Username
Password
Remember Me
(3 votes, average: 9.33 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Please leave a comment with your vote.
–
www.berniesburgerbus.com
Check website for locations
“Bernie’s is legit”! That is the text I received from a friend about a year ago. This new burger place restaurant thing was happening. You could call it a food truck but its actually a food school bus. If only I was this excited as a kid to see an actual school bus. This is the story, supposedly Houston Rockets player, Shane Battier, had a personal chef. Shane leaves to play for Memphis, the chef stays and starts dishing out gourmet burgers from the back of a school bus…. And everyone was going crazy for it! Is it true? I hope so because I was getting excited too. So how does one track down a moving burger target? You’ve got to be connected dude! Bernie’s is all over social media. Locations and times to find the bus are announced daily on the bird noise website and the book of faces along with supplemental updates and promotions. The bus has also been getting good reviews from some respected friends of Burger Tyme, specifically Alison Cook’s Burger Friday.
A few nights after receiving that initial text, I decided to try it for myself. Now where to go? This particular Friday night, Bernie’s was going to be parked outside of Lizzards Pub, a laid back bar inside a home, inside of a neighborhood. (Disclaimer: Most of these photos are from a Burger Tyme lunch at Bernie’s parked in front of Inversion Coffee House). So I rounded up the Burger Tyme wife, invited a Burger Tyme buddy to come along, and we made our way on this mini-treasure hunt. When we arrived we saw it. There it was. A bus in the parking lot with people lined up placing orders and large brown paper bags being passed passed through the same tiny window. Keeping with the school bus theme, the changing menu is written in chalk on boards hung like shutters on the window. So we got in line, and waited for Burger Tyme to begin.
Home made ketchup, BBQ sauce, and pickles, “tipsy” caramelized onions, fresh ground black angus beef, and burger buns baked daily! Bernie’s definitely leans gourmet. A quick scan of the menu would tell you that every burger combination has been meticulously planned by someone who knows burgers and knows flavors. It did not take long for me to decide on what to order. The Homeroom had my name written all over it. Bacon, Texas cheddar, “tipsy” onions, chipotle aoili, aaaannnnd a fried egg (asked for over medium)! The sides are equally inspiring however I would opt for an order of fresh cut fries. The line slowly shortened in front of us but never seemed to get any shorter behind us. We placed our order through the tiny window, gave our name, and waited at a table on the pub’s porch to hear our name be called over the distorted, cop style loudspeaker.
I don’t know how they all fit, but the four guys I saw inside that bus were whipping out large paper bags full of burgers at an impressive rate… given the circumstance. Our name was called in about 10 minutes. I proceeded to the window and was handed a grocery bag size paper bag. I hurried back to the table, opened the bag, and started divvying up the orders. The burger was much bigger than I expected, like two hands minimum big. This was not the prettiest burger, but man, it looked juicy. Between the patty, the onions, and the fried egg I instinctively reached for a pile of napkins. The first bite was wonderful. Every texture and flavor seemed to complement each other and tricked my senses into singular experience. The patty was perfectly ground, salted, and cooked. The onions added an excellent sweetness to the salty bacon and nutty cheddar, while the spicy creaminess of the aoili and the buttery yolk of the egg kept all flavors in line. Before I knew it the burger was gone. It was that good. The fries were great as well. My single order seemed like two whole potatoes fresh cut, fried to a nice dark golden brown and sprinkled with sea salt They were a wonderful match to the homemade ketchup that had a strong note of worcestershire. So good.
If you can’t tell by now, I loved the bus. Bernie’s combines everything I love about gourmet burgers with everything I love about scavenger hunts with everything I loved about school…. well, maybe not the last one, but if the buses I rode served burgers like this, I would still be in school. I have yet to mention price. I have mentioned the “G” word but don’t let that scare you. Most burgers are around $8 and fries are a mere $2. You can get as fancy as you like. I’ve been to Bernie’s several times, at several locations, and tried several burgers. All were unique and enjoyable. This is gourmet burgers in a non-gourmet setting but Bernie’s arrangements with the places they park their bus makes me wonder why anyone would not have a school bus.
(1 votes, average: 6.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
LunchBox Laboratory www.lunchboxlaboratory.com 1253 Thomas Street Seattle, WA 98109 (map)
Back in Washington! It’s been over two years since I’ve been to this beautiful state. En route to majestic Mt. Rainier, I made sure to sample yet another burger in search of the best burger that the pacific northwest can offer. After some scientific research, I was led to the LunchBox Laboratory in Seattle. Rated as the Best Burger in Washington according to the Food Network and one of the 12 best burgers in the nation by Epicurious, the expectations and hype were a little higher than usual. We made our way over to LBL which, coincidentally, is on the same corner as the REI Flagship store. My wife does not believe that this was a coincidence but nevertheless, we were going to head that way anyway before making our way the the mountain. Remembering the last two burgers I had in and around this town, Red Mill and XXX Root Beer, I had high hopes for the Lab.
We arrived on a chilly and overcast Seattle day and found a seat outside. Our waiter came out and rather unenthusiastically took our drink order, giving us time to make sense of the verbose menu. When the time came to take our order, our waiter began complaining about the number of “build your own” burgers our group was ordering. It didn’t seem like he was trying to be funny but maybe I don’t get Seattle humor. Rude service aside, it was now my time to order.
Based on my research and the recommendation of Epicurious, I simply ordered “The Burger of the Gods”. This burger seemed to have it all! Balsamic soaked onions… gorgonzola sauce…. a patty mixture of kobe ribeye and chuck…. mmmm. As an added benefit, this simple order would not burden our waiter further with the custom burger issues he was having. I went with a side of tater tots which LBL proudly admits to having. I love tots so gotta have ’em. My wife’s custom burger was a basic build with lettuce, mayo, and patty but she also added “Million Island Burger Sauce” which is LBLs version of thousand island dressing. She also ordered the sweet potato fries. To top it off, my sister in law opted for chocolate cherry shake made with local Rainier cherries. All in all, it seemed like we had all of the ingredients for a grand experiment.While we waited, we enjoyed the cool weather, the noticeably 90’s Seattle rock music being played over the radio, and talking about our camping plans.
After about ten minutes, out came the fancy burger spread. These burgers definitely appeal to the gourmet, artistic end of the burger spectrum. As I inspected my godly grub, I noticed that the organic (there’s the O word again) kaiser bun had an intense toasting to it. It was not burned but was the color of deeply browned butter and also had an extremely hard texture on the toasted side. I reassembled my burger, hoisted it with both hands and bit in. Angelic visions of sweet balsamic onions and pungent gorgonzola filled my vision! Whether intentional or not, the hard toasted bun gave a very nice contrast in texture to the other, more yielding ingredients. The flavor of the patty was not really at play here. It gave a nice beefy backdrop to the stars of the show. This was a very great tasting burger with very intense flavors. So intense that by the end of the burger, my taste buds were tired. I sampled my wife’s burger and found it similar in texture with much different flavors at play. The “million island” dressing was slightly sweet and seemed to match up much better with the patty and cheddar rather than over powering them with free slots.
Almost all businesses need affordable PDF solutions that don’t require budgeted training time to learn. Check out services sodapdf online for more information. Why not try here?
The tater tots were a little disappointing. I hoped that the same level of creativity we were seeing in the burgers would be applied to the sides, similar in effort to the tots at Block 7. The tots were basically the same you can get anywhere. I don’t think these were made in house, but if they were, then I am impressed by the accuracy with which they replicated them. The sweet potato fries were cooked nicely and seasoned with sea salt. I sampled the chocolate cherry shake, and i have to say, it was really good. The fresh cherries were a nice touch to create the classic combination of chocolate covered cherries.
The test results are in. The lab was an interesting and tasty Burger Tyme…. but it was also an experience where you have to pay for the privilege. My “Burger of the Gods” was the cheapest burger option at a steep $13. Sides were and additional three. Add to that beverages and tip and we spent well over $20 a person on this little experiment. While the burgers were good, they were not good enough to justify that steep of a price. I came here expecting to be wowed by creativity and originality but did not find it. The texture was intersting but new burger ground was not being broken here. For example, the signature “Burger of the Gods” was good but was simliar in concept to an over wrought version of the Good Dog burger in Philadelphia.
All in all, the Lab is an experience but if I lived in Seattle, I might go here every now and then for some high quality burgers. However, I’m afraid I would keep searching for the best burger. Until next trip!
(2 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Little Bitty Burger Barn www.littlebittyburgerbarn.com 5503 Pinemont Drive Houston, TX 77092-2619 (map)
In the middle of a busy work week, I got a call from my brother in law telling me he had an expiring coupon to this burger place in northwest Houston. Did I want to go try it with him? Uh… Yeah! I made my way to one of the less savory areas in Houston and pulled up to a shack by some railroad tracks. The parking lot was full and there was already a line out the door. Well that is a good sign that we were in for a special Burger Tyme. I managed to park behind what looked to be an abandoned hardware store within walking distance and walked my way to the “Barn”. We stepped inside and I was surprised by how deceptively big this place is. From the outside it seems like just a small portable building, but inside there were plenty of tables and booths… All full. We got in line and and began perusing the menu board.
Right off the bat, things were looking pretty good for this Itty Bitty Burger Tyme. All burgers were served on a fresh baked bun and could be ordered with either the 1/4 or 1/2 lb patty of fresh, never frozen beef. The price also included your choice of fries, tater tots, or onion rings. So far, this place had the features that I look for and a price that like. It could only be better if they have shakes… THEY DO! Can I add a fried egg?… YES! This is burger heaven. While we were waiting, it is becoming obvious that there are some struggles at the cash register. It was the employees first day and the owner was running back and forth from the kitchen to help her ring customers up. It wasn’t that big of a deal but the aroma of cooking burgers was making my stomach yearn for some little bitty goodness.
Our turn comes up, but there is a problem. Neither the owner nor the new employee are to be found. It’s just a line of potential customers and an empty counter. For about five minutes, we waited at the counter, while they would pop their head out of the kitchen and say it would be just a minute. At this point I’m still OK waiting. The burgers I see coming out of the kitchen look great. Finally the owner steps out and explains that they are very busy and begins to take our order.
I put my order in for a fully loaded 1/4 lb cheese burger with an added fried egg ( of course), tater tots, and a chocolate shake. I was told the shake would come out with my order. My brother in law placed his order and we were fortunate enough to find a seat. While we were in line, the people continued to pile in and the line was always out the door. So, obviously, this place was busy. After waiting 15 minutes to get an order in, we waited some more for our order… And waited… And waited. After about 20 minutes here it came. In the hands of the new employee who had been relegated to bringing food out, were two great looking baskets filled with big burgers, lots of tots, and a shake… No wait, where is my shake. I asked her about the missing item, and she said she would bring it right out. Thinking it would soon turn up, we dug in.
The bun was pillowy soft and very good. While I only ordered the 1/4lb patty, it seemed a little larger and added a very nicely seasoned beefy flavor. It had a nice sear on it and the cheese was perfectly melted. The veggies were so so. The slice of red onion was great but the chopped ice burg lettuce was the let down, albeit the only let down of the very well balanced burger. The addition of the fried egg only vaulted this burger into the greatness stratosphere! The tots were, well, tots. I love tots but I honestly couldn’t tell you a tot I’ve had is any different than any place else, like I could with fries. I’m sure they are frozen and all come out of the same factory in the north east, but I still love them.
The shake was… was… still not there. I was halfway through the burger. I approached the counter to ask for it and was told by the owner it was coming out soon. I grabbed a cup of water to at least have something to wash this down with. I managed to finish this entire meal with only a cup of water. While my arteries were happy, my mouth was sad.
Little Bitty Burger Barn has a great, GREAT burger! But this place also has some Little Bitty problems. The wait time is just ridiculous. I understand that they were busy and there was a new employee, but almost 40 minutes from arrival to eating is insane. The owner was somewhat apologetic for the wait and the confusion but never actually apologized. He would only say “We’re really busy”… Yeah, I can tell. I did finally get my shake… As I was walking out the door. Had I had it with the meal I would have probably thought it was pretty good. But while driving home, it seemed like nothing more than half-hearted mixture of soft serve mixed with Hershey’s syrup. Overall, I would go back but not during a week day lunch. The burger was surprisingly good with borderline gourmet quality and the price was spot on. They just need to fix a few of the rush hour kinks. If they can iron this out, I can promise, the rating will go up.
(1 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Angry Dog www.angrydog.com 2726 Commerce Street Dallas, TX 75226 (map)
Dallas! Home of the 2011 NBA champs and “America’s team”, the Dallas Cowboys. Whether you’re a fan or not, Dallas is one happenin’ place (that’s how the kids would say it, right?). I recently was sent there for a work assignment and I have to be honest… I was excited! Dallas is home to some of the top rated burger joints in Texas and the country. Lucky for me, I had a few coworkers who are not just Dallas-ites(?) but also burger lovers! You would be surprised how many of us are out there… Well, I guess if you are reading this then it should be no surprise. Anyway, the number one burger in Dallas, as voted by the people I know who live there is Angry Dog! That is a good enough endorsement for me. My experience at Good Dog in Philadelphia left me with high hopes for yet another (adj) dog themed burger joint.
I rounded up a few coworkers and early on a Tuesday evening, we headed down to the Deep Ellum section of Dallas. On the drive over, they explained to me that Deep Ellum was the happenin’ place to be in Dallas but the trend has since moved on. When we got there, I saw what they meant. There were a lot of empty shops and buildings in what looked like a pretty nice area. There were, however, plenty of people going in to Angry Dog, which is always a good sign.
We walked inside the barn door front and were immediately greeted by what is perhaps the most intimidating waiter I’ve ever seen. He had a long goatee and his rolled up shirt sleeves drew particular attention to scary size of his biceps. He politely greeted us and turned out to be a pleasant dude. This place was packed and, as it turned out, our waiter was the waiter for everyone else too. I became very skeptical about the service we were going to receive. However, I quickly became amazed at the speed that our waiter was going from table to table, refilling drinks, taking orders, and bringing out food. It was really impressive.
We scanned over our menus which had all kinds of Texas style offerings but were here for the “Best in Dallas” Angry Dog burger. It comes with a half pound patty and veggies on the side. I opted to have my onions grilled and added jalapenos, American cheese, and a fried egg (of course). An interesting twist was the option for fries or refried beans included with the burger… I got fries.
Our wait was short and our waiter speedily brought out our drinks and then our burgers without a hitch. Visually, the burger spread was not the most impressive. The bun was a regular white bun and I personally am not a fan of having to separate the burger to put on the veggies. When I opened it up, however, the grilled onions, melted cheese, and fried egg began to get me excited. I quickly assembled mine and took a bite. Mustard! As is a Texas burger tradition, the mustard is leading flavor here. It complemented the beefy patty in both flavor and adding a little juiciness to it as it was a little more well done than I prefer. With the addition of grilled onions and the other veggies, this burger was plenty juicy. .. good. The fries were good too; fresh cut and fried crispy. One of the other Burger Tymers got the refried beans. I sampled them and frankly, I don’t think the beans went that well with the burger but it was an interesting twist.
We rounded out our meal with the desert of the day which was a chocolate cake. It was quite good and a nice way to end stuffing your face with a big burger. Overall, this burger was just plain good. Nothing special, nothing gimmicky. It was a straightforward, classic burger, with so many options you are the only one to blame if you don’t like it. The price was reasonable as well. The burger, fries, and drink came in at just under $10. The best part about this meal was the atmosphere. From the picnic table seating to the house rules of “No foul language” and “Don’t harass single women”, everything about this place was Texas at it’s best. If you are in the Dallas area, you should give Angry Dog a try.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
—
Block 7 Wine Co. www.block7wineco.com 720 Shepherd Drive Houston, TX 77007-5353 (map)
Let me discuss lists for a second. Lists are great. They summarize, in simple terms, the information that you should care about, while at the same time, telling you how strongly you should care. I constantly referencing lists to find great burgers to try. In fact, one goal of Burger Tyme is to provide burger lovers a comprehensive list of great burgers, from around the world to try (or not depending on the rating). It was on the list of Best Bugers in Houston 2010 by fellow burger and food critic Allison Cook, where I found the Block 7 Wine Co. burger listed as one of the best. This was great news! It is literally across the street from one of my current favorites, BRC, and less than a mile from where I live. Great! So we rang up a friend who was in town and headed over to sample one of the new “best” burgers in Houston. Block 7 is an unassuming warehouse style building, which is in line with the many other trendy pubs and bars that are popping up along the Washington corridor. We were quickly seated and given some menus. Block 7’s core focus is wine which is evident in the vast wine menu, frequent tasting events , and on-site retail store. The food menu seems to echo this focus with many upscale offerings that would most likely go well with specific wines. I don’t drink, so I don’t know wine… but I do know burgers.
After a brief perusal of the menu we were ready to order. A round of Block 7 burgers was ordered. It includes dry aged beef, gruyere cheese, arugula, smoked bacon relish, homemade “dijonoli”, and all on a specially made bun. It sounded right up my gourmet burger alley. I also opted for a side of tater tots and a Mexican Coke, which is made from cane sugar instead of corn syrup. My wife ordered fries and our friend surprised us all when he ordered rabbit sausage as an appetizer to go with his burger. You’ve got to admire those willing to try new things.
Our wait was not long, roughly ten minutes, until our impressive looking spread of burgers came out. They looked great and were obviously made of the highest quality of ingredients but, sadly, this is where the burger peaked. Upon first bite I was immediately hit by the pungency of all of the ingredients. It was something reminiscent of a feeling of eating too much wasabi combined with sour and smelly cheese. I couldn’t shake this flavor. The patty itself was not much better. Dry aged beef might make a good steak, but ground up and fried it becomes chewy and lacking in juiciness. The one saving aspect of this burger was the bun. It was pillowy and fresh and would have been great were it not housing such a horribly balanced combination of burger ingredients.
But fret not, the tater tots were very good. They were chunky potatoes bound with cheese and breaded with a wonderfully crunchy crust. Imagine deep fried potatoes au gratin. The french fries were equally good, fresh cut and crispy on the outside while still soft in the middle. The rabbit sausage was good as well. I had not had rabbit before and could best compare the flavor to that of seasoned scrambled eggs.
So what did I think? I struggled, probably for the first time in my life, to finish this burger. I was determined to find that special flavor or note that would help me understand what they were try to accomplish. Sadly, the only conclusion that I could come up with is that this mixture of flavors must go great with some types of wine. I don’t know wine… but I do know burgers and by itself this is not a good burger. Was it high quality? Absolutely, but the flavor is just miserable.
Which brings me back to lists… Sometimes lists are useful for guiding us and setting expectations. Unfortunately, sometimes lists can lead you into trying things which you may not like… And that is why I love lists! My wife, my friend, and I had a great time trying and discussing this burger and contrasting it with the other food we ordered. Block 7 does have an extensive menu with many other options that I think could be great and would be willing to return to try. If however, you are wanting a great burger in the specific area, go across the street to BRC (but only on Mondays).
