A Hamburger Today

This Week's Poll Results

2010-03-13T23:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Here are the results to this week's poll: Do You Like Secret Sauce?

Yes 62%
No 28%
No preference 11%

Some of you may hate the stuff, but secret sauce wins.

Thanks for your participation! Stay tuned for next week's poll. (As always, I take poll suggestions.)

Leftovers: The Day's Stray Links

2010-03-12T23:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Frozen Burger Taste Test: Thankfully, they taste better than they look. Here are three brands. [Burger Doctor]
Washington > The Grub Hut: Reid's Right Way Burger is topped with Gorgonzola, bacon, spinach, and fried onions. [Seattle PI]
Philadelphia > Wishing Well: Coming soon, and when it does you'll be able to get the Shame Burger topped with scrapple, cheese, and a fried egg. [City Paper]
Spain > BK Whopper Bar: In case you find yourself at Málaga International Airport, it's opening there next week. [Burger Business]
Boise > Lindy's Steakhouse and Lounge: They serve a battered "broasted" burger. Broasting is high-pressure deep frying. [Argus Observer]
Victoria > Burger Bash: Victoria Burger Bash is celebrating their second birthday with a burger making competition.

Photo of the Day: Cheeseburger from Pie 'N Burger in Pasadena, California

2010-03-12T22:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: Los Angeles Foodie]

From Los Angeles Foodie comes this bulging cheeseburger topped with everything from the over 40-year-old Pie 'N Burger in Pasadena. Too pretty to eat? Almost.

Atlanta: Ann's Snack Bar

2010-03-12T20:45:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Following his review of Krug's Tavern in Newark, New Jersey, Tommy Salami (tommysalami on AHT/Serious Eats) brings us another burger rec, this time from Ann's Snack Bar in Atlanta, Georgia. Thanks for sharing the burger love, Tommy! Read more from Tommy at his blog Pluck You, Too! or on Twitter @tommysalami. For anyone else who wants to share some burger intel, here's how to do it. —The Mgmt.

Ghetto Burger. [Photograph: Kacy Jahanbini]

Ann's Snack Bar

1615 Memorial Drive Southeast, Atlanta GA 30317 (map); 404-687-9207
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order: Enormous slow-griddled burgers the size of the plate, and tasty too!
Want Fries With That?: Crinkle cut, but you won't have room
Prices: Burger, $3.75; Ghetto Burger, $7.50

Ann's Snack Bar became known outside the Atlanta area when the Wall Street Journal dubbed her Ghetto Burger "the best burger in America." That's big talk in a town where the Vortex serves the infamous burger made with two grilled cheese sandwiches as buns, but Miss Ann is up to the challenge. Just bring a huge appetite, because you'll be eating a pound of ground beef, plus bacon, chili, and cheese on a super-sized sesame seed bun.

What sets Miss Ann's Snack Bar apart is its old-fashioned road food demeanor. A simple diner car on the side of the road, it's best viewed as if you're visiting someone's home for dinner. Don't park illegally, don't talk on your phone, don't lean on the counter and for heaven's sake, don't cuss, or you're out! However, Miss Ann is no Soup Nazi. I asked for permission to take photos and she gladly permitted it. Warnings aside, let me get to the burger.

Their double bacon chili cheeseburger dubbed the Ghetto Burger starts with a pound of fresh ground beef, never frozen. The beef isn't ground to order, but after it's smashed on the griddle in two heavily seasoned patties, it transcends its simple roots. Ann's seasoning is unlabeled and perhaps homemade; it tastes of Lawry's with a hint of cayenne, maybe a dash of cumin. They fry the bacon in the deep fryer so it crisps up well. The chili is sweet and smoky, the cheese American. Lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mayo are optional. It takes over ten minutes for this to cook the burger slowly on the griddle so it doesn't dry out.

You can ask politely for rare if you'd like, but I opted to let them make it standard, and I wasn't disappointed with the resulting juiciness. The only way to attack it is with knife and fork, cutting it in half so it will fit in your hands without spilling into the plate, which it fills. The seasoning helps with the crust on the outside, but the strong beefy flavor mellows it out so the spices don't overwhelm it at all. How the bun manages to stay together, I don't know. This is a burger epic in size and classic in flavor, a burger like your mom might make—if you were a lumberjack. They serve different variations from Plain Jane to a coleslaw-topped burger reminiscent of a Memphis-style BBQ sandwich. You can also get their fries topped with chili and/or cheese.

Although I've had better burgers—made with ground to order sirloin or brisket—there's something about a big griddled burger done right that's always touched a certain nostalgia in me. Ann's Snack Bar makes that kind of classic roadstand monster burger that's been unchanged for decades and doesn't need updating. Best burger in America? That's subjective. But I can call Miss Ann's Ghetto Burger the paragon of the American roadstand burger, the epitome of burgerdom, by which we can explain the phenomenon to those unfortunately uninitiated. —tommysalami

Want to see your favorite burger joint on AHT? Here's how you can submit a review!

The Burger Lab's Top Ten Tips for Making Better Burgers

2010-03-12T12:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

It's time for another round of The Burger Lab. Got a suggestion for an upcoming topic? Email Kenji here, and he'll do his best to answer your queries in a future post. Become a fan of The Food Lab on Facebook for play-by-plays on future kitchen tests and recipe experiments.

We're taking a break from hardcore testing at the Burger Lab and Food Lab for the next two weeks* but I thought I'd use the time to write something that a lot of folks have been asking me about: a basic handbook for taking your burgers to the next level.

*Full disclosure: my wife and I are in Spain backpacking, eating, drinking, and generally having a much better time than you are as you read this. Sorry.

The tips I'm setting out here are ones that, with very few exceptions, apply universally to all hamburgers, regardless of style. Thus, one thing you will not find in this list is specific cooking instructions in terms of heat source, strength, and timing. As far as taking a formed patty from raw to cooked, there are no hard and fast rules that apply in every situation.

And without further ado, here are The Burger Lab's Top Ten Burger-Making Tips:

1. Grind Your Own Beef

My nightly bit of action.

Buying store-bought ground beef is a crap shoot. You're never quite sure when it was ground, what part of the cow it came from, or even how many different cows are in the package. Not to mention baddies like e.coli, freshness issues, rough handling, and tight shrink-wrap packaging that can lead to leaden patties.

If you've never ground beef yourself, the task may seem daunting at first, but take it from me: once you grind, you never rewind.

A heavy-duty dedicated electric meat grinder is fantastic, but impractical unless you own a restaurant or hunt. I use the KitchenAid attachment—with good results—although even a decent hand-cranked model will deliver beef worlds better than store-bought.

Don't have either? You can use food processor. Just dice your meat into 1-inch chunks, spread them on a rimmed baking sheet, put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes until they're firm but not frozen, then working in 1/2-pound batches, pulse the meat to the desired grind size (about 10 to 12 one-second pulses).

Grind your own beef, and not only do you control everything from the meat blend, to the grind size, to the fat content, but even better, you get to tell people that you grind your own beef.

Instant street cred.

2. Keep Everything Really Cold

Until your burgers are fully formed, heat is their mortal enemy. Warm fat is soft and pliable, and tends to stick to your hands and work surfaces. And if that fat's on your hands, then it ain't in the burger.

When grinding your own meat (and I certainly hope you are), make sure that everything—the feed shaft, the grinding blades, the plate, and the meat—is well chilled to avoid fat smearage. I keep my meat grinder stored in the freezer so I'm ready to grind at moment's notice. Pat La Frieda has yet to make an accidental delivery to my door, but when he does, I'll be ready for him.

3. Weigh and Size Your Patties

Weighing your meat as you divide it and measuring your patties as you form them will ensure that all your burgers will be uniform in shape and size, which in turn will guarantee that they all cook at the same rate. A scale and a good eye are all you need (though the truly OCD like myself will want a ruler as well).

Bonus tip: if you're into big, fat patties (we're talking 6 ounces or more), you must have experienced the dreaded "meatball syndrome" at some point. You know—when your patty bulges as it cooks, turning it into an impossible to eat football-shaped blob? Form your patties with a slight dimple in the center, and they'll maintain their shapely disk-form as they cook.

4. Use a Thermometer

A burger starting to edge up on medium-rare.

Sure, you can be all macho and try and gauge a burger's doneness by poking at it with your finger (if you can do that with 100% accuracy, you are a far better cook than I), or you can suck it up and buy yourself a good instant read thermometer.

The Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen by Thermoworks ($96) is the cadillac of thermometers and will tell you in three seconds or less whether your créme Anglaise is going to thicken or if your oil is hot enough for your fries. But even an inexpensive one ($16.95) will do the job in a pinch, albeit slightly slower.

With really large burgers (8 ounces or more), some carryover cooking may occur, so pull them off a few degrees before optimum, and give them some time to rest. I aim for a medium-rare 130°F, but I understand that inexplicably, not everybody prefers optimizing juiciness and beefiness in their burgers.

Here's a rough temperature guide:

120°F and below for rare (red/raw in the center)
130°F for medium-rare (pink and warm)
140°F for medium (totally pink, starting to dry out)
150°F for medium-well (grayish pink, significantly drier)
160°F and above for well done (completely gray, very little moisture)

5. Season Liberally

This is what a well-seasoned patty looks like.

No matter how carefully you select your meat blend, without salt and pepper, you're better off dining with the King or the Clown, who, despite their significant shortcomings, at least understand the benefit of a little sodium chloride. Freshly ground black pepper from whole peppercorns is a must—it's far more flavorful than the insipid pre-ground powder.

Whatever people say, kosher salt is not more or less salty by weight than table salt. I like to use it because its large crystals are easy to pick up with your fingers. Take a large pinch of kosher salt and hold it at least eight inches above the patties as you sprinkle to ensure even coverage.

And to all you New Yorkers: don't let the damn city tell you how your food should taste. Season your burgers as liberally as you'd like. You can eat a salad tomorrow.

6. Do Not Salt Beef Until Patties Are Formed

A salted vs. unsalted patty.

I repeat: do not salt your beef until the patties are formed. Salt will dissolve muscle proteins, which subsequently cross-link, turning your burgers from moist and tender to sausage-like and springy. The effect is dramatic. Need proof? See it here.

The best time to season your burgers is within minutes of the time their gonna hit the grill or griddle. Salt starts affecting meat—dissolving proteins, drawing out moisture—the moment it comes in contact with it, adversely affecting the exterior texture of your patties. And that's not a good thing.

7. Flip Your Burger as Often as You'd Like

An oft-flipped burger cooks more evenly.

How many times have you read that you should only flip your burgers once while they are cooking? Well forget about it! We recently proved that the nervous flippers are actually right. Flipping your burger repeatedly (as often as once every 15 seconds) encourages faster, more even internal cooking, shaving off as much as 1/3 of your grill time.

In the end, the difference is not particularly great, so there's no need to go crazy. Who wants to—or can—flip a grillful of burgers constantly? But next time you come across one of those backyard grill-nazis (you know the type) who absolutely insists that one flip is the way to go, just smile, nod, and let him cook the way he wants to. Rule one of grilling is never question the guy with the spatula.

But do make sure to quietly revel in your superior knowledge and maybe make fun of him behind his back.

8. Don't Futz With Your Meat

Despite outward appearances, ground meat is not dead. From the moment you lay your hands on it, it is changing dynamically, reacting to every knead, every sprinkle of salt, and every change in temperature. Working the meat unduly will cause proteins to cross-link with each other like tiny strips of velcro, making your finished burgers denser and tighter with every manhandling of the grind.

For the most tender burgers, grind your meat fresh, and form your patties as tenderly as possible. For griddled patties with superior nooks and crannies for cheese-catching, I sometimes like to grind my meat directly onto a sheet tray and gently coax it into patties without ever picking it up until just before I cook it. Superb.

There's a corollary point here: adding junk like onions, herbs, eggs, breadcrumbs, anything to your ground meat not only forces your to over-handle the mix, but it instantly relegates your burgers into the "meatloaf sandwich" category. If you absolutely must add junk to your burgers—and with a good, well-selected meat blend, there's really no need to—mix it with the cubes of beef prior to grinding (but don't add the salt yet!), so that it can be evenly distributed without the need to overwork the beef afterward.

9. Choose Your Bun Wisely

A grilled Martin's Potato Roll.

Buns come in all shapes, sizes, densities, and flavors. Make sure you've got the right one for the job at hand.

For smaller, thinner patties, like a good Shake Shack-style griddled burger or small Northern Jersey-style sliders, soft, sturdy, and slightly sweet Martin's Potato Rolls set the benchmark, although any soft, squishy, standard-issue supermarket bun will do.

A bigger, pub-style burger can overwhelm a soft bun with juices, soaking through and dissolving the base before the burger even hits your table. Toasting the bun can mitigate some of these effects, but for the most part, you're better off selecting a sturdier roll, or if you've got one nearby, a custom burger bun from an artisan bakery. Brioche has its adherents, but I prefer my buns to be a little more bland, so as not to compete with the flavor of the beef.

Do avoid anything with an overly chewy crumb or a tough crust, unless you want your burger to suffer from the dreaded backslide.

10. Don't Let Anyone Tell You What to Put on It

A standard selection of Fake Shack ingredients.

I like American cheese, raw yellow onions, pickles, special sauce when applicable (mayo when not), and tomatoes, but only when they are very very good. My wife likes American cheese, grilled onions, and a ketchup/mayo blend.

Am I right? Of course I am.

Is she right? Well, of course she is.**

**At least this time.

The point is, don't let anyone tell you what should and shouldn't go on your burger. If you want to go commando, do it with gusto. Do you like pecorino, pimentos, and peanut butter on your patties? Yes? Well, pile it on.

Then get your head checked. Really.

The 2009 Burger of The Year.

Obviously, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Burgers are an endlessly fascinating subject, and there's always more to learn. At least I hope so, if only for my column's sake.

Any other good burger tips out there that I missed?

About the author: After graduating from MIT, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt spent many years as a chef, recipe developer, writer, and editor in Boston. He now lives in New York with his wife, where he runs a private chef business, KA Cuisine, and co-writes the blog GoodEater.org about sustainable food enjoyment.

LOL: LOTOR (Lord of the Onion Rings)

2010-03-11T16:45:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Lord of the Onion Rings by artist Dave MacDowell. 2010. Acrylic on canvas, 24-by-36 inches. Available at Flatcolor Gallery.

Hmmmm, yes, we wants it. Come to Sméagol. Must have THE PRECIOUS.... If only we had $900 lying around. [via Laughing Squid]

Searching for the Bay Area's Best at Val's Burgers in Hayward, CA

2010-03-11T15:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Brad got a few recommendations for Val's Burgers on his last burger review of 900 Grayson. Now he's back with a review of Val's!—The Mgmt.

[Photographs: Brad Japhe]

Val's Burgers

2115 Kelly Street, Hayward CA 94541 (map); 510-889-8257
Cooking Method: Gas-Grilled
Short Order: Half-pound bacon cheeseburger topped with grilled onions and relish is a lot to eat. Come hungry and leave happy.
Want Fries with That? Steak fries are available but are a little mushy. Go with the thick, crispy onion rings.
Prices: Half-pound mama burger with grilled onions, bacon, and Swiss; $7.50
Notes: Get the malted milkshake!

In my ongoing quest to find the best hamburger in the Bay, Val's Burgers in Hayward has been a constant recommendation. For years, legions of people have sworn by the huge slabs of beef that this old-school eatery dishes out in third (Baby burger), half (Mama burger), and full-pound (Papa burger) servings—each priced under ten bucks. Big and cheap is a great start, but does this hamburger haven deserve the hype or did I just drive 20 miles for nothing?

The first thing you notice when entering Val's is that they don't make places like this anymore. The diner-like interior is accentuated by a hightop counter giving you front row seats to all the action. Behind that counter is a massive gas grill that could easily cook more than two dozen papa burgers simultaneously, if need be. As soon as I take my seat I notice that large jars of condiments are all at my disposal: Hamburger relish, sliced raw onions, yellow mustard, and pickles are all within reach.

I order a medium Mama with grilled onions, crispy bacon, and melted Swiss with a side of large onion rings. I see them take out a half-pound patty of raw, ground beef and marvel as they flop it down over the imposing grill. The cook smashes down on the patty with a heavy spade, forcing the beef into a thinner circle as it grills. He tosses two pieces of bacon directly onto the grill and then throws a thick slice of Swiss on the charring meat while lightly browning the white-bread bun in a specialized toaster.

Served bare bones, Val's Burger is an ode to simplicity: Everything you want, nothing you don't. A perfectly charred half-pound patty dwarfs the miniscule bun underneath it. A large piece of lettuce hugs the side of the plate almost in jest. My grilled onions and fried rings are served separately on the side. I add them to the burger along with a dollop of relish and a few pickles before cutting this beautiful specimen in half for an autopsy. The cross section reveals the elements of a traditional classic: coarse ground chuck that is almost crumbly, sandwiched between a thin, grease-soaked bun.

My first taste is met with an overload of flavor. Each component of this masterpiece plays an important part in every bite—the sweetness of the fresh relish and grilled onions, and the crisp smokiness of the bacon contrasting against the chewy heartiness of the ground beef that is moist, yet not overflowing with juiciness. The fullness of the meat is enough so that mustard and ketchup aren't necessary. The grilled onions could have been caramelized a little more to my liking, but the onion rings were a true winner—large and substantially crisp due to a heavily-breaded exterior. I'm sure the beef is neither free range nor organic, nor from a farm of even marginal notoriety, but a meal this enjoyable might make you wonder why you'd pay twice as much at a "gourmet" restaurant for a burger with half the flavor.

The simple goodness offered at Val's Hamburgers is an homage to a bygone era of Americana when local eateries served good, quick classics in a welcoming atmosphere. Thanks to the rise of our fast-food nation, those days are now gone. The low-quality, flavorless meals served at fast food joints inevitably gave way to the culinary backlash of gourmet hamburgers, and now countless high-end chefs around the globe offer their own expensive take on what was once a cheap staple.

Luxury and fast-food alike have found their market with the hamburger, but in so doing something was lost in the middle. For those that value such a thing, they just don't make 'em like they used to. After a visit to Val's you'll wish more of them did.

Photo of the Day: Cat-Eating Cheeseburger

2010-03-10T23:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: I Can Has Cheesburger]

In the never-ending battle between cheeseburgers and cats, sometimes the cheeseburger wins. By a lot.

Leftovers: The Day's Stray Links

2010-03-10T21:45:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Tulsa > New Atlas Grill: The Atlas Burger is a 1/3-pound grilled burger topped with fried onions. [Joe's Burger Search]
Dallas > Burguesa: They have a burger called La Monumental, a double cheeseburger topped with ham, tostado, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, special creamy sauce, and a whole jalapeno pepper. [Burger Doctor]
Iowa > Maid-Rite: Still waiting to find out if the famed loose-meat sandwich shop has to change its cooking process. [Times Republican]
London > Hawksmoor: "Gloopy, loosely packed meat from Longhorn cattle (a range of cuts) is enriched by globs of fatty bone marrow in the mix." Mm, fat globs. [Greedy Diva]
Krystal Honors Their Biggest Fans: New burger boxes this month will feature the faces of 10 of their biggest fans. [krystal.com]
Homeless Man Arrested Over Cheeseburger Sign: He was charged with unlawful solicitation for holding his sign, "I'm thinking of a cheeseburger," by a road. [Gaston Gazette]

A Disappointing Burger at Cabbage Patch in Beverly Hills

2010-03-10T18:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]

Cabbage Patch

214 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills CA 90212 (map); 310-550-8655; cabbagepatchbh.com
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: Too fine a grind does not make for a fine burger.
Want Fries with That? No thank you. Dusted with seasoning and lacking any silkiness, these are not worth the trouble. Go with the more interesting Cabbage Patch Slaw that has the unique additions of peanuts and cilantro.
Prices: Cheese Burger w/frites, $12
Notes: The fresh produce and inventive salads are where this place shines.

Cabbage Patch has a burger that I've been meaning to try since the restaurant opened. The name of chef/owner Samir Mohajer has popped up on a couple of occasions in my burger travels around Los Angeles. Mohajer used to be the chef at Rustic Canyon, home of one of my favorite burgers in town. While I clearly I have a bias toward the current head of that kitchen, Evan Funke, at the very least, I have to give Mohajer the credit for first putting a burger on that menu. Mohajer also did some consulting for the boys at The Golden State, another restaurant with a great burger. As you can imagine, my curiosity about what his place might be like was thoroughly piqued.

When Mohajer first ventured out on his own, he'd imagined opening up a more upscale wine bar, but the realities of the recession made the idea of a casual lunch spot seem more in sync with the times. Clearly he made the right choice, as his fairly-priced and locally sourced Cabbage Patch has become a casual lunch favorite in Beverly Hills. I stopped in the other day in the hopes that his clientele's devotion is largely due to his burger.

The Cabbage Patch Cheese Burger ingredient list reads like the contemporary playbook for good, higher-end burgers: Niman Ranch beef, Tillamook cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, arugula, and a brioche bun (likely from Rockenwagner). On the side comes the choice of frites or the Cabbage Patch Slaw. Of course, having to decide between two things is a dilemma that is best solved with my simple heuristic: order both.

The burger arrived looking a little, well, green. It seemed the entirety of the cabbage—or arugula—patch had made its way onto my burger. I know the place gets a lot of attention for its salads, but I prefer mine on the side. Their brioche bun is fine, but they neglected to give enough toasting to my preferred texture: crunch against sponginess.

The patty itself showed a surprisingly fine grind that was the biggest disappointment. The beef is quality and has some good flavor, but the grind undermines the texture. The bacon, normally not my favorite, actually added a helpful extra hit of fat. The Tillamook cheddar (the same used on the legendary Apple Pan burger) is a welcome highlight. I find the flavor and texture close enough to my childhood memories of gooey American on my cheeseburgers to please my nostalgia, but with an added bite that matches a more complex burger.

The frites seem oddly named as they aren't reminiscent of an authentic French version. Mohajer opts to dust his with a heavy coating of seasoning (paprika, et al) that makes the already dry spuds completely overdone. The slaw was where Mohajer's talents came to the foreground. The crunch of the cabbage is met with a wholly pleasing addition of peanuts and cilantro.

It's unfortunate that Cabbage Patch's burger was such a disappointment because it doesn't seem to match the quality of so many other options on the menu. Well, that and the fact that I am always hoping for burger greatness. There may be a lot of reasons to pay a visit to Cabbage Patch, but the burger isn't one of them.

American Burgers in Paris at La Panfoulia

2010-03-10T15:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Jessie Oleson, aka Cakespy, contributes a regular dessert column to Serious Eats, but aside from sweets, she also loves burgers. Today she's stepping into the AHT world with a review of a restaurant she ate at during her recent trip to Paris. Thanks, Jessie! —The Mgmt.

[Photographs: Jessie Oleson]

La Panfoulia

7, Rue Ste Croix la Bretonnerie, 4th Arrondissement, Paris 75004 (map); 01 42 74 61 68‎; la-panfoulia.abcsalles.com
Short Order: These burgers are a one-way ticket to Pleasuretown.
Prices: €14 to €16 ($19 to $21.75), w/fries and a salad.

It's true: everything tastes better in Paris. Even burgers.

I know, I know: the burger really ought to be America's territory, right? After all, even if it wasn't technically invented here, it is where it came into its own. But you know what? It's hard to hold a grudge when faced with the savory stacks of nirvana being served up at La Panfoulia, a bar and casual restaurant in the Marais.

Let's start with the mushroom burger. Upon the waiter's suggestion it was ordered saignant, a rare-leaning medium, rather than bleu, which, as he advised, is really just "one step from having a beating heart." It came with a weighty stack of mushrooms that were ground into an almost pate-like texture, and were so perfectly spiced that they did not require any salt or pepper (and I tend to be liberal with both). The burger had a fully red, warm center, and every bite of the meaty mushrooms paired with the actual meat can only be described as tasting like a one-way ticket to Pleasuretown.

And we haven't even gotten to the bacon burger yet.

I would describe the bacon burger as being ethereal, but perhaps I should settle for a weightier description, like a pound of pure pleasure. The thick burger (this one ordered medium) was delivered with a touch of pink in the center and topped with a generous slathering of cheese and what almost resembled a bacon shell on top. It was lightly crunchy and assertively, but not excessively, fatty. The verdict? Pleasuretown all over again.

La Panfoulia gets extra points for paying attention to the details: the buns were toasted just enough so that they wouldn't get soggy under the weight of the burgers, but not so much that they flaked, and were a surprisingly flavorful, light, and yeasty bread; the fries come in cute porcelain cones (like paper cones! Only fancier!); and the side salad, so often an afterthought on the burger platter, is beautifully appointed, with a zesty vinaigrette and perfectly crisp lettuce and tomato slices.

Double and triple gold stars for the service, too: the waiter was not only kind enough to avoid wincing at the sound of my wobbly French, but was more than happy to chat about the food and advise us on other great eateries and bakeries in the area.

About the author: Jessie Oleson is a Seattle-based writer, illustrator, and cake anthropologist who runs Cakespy, an award-winning dessert website.

Leftovers: The Day's Stray Links

2010-03-09T23:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Australia > Greasy Joe's Bar and Grill: The burger is huge, but the meat doesn't have much flavor. [Burger Adventure]
NYC > Shopsins: They make some of the best sliders you'll ever eat. [AHT review; Ain't No Picnic]
Chicago > M Burger: New burger joint around the corner from Tru opening on Thursday. [Urban Daddy]
Jack in the Box > New Fries: They're rolling out new crispier fries this month. Not as food as McDonald's, though. [Fast Food Maven]
Sandra Bullock's Post-Oscar Burger Craving: She fulfilled it at Cisco Burger in Long Beach. [The Insider]
Atlanta > Three Burger Types: Before starting his weekly burger feature, John Kessler takes a look at three kinds of burgers. [Food and More]
Texas > Giant Birthday Burger: Not many people get a 32-pound burger from Fuddruckers for their 18th birthday. [The Eagle]

Burgerman Will Run the Boston Marathon in a Burger Suit for Charity

2010-03-09T21:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: burgermanmarathon.com]

If you want to stand out from the crowd of marathon runners raising money for charity, you have to kick it up a notch. Such as by running a marathon in a burger suit.

22-year-old Sam Novey, aka Burgerman, aims to raise $100,000 for nonprofit afterschool program Citizen Schools by running the Boston Marathon (April 19) in a custom-made burger suit. For the next six weeks, you can join him on his burger suited practice runs around Cambridge on Saturday mornings by meeting up at local burger chain b.good at 24 Dunster Street at 11 a.m. Your reward at the end of the run: a free burger from b.good!

Citizen Schools brings in community members, businesses, and college students to teach middle schoolers real life and job skills (last year, for instance, Sam taught a section on how to run a presidential campaign). Sam's $100,000 would help expand the program into 20 additional classrooms. You can donate online at firstgiving.com.

NYC: HB Burger and Heartland Brewery Redux

2010-03-09T15:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: Nick Solares]

Heartland Brewery

35 Union Sq West, New York NY 10003 (b/n 16th and 17th; map); 212-645-3400; heartlandbrewery.com
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order: The HB Burger that I so love in Midtown makes its downtown debut
Want Fries with That? Comes with, and they are good—crispy and fresh
Price: HB Burger, $12

Back in November I was disappointed with the burger served at the Heartland Brewery in Union Square. It wasn't that the burger was bad—it was a perfectly fine example of a pub burger. The problem was that it was not the "HB Burger" that I thought I was getting.

The HB Burger, served at the Heartland Brewery offshoot HB Burger in Midtown, was on my top 5 favorites list of last year. After my initial review of Heartland Brewery ran, Jon Bloostein of Heartland Brewery contacted me and told me that they would be putting the HB Burger that I loved so much on the menu at Heartland Brewery in Union Square. In fact, he reported that he spent "$5,000 to install a new griddle and reconfigure our fire suppression system" to deal with the smoke that putting a serious sear on the patties causes.

I am delighted to report that the burger on the Union Square Heartland Brewery menu is now the same one served at the HB Burger in Midtown.

The burger consists of a six and a half-ounce patty from Pat La Frieda, griddle seared and served on a Martin's potato roll. This architecture is becoming so commonplace on New York City menus that one could argue that a distinct "New York City" style of burger is emerging, inspired by Shack Shack. The burger at the Heartland has all the attributes of its Midtown sibling: an aggressively seasoned, thick crusted patty brimming with juiciness. The bun was perhaps a tad too cool, but it was otherwise perfect for the task. You can get cheese on your burger if you want, and the burgers come standard with a rabbit food trinity, but you won't need either—unlike many other burger, this one is lessened by the additions.

But that's not the whole story. After Bloostein sent word of the planned change, Serious Eats reader pizzasnob, already a fan of the HB Burger, ended up on going to The Heartland Brewery after being turned away from HB Burger on January 1, the day Bloostein said the new burger would be available. You can probably guess what happened: pizzasnob, who showed remarkable brand loyalty by traveling from midtown for the burger, was served the wrong burger.

Pizzasnob posted about his experience in the comment section of this post. Bloostein must have read the comments because pizzasnob subsequently reported:

After reading about my bad run-ins with HB burger, the management directly contacted me and offered me a do-over. Given my bad experiences, their generosity and willingness to make right their wrongs surprised me. When i warily returned to the place to redeem their offer, they outdid themselves in terms of service to rectify the past.

HB Burger

127 W 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 (b/n Broadway and Ave of the Americas; map); 212-575-5848; hbburger.com
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order: A dry aged blend from Pat La Frieda
Want Fries with That? Comes with burger and they are very good
Price: Prime Steak burger $17

Coincidentally, while I was writing my original review of the Heartland Brewery burger I received an email from Bloostein. My first thought was that he somehow got wind that I was going to be chastising the chain for misrepresenting the HB Burger, but when I opened it he was just letting me know that he had added a new burger to the menu up at HB. I wondered if he would have sent the email a day later, after my review published.

Either way, I am glad he did because while I love HB Burger, always being on the search for new burgers means I don't get up there that often. And the one he informed me about certainly piqued my interest: It was from Pat La Frieda and it has dry aged beef in the blend.

And no, it is not the Black Label burger, which is only served at Minetta Tavern, despite the claims otherwise. This blend is not as intense as the Black Label, but it is also cheaper and you don't need a reservation to get it. In terms of flavor it falls somewhere between the now defunct City Burger and the Tanuki Tavern burger I enjoyed a few weeks back, which is not surprising since they all come from the same butcher.

Listed as the Prime Steak burger on the menu, it mostly lives up to its name. It's juicy, tender, and the earthy tang imparted by the dry aging adds a pleasing depth of flavor. It could have used some more external char, something the regular HB Burger has in spades, but it was at least delivered rare as ordered. I didn't particularly care for the brioche bun—I would have preferred a regular white bun—but the beef had enough flavor to compensate for any sweetness the bun might have imbued. Just like the regular HB Burger, you don't need to add anything to this burger. It's flavorful and toothsome enough to eat plain.

It is heartening that Bloostein is taking both his burgers and customer relations seriously and is not resting on laurels, some of which we bestowed upon him. I can recommend both the burgers at the Heartland in Union Square and at HB Burger in Midtown. If you go and don't agree, don't tell me, tell Bloostein—he is sure to fix it.

Leftovers: The Day's Stray Links

2010-03-08T22:45:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

NYC > Pão de Queijo: The Brazilian X-Tudo burger is topped with ham, mozzarella, bacon, sausage, fried egg, corn, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and batata palha (fried potato sticks). [Alway Hungry]
NYC > Choptank: Their 8-ounce burger is topped with Wisconsin cheddar, pickled pepper mayo, fried onions, and bacon jam. [Dmanburger]
Chicago > The Weiner Circle: Their char-broiled cheddar burger may be smaller than you remember. [Chicago Burger and Fries]
London > Goodman: This steakhouse serves a burger featuring a thick, dense, rich, half-pound patty. [Greedy Diva]
California > Grill 'Em All Truck: Behind the scenes at the Food Wars taping and a look at "The Witte" topped with California cream cheese, deep fried bacon, beer and Sriracha-soaked onions, and garlic aioli. [Burger Conquest]
France > Quick: Review of their new Authentiq Burgers [FAST AND FOOD]
LA > Umami: The burger could use 30 more seconds on the grill. [AHT review; Hamburger America]

Photo of the Day: Double Bacon Bomb from Sliders in Mahwah, NJ

2010-03-08T21:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: Jason Perlow]

Fellow food blogger Jason Perlow of Off the Broiler contributed to the "Secret Menu Patters" at Sliders in Mahwah, New Jersey, with the Double Bacon Bomb, double-patty mini burgers topped with bacon, cheese, and fried onions. Luckily, my mom lives near Sliders; I'll try to check it out next time I visit her.

Slider

190 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah, NJ 07430 (map)
201-529-1717

Today's Special Burger at RUB BBQ: The 'McGangBang'

2010-03-08T18:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Today's special burger at RUB BBQ is the "McGangBang" ($7.50), a double cheeseburger with a chicken patty in the center based on the McDonald's mashup of a McChicken sandwich inside of a double cheeseburger. Unlike the McDonald's version though, this one is made with one set of buns. The burger will be available for dinner starting at 6 p.m. 208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (map); 212-524-4300

Tackling the Five-Pound Giant Hamburger at Ed Walker's Drive-In Restaurant in Fort Smith, AR

2010-03-08T15:15:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Today we bring you a giant burger report from Arkansas-based food writer Kat Robinson, who writes for the Arkansas Times' blog Eat Arkansas, and for her own blog, Tie Dye Travels. After contributing to Slice's Arkansas pizza roundup, she told us she had burgers up her sleeves as well. Thanks to Kat for bringing more Arkansas to AHT! —The Mgmt.

[Photographs: Kat Robinson]

Ed Walker's Drive-In Restaurant

1500 Towson Avenue, Fort Smith AR 72901 (map); 479-242-2243
Short Order: If you're looking for the biggest burger in Arkansas, here it is.
Cooking method: Flat griddle
Price: $23.99, five-pound Giant Hamburger; + $2 for cheese.

The old fashioned red and white diner on Towson doesn't seem all that different from any other dive you might come across in Arkansas. Indeed, it prides itself on a mean and savory French Dip sandwich that's been around since the '40s. It's also the only place in Arkansas where you can get a beer delivered to your car—curb service grandfathered in for a place that's been around longer than a lot of the blue laws in this state.

But Ed Walker's has a big secret—a really big secret. That would be its Giant Hamburger: five pounds of hand-patted meat cooked to perfection on a griddle and served up on a custom made bun. A burger so big it comes with a side platter (not a plate—a platter) of condiments and accoutrements. And a side of fries, or onion rings if you want to spend a little more (and you will).

Back in late December 2007 my good friends Beth and Grav took me out to lunch at this place. They knew I was interested in writing about cool places around Arkansas, and just had to show me this burger. Between us, Beth's sweetie George, and a couple of kids, we couldn't finish the darn thing. Since my little camera at the time couldn't quite do the burger justice, I ventured back this past January with my husband, father-in-law, and daughter for another go at the burger.

I informed my father-in-law that for once, he had no choice: I was ordering and paying for the colossal repast we'd be consuming. We ordered a French Dip as an appetizer, just so everyone at the table could try it. At the same time I ordered a Giant Cheeseburger with a side of onion rings, knowing full well it'd be a while.

Our French Dip came out first, and I divvied it up for us to try. The thinly sliced beef falls apart on the doughy roll. I'd gone ahead and got it with the suggested Swiss Cheese, a good choice not only in that its slightly bitter flavor just enhanced the meat, but that it also held the meat in place on the bun. The au jus is salty and savory, and unlike au jus I've tried at other places it's very clear that this broth is the same as what the meat has been dissolving in. It's chopped barbecue, soft and tasty.

We knew it was going to take a while—20 minutes, according to our waitress. And just about on the dot, she came to our table balancing the plated burger on one arm and the condiments on the other. I asked her if she'd take it to another booth, just so I could give it the proper reverence and show it the celebrity treatment it deserved. A couple dozen photographs later (complete with the delivery of the onion rings) and I had what I needed.

Almost. Looking through my viewfinder, I discovered that I didn't quite have it. After all, though I showed off the booth and the photos behind it, there was nothing in my photograph that truly conveyed the scale of the mammoth burger. I looked around, and found what I needed.

My daughter Hunter, 13 months old at the time, looked at me quizzically as I picked her up in the highchair and moved her over to the other table. She looked at the burger, looked back at me, and at first appeared to be a bit distressed. After conquering her momentary fear, she held up a finger and reached out to almost touch the burger. She pulled her finger back, then did it again. She seemed to be thinking, "Something doesn't look right. Are my eyes working correctly?"

I sat down and snapped more photos across the table of her looking over the burger. My husband started to complain that it was dinner, not a fashion shoot, and I acquiesced. He pulled Hunter back over to our table and I brought over the burger and fixings.

It comes out sliced into eighths like a pizza, and comes with its own pie server. Condiments are served on the side so each person can choose what they want to put on their slice. It's an exercise in sharing, not stomach stuffing. The serving method is probably the reason why Ed Walker's Giant Hamburger and Cheeseburger aren't that famous: This burger isn't a competition burger.

The burger meat is seasoned lightly with salt and pepper, and perhaps a little house seasoning. The American cheese glues the top bun down, the bottom bun attached by sheer gravity. It's a tasty burger, made even more awesome by its size and the care and time taken to cook it right. It's cooked through, and you know you're getting a fresh hand-patted burger.

I've been doing research and asking lots of questions, and though one other Arkansas eatery does have a burger that comes close in weight (Cotham's Quadruple Hubcap Burger has four one-pound patties on it), no one else in the state is serving up a bigger burger.

Oh, and the question you may be asking yourself now is, did we finish it off this time? Heck, the four of us only got halfway through. Not to worry: Ed Walker's also has cake boxes for you to take home your leftovers in.

About the Author: Kat Robinson is a travel and food writer living in Little Rock, Arkansas. She writes the Arkansas-based blog Tie Dye Travels and is the primary contributor for the Arkansas Times Eat Arkansas blog. She's also a hobbyist photographer specializing in non-adultered restaurant and surprise still life photography.

AHT Poll: Do You Like Secret Sauce?

2010-03-08T14:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

There's a splodge of secret sauce on the bottom bun of this In-N-Out burger. [Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Are you a fan of having that Thousand Island-esque pink goo in your burger? Take the poll after the jump »

This Week's Poll Results

2010-03-07T04:45:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Here are the results to this week's poll: White Castle or Krystal?

White Castle 45%
Krystal 17%
I like both 13%
I dislike both 5%
I dislike White Castle, haven't been to Krystal 7%
I dislike Krystal, haven't been to White Castle 1%
I've never been to either 14%

White Castle is the winner. More AHT readers have been to White Castle, but a few readers chimed in to say they've been to White Castle and Krystal. Community member Steven, aka peppertree5706, left a comment with some differences between the two chains:

White Castle has floppy buns and five holes for even steam grilling. Burger is weighed after the holes are made. Krystal has puffy buns and uses mustard. (I hate mustard). I think Krystal used to use raw onions but now they use cooked onions.

[...] Finally, I prefer the taste of a White Castle burger to a Krystal burger (no mustard). I do love both of the burgers and never pass one by without eating some of them.

Also like the free internet connection at Krystal. No internet at White Castle.

Thanks for your participation! Stay tuned for next week's poll. (As always, I take poll suggestions.)

Leftovers: The Day's Stray Links

2010-03-06T00:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Portland > My Father's Place: "The beef patty was tiny and burned, and I had to pick off most of the bun." Not a winner. [Dream Burger]
Singapore > Smok'inn Frogz Kitchen: The freshly made patty is tender, but not that flavorful. [vkeong.com]
Atlanta > The Vortex: The Spanish Fly consists of a half pound patty topped with two slices of pepperjack cheese and "secret" chorizo mix. [Cheese-Burger.net]
The Noah's Ark Burger at Burger King: A burger with two of every patty they have: beef, veggie, chicken, and fish. Plus bacon. [Geekologie]
Cheeseburger Accident: Don't drive an unwrap a cheeseburger at the same time. [SR-J.com]

The Mc10:35, a Combination of the McDouble and Egg McMuffin

2010-03-05T21:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: Peter at Consumerist]

Consumerist reports on the Mc10:35, a mashup of the McDouble (two patties with one slice of cheese) and Egg McMuffin named so because you have to order it at that time when the menu switches from breakfast to lunch. Just take the egg and Canadian bacon from the Egg McMuffin and put it on the McDouble. It's a more reasonable breakfast/lunch mashup than the McDonald's Big McSausage Egg Surf & Turf Mac. [via Buzzfeed]

The Peanut and Miracle Whip-Topped Nut Burger from Rub BBQ in NYC

2010-03-05T18:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

When I told people on Monday that I was going to try the special Nut Burger ($7.50) at Rub BBQ (as part of their Monday-only burger nights), I was unsurprisingly met with some quizzical responses. Peanuts and mayonnaise on a burger? Euh?

Actually, when I got to the restaurant I found out it was peanuts and Miracle Whip. Close enough.

This version was not quite the beauty shot by George Motz at the birthplace of the Nut Burger, Matt's Place Drive-In in Butte, Montana, but you can't always judge a hamburger by its lumpy, pasty covering. I liked this burger—the peanuts added crunch in every bite, and the Miracle Whip added some tanginess and, more importantly perhaps, held the peanuts in place. To me the peanuts provided more texture than flavor, but that might be because the patty at Rub BBQ is already so flavorful.

The patties at Rub burst with beefy salty goodness, and despite being among the thinnest patties I've ever had, they're quite juicy. The only thing I didn't like about this burger was that the bottom bun disintegrated a bit from the fat/juice of the patty and attached itself to the meat like a wet paper tower, but it wasn't a big deal. Otherwise, the well toasted bun is awesome. Adam and Ed named Rub's burger their favorite of 2009 for a good reason.

Rub BBQ

208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (near Seventh Avenue; map)
212-524-4300; rubbbq.net

Burger Seminar with Josh Ozersky at Rub BBQ
The Burger Lab: Which Makes A Better Burger, Grass-Fed or Grain?
Shake Shack, Bill's, and RUB: It's Rainin' Smashed Burgers In This Burg

Studio City, CA: The Fox and Hounds Pub

2010-03-05T15:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Today's AHT reader recommendation comes from Lara B. (aka Leebo on AHT/Serious Eats). You can also check out her pizza review on Slice. Thanks, Lara! If you want to share some burger intel, here's how to do it. —The Mgmt.

[Photographs: Lara B.]

The Fox and Hounds Pub

11100 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604 (map); 818-763-7837; thefoxandhounds.com
Cooking Method: Grilled to order
Short Order: A gourmet pub burger at an affordable price.
Want Fries With That? Yes, please! Steak fries are their chip of choice.
Price:1/2-pound beef burger with cheddar cheese and side, $8
Notes: Thursday is burger night. Premier or Champion League burgers with side for $9

A good burger is hard to find. A great burger can be even more elusive. But sometimes, the best of burgers can be hiding right under one's very nose. Such was the case with a recent burger revelation at my favorite local watering hole, The Fox and Hounds Pub in Studio City, California. With its brass door handle having been well-polished since 1997, this English pub is known for an impressive selection of draft beers and ales and delicious British fare (all made in-house), which includes a popular Full Monty breakfast served all day. Also, their addicting appetizers are half price during a very happy hour (weekdays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.). For these reasons, I had never paid much attention to their burger offerings—until now. So follow me across the pond and over the Hollywood hills to pub burger bliss.

The Fox and Hounds Pub offers a selection of five 8-ounce burgers, one 16-ounce double meat, and a veggie burger. They source their never frozen beef from a local specialty meat company who grinds the meat to their specifications and delivers to them several times a week. Each burger is grilled to order, perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper, and flipped on the grill four times (I asked), creating the classic cross marks on each side.

The result for my requested medium rare burger is a moist interior with an exterior crust that seals in just the right amount of juiciness. While the lower bun is slightly affected by the weight and juiciness of the meat, it never loses its full integrity. The burgers are served open faced on a grilled sesame seed bun with cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato, onion and dill pickles. Customers can build their own burgers at their table with the choice and amount of ingredients provided. Because the burgers are served plain (except for the side of ketchup for the fries) you will need to ask for your favorite condiments.

While you are offered a choice of a salad or steak fries (chips) as a side with your burger, I do recommend the more classic choice of fries. They are light and fluffy on the inside and fried to golden perfection.

All of which proves, even in a place known for darts, football (soccer), and ales, you never really know where a great classic American burger may be hiding. And if you are ever in the vicinity of this neighborhood meeting place whose motto is "Call Frequently, Drink Moderately, Pay Honorably, Part Friendly..." do yourself a favor and order a burger and chips with your pint before "Going Home Quietly." —Leebo

Dear AHT: Good Burgers in London

2010-03-04T23:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Here's an email we received recently in the AHT inbox. Any Londoners out there who can chime in?

Hi, I don't know if you have someone in London, but I've had/heard of a couple of good burgers from relatively little-known places recently and thought that if you do, I'd love to hear your take on the following:

The burger at The Prince Regent Pub in Gloucester Road. The food here must be decent at least because it's packed even on weeknights with people eat dinner and the burger seems popular.

I've heard that the Marks & Spencer food hall in High Street Kensington has a hot lunch counter that does a good cheeseburger and I am curious.

As for burgers I've eaten, I'd like the cheeseburger at Bob Bob Ricard. It's expensive, but the charming and eccentric decor is strangely soul-soothing, and the last time I went it was so super-juicy that they had to bring us bowls of water for our fingers (fancy I know). I also like the cheeseburger from Deliverance. Yes, it's a cheeseburger from a home delivery company, but it's much better than a lot of burgers I've had in restaurants.

Thanks!
Fatima K.

Contest: Win a Hardee's Happy Star Slanket

2010-03-04T18:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

You should be surfing that website too. [Photographs: Hardee's]

If you ever thought, "I wish I could eat a Hardee's burger while wearing a blanket," Hardee's has the thing for you: the Hardee's Happy Star Slanket! Yup, it's Hardee's and Slankets, together at last.

To tie in with their new Grilled Cheese Bacon Thickburger, billed as "comfort food for grown-ups," Hardee's has come up with the limited edition Happy Star Slanket, also full of comfort. And freedom. And uses beyond eating burgers in. Here's the description Hardee's gave us:

Read a book, snuggle a baby, cheer at a sporting event, surf the pages of Serious Eats, or enjoy a Hardee's snack, all while staying warm from head to toe; anything is possible with the comfort and freedom provided by the Hardee's Happy Star Slanket!

We have one Slanket (along with Hardee's coupons) to give away to one AHT reader. All you have to do is leave a comment with a haiku about burgers, Slankets, or both. The writer of our favorite haiku will win the Slanket.

Contest will end and comments will close at 1 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 11, 2010. One entry per community member. Winners are limited to residents of the continental U.S. Standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.

Schoop's in Munster, Indiana: Visit to Local Legend Ruined By Poor Cooking Technique

2010-03-04T15:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: Daniel Zemans]

Schoop's Hamburgers

215 Ridge Road, Munster IN 46321 (map); 219-836-6233‎; multiple locations listed at schoophamburgers.com
Cooking Method: Smashed
Short Order: Many trusted eaters have declared their love for Schoop's, but something was off on this visit.
Want Fries With That? No thanks.
Price:Schoop's Mickey, $5.49; Double Cheeseburger with bacon, $9.24

A host of people whose tastes I have faith in have sung the praises of Schoop's. From Michael Nagrant here on AHT to some of the senior members of the LTH team to Cheeseburger Show host Kevin Pang, nearly every review I've read of Schoop's has been glowing. Even some trusted AHT commenters like NotAmerican have chimed in, waxing poetic about the glory of the place. The word on Schoop's was so positive that I planned an eating day trip to Munster, Indiana, simply because the oldest remaining location in the 62-year-old chain is located there.

I mention the many burger pundits who love Schoop's for three reasons. First, more information is always good and I encourage seriously interested readers to check out what others have to say. Second, to preemptively acknowledge that I must have gone on a bad day. And third, because I hate writing negative reviews. All that said, my experience at Schoop's was, for the most part, a massive disappointment.

Schoop's Mickey burger.

There are two keys to an excellent burger at Schoop's. First, they always use fresh meat that's never frozen. And second, they smash the burgers into submission when cooking leaving crisp lacy edges all the way around the patties. At least that's how things are supposed to work.

That the meat is fresh is a wonderful thing that should be celebrated, but the reality is that fresh beef does not necessarily equal good beef. Exhibit A: Wendy's. But with a smashed burger, proper cooking technique can turn mediocre beef into an excellent burger. And that gets to the big problem with my visit—something was off in the cooking process.

To those uninitiated in the art of smash burger-ing, there is some technique involved. I don't want to pick on Wendy's here, but the fact is that it's an easy reference for people to look at if they want to know what a far from ideal smashed burger looks like. Didn't know that Wendy's made a smashed burger? Neither did I until saw these too-spectacular-for-words Wendy's training videos. Here's Part 1 and here's Part 2. Seriously, go watch them now; I'll wait. Outstanding, right?

Anyhow, something went wrong in the smashing of my burgers at Schoop's. I suspect it was that the griddle wasn't hot enough as there was simply no crispiness to be found anywhere on the burger. Without the crunch, all I was left to fall back on was ordinary beef and toppings. I tried two different burgers at Schoop's, but neither had sufficient quality toppings to save the meat.

The first burger I tried was the Schoop's Mickey, which features one patty with a piece of American cheese on top and another on the bottom. This extra cheesy cheeseburger was a great concept, but suffered due to the problematic patty. Oddly enough, while the price difference between the burger and the cheeseburger is 50 cents, the extra slice to upgrade to a Mickey adds an additional 60 cents.

Not realizing that the burgers weigh in at 1/3-pound each, I went for a bacon double cheeseburger. This one had the same problems as the Mickey with the meat, only this time it was multiplied by two. The bacon, so often a saving grace for a bad burger, was just not very good. It was cooked properly, but the pork was overloaded with sweetness, seemingly of the very artificial variety.

I didn't have a terrible eating experience in my inaugural visit to Schoop's. But the burgers were wholly unsatisfying. The bottom line is that smashed burgers require proper cooking to be successful and these ones did not have the crust that makes the style so good. If you want to see what a Schoop's burger is supposed to look like, click here and here.

While I have confidence that Schoop's can put out a much better burger than the ones I had on this visit, I have no faith in their ability to turn out good fries. These thick factory-made potato products are neither crisp nor particularly flavorful. The cheese product sauce they were served with was of the quality found at state fairs and baseball stadiums, which is to say disturbingly enjoyable. The onion rings were a bit better than the fries, but still nothing to write home about.

The undisputed star of the visit was my first ever Green River milkshake. Detail-oriented readers will remember the exceptional Green River float I had at Zaharako's last summer. In a shake form, the lime pop comes through once, but its sweetness is tempered by the vanilla ice cream and milk. When I return to Schoop's—and I will give it another try—I'm not sure which burger I'll eat, but I will definitely have another one of these shakes.

The shake arrived less than a minute after I ordered it, so fast that I was confused as to how it happened. I asked my server how it got to my table so quickly and she responded, "22 years' experience." At the end of the day, even when Schoop's messes up in cooking as it did on my visit, it is people like her that separate the place from the Wendy's of the world. That might be lost if the company is too successful in its franchising efforts, but for now Schoop's retains the charm that has made it so popular for so long.

Leftovers: The Day's Stray Links

2010-03-04T00:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Philadelphia > Chops: Worth checking out for their weekday lunch special of a 10-ounce Kobe beef burger with fries for $6. [Midtown Lunch]
Dallas > 12 Burgers: The meat is juicy and good quality, and the burger has the right bun-to-patty ratio. [The Dallas Morning News]
Albany > First Burger: Just opened yesterday. [Albany Democrat-Herald]
Flagstaff > Diablo Burger: They source their ingredients from local farms and purveyors. [New West Blog]
Minneapolis > Burger Jones: Get the Green Chile Cheeseburger topped with spicy green chile salsa, pepperjack, and a giant onion ring. [YCWWT]
Atlanta > Burger Recs: A list of recommendations, well known and not, in search for the best burger. [Food and More]

Data Visualization: The Eight Largest Burger Chains in the U.S.

2010-03-03T23:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Image: Weather Sealed]

Stephen Von Worley of Weather Sealed made two color-coded maps that show the locations of the eight largest burger chains in the U.S. and the areas they dominate. Using Star Wars as a metaphor, he dubs McDonald's the McEmpire and all the other chains the rebels who must battle against the McForce. His findings:

By far, the largest pocket of resistance is Sonic Drive-In's south-central stronghold: more than 900 restaurants packed into the state of Texas alone. Sheer density is the key to victory!

The rebels already have the numbers - over 24,000 locations in total - but they've divided and conquered themselves by strict adherence to the peacetime principles of brand identity and corporate structure. This is war, and for the sake of self-preservation, all must be sacrificed! Kings and Queens: get used to hanging with the common folk. Tone down the sarcasm, Jack. And everyone, please, stop yanking Wendy's pigtails! Y'all need to work in harmony to succeed with the winning strategy: an Alliance!

Together, the rebels double the output of the McEmpire, and, behind the united force of their burgers, dominate all but a few stubborn pockets of the Northeast and Midwest.

Fast Company explains in non-Star Wars terms:

[W]hat it reveals is that McDonald's isn't quite the behemoth it seems, but they're pursuing a far different strategy than all the rest. Outside of a powerbase in the Northeast, they cover the country in a loose but consistent density. The other chains are playing a different game, trying to become so common in certain regions that they seem unavoidable.

[via Neatorama]

A Hamburger Today

This Week's Poll Results

Leftovers: The Day's Stray Links

Photo of the Day: Cheeseburger from Pie 'N Burger in Pasadena, California

Atlanta: Ann's Snack Bar

Ann's Snack Bar

The Burger Lab's Top Ten Tips for Making Better Burgers

1. Grind Your Own Beef

2. Keep Everything Really Cold

3. Weigh and Size Your Patties

4. Use a Thermometer

5. Season Liberally

6. Do Not Salt Beef Until Patties Are Formed

7. Flip Your Burger as Often as You'd Like

8. Don't Futz With Your Meat

9. Choose Your Bun Wisely

10. Don't Let Anyone Tell You What to Put on It

LOL: LOTOR (Lord of the Onion Rings)

Searching for the Bay Area's Best at Val's Burgers in Hayward, CA

Val's Burgers

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A Disappointing Burger at Cabbage Patch in Beverly Hills

Cabbage Patch

American Burgers in Paris at La Panfoulia

La Panfoulia

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Burgerman Will Run the Boston Marathon in a Burger Suit for Charity

NYC: HB Burger and Heartland Brewery Redux

Heartland Brewery

HB Burger

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Photo of the Day: Double Bacon Bomb from Sliders in Mahwah, NJ

Slider

Today's Special Burger at RUB BBQ: The 'McGangBang'

Tackling the Five-Pound Giant Hamburger at Ed Walker's Drive-In Restaurant in Fort Smith, AR

Ed Walker's Drive-In Restaurant

AHT Poll: Do You Like Secret Sauce?

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This Week's Poll Results

Leftovers: The Day's Stray Links

The Mc10:35, a Combination of the McDouble and Egg McMuffin

The Peanut and Miracle Whip-Topped Nut Burger from Rub BBQ in NYC

Rub BBQ

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