Karen: Sometimes you just really want a good old fashioned cheeseburger...
Karen: My current favorite is from the Famous Dave's barbecue chain -the Ultimate burger, with smoky cheddar cheese, bacon, and pulled pork piled high on top of a delicious brisket patty. But I also dig the tasty delights of Five Guys -the little bacon cheeseburger is fantastic.
Karen: Dive in gang -give your favorite burger some love today! I'm sure we're all going to be starving well before lunch time!
My favorite place for Burgers was Fudruckers. Both the meat and the rolls seemed very fresh. Plus they have baked beans as a side dish! However, I haven't been there in years, and now, there are no longer any in New York state! :-(
ReplyDeleteThe last really awesome burger I had was actually room service in a hotel in New Jersey.
I tried Five Guys last year for the first time, after hearing so many wonderful things about it, and was thoroughly disappointed. I didn't think it was anything special at all, and I can think of several theme restaurants that have better burgers. Oh well.
Ha, what a coincidence! Just treated myself to a (rather middling) cheeseburger for lunch - so no worries about me being starved.
ReplyDeleteAnd as a displaced Yank, I can sympathize with Tony Stark's cheeseburger woes. It's interesting, given the popularity of grilled foods here in Croatia and the entire region, I have yet to find a properly done burger. One thing that comes close is a type of very spicy grilled meat patty that is folded over so the cheese is inside (usually something similar to feta cheese is used). It's served with a large bun that's also thrown on the grill just as the patty is done so it's nice and toasty. It's quite good, but people here usually eat it with a knife and fork - it's apparently never occurred to anybody to put the patty in the bun and eat it like sandwich.
Anyway, a great burger place I really liked back when I was in the US was Barney's - a small chain of gourmet burger restaurants in the SF Bay Area which I discovered when in college. Over 20 different types burgers with all kinds of toppings. I've found myself craving those more than once since I've been living here.
Actually, Edo (and Tony's) comment about cheeseburger woes reminds me of when I got back from Bangladesh. I'd been there for 10 days, and the very first thing I got when coming back was a hamburger! Unfortunately, my choices were limited, as my flight back to Rochester was cancelled and I was stuck in Chicago (no offense to Doug but it ain't much fun when it's unplanned and you have no transportation) and the only open restaurant within walking distance from the motel I spent the night was Burger King. So, my first meal back in America was an Angus Burger (well, too actually) which really tasted exquisite at the time.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I should mention that I don't eat red meat very often, but when I do, a burger is usually my poison of choice.
Oh, let the carnivores of the land rejoice..!!
ReplyDeleteAs much as the wife kept us both eating pretty healthy for the last 15some years, we still have a taste for a nice burger and fries..
Five Guys is really good, probably the best 'round here for great burgers. There is a pub joint in fashionable downtown Milwaukee called the Ale House where they have the classy 'shroom stuffed cheeseburgers. Exquisite.
Sometimes a quarter-pounder at McDonalds is just fine for me, Culvers is great as well. It typically has to be a nice cold glass of milk, regular coke or a nice brew to 'complete the experience'. Raw onions on top and good fries are a must.
Speaking over overseas time, I swear it would be upwards of 120 degree heat out and these 20something kids (well, Soldiers..) would be in the mess hall at lunch, pounding down these 1/2 pound cheeseburgers, fries and soda, then go out patrolling in the hummers.
I know I could NEVER pull that off...
My wife was raving about the burgers at this local greek place we go to ~ I tried one and the entire thing kept falling apart on me.
Fuddrucker is good but I just cook 'em at home and they're even better.
ReplyDeleteEDO - I used to go to Barney's all the time!! My co-workers and I would hit Barney's in Piedmont every Friday. Loved the variety of the burgers. I don't think I ever had a bad burger there. I would go back and forth between the Teriyaki burger, the guacamole burger, and BBQ burger. Oh man, those are some good memories. They also had those nice, thick steak fries.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, Karen, the fries were almost as good as the burgers. Loved all the ones you mentioned, also remember liking one I think was called the Maui burger, plus a Tex-Mex one, forgot the exact name. Man, I'm really getting hungry again...
ReplyDeleteWhat region are you all in? Never heard of Five Guys, Famous Dave, Barney, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I was at Culver's, a few months ago, they had a Peppercorn Pub Burger (not sure if that was the exact name) that was really, really good.
ReplyDeleteSome of the best burgers do seem to come from pubs, don't they? We have a new establishment in town called "Burgers and Beer"; people are raving about it. It's on the "go-to" list...
Doug
The only person I know who loves Five Guys more than me is my wife (uh, wait that doesn't sound right!) ;)
ReplyDeleteBare Burger is a little overpriced but they have a good range of specialty burgers with both beef and game meats (I like the boar and the ostrich).
There is this place on 2nd Avenue in the East Village, Paul's that is a greasy little hole that one of my favorite burgers. Yum.
But Mattis kind of right - sometimes the best burger is one you cook on the backyard grill yourself.
Oh and by the way, I thought this post was going to be about Jimmy Buffet and I was going to have to just avoid it. ;)
Doug, ever hit the Billy Goat Taverns in Chicago, the inspiration for the famous early SNL sketches..?
ReplyDeleteI guess they have one on Navy Pier now; they opened one in DC back in 2005, perhaps I'll have to try it there next week.
I don't know who all love Angus burgers here but a nice half pound goes down pretty nice.
ReplyDeleteA place named Bannock Burger recently opened up in my city--they replace the bun with native Bannock. Mmm...I had a pineapple teriyaki burger there a few days ago, angus beef...delicious! They also serve bison. It's brand new, so watch for it in the next few years if it becomes a chain.
ReplyDeleteI also like Red Robin's 5-alarm burger with jalapenos. *mouth watering*
David --
ReplyDeleteStrange as it may sound, I've never eaten at the Billy Goat! And yes, I believe they do have one at Navy Pier.
Five Guys is good -- watch out when you order the fries. We learned early on to order the small, as they double the size of whatever you purchase! Loved Fuddrucker's, too.
I love Red Robin even as a chain for the variety they offer.
Doug
Matt --
ReplyDeleteThere are at least three Five Guys in San Diego, but the closest Famous Dave's is in Vista. Looked it up on Google.
Doug
Dicks!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ddir.com/
Billy Goat rocks!
ReplyDeleteIn&Out, if you're in that SoCal mood.
When I read Pat's first post, I thought "Can you post that and still be family friendly?" I then I realized he was calling out the name of a restaurant.
ReplyDeleteMr Oyola, I laughed so hard I think I peed a little. It's a major "B" getting old.
When I was growing up, the local KFC had a grill and burgers and hot ham and cheese were part of the menu. Your choice on the burgers were with cheese or without. They came with the classic four, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions. And mustard, no mayo. Dad and I would walk over on Saturdays get a booth and a couple of burgers. To this day, I remember NOT to drink hot chocolate through the red stirrers. You burn your mouth and you get a head ache.
Our Fudruckers have the exotic meats menu where you can get ostrich and bison and other animals. Is that just here or everywhere?
The Prowler (fresh out of napkins and seriously in need of a sit up).
I'll have to check Fuddruckers for exotic items. Never heard of that but never looked as I'm usually with two impatient little kids so I order as fast as possible. Don't get there often. Last time I had a bison burger was a couple years back when we went to Julian for pies. Bison is tasty, like a less fatty cow burger.
ReplyDeleteIt's a chain, nothing fancy, but I love Steak'n'Shake! They have these little 'steakburger' shooters, preferably the Chipotle cheese variety. Top these off with a tall Chocolate Malt and you have an indulgent (if not necessarily healthy) lunch...
ReplyDeleteFudrucker? They really named a restaurant Fudrucker? Oh, you Yanks have a strange, strange sense of humour! Sounds like the guy who named it was a dyslexic potty mouth!
ReplyDeleteI guess I shouldn't complain - down here in T & T sometimes it looks like a mini USA with all the international food chains like KFC, McDonalds (recently back on the scene after a few years), Church's chicken, Pizza Hut, Subway, Burger King, Papa John's and Wendy's vying for a spot to further clog your arteries. Heck, I heard a local entrepreneur is planning to bring down Chuck E Cheese down here too.
All I have to say is - nothing beats a classic double patty cheeseburger with mushrooms, no pickles.
- Mike 'Hey! No fair, now I'm hungry!' from Trinidad & Tobago.
Wow, I've been wanting to get onto this thread all day, and have been too flippin' busy! And, geeze, I've eaten at the majority of the places mentioned here, although I've never tried that DELICIOUS-sounding burger at Famous Dave's. And didn't know we had a Billy Goat Tavern in DC-- have to track it down someday.
ReplyDeleteI did a national tour in '87/'88-- and had my first taste of White Kastle sliders on it. I think I ate 30 of them that first day/night/breakfast we were in that town. The cheapest, greasiest, onioniest, whitebreadest taste delight that could ever be imagined. They were like burger crack cocaine. In DC we had a chain called Little Tavern for many years that was similar-- but somehow not quite as good.
Fudruckers-- okay, but too much about the fancy bun, and TOO flippin' pricey!
Steak & Shake-- also good, but too expensive for a Five Guys style menu.
Five Guys-- I dunno, again- pretty good, but left me wanting more.
Honestly, a fresh Big Mac is still something I crave even though it's been many, many years since I've had one. I did some part-time work at McD's a-way back, and custom-made my own which were awfully good.
In fact, truly, my own grilled Suicide Cheeseburgers remain my favorite, and have proven popular w/ my kids' friends as well. Regular ground beef, lots of garlic, teriyaki sauce, a bit of soy sauce, chili powder, mesquite seasoning, chipotle seasoning, dash of Frank's Red Hot sauce, ground black pepper, lemon juice, oregano, pinch of ginger, a good splash of Worchesteshire (sp) sauce, dehydrated onions. . . and probably one or two other things I may be forgetting. On a bun w/ tomato and fried onions and aged cheddar (called "stinkyfeet cheese" in our household), and choice of condiments. Honestly. . . that's my favorite burger. I'm to the point as a cook where I prefer my own comfort foods to restaraunt fare. . .
HB
Mr. Oyola -sorry about the Jimmy Buffet song title. It seems like Doug and I have this habit of using song titles for posts, and I couldn't think of another song with cheeseburger in the title. I actually cringed a little when I typed it into the title slot.
ReplyDeleteI also have enjoyed Carls Jr. when it comes to fast food burgers. The western bacon cheeseburger is a pretty reliable choice.
We just got a Steak and Shake out here in Tempe, but I haven't tried it yet. There's a Five Guys right across the street from it, so I'm a little reluctant to go from a proven quantity to an unknown.
I remember having a cheeseburger at the Hard Rock Cafe in Reykjavik, Iceland just to see what it was like. It tasted exactly like a cheeseburger at any Hard Rock Cafe. I guess that's the beauty of it. If you're missing 'home' you know where to go!
It's a hard thing to find. I've not been impressed by Five Guys, nor do I like bacon on my burger, so that clears away a lot of the competition.
ReplyDeleteSomeone mentioned Steak and Shake, and that's likely the top of my list right now.
Although I have to say I rather like Burger King's Whopper pretty good too, a burger for the masses.
Rip Off
Ohhhhh, good call, Rip--
ReplyDeleteHow could I have forgotten the Whopper? The champ of cardiac game-stoppers? There once was a time that I'd eat two double-beef whoppers w/ cheese & extra tomato and settle into a deliriously happy food coma. . .
HB
I remember in high school it was typical for me to eat 4 McDonald's burgers plus large fries, shake, and pie! And I was a skinny kid!
ReplyDeleteCool that you were in Iceland Karen. It is comforting to sometimes have a regular ol' burger when traveling.
Ah, Garett, I remember the teenage metabolism quite well: eating a late afternoon lunch consisting of burgers and fries or pizza, and then coming home and eating dinner about 2-3 hours later. And none of it stuck to me...
ReplyDeleteMan, it all reappeared and stuck to me about 20 years later-- THAT was it's trick. . .
ReplyDeleteEdo, I meant to mention-- that grilled meat&cheese patty you describe sounds extremely tasty. Does it have a common name? I might be inclined to look it up and make a facsimile of my own. . .
HB
HB, the term for a ground meat patty is the rather (for tongues not used to Slavic languages) unpronounceable pljeskavica (the j is pronounced like a y, the c like ts or tz). The one I mentioned is just called a pljeskavica sa sirom, i.e., with cheese (or cheese-filled).
ReplyDeleteHere's a link
to a page that has pictures of both the regular and cheese-filled varieties.
Here's a close-up
view. Don't let that sandwich layout confuse you; when served, most people here take out a knife and fork and eat it like a steak, and use their fingers only to tear off little pieces of the bread.
And here's
another with a close-up of one filled with feta.
That one actually has a recipe under it...