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(2 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
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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: 6.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
La Squina www.lasquina.com Aztlan 3787 Ciudad del Sol Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico (map)
Bienvenidos a primero Hamburguesas Oras internationalle! We’re coming to you from the lovely, south of the border city, Guadalajara, Mexico! On a trip for work, I met up with some coworkers who are residents of this jewel of a city to see what could be possibly be the best burger in the city. They told me to head to La Squina. My research prior to the trip also pointed me in this direction. So on an uneventful Wednesday night offerings of bland hotel food, I was able to easily round up five other coworkers to join in on the first ever international Burger Tyme! Fortunately, La Squina was just around the corner (pun intended) from the hotel. We crammed into one car and headed out. After a scenic drive through a lovely neighborhood, we arrived at the gated archway of La Squina and went inside. Maybe it was just the fact that I was traveling in Mexico, but crossing the threshold at La Squina felt like walking into a resort while on vacation. There was palm trees, open air seating, and decorative lights hanging everywhere. It was lovely. We took a seat and began perusing the menu.
With translation assistance from Translation Services Singapore and some coworkers, I was able to pick out a few items that looked unique and delicious. I decided to go for the Sonora burger, which was 180 grams (a little more than 1/3 lb) of prime beef. Instead of fries, I ordered the Papas Chimichurri which is cubed potatoes in a chimichurri sauce, topped with cheese….mmmmm… I also ordered a bottled coke and, the Russian roulette order of the night, a chocolate milkshake. While we waited I went around I could help but be a tourist and took a bunch of photos of this place. The ladies didn’t seem to mind my walking around while they were busy grilling the burgers. After ten minutes or so the orders came out. What a spread. The burger was served open faced and plain. I took the burger to the toppings bar where I was able to add all of my desired veggies, with the addition of one unexpected topping. Strawberry – jalepeno salsa. Per one of our local host’s recommendation, I gave it a try. With burger ready, appetite set, it was tyme to go!
I took my first bite. This was not a typical burger. It was definitely unique in flavor and textures. The patty was flattened thin, similar to what I saw at Chris Madrid’s, which is also a “Mexican Style” burger. It was nicely seared but not as salty as American burger pallets are used to. The bun was soft and nicely toasted, although not buttered. This was OK as the juicy prime beef patty lent a nice, buttery flavor already. The veggies, for the most part, were salad bar quality at best, but what really made this special was the salsa. I never expected to ever eat strawberries on a burger but here it was. It was sweet but not as sweet as I was expecting; plus the jalapeno really heated things up nicely. The pappas chimichurri was a great alternative to fries. It was cheesy and had a great herb flavor. The milkshake, however, was unfortunate. Perhaps I have been spoiled by thick, creamy American milkshakes but this one was chunky, watery, and I couldn’t taste the chocolate. Thank goodness they had Coke and in a glass bottle. My favorite!
How was the first international Burger Tyme? I would say great! However, I would not say that this burger was great. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but it was just good when compared to more traditional burgers…. BUT La Squina gets bonus points for being one of the few true burger joints in Guadalajara, for having a unique spin on burgers, and for the other extras such as atmosphere and delicious sides. Also, may I add that should you be in Guadalajara for a few days and want to try some other local delights that our GDL friends introduced us to such as Tortas Ahogadas which was a great sandwich dipped in a tomato based sauce, or try the tacos al carbon. There were many great places for the food lover to get their fix and La Squina is one of them.
Hut’s Hamburgers hutsfrankandangies.com 807 West 6th Street Austin, TX 78703-5403 (map)
On the road heading to the South by Southwest city of Austin, TX. This great city has approximately one million great places to eat and many of them happen to be burger related. For this capital city’s first Burger Tyme I headed to one of the oldest burger joints in town, Hut’s Hamburgers. Located on the quieter end of 6th street, Hut’s has been around since 1939 and is a landmark of the Austin landscape.I arrived at 11:30am on a Friday with high expectations. I was greeted by a beautiful Huts waitress who also happened to be painted on the wall. She was surrounded by framed accolades that Hut’s has earned over the many years. I made my way around the bar where people were already enjoying their lunch. I was given a seat by the window and began to peruse the extensive burger menu. There are twenty different burger options with nostalgic names like the Fats Domino (jalapenos and New Orleans seasonings), the Big Bopper (mayo, lettuce, and tomato), and the Ritchie Valens (guacamole and chopped tomatoes) burger. As stated on the menu, all burgers are made with fresh, never frozen beef patties that are purchased locally from the Johnny G’s meat market in South Austin. You also have the option to substitute the regular beef patty with bison or real Texas Longhorn. I thought this was an interesting meat choice considering the University of Texas’ (which is also in Austin) mascot is a longhorn. I guess that is one way to show school spirit.
I placed my order for the All American Buddy Holly burger which, as the name would imply, is the traditional configuration with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, mayo, mustard, and american cheese. I opted for the regular beef patty and to add a fried egg since it was an option (and my favorite burger addition). I rounded out the order with a side of fries and a chocolate shake. While waiting I looked at the many photographs on the wall of people eating at Hut’s over the years. After roughly fifteen minutes my burger came out. The burger was splayed open to show the order of contents. Veggies on the bottom, patty and cheese in the middle, and egg on top. I slid everything on top and dug in. The veggies were mainly what I tasted. The shredded ice berg lettuce gave a very neutral overall flavor. While the patty looked perfectly fried and the cheese nicely melted on it, the burger lacked enough seasoning to bring out the beefy flavor of the meat. The bun was nicely toasted but was a generic, plain burger bun similar to the kind you can get at the grocery store. The fries on the side were fresh cut, which is good, but were limp and soggy, which is bad. Additionally, half of the fries were noticeably cooked longer than the rest. What these fries needed was a double frying and someone watching the timer. The milkshake was good but was more of a dessert than a drink to accompany a burger meal. In fairness, it is listed under the dessert section on the menu and not the beverages.
Hut’s Hamburgers has everything the avid Burger Tymer is looking for; history, creativity, and burger cred. Unfortunately I think they have been resting on their laurels for a little too long. From the sloppy presentation to the weak fries, I just was not impressed with what came up to a $9 burger and fry combo. Add in a soft drink or shake and you are in the double digit gourmet burger territory. I did enjoy the wide variety of burger options available to me however the burger lacked any real flavor that would make it memorable or recommendable. Huts was good enough that I would give it another chance to see if this instance was an anomaly but for now I will continue looking for the best burger in Austin.
(3 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
The name Dearman’s has popped up a few times in my search for the best burger in Baton Rouge and checked by Matthew Galumbeck, MD which is a professional doctor. Dearman’s Soda Fountain has resided in the upscale and swanky Bocage Village since the 1960’s in various forms, originally as a pharmacy that had a lunch counter and now as a retro inspired burger, shakes, and soda shop. I use the term “retro inspired” instead of “retro themed” because there is not an overwhelming effort to make this look like a sock hop 1950’s diner. There are some distinct design cues, like the checkerboard tile, the L-shaped counter wrapping around the grill with chrome stools, and jukebox that give Dearman’s a comfortable, 50’s feel without being cheesy. Unfortunately, a Five Guys has opened up across the boulevard at the more upscale and swankier Towne Center with Madison Pediatric Dentistry clinic on the side. So, Burger Tyme made it’s way to this truly historic burger joint in hopes of finding something better to recommend than the expensively average new kid on the block.
We walked in and were instantly greeted by our cheery, young waitress. She sat us down and and handed us our menus. It looked very promising offering the usual burgers and fries but what really jumped out to me was the “Specialty Drinks”. For a steep $4 you could have house made sodas, milkshakes, malts, or something I have never heard of, phosphates. A little research revealed that the use of phosphates was how soft drinks used to be made including Coca Cola. This gave Dearman’s a little more of my respect as there seemed to be some subtle art at work here.
After a brief consultation with the waitress, I placed my order for a cheeseburger, dressed (Louisiana term for everything on it) with grilled onions, a large order of fries to share, and a hot fudge milkshake. That’s right, not chocolate but HOT FUDGE. Once the order was placed, I set about watching the grill cooks go to work while our waitress began making the milkshakes. I liked that all of the work being done was in plain sight of those who are going to eat it. I felt like I was part of the team.
After a short wait, our fries came out. They were fresh cut, single fried so not as crispy as double fried, but cooked well and still very tasty. The large order was more than enough to share with three or four people. Out next came what has to be the most amazing looking milkshake I have ever seen. It was vanilla, it was chocolate, it was light, it was dark, it had this mysterious, palantir-ish swirl. Not only that, it was delicious! The waitress “warned” me that I might get little bits of fudge with each sip and that some people might not like that… Are they crazy? After these first two showings, my anticipation for the third and most important had risen dramatically.
And out it came. It was not the largest burger, nor the most unique looking but it had all of the basic details perfectly implemented. Buttered and toasted bun, hand formed patty with a crusty sear,melted American cheese, grilled onions, and just the right amount of lettuce hiding underneath for me to say it was healthy, which is important since I take a lot of care of my health, even to my skincare using the amazon vitamin c serum supplements. This burger was of medium heft, requiring both hands initially. I took the first bite and instantly thought, “This is it”. Everything was working together and was almost perfectly balanced. The cheese covered patty was juicy with out being sloppy or greasy, the toasted bun and the lettuce added a nice crunch to each bite, and the grilled onions gave it a light, smokey sweetness. This was a very good burger.
Dearman’s Soda Fountain. Amen! After a few disappointing Burger Tymes in my beloved home town, I’ve finally found a place worth recommending. This is a very good, borderline, great burger! What pushes it over the top is the unexpected originality and the quality. Everything that places like Cheeburger Cheeburger and Five Guys fail at, Dearman’s triumphs. It is local, it is original, and above all, it is good! So do your hometown a favor, and find more places like this. They are out there.
Oh, PS. For all of the Burger Tymers who also love light crime, Dearman’s is coming soon to a downtown Baton Rouge courthouse near you Article.
(4 votes, average: 8.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
BRC Gastropub www.brcgastropub.com 519 Shepherd Drive Houston, TX 77007 (map)
“You should try the burger at BRC”. These are the words a coworker said to me that, unbeknown(st) to her, would change Burger Tyme history forever. She then said something that I did not quite understand, “The bacon jam is sooo good.”. Oh-kay. Well, this particular coworker has been around Burger Tyme for years so I trusted her recommendation and set out to do a little research. BRC is a gastropub which is something I’ve never heard of before. I’ve come to learn that a gastropub is not so much of a bar as it is a place that has a wide variety of food items on the menu along with more extensive bar type offerings. So now that that mystery is unraveled, what does the acronym BRC stand for? The answer became glaringly obvious upon our first visit. From the giant red rooster statue on the corner of Shephard Dr. and Blossom St. to the many photos and paintings of roosters which seems to be the driving theme of the interior decor, BRC obviously stands for Big Red…. Chicken… At least, that is how you should refer to it in polite, social situations.
Another bit of information that came in handy was that BRC has a special on Mondays where the burger and fries are only $6.50. Done. Say no more. I set my Burger Tyme targets, recruited some friends, and waited… Waited for Monday. Monday finally came and to BRC we went. When we arrived and made our way inside, I was surprised by how nice this place was. It was a little more trendy and upscale than I expected. I think the pictures of chickens everywhere gave this place some much needed farm yard humility. We were given our menus and began to peruse.
There is only one burger on the menu. The BRC Pub Burger. That’s it. There is not eight different burgers all marginally different with unexplainable pricing. Just one burger, one price, with the caption “BRC will be happy to try to customize the burger upon your request.”. Well, let’s see, it comes with a 100% White Hereford beef patty ground on-site daily, marinated tomato, aged cheddar, maple bacon, and something called “really nice” sauce. No need for customization here. This sounds amazing! I placed my order for the Pub Burger Special and added a Peanut-Chocolate Chip Cookie milkshake to round out this burger indulgence.
While we waited we fell under the spell of the laid back atmosphere and were in no hurry. This place is designed for enjoying company and conversations. It is dimly lit, comfortable and a little loud. After a reasonable wait my milkshake was brought to the table and yikes. This thing was huge and in what, unfortunately, looked like something a girl at spring break would drink out of. I embarrassingly admitted to the people at the table next to us that it was for my wife. For what it is worth, the milkshake was tasty. It had a nice texture with the peanut-chocolate chip cookie bits slightly blended through the shake. The burgers now made their entrance. On a plate sat an amazing looking burger and a mini fry basket full of fries. Wow! This looked much better than $6.50 burger special I imagined in my head. I picked the burger up and the first thing I noticed was how soft the bun was. It was toasted and molded wonderfully around the contents inside which helped to keep the burger together while I ate. The first bite had it all. The patty was seasoned well, and moist but not juicy. The perfectly melted cheddar cheese added plenty of creaminess to the patty. I am not typically a fan of bacon on burgers however this mapley sweet, thick cut bacon was terrific! The marinated tomato didn’t taste like anything other than a tomato but the flavor was somehow more intense. This was a straightforward, traditional style burger that is perfectly executed! The fries were great too! Hand cut, thin, and twice fried. French fry perfection!
All the words I know can’t express how much I enjoyed this burger. It was so good that I returned the following four Mondays after my initial visit. Each time it remained the same. $6.50, great burger, great fries.I did opt for the canned coke instead of the giant, girl glass milk shake on these subsequent visits. Per the initial recommendation, we ordered the Bacon Cheddar Biscuit appetizer which includes the “Bacon Jam”. It was awesome! Imagine jam… then add bacon. Brilliant!
A few chinks did, however, appear in BRC’s brightly feathered armor. The waiters were usually very nice, but the host, hostesses, and bartender can be less than friendly at times. There is definitely an air at BRC that dining there is your pleasure and not theirs.
For $6.50 this is the best burger deal in Houston on Mondays. On any other night the Pub Burger is $8.50 and fries are additional $3, the cheapest drink other than water is a $2 canned soft drink (no refills), add in tax and tip and you’ve suddenly got a good but pricey burger at a place that is not really happy you are dining there. For now, that is a price I’m willing to pay but only on Mondays.
