Sooner or later the ThegreatDCburgercaper was going to find itself at a burger hub known more for its celebrity chef than the product itself... After "throwing it down" across the United States for the past few years, Bobby Flay took his craft to DC back in August when he opened the first Bobby's Burger Palace (BBP) in the DMV. Bobby chose a K Street location in Foggy Bottom for his District location. When it opened, the DC location served as the sixth BBP location and the first outside of the Mid-Atlantic. BBP's are spreading like wildfire though as Terrapins got there own Bobby Flay burger joint last month in College Park, while another opened in New Jersey earlier this month.
The Burger: DARN IT! I'm going to have to forgo my Throwup! with Bobby Flay joke that I was itching to break out. The Palace Classic Burger, with its yellow American cheese, lettuce and red onion, was unexpectedly amazing. To keep the basic ingredients as standardized as possible, the slimy red tomato was removed and replaced with a couple nice slabs of thick, crispy bacon. Juices oozed out of the medium-cooked burger as I took my first bite into the sesame seed bun. Flay's ingredients are the opposite of a melee. They all blend together quite well without any one item overpowering another. That's not to say that you can't taste the cheese, bacon or nicely-seasoned certified angus beef. They all take part in the main feature. The size of the burger is what one would expect: not too large and not too small. Unlike most burger joints, BBP does not put a signature sauce on their main burger.
The Fries: The mayo chili pepper sauce that accompanies the fries is blended perfectly. It would no doubt be great on the onion rings, sweet potato fries or even most of the burgers. Clearly, the fries are no good or I would have described them in the first sentence. McDonalds fries that have been sitting for an hour after cooking might be a fair description.
Free Fixins: Since you had to actually purchase the fries to get the mayo chili pepper sauce, it may be unfair to assess them in this category. Nonetheless, that sauce deserves as many mentions as I can muster. BBP did have a number of sauces though. Besides the ketchup and mustard, a chipotle ketchup, jalapeno hot sauce and a A-1-esque burger sauce are featured on every table. All three of the special sauces were fine, but the mayo chili pepper sauce takes the cake.
Atmosphere: While the interior design might be labeled modern, the orange and green tints seemed like something out of the 70's. Still, it all seemed to mesh together well, just like the burger. The canvas art was pretty clever. Everything had a burger theme. A large counter area like you would find at a bar or a dinner was also featured. The place was about half full on a Sunday evening, which is pretty good considering the location. Young professionals were the dominant demographic; however, a mixture of families, older folk and GW students were also sprinkled throughout.
Cost: $7.75 for the burger with the bacon added and $3.00 for the fries.
Overall: The Palace makes you feel like a king. To clarify the earlier statement about the burger being unexpectedly good, it has been a long time since we ventured to BGR. We haven't had a burger this good in some time.
Burger:
The Burger Joint
Bobby's Burger Palace
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries:
The Burger Joint
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Good Stuff Eatery
Shake Shack
Bobby's Burger Palace
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins:
Good Stuff Eatery
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Bobby's Burger Palace
Z Burger
Elevation Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Shake Shack
Atmosphere:
The Burger Joint
Shake Shack
Bobby's Burger Palace
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Cost:
Elevation Burger $3.99/$2.59
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Shake Shack $4.75/$2.65
Desperados $9.00
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
Bobby's Burger Palace $7.75/$3.00
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Ray's Hell Burger Too $10.50/$2.50
Overall:
The Burger Joint
Bobby's Burger Palace
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Shack Attack
While ThegreatDCburgercaper went into food hibernation for much of 2011, new burger restaurants sprouted throughout the District. This fall, we'll venture out to these new-to-DC establishments. First up, Shake Shack. Born in 2004 within Manhattan's Madison Square Park, the Shake Shack franchise left home last year and has quickly spread throughout the East Coast and the Middle East. Indeed, both Kuwait and Dubai boast a Shake Shack. The DC eatery opened in Dupont Circle back in May to much fanfare.
The Burger: The traditional Shack Burger contains lettuce, tomato, American cheese and "special" Shack Sauce. Alas, bacon is not an option. The main burger is served on a toasted potato roll, which may be the best part about the sandwich. The modest-sized roll was soft, yet held together quite well and was anything but soggy. The patty itself was cooked to medium perfection. Nonetheless, it was pretty small and did not have any distinctive flavor. The cheese and sauce blended in to the point where they were hard to notice. Similar to Elevation Burger, the patties are small enough that a double burger is likely a must. In the end, there is nothing good or bad about the burger. It just is.
The Fries: Not a drop of grease was found on the golden brown crinkle cut fries. While they contained a fair amount of salt and were cooked properly, they were underwhelming and reminiscent of something you might find in the frozen food aisle of Giant - McCain/Ore-Ida.
Free Fixins: Basic of the basic - ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.
Atmosphere: While not crowded at 6:00 pm on a Sunday evening, most of the tables were full at the ample-sized seating area of the burger joint. The modern industrial interior made for a laid back setting. Exposed brick and a contemporary wood theme permeated the dining space. NFL highlights were featured on the two flat screen TVs, while top 40 blared from the speakers.
Cost: $4.75 for the burger and $2.65 for the fries.
Overall: This would be the perfect location to close out a night of fun in Dupont. High class and affordable late night food? Without doubt! Amazing burger joint? Not so much.
Burger:
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries:
The Burger Joint
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Good Stuff Eatery
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins:
Good Stuff Eatery
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Z Burger
Elevation Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Shake Shack
Atmosphere:
The Burger Joint
Shake Shack
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Cost:
Elevation Burger $3.99/$2.59
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Shack Shake $4.75/$2.65
Desperados $9.50
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Ray's Hell Burger Too $10.50/$2.50
Overall:
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
The Burger: The traditional Shack Burger contains lettuce, tomato, American cheese and "special" Shack Sauce. Alas, bacon is not an option. The main burger is served on a toasted potato roll, which may be the best part about the sandwich. The modest-sized roll was soft, yet held together quite well and was anything but soggy. The patty itself was cooked to medium perfection. Nonetheless, it was pretty small and did not have any distinctive flavor. The cheese and sauce blended in to the point where they were hard to notice. Similar to Elevation Burger, the patties are small enough that a double burger is likely a must. In the end, there is nothing good or bad about the burger. It just is.
The Fries: Not a drop of grease was found on the golden brown crinkle cut fries. While they contained a fair amount of salt and were cooked properly, they were underwhelming and reminiscent of something you might find in the frozen food aisle of Giant - McCain/Ore-Ida.
Free Fixins: Basic of the basic - ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.
Atmosphere: While not crowded at 6:00 pm on a Sunday evening, most of the tables were full at the ample-sized seating area of the burger joint. The modern industrial interior made for a laid back setting. Exposed brick and a contemporary wood theme permeated the dining space. NFL highlights were featured on the two flat screen TVs, while top 40 blared from the speakers.
Cost: $4.75 for the burger and $2.65 for the fries.
Overall: This would be the perfect location to close out a night of fun in Dupont. High class and affordable late night food? Without doubt! Amazing burger joint? Not so much.
Burger:
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries:
The Burger Joint
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Good Stuff Eatery
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins:
Good Stuff Eatery
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Z Burger
Elevation Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Shake Shack
Atmosphere:
The Burger Joint
Shake Shack
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Cost:
Elevation Burger $3.99/$2.59
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Shack Shake $4.75/$2.65
Desperados $9.50
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Ray's Hell Burger Too $10.50/$2.50
Overall:
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Trip to Hades
From the beginning of our burger quest, we knew a trip to hell and back was inevitable and we were rather looking forward to it. Since opening in the summer of 2008, Ray's Hell Burger has arguably been the most talked about burger joint in the DMV. In fact, I've heard so much about it from burger aficionados and tourists alike that I thought it had been around longer. I guess a few visits from President Obama helped maintain a consistent buzz. Due to the restaurant's popularity, a second location was opened in the same Arlington strip mall last July. Dubbed Ray's Hell Burger Too, local beef Impresario Michael Landrum's sister burger joint is a sit down restaurant.
The Burger: Ray serves 100% premium steak cuts, which are hand trimmed and aged in house. The burger is prepared in four different ways: grilled, au poivre, blackened and diablo. Judging by the menu format, most people appear to create their own hell - burger. Still, many other "standard" options are available. Amusingly, many are named after 90's rappers such as the Big Punisher and Fat Joe. Heck, they even have the B.I.G. Poppa burger.
I ordered the Original Hell Burger grilled medium with American cheese and Applewood smoked bacon. I also asked for lettuce, grilled onions, a pickle and Ray's Heck Sauce (which they appropriately dubbed as tangy, zippy, but not spicy). The menu mentioned that "We are human and mistakes do occur." Well, they were human, indeed, on this occasion as the burger that arrived had a tomato and lacked the pickles and Heck Sauce.
Order issue aside, the burger was not as good as anticipated. Sure it had a steak-like seasoning and it was not a small chunk of meat. But, the toasted potato-brioche roll didn't appear to be very fresh at all and the bacon tasted like it may have been sitting in a big pile of other strips since mid-morning. Perhaps our high expectations got the best of us.
The Fries: The fries didn't quite make up for the burger letdown; however, they were some prize spuds. The initial appearance didn't raise any eyebrows. As Tony remarked, "they look like they came out of a frozen bag," and the amount provided seemed a bit lacking for a large order. Nonetheless, the unsalted fried potatoes were rather delicious. It tasted like they were fried in purity. Better yet, you could really taste the potato!
Free Fixins: Ray's offers some interesting free fixin options. Optional free burger additions include - lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, raw red onions, a pickle, BBQ sauce and mayo. Yeah, these are rather basic, but other options de gratis are charred jalapenos, cognac & sherry sauteed mushrooms, roasted garlic, Ray's Heck Sauce and fiery piranha sauce. The table offered ketchup, yellow and spicy brown mustard, A1 and Tabasco.
Atmosphere: This is a burger joint and the atmosphere of Ray's Too makes that clear. There are no frills or thrills at all inside the restaurant. In fact, nothing is even featured on the walls except two framed red t-shirts. One reads "Hot as Hell" and the other says "Go to Hell." The place was busy at lunchtime on a Sunday; however, there wasn't much of a line.
Cost: $10.50 for the burger and $2.50 for a large fry ($1.75 for a small).
Overall: Amazing fries aside, this was a letdown. There is nothing more to say.
Burger:
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries
The Burger Joint
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins
Good Stuff Eatery
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Z Burger
Elevation Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Atmosphere
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Cost
Elevation Burger $3.99/$2.59
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Desperados $9.50
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Ray's Hell Burger Too $10.50/$2.50
Overall
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Z Burger
Desperados
The Burger: Ray serves 100% premium steak cuts, which are hand trimmed and aged in house. The burger is prepared in four different ways: grilled, au poivre, blackened and diablo. Judging by the menu format, most people appear to create their own hell - burger. Still, many other "standard" options are available. Amusingly, many are named after 90's rappers such as the Big Punisher and Fat Joe. Heck, they even have the B.I.G. Poppa burger.
I ordered the Original Hell Burger grilled medium with American cheese and Applewood smoked bacon. I also asked for lettuce, grilled onions, a pickle and Ray's Heck Sauce (which they appropriately dubbed as tangy, zippy, but not spicy). The menu mentioned that "We are human and mistakes do occur." Well, they were human, indeed, on this occasion as the burger that arrived had a tomato and lacked the pickles and Heck Sauce.
Order issue aside, the burger was not as good as anticipated. Sure it had a steak-like seasoning and it was not a small chunk of meat. But, the toasted potato-brioche roll didn't appear to be very fresh at all and the bacon tasted like it may have been sitting in a big pile of other strips since mid-morning. Perhaps our high expectations got the best of us.
The Fries: The fries didn't quite make up for the burger letdown; however, they were some prize spuds. The initial appearance didn't raise any eyebrows. As Tony remarked, "they look like they came out of a frozen bag," and the amount provided seemed a bit lacking for a large order. Nonetheless, the unsalted fried potatoes were rather delicious. It tasted like they were fried in purity. Better yet, you could really taste the potato!
Free Fixins: Ray's offers some interesting free fixin options. Optional free burger additions include - lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, raw red onions, a pickle, BBQ sauce and mayo. Yeah, these are rather basic, but other options de gratis are charred jalapenos, cognac & sherry sauteed mushrooms, roasted garlic, Ray's Heck Sauce and fiery piranha sauce. The table offered ketchup, yellow and spicy brown mustard, A1 and Tabasco.
Atmosphere: This is a burger joint and the atmosphere of Ray's Too makes that clear. There are no frills or thrills at all inside the restaurant. In fact, nothing is even featured on the walls except two framed red t-shirts. One reads "Hot as Hell" and the other says "Go to Hell." The place was busy at lunchtime on a Sunday; however, there wasn't much of a line.
Cost: $10.50 for the burger and $2.50 for a large fry ($1.75 for a small).
Overall: Amazing fries aside, this was a letdown. There is nothing more to say.
Burger:
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries
The Burger Joint
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins
Good Stuff Eatery
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Z Burger
Elevation Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Atmosphere
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Cost
Elevation Burger $3.99/$2.59
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Desperados $9.50
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Ray's Hell Burger Too $10.50/$2.50
Overall
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Z Burger
Desperados
Monday, December 6, 2010
Summit of Elevation
The next stop on the tour is Elevation Burger. With the slogan "ingredients matter," Elevation Burger prides itself on being an "organic" burger joint. They don't use antibiotics, pesticides or growth promoting hormones. Instead, their cows graze freely on grass pastures...
In 2005, the franchise opened its first burger shop in Falls Church, Virginia. Less than five years later, 11 of the organic burger joints have sprouted up around the country including six in the DMV. Ten more stores are poised to open throughout the country in 2011. According to their website, Elevation Burger plans to open two of these burger joints in DC. We ventured to their National Harbor location during a Saturday evening dinner rush.
The Burger: Organic grass-fed beef... Deli style non-processed cheddar cheese... A bun that compliments the burger rather than competing with it... After taking my first bite, I realized what all of the signs plastered around the eatery where trying to say, THIS BURGER IS REALLY FRESH AND REALLY TASTY! Everything sticks out with the burger: the seemingly unseasoned, but just-butchered meat, the powerful cheddar cheese and the lightly grilled bun. The cheeseburger's Original toppings include Elevation Sauce (mayo-based), two thinly-sliced pickles, tomatoes*, and lettuce. Besides the fact that Elevation Burger doesn't sell bacon, the only gripe might be the diminutive size of the burger. This can be quickly remedied by ordering The Elevation Burger - double the meat and double the cheese. Unfortunately, only the single (bacon) cheeseburger can be judged for this blog.
The "Fresh" Fries: cooked in olive oil, the finger-sized french fries were unskinned. They had just the right amount of salt that no condiment was needed or desired.
Free Fixins: Besides the items that come on the Original (see above), other condiments gratis include caramelized onions, mustard, mayo, raw onions, balsamic mustard and hot pepper relish. Ketchup is the only item placed on each table.
Atmosphere: Signs throughout the burger joint repeatedly remind you that you are eating fresh, organic, grass-fed, meat. Ingredients matter, ingredients matter, ingredients matter... yeah, we get the point.
Cost: The cheeseburger (sans bacon) is $3.99. The fresh fries are $2.59.
Overall: This was the first location where we were compelled enough to eat another burger right away. Was this due to its great taste and freshness or the fact that a large man might consider it a slider? Probably the former.
Burger
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries
The Burger Joint
Elevation Burger
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Elevation Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Atmosphere
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Cost
Elevation Burger $3.99/$2.59
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Desperados $9.50
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Overall
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Desperados
In 2005, the franchise opened its first burger shop in Falls Church, Virginia. Less than five years later, 11 of the organic burger joints have sprouted up around the country including six in the DMV. Ten more stores are poised to open throughout the country in 2011. According to their website, Elevation Burger plans to open two of these burger joints in DC. We ventured to their National Harbor location during a Saturday evening dinner rush.
The Burger: Organic grass-fed beef... Deli style non-processed cheddar cheese... A bun that compliments the burger rather than competing with it... After taking my first bite, I realized what all of the signs plastered around the eatery where trying to say, THIS BURGER IS REALLY FRESH AND REALLY TASTY! Everything sticks out with the burger: the seemingly unseasoned, but just-butchered meat, the powerful cheddar cheese and the lightly grilled bun. The cheeseburger's Original toppings include Elevation Sauce (mayo-based), two thinly-sliced pickles, tomatoes*, and lettuce. Besides the fact that Elevation Burger doesn't sell bacon, the only gripe might be the diminutive size of the burger. This can be quickly remedied by ordering The Elevation Burger - double the meat and double the cheese. Unfortunately, only the single (bacon) cheeseburger can be judged for this blog.
The "Fresh" Fries: cooked in olive oil, the finger-sized french fries were unskinned. They had just the right amount of salt that no condiment was needed or desired.
Free Fixins: Besides the items that come on the Original (see above), other condiments gratis include caramelized onions, mustard, mayo, raw onions, balsamic mustard and hot pepper relish. Ketchup is the only item placed on each table.
Atmosphere: Signs throughout the burger joint repeatedly remind you that you are eating fresh, organic, grass-fed, meat. Ingredients matter, ingredients matter, ingredients matter... yeah, we get the point.
Cost: The cheeseburger (sans bacon) is $3.99. The fresh fries are $2.59.
Overall: This was the first location where we were compelled enough to eat another burger right away. Was this due to its great taste and freshness or the fact that a large man might consider it a slider? Probably the former.
Burger
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries
The Burger Joint
Elevation Burger
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Elevation Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Atmosphere
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Cost
Elevation Burger $3.99/$2.59
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Desperados $9.50
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Overall
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Desperados
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Desperados - why don't you come to your senses?
DC's newest burger joint, Desperados Burgers and Bar, opened up shop on U Street back in August. The sit-down restaurant, which also offers carry out and home delivery options, had a schizophrenic design best described as John Wayne meets Mardi Gras. The ambiance within the 60-person capacity restaurant was much more subdued than the other burger eateries reviewed. While the past locations were packed at the time of our testing, Desperados only had seven other customers (two tables) the entire time we were there. Half of these people seemed more concerned with their New Orleans Saints marching over the Carolina Panthers (yes, Desperados is a "Saints" establishment) than the burgers that they were munching on.
The Burger: Cheddar is the cheese of choice on Desperados bacon cheese burger. It also comes with lettuce, onion, tomatoes* and a pickle. The slab of meat, while commendably thick, wasn't very large at all. Unseasoned and without much flavor, I thought of adding some sort of condiment to the burger immediately after every bite. Yes, ketchup and mustard might be made for hamburgers, but the American classic does not need the traditional condiments when made correctly. The sesame seed bun wasn't any better. It appeared to be toasted for about five seconds and reminded me of something from my high school cafeteria.
The Fries: They looked good and appeared to be seasoned. Nonetheless, the only thing noteworthy about the spuds is the fact that they accompany the burger at no extra charge (perhaps we should have substituted them for the baked potato; this appears to be the norm).
Free Fixins - For Desperados we should rename this category "limited fixins." Like Good Stuff Eatery, the U Street burger lair offers for types of sauces - Cajun, roasted garlic, chipotle and honey mustard. Unlike Good Stuff, you can only order one with an order of fries and the portion size is rather limited. Since there were three of us, we were able to try all of them except the honey mustard. The Cajun had a hint of bucking bronco to it, but overall these cowboys were rather tame. Each table offered the basic of the basics selection of salt, pepper and ketchup.
Atmosphere: A big projector screen and smaller television by the bar were playing the Saints. Perhaps the place is a bit livelier around dinner time...
Cost: $9.50 for the burger, fries included.
Overall: I have no objection to outlawing this burger corral.
Burger
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Atmosphere
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Z Burger
Cost
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Desperados $9.50
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Overall
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
The Burger: Cheddar is the cheese of choice on Desperados bacon cheese burger. It also comes with lettuce, onion, tomatoes* and a pickle. The slab of meat, while commendably thick, wasn't very large at all. Unseasoned and without much flavor, I thought of adding some sort of condiment to the burger immediately after every bite. Yes, ketchup and mustard might be made for hamburgers, but the American classic does not need the traditional condiments when made correctly. The sesame seed bun wasn't any better. It appeared to be toasted for about five seconds and reminded me of something from my high school cafeteria.
The Fries: They looked good and appeared to be seasoned. Nonetheless, the only thing noteworthy about the spuds is the fact that they accompany the burger at no extra charge (perhaps we should have substituted them for the baked potato; this appears to be the norm).
Free Fixins - For Desperados we should rename this category "limited fixins." Like Good Stuff Eatery, the U Street burger lair offers for types of sauces - Cajun, roasted garlic, chipotle and honey mustard. Unlike Good Stuff, you can only order one with an order of fries and the portion size is rather limited. Since there were three of us, we were able to try all of them except the honey mustard. The Cajun had a hint of bucking bronco to it, but overall these cowboys were rather tame. Each table offered the basic of the basics selection of salt, pepper and ketchup.
Atmosphere: A big projector screen and smaller television by the bar were playing the Saints. Perhaps the place is a bit livelier around dinner time...
Cost: $9.50 for the burger, fries included.
Overall: I have no objection to outlawing this burger corral.
Burger
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Atmosphere
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Z Burger
Cost
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Desperados $9.50
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Overall
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Desperados
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Bravo, Spike!
After a brief summer hiatus, the Great DC Burger Caper returns through a stop at Good Stuff Eatery. Located on Pennsylvania Avenue on Capitol Hill, Good Stuff was opened by chef and reality tv star Spike Mendelsohn in 2008. Spike was a contestant on Bravo's Top Chef Chicago which aired a few years ago. Last week, he was also one of 18 chefs selected for the upcoming Top Chef All Stars season to premiere on December 1.
Given Spike's reality tv-stardom, local periodicals and blogs have consistently reported on Good Stuff Eatery. This "free" advertisement is clearly working as the place was packed upon our arrival at 3:30 pm on a Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, it didn't take them too long (about 15 minutes) to serve the 30 people in front of us and there were plenty of tables available on the second floor of the burger joint.
The Burger: placed on a Pennsylvania Dutch-style bun, the Farmhouse Burger comes with onion, lettuce, a long-cut pickle, tomato*, and good stuff sauce (which appeared to be a mayo-based condiment). American cheese and Applewood bacon were added as part of the Burger Caper guidelines. At first glance, the burger looks somewhat small. However, this is due to the size of the bun as opposed to the actual thickness of the burger, which is more than adequate. The burger was cooked to medium - pink in the middle. While no red juices flowed out of the sandwich, grease was everywhere. In fact, it saturated almost the entire bun by the time I got to my final bites. Still, the meat tasted fresh and had a nice amount of seasoning. Nothing was overpowering. In fact, the bacon blended to the extent that it was hard to notice its inclusion. Still, it is clear that Spike knows what he is doing when it comes to burgers.
The Fries: Slightly less greasy than the burger, the fries were cut to about half their typical size. This made it necessary to eat two or three of them at once. Spike leaves the skin of the potato on the fries and sprinkles sea salt over top. The fries were good; however, they needed the condiments.
Free Fixins: Hot sauce, vinegar and sea salt are featured on each table, while ketchup and mustard are located on the fixin bar. Nonetheless, it's the four types of mayo that are notable. The Old Bay mayo combines a tangy kick with a little bit of spice. Sriracha brings some true spicy heat, but also includes a degree of sweetness. The mango mayo was rather mild compared to the others; however, it's sweetness provides a nice contrast to the savory fries. Spike's 4th featured mayo is the Chipotle. All four are noteworthy, but the Old Bay seems the most complex and innovative. If you are in seach of a spicy kick, try the sriracha.
Atmosphere: Although there was a long line, the second floor dining area was rather comfortable. The R'n'B that crooned on the first floor was barely audible up above, where patron conversations mixed with the sounds coming from the two (or three) flat screen tvs featured on the walls.
Cost: The regular burger with American cheese and Applewood bacon is $6.69. The regular french fries goes for $3.69.
Overall: Good Stuff Eatery is more than just hype. I doubt a better burger can be found on Capitol Hill.
Burger
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Fries
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Free Fixins
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
The Burger Joint
Atmosphere
The Burger joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Cost
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Overall
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Given Spike's reality tv-stardom, local periodicals and blogs have consistently reported on Good Stuff Eatery. This "free" advertisement is clearly working as the place was packed upon our arrival at 3:30 pm on a Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, it didn't take them too long (about 15 minutes) to serve the 30 people in front of us and there were plenty of tables available on the second floor of the burger joint.
The Burger: placed on a Pennsylvania Dutch-style bun, the Farmhouse Burger comes with onion, lettuce, a long-cut pickle, tomato*, and good stuff sauce (which appeared to be a mayo-based condiment). American cheese and Applewood bacon were added as part of the Burger Caper guidelines. At first glance, the burger looks somewhat small. However, this is due to the size of the bun as opposed to the actual thickness of the burger, which is more than adequate. The burger was cooked to medium - pink in the middle. While no red juices flowed out of the sandwich, grease was everywhere. In fact, it saturated almost the entire bun by the time I got to my final bites. Still, the meat tasted fresh and had a nice amount of seasoning. Nothing was overpowering. In fact, the bacon blended to the extent that it was hard to notice its inclusion. Still, it is clear that Spike knows what he is doing when it comes to burgers.
The Fries: Slightly less greasy than the burger, the fries were cut to about half their typical size. This made it necessary to eat two or three of them at once. Spike leaves the skin of the potato on the fries and sprinkles sea salt over top. The fries were good; however, they needed the condiments.
Free Fixins: Hot sauce, vinegar and sea salt are featured on each table, while ketchup and mustard are located on the fixin bar. Nonetheless, it's the four types of mayo that are notable. The Old Bay mayo combines a tangy kick with a little bit of spice. Sriracha brings some true spicy heat, but also includes a degree of sweetness. The mango mayo was rather mild compared to the others; however, it's sweetness provides a nice contrast to the savory fries. Spike's 4th featured mayo is the Chipotle. All four are noteworthy, but the Old Bay seems the most complex and innovative. If you are in seach of a spicy kick, try the sriracha.
Atmosphere: Although there was a long line, the second floor dining area was rather comfortable. The R'n'B that crooned on the first floor was barely audible up above, where patron conversations mixed with the sounds coming from the two (or three) flat screen tvs featured on the walls.
Cost: The regular burger with American cheese and Applewood bacon is $6.69. The regular french fries goes for $3.69.
Overall: Good Stuff Eatery is more than just hype. I doubt a better burger can be found on Capitol Hill.
Burger
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Fries
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Free Fixins
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
The Burger Joint
Atmosphere
The Burger joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Cost
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Overall
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Z Burger
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Rock 'N Rollin' with My Taste Buds
This can't be. Is it possible that my mouth is still watering six hours after finishing one of the most amazing beef patties of my life? A stone throw away from Dupont Circle's namesake sits BGR The Burger Joint. One of four locations, The Burger Joint's NW location could, from the outside, be mistaken by tourists or some Real World cast members as a trendy nightclub. Ok, ok the giant neon light burger in front of the building might quash this possibility; however, the inside of the eatery takes the scene of a club with vibrant dark blue walls, stage lights and blown up pictures of rock and roll album covers from Def Leppard to Prince. vh1 classics was featured on two flat screens to give you an idea of what type of music BGR would play if it were in fact a club. After walking into BGR, we realized it was no typical burger joint. Soon we discovered that they don't serve your typical burger.
"The Burger": comes with lettuce, tomato*, onion, pickle and mojo sauce. American cheese (or three other kinds can be added along with Applewood Smoked Bacon. Served on a personal size pizza tray, the thick burger exploded out of the toasted, but almost fake looking, bun. The first bite brought the sense of enjoyment and satisfaction that we were looking for when we first conceived of this burger odyssey. The meat itself made the first impression - served medium, but seasoned well. Then the huge chunk of onion and crispy pickle made their marks along with the cheese. It wasn't until the third bite that I realized that it came without ketchup or mustard. At that point, there was no screwing up an amazing thing with condiments. The mojo sauce was on their anyway, even if unnoticeable with everything else going on with the burger. One of the only downsides was that the burger was served in two pieces, which helped it to fall apart rather easily. Ultimately, the burger was so good that it wasn't until I was only my last bite that I realized they omitted the bacon.
The Fries: named "The Gold Standard" these amazing spuds might find themselves with a medal by the end of this journey. They look about as average as possible; however, they taste like every fry should. Perfectly fried and salted, these guys didn't need any ketchup or mustard either.
Free Fixins: there was no major condiment bar; however, Grey Poupon mustard, ketchup, A1 Sauce and vinegar were on each of the tables.
Atmosphere: Every table was full of families or young professionals, although no one ever seemed to be waiting for an empty one. In addition to what was mentioned above, each table was surfaced with mosaic tile and there were funky Lego like lights.
Cost: The burger was $7.99 (it would have been $8.99 if they remembered the bacon). The fries were $2.89.
Overall: Instead of visiting all of the burger joints in DC, it may be a tastier idea to try every item on The Burger Joint's menu. The bar has been set and it's pretty high.
Burger
The Burger Joint
Z Burger
Fries
The Burger Joint
Z Burger
Free Fixins
Z Burger
The Burger Joint
Atmosphere
The Burger Joint
Z Burger
Cost
Z Burger - $4.39/$2.59
The Burger Joint - $8.99/$2.89
Overall
The Burger Joint
Z Burger
"The Burger": comes with lettuce, tomato*, onion, pickle and mojo sauce. American cheese (or three other kinds can be added along with Applewood Smoked Bacon. Served on a personal size pizza tray, the thick burger exploded out of the toasted, but almost fake looking, bun. The first bite brought the sense of enjoyment and satisfaction that we were looking for when we first conceived of this burger odyssey. The meat itself made the first impression - served medium, but seasoned well. Then the huge chunk of onion and crispy pickle made their marks along with the cheese. It wasn't until the third bite that I realized that it came without ketchup or mustard. At that point, there was no screwing up an amazing thing with condiments. The mojo sauce was on their anyway, even if unnoticeable with everything else going on with the burger. One of the only downsides was that the burger was served in two pieces, which helped it to fall apart rather easily. Ultimately, the burger was so good that it wasn't until I was only my last bite that I realized they omitted the bacon.
The Fries: named "The Gold Standard" these amazing spuds might find themselves with a medal by the end of this journey. They look about as average as possible; however, they taste like every fry should. Perfectly fried and salted, these guys didn't need any ketchup or mustard either.
Free Fixins: there was no major condiment bar; however, Grey Poupon mustard, ketchup, A1 Sauce and vinegar were on each of the tables.
Atmosphere: Every table was full of families or young professionals, although no one ever seemed to be waiting for an empty one. In addition to what was mentioned above, each table was surfaced with mosaic tile and there were funky Lego like lights.
Cost: The burger was $7.99 (it would have been $8.99 if they remembered the bacon). The fries were $2.89.
Overall: Instead of visiting all of the burger joints in DC, it may be a tastier idea to try every item on The Burger Joint's menu. The bar has been set and it's pretty high.
Burger
The Burger Joint
Z Burger
Fries
The Burger Joint
Z Burger
Free Fixins
Z Burger
The Burger Joint
Atmosphere
The Burger Joint
Z Burger
Cost
Z Burger - $4.39/$2.59
The Burger Joint - $8.99/$2.89
Overall
The Burger Joint
Z Burger
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