In-N-Out http://burgerdigest.com/in-n-out/ Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:00:10 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=6 In-N-Out. After moving to the Bay Area in mid-2008, I had heard about the place from newly-found friends and decided to go for a visit. Initially it seemed to me like any other fast food restaurant, but I quickly realized the difference. The restaurant was clean and the employees were extremely friendly. When you make your way up to the counter, you're presented with a simplistic menu. There are only three combo meals (which contain fries and a drink):
  1. DoubleDouble "Double Meat & Double Cheese"
  2. Cheeseburger
  3. Hamburger
Their full menu includes those three burger types, fries, shakes, sodas, milk, and coffee. No other items are shown. No toppings are displayed. A normal In-N-Out Cheeseburger contains beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and their signature spread on a toasted bun. There's a huge advantage to having a small, concise menu: less time deciding. When you are presented with fewer options, a decision can be made very quickly, which helps the line move along and prevents people from scratching their chins. By now, you've probably heard of the famed Secret Menu. In all honesty, it's not secret, but it's not displayed in the restaurant for the reasons above. It doesn't contain any new main items like chicken or onion rings, but it does include some favorites like grilled onions, and hot yellow chili peppers. Burger sizes can become 3x3 or 4x4 (meat x cheese) if you so desire. You're also free to get fries or any burger "Animal Style." For burgers, this means a mustard-grilled beef patty, extra spread and grilled onions. For fries, it means melted cheese, grilled onions and famous In-N-Out spread. A Double-Double with fries and a drink comes to $5 before tax. [caption id="attachment_38" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The In-N-Out DoubleDouble. Whole grilled onion and pickles added."][/caption] When your order is called, your meal will be in a taller-than-usual single-serving red tray. Burgers are wrapped in paper and fries are in a paper basket, both ready to eat immediately. A few bites in and you'll surely be enjoying your double cheeseburger. The cheese is perfectly melted, the lettuce is crisp, and the two tomatoes and beef are juicy. These ingredients are arranged in the perfect proportion to each other. The burger is bright, colorful, and delicious. The spread, though I can appreciate it, is not something I want every time (I prefer ketchup). The french fries are decent. They cut the potatoes in the store (you can see them). Obviously fresh, but they're not amazing. They lack seasoning of any sort which make them pretty standard fries. In-N-Out has the best value I've ever seen. At less than $3, their DoubleDouble is the cheapest and most delicious burger for that price. Other joints charge roughly twice the amount for a double cheeseburger. Frankly, I'd rather have two DoubleDoubles. There's something unique about the taste of In-N-Out Burger that brings me back again and again. Though the only San Francisco city location is in Fisherman's Wharf, it's worth wading through tourists to get to it. Tip: Get a "whole grilled onion," pickles, and chili peppers added to your burger.

Yay!

  • delicious and pretty burger
  • easy-to-understand menu
  • incredibly cheap
  • great service

Boo!

  • no bacon
]]> 6 0 0 0 Five Guys http://burgerdigest.com/five-guys/ Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:00:15 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=9 Five Guys Burgers and Fries definitely doesn't feel like other fast food restaurants and the smell of beef and peanuts fill the air. It's an incredibly popular place which raises the volume a few notches. For some reason, they advertise itself inside the restaurant with signs and placards of quotes and accolades from various newspapers and websites. The menu at Five Guys is enormous and daunting. The first time I visited, the manager literally had to explain the menu to me (and I didn't even ask for help). On their menu, the following items are listed: Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, Bacon Burgers, Bacon Cheeseburgers, Little Hamburgers, Little Cheeseburgers, Little Bacon Burgers, and Little Bacon Cheeseburgers. Don't let the names fool you, the Little varieties aren't any smaller. A "Cheeseburger" is more accurately described as two burger patties with two slices of cheese. A "Little Cheeseburger" is a one burger patty with one slice of cheese. In addition, there are fifteen unique toppings listed. You can order "everything" or "all the way" which—deceptively—gives you only half of those listed toppings added to your burger. In addition to the burgers, they also serve Kosher Style Hot Dogs, Cheese Dogs, Bacon Dogs and Bacon Cheese Dogs. Also: a Veggie Sandwich, Cheese Veggie Sandwich and a Grilled Cheese. Fries. Now this is important… the Regular size fries at Five Guys are enough for at least two people. The Large size fries are for roughly four people. Why they over-portion food is beyond my understanding. A person without ever being explained this might order a cheeseburger and fries and not realize that they got a double cheeseburger with more fries than they can eat. A Cheeseburger (two meat patties, two cheese slices) with fries and a drink will come to a total of about $10 before tax. [caption id="attachment_35" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Five Guys' Little Cheeseburger"][/caption] Your order comes in an unmarked brown paper bag with grease stains (if you ordered fries) regardless of whether you intend to eat it in the restaurant or take it to-go. First things first: tear open the bag. Don't bother trying to dig your burger out; it's at the bottom and the fries are spilled all over the top. If you try getting your burger out your hands will end up greasy before you take a single bite. If you got the Cajun fries (which are amazing by the way), God help you, because the seasoning is going to get everywhere. This experience is by far the messiest of any burger joint I've been to in my life. Once you've got the burger, you'll find it wrapped in foil. For the life of me I cannot understand this. The people wrapping the burger have absolutely no respect for what they've just created for you. They smush the burger by wrapping it up. Go Google Image search "Five Guys cheeseburger" and you'll see what I mean. There's nothing pretty about this burger at all. If you bite into your burger within 2 minutes of receiving it, you'll notice something terrible: cold, unmelted cheese. It's like they don't understand to put the cheese on the burger before they take it off the grill. They treat the cheese like a second-class citizen and put it on the burger at the same time as every other topping. Cheeseburger 101. [caption id="attachment_36" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The fallen heroes of this burger, which include two whole pieces of bacon. Without reconstructing your burger after every bite, this is what happens."][/caption] Take another bite and you'll find that half of your burger has now dropped onto the foil. This includes small bits of lettuce and other toppings like bacon. Though the burgers tasty, the experience is messy and just about pathetic. But the fries are the real stars. They're delicious. A masterpiece of fried potatoes. At twice the cost of an In-N-Out meal, it's hard to justify making it a regular lunch place. The fries, however, are what makes it worth going to. In all honesty, Five Guys is not deserving of the hype and recognition it gets. I have a feeling this is because Five Guys covers the nation, and compared to McDonalds or other nationwide burger chains, it's way better. Tip: If you live in California, go to Five Guys and get fries then drive over to In-N-Out and get a DoubleDouble.

Yay!

  • bacon
  • tasty burger
  • free peanuts
  • tons of yummy seasoned fries

Boo!

  • cold cheese
  • toppings easily fall out
  • flakey, mangled bun
  • misleading menu
  • expensive
]]> 9 0 0 0 Burgerville http://burgerdigest.com/burgerville/ Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:00:18 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=11 Burgerville. The staff was friendly, and the restaurant was themed more dinery than a modern fast food restaurant. I've only visited Burgerville once, so I can't say this is average, but there were exactly zero people in line. It didn't have a stupid-simple menu like In-N-Out, but it most certainly wasn't a typographic nightmare like Five Guys. Though the name would make you think otherwise, Burgerville doesn't just serve burgers. They serve chicken, turkey, fish, and salads too. In fact, they encourage a side salad instead of fries. But forget the fries and the salads because Burgerville has Walla Walla Onion Rings and that's what you want. I was hungry that day, so I ordered the Half Pound Colossal Cheeseburger (which was a bit much for my appetite), fries, a drink… and onion rings (just because I had to try them all). The burger I bought was $6, though the Double Beef Cheeseburger is $3. A meal consisting of a double cheeseburger, fries, and a drink comes to around $7. [caption id="attachment_32" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The Half Pound Colossal Cheeseburger and french fries."][/caption] The meal will come delivered to your table in a plastic basket. I dug right into my burger and noticed a unique flavor: Burgerville's special sauce. It was mustardy and mayonnaisey. Honestly, I don't like either mustard or mayonnaise, but something about this sauce was yummy. [caption id="attachment_33" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Sweet, sweet Walla Walla Onion Rings."][/caption] Though the fries were pretty standard, the Walla Walla Onion Rings were truly amazing. Mouthwatering, even. It'll confuse you when you go to order them though, because they come in two sizes with the smallest being "3." Three? Just three onion rings? It sounds crazy, but they're enormous. Huge. But they're fresh and delicious and so obviously made right there in the restaurant. If I lived around Portland, Burgerville would absolutely be my go-to burger joint. It has the character of In-N-Out but it's so obviously different. The burgers taste great and they have a better side than fries: onion rings. Also, I can't go without mentioning Burgerville's utterly incredible printed receipt. It's not only gorgeous, but informative.

Yay!

  • burger looks great
  • amazing onion rings
  • tasty special sauce
  • cheap

Boo!

  • expected better fries
]]> 11 0 0 0 Shake Shack http://burgerdigest.com/shake-shack/ Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:00:21 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=13 only things I had on the must-do list. There are a few Shake Shack locations in the area, though I went to the Madison Square Park location. It's only outdoor seating, but being a gorgeous day, it was more than okay. Park tables and seats fill the surrounding area of the silver shack building. Shake Shack is incredibly popular with a decent mix of both locals and tourists. A note about the exterior of Shake Shack: they have great design sense. There are cute pictograms on their menu. And since I'm a total sucker for Neutraface, when I saw that they use it in metal around the building façade, it made me a little giddy. [caption id="attachment_21" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Over sixty people waiting! At least you have time to look over their menu."][/caption] Shake Shack had a line of at least sixty people long by the time I jumped in it. I stood in line (New Yorkers read: on line) for about 20 minutes. Shake Shack has Burgers and Hot Dogs, Frozen Custard and Concretes, Sodas, Beer and Wine. Their burger options are a ShackBurger, a Hamburger, a Cheeseburger, a 'Shroom Burger and a Shake Stack. Shake Shack also offers Cheese Fries which include not only American cheese, but Cheddar as well. A Double ShackBurger, fries and a soda will cost you $13. [caption id="attachment_22" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The ShackBurger and crinkle-cut fries."][/caption] After waiting as patient as possible for around 15 additional minutes, my order was called and I went to sit down. Each meal comes in cardboard box-baskets, ready to eat. Shake Shack's burger comes on a potato roll. It's a glorious substitution for a run-of-the-mill hamburger bun. The patty was delicious, the Shack Sauce was super yummy. The toppings were fresh. It was brilliant. It was without a doubt the most amazing burger I've had. Ever. And the fries were awesome co-stars. I can't recommend enough getting the cheese fries, though. Well worth the extra dollar. It makes me so incredibly sad, however, that Shake Shack only has select locations on the East Coast (and Dubai), because everyone should be able to experience the deliciousness of this burger. So yummy.

Yay!

  • yummy burger
  • shack sauce
  • great dessert
  • delicious cheese fries

Boo!

  • pricey
]]> 13 0 0 0 Super Duper http://burgerdigest.com/super-duper/ Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:00:21 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=15 Super Duper is relatively new to me as a new location opened up on Market Street, just a few blocks away from my apartment (and only a few blocks away from where I work) in San Francisco. The exterior would almost suggest it's a Shake Shack with silver words around the awning frame, but once you walk in it's obvious that its a whole different kind of place compared to Shake Shack. The interior kinda reminded me of Chipotle. It has a very similar vibe. During lunch hours, Super Duper has a line that runs out the door. And considering it's a long, narrow restaurant (and the counter is in the back), this is actually quite significant. On the plus side, they come around the line with a sample of fries and their special sauce, which helps ease the pain of a long wait. They serve hamburgers and chicken sandwiches. In addition, there are vegetarian options, french fries, salads, shakes and ice cream. There are Super Burgers (8 oz) and Mini Burgers (4 oz). A Super Burger with fries and a drink will come to $11. [caption id="attachment_131" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Super Burger with Garlic Fries. Only 75¢ extra, what the hell."][/caption] When your name is called, your meal comes on a metal tray with a cute patterned paper lining. Super Duper's Super Burger is pretty super. It's a juicy burger. Almost too much so. It's incredibly greasy. Just holding it up in the air for a few seconds will allow it to drip all the grease off. In fact, the few times that I've eaten here have all been consistently messy. Though there's a paper wrapping around the burger, the grease drips right off, sometimes taking toppings along with each bite. The fries however, are not quite super. They're average. Overall though, it's a damn good burger, and I'm glad it's an extremely short distance from where I live and work. [caption id="attachment_132" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The sorriest, pinkest, not-even-slightly-crispy bacon I've ever seen. Sad day, indeed. Unfortunately I'll skip the bacon here for now on."][/caption] Super Duper, grease aside, is really good. It doesn't quite hit a home run, but it does have a unique taste of a homemade backyard burger right off the grill. If only the bacon was as good as Five Guys...

Yay!

  • super sauce
  • tasty burger
  • yummy shakes

Boo!

  • not-crispy bacon
  • greasy burger
  • sometimes soggy bun
  • toppings fall out sometimes
]]> 15 0 0 0 Fast Casual Recap http://burgerdigest.com/recap/ Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:00:15 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=61 ]]> 61 0 0 0 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=81 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=81 81 0 1 0 http://burgerdigest.com/82/ Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:35:20 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=82 82 0 1 0 Roam http://burgerdigest.com/roam/ Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:00:55 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=187 Mischa was  going on about Roam Artisan Burgers. Last night, he treated me to dinner there. Business was booming, and the line was out the front door, but it didn't take long for it to move along. Roam's menu consists of many different kinds of burgers. The first thing you need to decide is whether you want beef, turkey, bison, veggie, or their special (last night it was elk). Then, you choose from one of eight styles. Classic, French and Fries, Tejano, Sunny Side, Heritage, Chalet, Pacific Blue, and BBQ. Classic costs $6, but $7 with cheese. The others are $8. They also have a variety of fries including Russet, Sweet Potato, and Zucchini Onion. A meal with a Classic-style burger, fries, and a drink comes to around $13. [caption id="attachment_188" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Pepper Jack, Jalepeño Relish, Tomato, White Corn Strips, and Herb Ranch."][/caption] Once you order at the counter, you'll receive a number and they'll bring it to your table when it's ready. It was really busy last night, so it took roughly 20 minutes for our food to arrive. Burgers were on plates and fries were in a metal basket. I took one bite and was in love. Died and went to Burger Heaven. The white corn strips on my burger added a great crunchy texture. The ranch sauce was yummy and the pepper jack with jalepeño relish added a nice kick. The thing I was most surprised about was that the burger stayed completely intact the whole time. It first seemed a little messy, but it was easy to eat. Mischa's had fries on the burger. Next time I'm going to have to try that. The fries were super tasty and had just the right consistency. They were perfect. Also: sesame seeds on both buns! [caption id="attachment_189" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Mischa's burger had Truffle Parmesan Fries, Gruyere, Avocado, Caramelized Onions, Watercress, and Dijon Mustard."][/caption] Roam was super awesome, and can't wait to go here again. Be sure to get yourself a Dagoba Chocolate Shake. It's great to have while you wait for your food.

Yay!

  • perfect burger
  • yummy fries
  • fries on your burger

Boo!

  • wait time
]]> 187 0 0 0 Little Big Burger http://burgerdigest.com/little-big-burger/ Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:11:15 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=213 In-N-Out. The simplicity carries over to the Little Big Burger website, which should be an example to the world of the best restaurant website ever. They have a cheeseburger, hamburger, veggie burger, french fries, sodas, and a rootbeer float. For their cheeseburger, you can choose between four kinds of cheese: Tillamook Cheddar, Swiss, Chèvre, or Bleu. Bacon is also available as an addition. You'll want to get two cheeseburgers because one isn't enough. They're $3.75 each, which is a little pricey for a burger of this size, so be sure to order a different cheese on your second one for a little variety. Two cheeseburgers with fries and a drink comes to a total of $12. [caption id="attachment_214" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Cheeseburger with Chèvre."][/caption] After placing your order and waiting around 5-10 minutes, they'll hand you a brown paper bag to the likes of Five Guys. I'm not a fan of assuming to-go, but this place really can't fit that many people inside. Burgers are wrapped in paper and the fries come in a small paper bag. I don't think I've ever had goat cheese but it was incredibly delicious on a burger. Besides the cheese, there's lettuce, onion, and pickle. I should note that the burger patty is cooked medium and they mean it. It's got lots of pink in the middle but it's super yummy. I got Swiss cheese on the second though it didn't stand out. [caption id="attachment_215" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Cheeseburger with Swiss. Unfortunately, the taste of the Swiss was a little lost."][/caption] The fries are standard, nothing to write home about, but the ketchup is made in-house. It's great. It has honey and Sriracha in it. A little sweet and a little spicy. Genius.

Yay!

  • tasty burger
  • sweet and spicy ketchup
  • super simple menu

Boo!

  • just-ok fries
  • a little pricey
]]> 213 0 0 0 Foster Burger http://burgerdigest.com/foster-burger/ Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:31:08 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=218 Little Big Burger for lunch, I had a unique craving for even more burger. When dinnertime came along, we visited Foster Burger. There were a few speciality burgers on the menu like the TurkeyBacon Burger, The Veggie Burger, The Kiwi Burger (cheddar, beet, egg), and the Burner (Sriracha, jalapeños, onion straws, cheddar, American). Lately I've been a big fan of Sriracha, so I went with The Burner. In addition to hand-cut fries, they had poutine. I've never had it before, so we got that too. There are a variety of drinks including beer, cocktails, sodas, and milkshakes. About the milkshakes… they even serve something called a Cockshake which adds a shot of liquor into your milkshake. We giggled about this for a good while. Depending on which burger you choose, a meal will cost you between $10 and $20. [caption id="attachment_219" align="alignnone" width="480" caption=""The Burner" had Sriracha in the burger and roasted jalapeños on top. Hot!"][/caption] Once our food came to the table I was amazed at how tall my burger was. (I don't really like a hard-to-eat burger. If you have to resort to knife-and-fork, that's a sure sign of giving up.) So I picked it up and took a bite. Spicy! I could definitely taste the Sriracha in the burger and the onion straws gave a nice crunchy texture to the sandwich. Halfway through and I noticed it was starting to fall apart. I quickly took a few more bites and eventually gave up trying. [caption id="attachment_220" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Poutine: french fries with cheese curds and gravy. Mmm, yummy!"][/caption] I scooped out some poutine onto my plate and it was super tasty. I'm glad we ordered it, because frankly I wouldn't have. "Cheese curds" sounds scary to me.

Yay!

  • spicy burger
  • yummy Foster sauce
  • super tasty poutine

Boo!

  • very messy
]]> 218 0 0 0 Metrovino http://burgerdigest.com/metrovino/ Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:00:40 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=222 Neven took me to Metrovino. Metrovino is not a burger joint, just a nice restaurant and bar. Before you go, you should know that the burger is only available on the bar menu. We went to go sit at the bar and ordered some drinks. After looking over the menu, it didn't seem that the Cheeseburger came with fries. I asked and it doesn't. I don't quite understand how you can serve a burger without fries. I ordered their tomato soup while I waited for the meal. The soup was great. I honestly could have eaten 8 bowls of it. But that's not what I came here for. The Cheeseburger costs $14. [caption id="attachment_223" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The Cheeseburger had a much larger bun than the patties, which is a huge no-no."][/caption] The burger arrived a little later and it was not what I expected at all. I must have glanced over the doubleness of the burger on the menu, but that's fine with me. What shocked me was that the bun was wider than the burger patties. It's a damn shame because as I picked it up to eat, the burger patties slid around and I couldn't get a first bite in with something other than just bread. The fancy sauce was delicious and the burger was tasty too. However, it was incredibly difficult to eat. After a few bites, I went to set the burger down and noticed a huge pile of grease on my plate. I knew setting it down would mean the bottom bun soaking up all that grease. Ew. Turns out that they serve a side arugula salad and a pickle spear in place of fries. The salad didn't go with the burger at all. A salad is never an appropriate substitute for good fries. Some claim it's the best burger in Portland, but I respectfully disagree.

Yay!

  • good fancy sauce

Boo!

  • no fries
  • disproportionate sandwich
  • very greasy
]]> 222 0 0 0 Burger Bar http://burgerdigest.com/?p=280 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=280 280 0 0 0 Pearl's http://burgerdigest.com/pearls/ Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:40:54 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=282 Pearl's Deluxe Burgers on Market St, just around the corner from where I work. A bunch of us walked up there and got in line. The place uses lots of red and blue, and to be honest, it looks like a quality joint. We arrived a little after noon, and there was a line of only about 4 people. That being said, the line was pretty confusing, as it wraps once in the restaurant, but there's not enough space, so it looks just like a cluster of people. The menu is pretty vast. They have Deluxe burgers, Mini burgers, Estancia burgers, Kobe burgers, Buffalo burgers… then they have some specials with teriyaki sauce or habanero or mushrooms or pesto… the list goes on. They also serve hot dogs, turkey, chicken, and veggie sandwiches as well. What delighted me the most was that they serve "Frings", which is a combination of fries and onion rings. They also have Springs which are sweet potato fries coupled with onion rings. I cannot stress how much they have on their menu. A Deluxe cheeseburger with fries and a drink will run you about $12. [caption id="attachment_287" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Deluxe Burger with cheese and bacon."][/caption] After my name was called (we got it to-go), I received an unmarked paper bag inside of a generic "Thank You" plastic bag. It wasn't branded, and the addition of the plastic bag was weird. I took a few bites into the burger and noticed that it was kinda watery. The burger seemed juicy, but not flavorful. It just tasted pretty bland. There was no seasoning at all, just a burger patty. I also realized that they didn't toast the bun either. The bun wasn't great to start with, but because they didn't toast the bun all of that wateriness soaked into the bun and make the whole sandwich moist and no-good. The fries seemed over-fried. Like four times. They were definitely below-average. Too crisp and too crumbly. The onion rings were a disgrace. They fell apart and felt extremely cheap. But that's not all. As we were walking into the place, I saw a delivery man wheel in boxes of frozen fries. Boo. All in all, it wasn't a great experience. It wasn't completely horrible. I'd have it again, but with Super Duper a few blocks away, I'd rather walk a little further to get something a lot better.

Yay!

  • bacon was crispy

Boo!

  • fries were overdone
  • no-good onion rings
  • burger was watery
  • untoasted bun
]]> 282 0 0 0 Umami Burger http://burgerdigest.com/umami/ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:33:02 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=299 Umami Burger which I've been dying to try. I attempted to visit Umami weeks ago when it opened but there was over an hour wait. (I went to Roam Artisan Burgers again.) A little background on "Umami": it's one of the five basic tastes which sits alongside sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Umami is commonly referred to as "savoriness." Foods rich in this flavor are cured meats, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheeses. Umami Burger adds these ingredients to their burgers in an effort to create a wonderful taste. Umami Burger has a bunch of different combinations and often has specials as well. Their menu includes a Manly Burger (beer cheddar, onion rings, bacon), Cali Burger (American cheese, lettuce, tomato), and the San Francisco special: a Bacon-Wrapped Scallop Burger. There are also fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and salads. A Cali Burger with fries and a drink will cost about $16. [caption id="attachment_301" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Cali Burger, Fries, and Umami Ketchup."][/caption] We waited about 15 minutes to be seated at the counter and we waited about 15 more for our food. Fries came before the burgers, a good 3 minutes or so. The fries were alright, and although they were better than average, they weren't completely amazing. However, Umami offers five different condiments: Umami Ketchup, Dijon Mustard, House Spread, Roasted Garlic Aioli, and Jalapeño Ranch. I got the ketchup and ranch for the fries, and they were both great. The ketchup has a distinct taste. I also tried a really spicy Habanero sauce. I ordered the Cali Burger, which after a single bite started to crumble. It was definitely tasty, I just wish I could keep the sandwich together. A few bites in and I started to dip it into the other sauces. The Habanero sauce was great but it was much spicer than the Jalapeño Ranch which would be more suited for sensitive tastebuds. The burger was the perfect size. Not too large or small. They place their U-stamped burgers on plates and don't wrap them, so watch out for falling bits of your sandwich. I had no problem picking up the pieces though because it was very yummy. [caption id="attachment_302" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="A samurai sword on display."][/caption] Umami Burger has a decent selection of beer, wine and some specialty sodas (I got a Black Cherry Soda).

Yay!

  • yummy burger
  • awesome condiments
  • classy

Boo!

  • messy and crumbly
]]> 299 0 0 0 Steak 'n Shake http://burgerdigest.com/steak-n-shake/ Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:00:26 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=319 Steak 'n Shake. While Steak 'n Shake is a chain, it's only available in the eastern United States. Steak 'n Shake serves Steakburgers, which are ground beef steaks. In addition, they also serve chili, chicken dishes, salads, and famous milk shakes. Steak 'n Shake has an vast array of different shakes to choose from. There are seven classic shakes, ten specialty shakes (with candy and cookies), and side-by-side shakes which are two flavors poured into the same glass, side-by-side. The Original Steakburger Double 'n Cheese with fries and a drink will come to about $6. But since you'll want a shake instead of a soda, it'll be $7 total. [caption id="attachment_327" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The Frisco Melt and fries with cheese."][/caption] Every Steak 'n Shake I've ever been to is open 24 hours which is perfect for late-nite cravings. The wait during lunch rush might be only 10 minutes to be seated, but the food typically comes out pretty quickly anyway. I usually get the Frisco Melt: two Steakburgers with American and Swiss cheeses on butter-grilled sourdough bread with Frisco sauce. It's absolutely delicious and I ate it three times in the single week I've been in St. Louis. I love the shoestring fries too. They're very thin and crispy, but also soft. I've never had a Steakburger sandwich fall apart on me, the cheese and sauces usually keep it completely solidified together, which is both kind of gross and amazing. The shakes are totally worth getting, though they are enormous. However, with a burger and fries in front of you, I'd suggest getting a "kiddie size" shake unless you're really hungry.

Yay!

  • tasty steakburgers
  • frisco melt
  • shakes
  • quick service
  • very cheap

Boo!

  • greasy
]]> 319 0 0 0 Frisco Melt http://burgerdigest.com/steak-n-shake/hero-10/ Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:35:49 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/hero.jpg 327 319 0 0 Gott's Roadside http://burgerdigest.com/gotts-roadside/ Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:39:07 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=338 Gott's at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. For whatever reason, I never find myself up in that area of the city, but Erica and I finally managed to head up there to eat at Gott's. Gott's serves a bunch of different burgers with varying cheese options, bacon, avocado, mushrooms, etc. On top of that, they also serve fish tacos, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and salads. To go along with those items they have fries, onion rings, soup, and chili. They also serve shakes, beers, wine, and soft drinks. A cheeseburger with fries and a soda costs about $13. [caption id="attachment_345" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Cheeseburger and fries."][/caption] When I went on a Saturday, it was pretty busy and we waited about 10 minutes for our food. No big deal. I picked up the food from the counter and returned to our table. At first glance, all of the toppings were sticking out of the wrapper in presentation-mode and weren't evenly distributed for eating-mode. A little disappointed with that. I quickly readjusted all of the toppings and took a few bites. It was pretty good! Their secret sauce was a little runny but it was tasty. I didn't realize that their burgers don't come with fries. At $8, I assumed (wrongly). Luckily I stole some of Erica's fries (which apparently came with her $6 chicken tenders meal). The fries were pretty normal, but I had no problem with them. I also got a cup of chili to taste, and quite liked it! It was just the right amount of spicy. A minor nitpick about water cups: I got water instead of soda this time, and I feel like when you get water anywhere they give you a smaller cup to distinguish between soft drinks. Gott's water cup was tiny. Like airplane cup tiny. I had to refill it quite often. It's almost like they assume I'm drinking significantly less than someone who ordered a soda. Gott's was a good joint and I'd be happy to visit again, but the next time I'm up at the Ferry Building, I want to try 4505 Meats. I hear they have a killer burger.

Yay!

  • yummy burger
  • spicy chili

Boo!

  • runny secret sauce
  • no burger+fries combos
]]> 338 0 0 0 Burger and Fries http://burgerdigest.com/gotts-roadside/hero-11/ Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:38:15 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/hero.jpg 345 338 0 0 Honest Burger http://burgerdigest.com/honest-burgers/hero-12/ Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:04:49 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/hero.jpg 353 349 0 0 Honest Burgers http://burgerdigest.com/honest-burgers/ Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:07:37 +0000 http://burgerdigest.com/?p=349 Honest Burgers that isn't too far from where we're staying in Soho. They have a really straightforward—honest—menu. A chicken burger, a beef burger (options for cheese or "Honest" with bacon, red onion relish, lettuce, cheddar, and pickles), and a fritter vegetarian burger sandwich thing. A Honest beef burger with fries and a soda costs £10.5 (about $16.5) making it one of the more expensive meals I've written about. [caption id="attachment_353" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="An Honest Burger: beef, red onion relish, smoked bacon, mature cheddar, pickled cucumber and lettuce."][/caption] On a Sunday night, it seemed not too busy, though it is a rather small place so you might see a little wait before you can have a seat. One bite into this burger and I was honestly amazed. It wasn't anything fancy, it was just that they managed to do it exactly right. The meat was cooked perfectly medium rare. The relish was surprisingly amazing. The real English bacon was heavenly. It's not a large burger, but I can say it was the perfect size. The chips (french fries) were wonderful. Served beautifully with a rosemary salt which gave them a unique and very tasty flavor. Having been away from America for the past week, I thought my opinion might've been easily swayed. Tonight, we visited Honest Burgers again. All four of us. Lo and behold, it was again amazing. Had to double check. Big fans all around, every single one of us enjoyed it.

Yay!

  • cooked perfectly
  • tasty relish
  • rosemary salted chips

Boo!

  • a bit pricy
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