Rather it provided a good foundation for all of the other flavors to build on. The cheese was a big slice of American that covered the whole patty. The bun was buttered and toasted on the griddle but still was soft and chewy, very nice. The veggies were great. There were about four large slices of tomato and lots of onions that added to the juiciness of the Big Miner. This is definitely a burger that requires both hands to manage. The fries were good. They were very thin cut and fried to a good crisp. They reminded me of how I remember McDonald’s fries tasting when I was a kid. The chocolate shake was good too. It was thick but drinkable. I was able to wash down bites of the Big Miner with big gulps of chocolate. I hada a cup of water for backup in case my mouth got a head of my throat.
Oh vacation! I can’t think of a better way to spend your time off than by going to beautiful parts of the country and trying different burgers! Miner’s of Yakima’s Big Miner Burger is like a good burger that has been enlarged to an almost absurd proportion. It was quite good. It was not too big that I could not finish it but I definitely wanted to take a nap afterward. One feature I liked at Miner’s was the sauce dispensers. You could get five different sauces including ketchup and fry sauce to dip fries in or dress your burger even more. We were there with a group of nine people and were easily accommodated and quickly served. It was a pleasant Burger Tyme. While I’ve never been to Washington and never thought I would end up in Yakima, I would recommend Miner’s. Recommendations would include:
1. Come Hungry!
2. Bring family
3. Enjoy the
Stay tuned for more of Burger Tyme adventures in Washington State including the BIGGEST BURGER in Burger Tyme history! That’s right, there is a bigger (much bigger) burger coming!
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!
(3 votes, average: 7.33 out of 10, ) Loading ...
Oh holidays. The fourth of July was just around the corner. By the time most people were off of work for the holiday, I rounded up a few other coworkers who were craving a Freedom inspired Burger Tyme and decided on the great American Sam’s Deli Diner. Most of us were working near the energy corridor in West Houston which fortunately (and most importantly) is where Sam’s Deli is located. After a few carefully orchestrated emails instructing time and place we all arrived at Sam’s Deli. I did not expect to find the legendary Sam’s Deli in a strip mall. From what I understand, they have moved into this new location recently. But don’t let the outside appearance fool you. Once you cross the threshold of their glass doors, you feel like you’re in a diner world all by itself. The first thing you see is a looong counter, with signs telling you to “Place Order Here”. There were a lot of people there for lunch when we showed up. Almost every table was filled. Fortunately we knew exactly were to go thanks to the many helpful people behind the counter who were very busy taking orders, grilling burgers, making milkshakes, and calling peoples names to pick up orders. While we were waiting to place our orders we were asked many times if we would like something to drink while we waited. I thought this was great. The first thing I noticed while looking over the menu was the prices. They seemed about 5 years out of date. I’m not complaining but my lunch budget was suddenly able to get me a little more than I was used to.
My turn came and I was excited! I placed my usual, Cheeseburger, everything on it, seasoned fries, a chocolate shake (made with Bluebell ice cream), and a cup of water. Feeling adventurous, I asked the lady if I could get a fried egg on my burger. “Absolutely” was here response and I was absolutely thrilled when this all came out to less than $8! The wait gave us a good opportunity to find a place to sit. After about ten minutes or so my name was called. I sat down and beheld a pretty impressive spread. Upon my first bite one thing stood out from all of the other burgers I’ve ever eaten. It was a tender burger. I bit through it effortlessly. It was very good. The patty was fried to a juicy point that complimented all of the other ingredients. The veggies were good with the tomato standing out as being very good. The bun was fresh and soft and was toasted on the griddle just the way I like it. The seasoned fries were great! They would be more accurately described as seasoned battered fries. The milkshake while good seemed more like runny chocolate ice cream than an actual shake.
Sam’s Deli is one of the best places in Houston to get a burger. I was surprised when the other Burger Tymers told me that this was not the best burger they have had at Sam’s Deli. Is it possible to get better? Apparently so. I loved how friendly the employees were. I loved the large menu and how flexible they were with adding things that weren’t the “norm”. I didn’t love the milkshake. It was good and went well with the burger, but it was nothing more than the Bluebell Ice cream they claimed it was made of. That being said they do have somewhere around 20 different flavors so maybe I should try something other than chocolate next time, because there will be a next time. Happy Independence Day!!!!!!!!!
Texas Burger Guy
Cook’s Tour
(4 votes, average: 7.75 out of 10, ) Loading ...
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Lankford’s Grocery… If only life were like Lankford’s Grocery. I really wish that we lived somewhere that we could just walk down the street and enjoy delicious home cooking from friendly people who are also our neighbors. This is the case here. Nestled inside of some neighborhood some where in Houston, lies this time warp of a restaurant. From the outside, it looks like an old house that is being used to server food. The inside is no different. One thing you will notice aside from the sloping floor and sagging ceilings, is the festive decor for whatever holiday is most near, be it Valentines day, Easter, Christmas, St. Patrick’s day, July 4th, or tax day. This particular Burger Tyme was festive as well. A few friends from work joined me for some Tyme Travel as we were celebrating Friday, the greatest of days. We made our way over to Lankford’s early. If you’re not early to Lankford’s you are going to have a hard time finding a seat. Also, if you don’t know how to get to Lankford’s just drive around, you’ll find it. Fortunately for us, the weather was beautiful and they had some new picnic tables outside. We were greeted by our waitress who is a sweet older lady who has been there as long as I can remember. In fact almost everyone that works there has been there as long as I can remember. The menu is not terribly complicated, they have burgers, they have daily lunch specials (which are great by the way), and they have sides. Their burgers range from plain hamburger to the Soldier Burger (burger with a fried egg) to the Fireman’s Burger (more pepper’s than you can imagine) to the One and a Half Pound Wholey Cow Burger.
So our order was to be taken and what was I to get. I deviated from my usual only because you don’t get this option at most burger joints… The Soldier Burger. I love a fried egg on my cheeseburgers. It makes them messy, it makes them difficult for other people to watch, but it makes them GOOOOOD! So a soldier burger with cheese and a side of tots and a coke. I could hardly wait. While we waited we saw the tables inside and out fill up quickly. Seems like we got there just in time. Within about 10 minutes our order was on the table. This was not my first Lankford’s burger and it won’t be my last but as I bit in, all was new. Th first thing I noticed was that the paper that the burger was wrapped in was nearly transparent (usually a good indicator of how delicious a burger is going to be). The patty was big and pretty juicy. It tasted just salty enough but still had a dominant beef flavor not withstanding the cheese that was melted perfectly over the patty. This is a fried patty which I prefer to grilled. The bun was a fresh hamburger bun with poppy seeds. Though not made fresh at Lankford’s it was still an above average bun. The veggies were all fresh and delicious. Most notably the onions were fresh cut and still crisp. The tots here are my favorite tots in all of Houston! I’m not sure but I think they make them themselves. If not, the should never reveal their secret supplier of perfect tots, for my health’s sake. Now some may not like it, but the fried egg on the burger was great! It was cooked over easy so after my first bite the burger became really messy. Thankfully there was a full paper towel roll at the table.
Lankford’s Grocery is one of my favorite places for a Burger Tyme or an Any Tyme. Not only are the burgers good but their other dishes are good as well. There’s a very quaint feeling about the place that makes you feel like you’re part of the neighborhood. There burgers are a good value as well. Burger tots and a drink will run you around $7. Oh and CASH ONLY. One of the signs that Lankford’s is operating from a different era is you basically pay by the Honor system. They take your order, they bring you your food, and when you are ready to pay you go up to the counter and the find a ticket for your table but you always end up just telling them what you ordered anyway. It’s a great place!
Here’s a hint – If you like Chicken Fried Steak, go to Lankford’s on Thursday because it is their daily special and it is GREAT! I’ve heard that all of their specials are really good.
Here’s another hint – Get there early on Thursday because they will run out.
Other Reviews:
Cooks Tour
(4 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10, ) Loading ...
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, my wife and I made the short drive to Richmond, TX to visit my brother and his family. He had mentioned that there was a pretty good burger near his house so we decided to give it a try. So on Crabb River Rd is a shopping center and in that shopping center is Joe’s grill. Amongst a video game store, a Chinese restaurant, and fast food pizza, Joe’s Grill stands out. We made our way in and were greeted by a guy in a do-rag who I think was Joe. He seemed pretty friendly. He was from San Francisco and talked to my sister in law about living on the west coast while we decided what to order. The menu at Joe’s Grill is pretty impressive. There was many sandwich, salad, and burger options to choose from. We were there, however, for Burger Tyme.
I place my order for a regular cheeseburger with everything on it, a side of fries and a chocolate shake. After about 10 minutes our orders were brought out to us. The spread was pretty basic and was a decent amount of food. The burger was fresh. That’s the best word I could use to describe it. The patty was thin but filled out the entire bun. The veggies were fresh and crisp. The bun itself was a plain white hamburger bun but it was very soft and held the burger together well. Overall, no one item in the burger stood out as really good but together they made for a pretty good burger. The fries were pretty crisp which is how I like them. The milkshake was a little on the icy side. It most likely was soft serve ice cream that they blend Hershey’s syrup and milk into. It wasn’t bad but it was not the best milkshake either.
Joe’s Grill was a pleasant surprise down in Richmond,TX. While I would have to say the burger is slightly above average, the variety on the menu indicated to me that there is more than just good burgers at this place. What I really liked about Joe’s Grill was how friendly “Joe” was. While we waited I noticed that a lot of the people who were coming in and placing orders or picking up orders knew the guy in the do-rag ( I think I even heard them calling him Joe). He was very friendly with all of them and even helped an old man who was taking his granddaughter to lunch to his chair. I was really impressed that he knew many of his customers well enough to joke with them, and was extra helpful to the old man.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 10, ) Loading ...
Oh Midland! The great state of Texas is full of wonderful places. I was privileged to travel to this dream come true for a few days for work. I was looking forward to branching out a few Burger Tymes and this was going to be a great chance. A few google searches turned up Bob’s Better Burger. Rated as the best burger in Midland for a few years made it an ideal candidate for a Burger Tyme. This place was unique. It is a drive-in but not a sonic style where a car hop comes and takes your order. No, this was a drive-in, walk up and order, then eat in your car place. There was no sign identifying this place but i recognized it from the pictures and the many cars parked around it was a sure give away. I walked up to the window and before I could read the menu the woman who takes the order was asking me what I wanted. Any inquiries about sizes of burgers and what else they had was met with an unconcerned nod. True, they did not seemed too concerned to help me with the order but I assumed this meant that it was going to be a great burger and they could skimp on niceties. After some review I was able to successfully place an order.
I ordered the basic 1/4 lb cheeseburger with everything on it, a side of tater tots, and a chocolate shake. The wait was about 10 minutes as they called your number indiscernibly over the aging loudspeaker. My number was called and I carefully planned where I would eat my meal. I was still in my work clothes and didn’t want to make a mess in the car so I set up my meal on the trunk of my rental car. It actually made for a good standing lunch table. As cars drove by on the road behind I dug in. The1/4 lb patty was fresh ground. It was a thin patty that must have been shaped using a cookie cutter. It was not particularly flavorful. The veggies consisted of small bits of onion and lettuce that were diced and some decent tomato slices. The bun was just a basic hamburger bun similar to one you could buy at the grocery store. All together it came together pretty nicely. The tots were nice and crispy. The milkshake was pretty good but a little on the icy side. The combination of everything along with how hungry I was made the lunch pretty enjoyable.
Oh Midland! The burger was not particularly amazing but everything together was pretty good. When I asked around about Bob’s Better Burger some of the people from Midland recomended Fudrucker’s over BBB. I would say for those who are traveling through or perhaps live there, give Bob’s Better Burger a shot even if only for a unique burger experience. But don’t expect a great burger. Expect a basic burger that most likely has not change since they began selling them at this same stand many, many years ago.
(2 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10, ) Loading ...
Thursday came and I was craving a burger. The weather was really nice in Downtown Houston and was perfect for a Burger Tyme. One of the founding members of Burger Tyme suggested Champ Burger. It was not far from downtown so I rounded up four other Burger Tymers and headed out. We made our winding way to 304 Sampson Street between Harrisburg & Canal, south of downtown. When we arrived I noticed that Champ Burger was an outside walk up burger establishment that had a park like seating area connected to it. The manicured trees and clean sidewalk gave it quite a charming atmosphere given the surrounding warehouses and industrial buildings. Champ Burger has been around for 40+ years so I was getting a little excited for a burger that has lasted that long. The menu was full of many options including the highly touted “Texas Steak Sandwich” which is basically chicken fried steak on a bun. As good as that sounded I was here for a burger! There was a number of people coming and going at champ burger. That’s a good sign for a place that is a little off of the beaten path.
I walked up to the window and placed my order for a Champ Burger with cheese and everything on it. The Champ burger is a 1/3 lb fresh ground patty. I also ordered fries and a medium chocolate shake. Many of those I was with ordered the onion rings. We were given our numbers and were able to find a picnic table that was in a nice bit of shade. After a short while our numbers were called and we were each given our orders in individual white paper bags. I unpacked mine and beheld one of the larger burgers I’ve had. Now this was due mainly to the size of the bun. The patty filled out in the bun but at the expense of thickness. This made the patty not particularly juicy. The bun was fresh but seemed like a basic store bought burger bun. The same was for the veggies. They were fresh enough but not particularly great. Fortunately this was an instance where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. The flavor of the burger overall was pretty good. The fried was pretty good too. My fellow Burger Tymers also really enjoyed the beer battered onion rings. The milkshake was quite good and provided a good, sweet contrast to the savory burger and fries.
Champ burger has been around for a long time. The overall experience showed me why. The service was friendly, the dining area was nice, and the food was good. Fortunately this was an instance where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. The flavor of the burger overall was pretty good while the ingredients weren’t wonderful. The portions were huge and by the end of everyone’s meal, we all needed a nap. I think that any one near the area should definitely give Champ Burger a try.
Hint – If you like Orange cream soda, orange push-pops (ice cream treat), or dreamsicles try the Orange Milk Shake! It’s amazing!
It was getting late on Monday night and my wife and I had not eaten yet. We decided to run our wonderful Australian Shepherd around Memorial Park in Houston, TX and by the time we were done we were too tired to cook. I suggested we try out Little Big’s based on a few recommendations from some people at work. She thought that was a good idea so we cleaned up an headed to the corner of Montrose and Westheimer. There amidst the other brightly lit signs in the area stood a large black and white sign of a giant hamburger being lifted by a little man. It was night time and the weather was amazing! It was cool, not humid, and there was a slight breeze. Fortunately, Little’s Big’s has a very large outdoor patio with plenty of picnic tables and a TV that had the Bulls v Celtics game on. Another good sign was that the place was busy, even at 9pm. I was really getting excited. We made our way inside and got in line. The food menu was simple. 3oz Sliders… Beef, Chicken, or Mushroom…. with or without cheese…. “4 minute fries”. That’s was it. You order their sliders typically in threes but you can get them individually too. Their drink menu was much, much larger. Fortunately for our decision making time and my wallet, we don’t drink, so we ordered a soft drink and chocolate shake.
I placed my order for a trio of all beef sliders and “four minute fries”. We were given a number and found ourselves a picnic table outside. Did I mention how nice the weather was? The Little Big’s employee who brought everyone their food was basically running from table to table bring out everyone’s orders. It was interesting to watch because she was busing the tables at the same time without delaying bringing out the orders. It was pretty impressive. She brought our orders out it was a sight for hungry eyes! A whole row of cute, little burgers. Before I could enjoy them, however, I took them over to the toppings bar where I added lettuce, small slices of tomato, ketchup, and mustard. The patties, though small, were very juicy and tasty! Every burger comes with sauteed onions which were especially good. The buns were a yeast bun similar to a dinner roll. They were soft and nicely chewy. Though these burgers are small, three 3oz patties is more than 1/2 lb and was plenty to fill me up. The fries were very good too. They were hand cut and fried to a nice crisp. The Milkshake was also one of the best I’ve ever had. It was a “fluffy” milkshake, if that makes sense. It wasn’t to heavy or thick.
Little Big’s was great! All the elements combined that night to make it one of my favorite Burger Tymes! It helped that I was really hungry, it helped that the weather in Houston was AMAZING! It helped that the NBA playoff game was an Overtime, Nail biter. But what helped it the most was that these little burgers were really good! I definitely will be returning and bringing more Burger Tymers with me.
Hint – When ordering your trio of sliders, you can mix them up and get one of each kind, beef, chicken, and mushroom! and get a milkshake!
(3 votes, average: 6.67 out of 10, ) Loading ...
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Stanton’s City Bites came upon a few recommendations. One of my co-workers interned with the owner’s daughter. I tried to gather the usual group from work to join in on this Burger Tyme. Unfortunately only two could come. When I google mapped the location the street view only showed a house with a sign saying Stanton’s. It didn’t quite make sense but I figured google can’t be wrong… right? So anyway, the three of us drove down Washington Ave, out of downtown to Houston St. Sure enough, the house from google street view came into sight. I parked right in front and we made our way in. It was surely a sight to behold. This hearkened to an era past where corner groceries were more common than the nearby Target. They had just about every beverage you could imagine and more snackfood than an eight year old could hope to eat. To the right of the entrance was what appeared to be the deli. We were greeted by a nice guy named Kyle who helped us put in our order. Stanton’s menu is rather impressive. They had a wide variety of sandwiches, burgers, and daily specials from which to choose. I also noticed that they had the distinguished honor of being voted the best burger in Houston for 2005 and 2006. This looked more and more promising. While we mulled over the choices to be made, there was a constant stream of people picking up phoned in orders. There were signs all around stating that the burger was “worth the wait”. Another thing that became apparent was the lack of seating. We inquired if there was anywhere to sit and eat. We were politely told “Not currently”. Maybe they have plans to add a table or two.
So I placed my order for a cheeseburger with everything on it and tots. Now, I was informed that all burgers come with bacon. I asked for them to hold the bacon because I generally don’t care for bacon on my cheeseburgers. I then began the wait. After about twenty minutes our order was ready and we selected our drinks, paid, and made our way to find somewhere to eat our Stanton’s burgers. After a short drive back to downtown, we found some seating at Jones Plaza and delved in. My anticipation level for this burger was pretty high. It looked good, it smelled good, and after my first bite, it tasted good too. The patty was nice an thick, 1/2 lb. It was very juicy, but not messy. The veggies were exceptionally good. The lettuce was not your run of the mill iceberg but a nice dark green lettuce that was fresh. The tomatoes and onions were also nice and fresh. The bread could have been better. It wasn’t that the bun wasn’t fresh but it was the buns were toasted in a toaster as opposed to toasted on the griddle. This gave the bun a slightly crunchy and dry texture. The tots were good. I tend to choose tots over fries when given an option.
Stanton’s City Bites was an interesting Burger Tyme. It had a few unexpected surprises. The lack of seating gave us the option to make our dining experience as nice as we were willing to drive to. The wait gave me plenty of time to browse the many drink options they had. To my surprise they had something I had never seen before. “Tall Boy” versions of popular soft drinks. The price was not bad. Total for burger, fries, and a tall boy was about $7. I enjoyed bringing a few people there but was glad we did not have our usual larger group as we would have had trouble finding somewhere for all of us to eat. With a little planning, Stanton’s can be a great alternative to typical burger outings.
Hint- If you like soft drinks and you like brown paper bags, Stanton’s has you covered with their large selection of sof t drinks. As a bonus, all drinks are packed in a brown paper bag.
