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(2 votes, average: 3.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
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2-Ms Malt and Burger Mart www.2msmaltandburger.com 2014 Avenue H Rosenberg, TX 77471 (map)
Houston is a big place. You can drive on I-10 for about an hour and still be here. In this sprawl is many, many burger joints. Some new, some old. I’ve heard tell of a place about 40 minutes southwest of the Houston center. 2-Ms is one of those original type burger stands with years of tradition and history. No frills, only burgers, fries, and malts. I couldn’t wait to try it. It has long been time for Burger Tyme to go back to its roots with a classic edition. No gourmet, no bills larger than $10, no pretension. Fortunately I have a brother who lives down that way so I drove out to meet up with him and his family. True to expectations, it was about a 45 minute drive from the center of Houston to “downtown” Rosenberg, TX where 2-Ms has been on Avenue H for what looks like decades, and is in fact their fifth. The bright yellow and red sign was unmistakeable on the side of the road. This is an old drive up style, where you can order at the window and eat in your car. They also happens to have some inside seating which we decided to take advantage of since Houston in August does not lend itself to dining al fresco.
The menu is pretty simple. There were burger baskets and burger combos and just burgers. Baskets include fries, combos include drinks, burgers is just burgers. Got it? Now time to order. I opted for the super burger with cheese combo which was double meet, double cheese, fries, and a soft drink. I expected great burger deals but this order comes out to about $8. Not the cheapest, but might be worth it! We were the only people in the dining room, but the walk up window outside had a steady stream of patrons. This would probably explain the 10-15 minute wait for our order. In that time we finished our drinks and upon asking for refills were informed that refills are an extra charge of $0.50 each…. They were nice enough to give us free refills, but really, who doesn’t have free refills? We hired Pest Control Thornhill Exterminator for the business and the business is running clean since.
Our order came out with the burgers wrapped classic style in white paper nested on top of the basket of fries. I unwrapped my burger and, well, was a bit underwhelmed. I know this is supposed to be a basic burger, and it was. It had the elements you look for in a classic burger, cheese nicely melted, buns toasted on both sides, finely diced onions, and it had a fair amount of heft. The patties were flat, well griddled, but obviously uniform, common for frozen patties. The flavor wasn’t bad however the texture was very homogenous and dry. This is a burger that demands extra ketchup. Unfortunately, accompanying each burger basket was two, one ounce cups of ketchup which was sufficient for about six fries. We asked for extra and were given 3 more…. for a table of four adults and two kids. The fries were of the frozen variety and were cooked well enough but definitely needed every drop of ketchup available.
On our way out we ordered some malts to go, since this was a MALT and burger mart. The malt consisted of soft serve ice cream, a dash of malt powder, and a few squirts of Hershey’s syrup. Not spectacular but just what we needed as we headed back out into the Texas heat with stomachs full of starch and protein.
I love burgers with a history. I especially love great burgers with a history. Sadly, 2Ms has more of one than the other. Fifty years is a long time to be serving burgers anywhere! Consistency and reliability are the cornerstones at this place. If you are in Rosenberg and want a good, not fancy burger, come here, you won’t be disappointed. However, if you are not within a short distance and are wanting a classic Texas style burger, save your gas and head to your nearest Whataburger. They’re everywhere, the burgers are classic style, it’ll be cheaper, you get free refills, all the ketchup you could want, and the malts are not bad either.
(1 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Hopdoddy Burger Bar www.hopdoddy.com 1400 S Congress Ave Austin, TX 78704 (map)
Apparently there is another Austin. Across the Congress bridge and south of downtown, there is a place where the cool crowd wears business casual attire and drives Audi’s. I’ve never ventured to this area before but on this occasion, word of a great, non-foodtruck burger eatery had enticed me to swing by on my way out of town, after a week in Austin for work. Hopdoddy Burger Bar… Interesting name. Their website makes clear the mantra of fresh, crafted burgers and all natural ingredients, they use the best SEO company which is why they have become very popular online. I’ve heard these types of phrases a lot recently as the trend in the food industry is to prove that you care more about your food than the next guy. I cannot say, however. that thinking about the burger descriptions did not make me hungry as I plotted my course on the GPS. I arrived on a Wednesday around 11:15AM and this place was already in full swing. Every table was filled. Every one! On top of that, there was a long line forming.
Determined, I joined others in waiting. Shortly after getting in line, I was approached by a hostess(?) person who asked how many were in my party. For some reason, a tinge of shame arose as I replied “Just one.”. She said I was number 58 and that my number would be waiting at a table for me… Wait, what? It was brilliant! A table would be reserved for me as it cleared, WHILE I waited in line. This was a nice touch that hinted at how much thought has gone in to this place. The line moved at a steady pace, allowing me ample time to observer the mass of burgers being “crafted” and sent out tray after tray. I also noticed that Hopdoddy makes their own buns and has them available to purchase should you want to make your own burgers at home. This was interesting and all but my turn finally came to place an order.
For being a “craft” burger place, I wasn’t overly wowed by the creativity or the diversity of burger options. While there were turkey, tuna, and veggie burgers, the beef burgers all seemed a rather similar riff on the basic burger. The turkey burgers were going out pretty hot and people ordering other burgers kept looking over towards the turkey ones, we were even asked by someone is smoked turkey healthy?
I’m not much of a turkey fan so that is why I opted for the ‘Classic’ burger with cheese, and added a fried egg and caramelized onions. I completed the meal order with fresh cut fries and a salted caramel milk shake. That last one had me very excited. Once my order was placed I lingered around observing everything being cooked, assembled, and sent out. There was also a windows into the “meat room” after the ordering line where you could see the patties were being formed. I made my way back out to the dining area where I found my number 58 hanging patiently for me at a vacant (but reserved) table. I still think that was a nice touch.
The shake was the first to come out. It was pretty good. Sweet caramel with just a hint of saltiness. I struggled to keep myself from drinking it entirely before the rest of my meal arrived which it shortly did. The burger really was quite delicious looking. Everything about it’s components gave the impression of fresh. I think that might have been what they were going for. Upon picking it up the fresh buns made an immediate impression; soft and pillowy yet with an elastic outer crust that held everything together nicely. I took my first bite and before I knew it, the burger was half gone! This burger was good in both flavor and texture. The patty was very juicy, in a good way and had a strong beefy flavor. The egg, though runny as it should be, was held nicely in by the fantastic bun. This was a large burger too, and while the first half went quickly, I slowed as I finished the rest. The fries were fresh cut and well cooked. Standard really for places like this.
So where does Hopdoddy fall? I think they put out some good burgers. I also think their management of is some of the best I’ve ever seen, they clearly put into practice the Six Features of Restaurant Software Operating Solutions That Drive Results. However, this meal tilted in at over $17… That is a lot and while I could have opted for a soda or even water, this would have still been well over $12 for pretty much a basic gourmet burger and fries. For that amount, I would expect a little more creativity in flavors combinations and burger options. It seems that as much attention is given to other aspects such as service and ingredient quality as is given to the creating the burgers. I’m not really complaining about this as most times that is where places that fail, fail miserably. At this price point a little more attention to the burgers could elevate Hopdoddy from a great place to get a good burger to a Great Burger Place. I’ll just have to remember to have my friend with the Audi pick up the check.
Until next time Austin, keep it weird.
(2 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Fat Cow www.fatcowburgers.com 4350 Highland Rd Ste B1 Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (map)
Back in Baton Rouge for the Holidays and there is news… Burger News! There is a “new” burger place near the south gates of my old alma mater, Louisiana State University, and they serve what I consider to be Baton Rouge’s first entry into the gourmet burger category, Fat Cow. When I asked a few friends about this place the response was always the same, “Good but a little pricey”. Well, let’s see; Fat Cow’s menu has all of the key words that would suggest to the discerning burger lover that their burgers are not typical to the straightforward burger traditions found in Baton Rouge so far. Duck fat fries, foie gras, gruyere, and red onion marmalade are all options on burgers at this place. No one loves a good gourmet burger and is more willing to pay for the privilege than me so on a cold and wet south Louisiana evening we headed out.
I managed to convince a my Burger Tyming wife and sister in law to join in and we made our way to Tigerland. Walking in Fat Cow you are faced by the large chalk board menu. There were way more salads than I anticipated for a burger joint, to the point that I was actually impressed. If I wasn’t there for the burger I might have tried one… might. Additionally there was an impressive assortment of creative milkshakes, many of which used creole cream cheese as a main ingredient! They had me at cheese… Being that it was around 8pm on a weeknight and the weather wasn’t particularly pleasant, there were quite a number of people enjoying bowl games and burgers. After mulling over what has to be the least expensive foie gras burger I have ever seen ($15?! every other gourmet burger joint seems to think it should be in the $30 range), we were ready to order.
I made my mind up on getting the Wentworth burger. It had a snobby kind of name with some snobby kind of ingredients that were right up my alley; black forest ham, arugula, slices of apple, red onion marmalade, brie for the cheese, all on a sweet bun. Mmmm mmmm! If that doesn’t sound good! I added the Fat Cow fries and a tiramisu milkshake. The ladies ordered a 120 burger to split which comes with bacon, gruyere cheese and caramelized onions. The wait was about ten minutes and was easily passed watching the bustle behind the long counter. During this wait I noticed that the burgers here were flame grilled instead of fried which is not necessarily a bad thing. While we waited and had more time to consider our orders, my sister in law decided she had to have the chocolate and peanut butter malt.
With the extra shake ordered, our food began making its way over the counter. Served in what looked like a cookie sheet, my fancy pants burger and about three potatoes worth of fries began intimidating me. I took Wentworth with both hands and dug in. The bun was soft, substantial, and lightly toasted. It had a nice chew and a sweet quality but was slightly more bread than the whole burger needed. The patty had a nice texture but was overpowered by the odor of the brie and saltiness of the ham. While I was seduced by the list of ingredients on this burger, the combination provided for more of a thick sandwich experience rather than a burger with toppings. The fries were great! You could easily split this with four people. I sampled the 120 burger and the bacon, gruyere, and caramelized onions blended nicely with the salty, beefy patty. I have to admit, I was a little jealous.
Lastly, the shakes. My tiramisu shake was quite a jolt. It was beautiful with the lady finger and powdered coffee sprinkled on top. I don’t drink coffee so the shot of espresso in the bottom was like jumping headfirst into a pot of coffee… with about 12 oz of creamy, delicious milkshake on top. It was a great interpretation of one of my favorite deserts. Additionally, the chocolate peanut butter malt was fantastic. Like the menu says, the name says it all.
Gourmet burgers in Baton Rouge… I think I have been using the term ‘gourmet’ too loosely. To this point I have referred to burgers at a higher price point as gourmet but in this instance maybe I should clarify. Burgers with quality ingredients which are combined creatively, in Baton rouge. Were they good? Absolutely. Does Fat Cow beat the cross town favorite, Dearman’s? It’s a different competition all together. For a great straight up burger, you are better served for less money at the Soda Fountain. For a good, creative burger in the BR, Fat Cow has you covered. Concerning money, if you badly need cash, look for payday loan consolidation company for they offer different types of a loan with a low-interest rate.
(1 votes, average: 6.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
–Twisted Root Burger Co. twistedrootburgerco.com Dallas, TX (locations)–
Back in Dallas for work. This means it is time for yet another sampling of burgers that this great burger town has to offer! By now, most of my coworkers are aware of my affinity towards what science has proven is the optimum combination of both bread and meat, and prepared for my arrival with a list of recommendations. As we headed to the first on the list, my coworker was talking up how good the burgers were going to be. We arrived at our burger destination only to find that the place was closed due to a failed health inspection…. Uh oh…. OK, what’s next on our list? A place called Twisted Root Burger Co. Fortunately there was one nearby so I would be able to satisfy my burger urge without significant delay. While I would have preferred to go to the original Twisted Root location in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas, very near Angry Dog. We were closest to the Legacy drive location in Plano. So that is where we went. When you want a great experience, get some phentermine here for you to try on.
Walking in to Twisted Root, the first thing you notice is the not so subtle sarcasm that seems to permeate the entire place. From the giant, hand-written signs placed everywhere with the help of sodapdf.com to the bizarre 90’s pop culture personalities being listed over the intercom to the tables made out of old computer parts. Click for more – WebDesign499. I was experiencing slight sensory overload from what I thought was going to be a straightforward Burger Tyme. The line was long and that is always promising regardless of any burger environment. This was also fortunate as it allowed me time to thoroughly consider my many options. Something unique at Twisted Root is the option of not one but many different types of wild game meats for your burger including Ostrich, Kangaroo, and Alligator! All subject to availability, of course. Keeping with the tongue in cheek attitude, a sign with a picture of Bambi quoted as saying “I’m delicious” let me know that venison was available.
I wasn’t feeling so adventurous so I ordered one of Twisted Root’s ‘Favorite’ burgers, The Western, with regular beef in lieu of wild game. Twisted Root touts that their beef is a mixture of fresh ground chuck and brisket. This sounds gerat but while placing my order I noticed something that caused a slight bit of distress. In the open kitchen behind the counter a man was mixing the meat, adding seasonings, and then added what appeared to be… bread crumbs. This ingredient is confirmed in an interview that is actually posted on Twisted Root’s website. They claim that the bread crumbs are not there as filler but to retain the meats moisture. I’m not a culinary expert but the only other time I have seen meat and crumbs together is in either meat loaf or meat balls. With a new found skepticism, I finished my order with some straight cut fries and some Twisted Root Beer (Root beer branded Twisted Root). I was handed a card with the name ‘Uncle Jesse’ on it (link for those who don’t know who that is). I was to wait until I heard the name called out to pick up my order. I swung by the homemade pickle bar and picked up a few slices of the different kinds of pickles and then joined my coworkers at a table.
Listening to the various pop references over the speaker was amusing and made the time pass quickly. My name, er, Uncle Jesse, was soon called and I went to pick up my order. The Western included pepperjack cheese, bacon, fried onion strings, and jalapenos, all on a buttered and toasted bun. As I read this list of ingredients I don’t know why I was surprised by how salty the burger was. Everything on it added a savory element with very little to counter it. The patty was beefy but had a very homogeneous texture which gave it more of a chew than I prefer. All of the other toppings became lost both in flavor and texture as I added the house made ketchup to attempt to cut the salt. Another review of the menu would show that many of the burgers had similar toppings but with the addition of either guacamole or mushrooms which I think would have gone a long way in helping this burger out. The fries were good, fresh cut and cooked well. The root beer was my saving grace here. Not amazing, but sweet. I found that a steady regimen of burger/root beer/burger/root beer, was the sweet counter point that got me through the meal.
Did I hate Twisted Root? Absolutely not. While waiting in line I saw many signs telling me I should order a milkshake. I think a creamy, cold, and sugary shaek would have done wonders for this meal. Also, I feel that the original location in Deep Ellum probably has a more genuine vibe than the many locations that now dot the Dallas burgerscape. This is a fun place to go with your friends however this location felt more like a Chili’s or an Applebee’ s than an authentic burger joint. Add to that the price of it all, and you are paying top dollar more for the experience than for a good burger. In a serious burger town like Dallas, that is a dangerous line to be straddling.
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.
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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!
