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
