50 Burger Challenge

JP - Brewhouse 100 - Nashville - #19

Burger: Jalapeño bacon, American cheese

Beer: Lagunitas IPA

The beer and bacon were awesome. The burger, not so much.

nutsandboltons - Mo's Burgers - London - SH24

This place is a little food stand near the Canada Water tube/bus station. As these things go, it started off ok, with the smell of onions grilling on the portable griddle making my mouth water. Alas, cut-rate condiments ruined what would otherwise have been an average burger. The awful mayo made the chips inedible, which is a shame because they could have been excellent. They used clean oil and served them piping hot. Also, the can of Dr Pepper I ordered was covered in all manner of unidentifiable grit. Nasty.

3/10

Timko - CHUBurger - Longmont, CO - Burger #34

6/10 - not worth leaving the Boulder bubble for. This is Oskar Blues new burger only bar. The bun seemed like its been sitting on the griddle for hours, dry, instead of toasted. Meat overdone. Fries and OR "meh". The only thing it has going is all the Oskar Blues beer on tap and a Galaga arcade machine.

JohnF - Balboa Cafe - San Francisco - #16

This was the closest place to where i was on a list of best burgers in the city.
The burger meat was good, but it was served on a French baguette. This was a little too fancy for me. Sorry, but hamburgers weren't meant to be served on baguettes.

nutsandboltons - The Clipper - London - SH23

This isn't the worst burger in London, but it's certainly down there on
the list. Curiously, given that the fries and patties were obviously
sysco-style frozen bulk jobbies, the vegetables in the salad were quite
fresh and really good, especially for early spring produce. Too bad
they didn't have any proper salad dressing. Since this isn't the 50
salads challenge, they get a 3/10. If you ever find yourself standing
in front of this pub at mealtime, walk 2 minutes north (to the Blacksmith's Arms for Thai) or about 5 minutes
south (to the Orange Bull for a burger which I've already written up
here) for much better food.

JP - My ABRH test kitchen - Nashville - #18

Burger: Sometimes if you want it done right, you do it yourself. We were playing around in the test kitchen trying to do an In-N-Out Double Double knock off. Best burger I've had this year!

JohnF - Hopdoddy's Burger Bar - Austin, Tx - #15

The Terlingua Burger. Topped with chili, cheese, and fritos. 7/10

Biliruben - Texas Land and Cattle, Lakeline - ATX - #22

5 / 10

Name: Mushroom and Swiss
Toppings: MLTOMuC(s)
Patty: 1/4, med well
Taste: salty

Miles - PhD - Dallas, TX - Burger #14

Hangover Burger
9/10

Even with them over-cooking it, this was still such a juicy, and tasty burger, it was just ridiculous! It's the first time I've ever had a well-done burger that tasted this good.

BBQ (not burger) to put in your note pads

Sorry for the off-topic (won't be offended by a delete), but an old and very annoying, in most instances, friend who doesn't know much but know's food and all kinds of decent BBQ (Georgia girl with a significant bit of youth in Dallas TX) recommends this pretty highly in North Hollywood: http://www.mikkibrisk.com/food/texas-best-bbq-in-noho/

******************************************************

Read the Endless British Pub Crawl for all your drinking and running info

"You really ought to fly with me, you know. I'm a good pilot. I'd take care of you." --Orr, Catch-22

Slow Ride - The Rainbow Takeaway - Faringdon, Oxfordshire - kebab #18

3/10

Faringdon is blessed with bars and cursed by their food purveyors. This was disgusting (not so much so that I couldn't finish...there's starving kids in Appalachia and all). Full write up here.

Here's a shot of the kebab walking toward the Faringdon Folly and looking back into the town centre, somewhere over the Rainbow:

nutsandboltons - Red Dog Saloon - London - SH22

Went with the Heat Seeker, and was sorely disappointed with the level of heat. When I see habaneros on the menu, I expect them to actually be
in the food, not just in its vicinity at some point during production.
The bun was falling apart, but I blame that on the delivery time and juiciness of the meat. On the plus side, I
didn't have to order it medium rare; it just came that way. The patty
itself had a rich beefy flavor. The meaty beans I ordered as a side were excellent. I think this would have been much
better at the restaurant. I'll be going back at some point to try the
Punisher (burger w/Bacon and pulled pork on top). Highly recommend this place for BBQ if you're in London and need to scratch that specific
itch, but this burger was just barely above average:

7/10

Full write-up on this place from a previous visit here: http://nutsandboltons.com/food/node/17

nutsandboltons - Belgo - London - SH21

Good burger for a traditional Belgian place that specializes in steamed
mussels. Thick patty, solid bun, easily compressible to fit in your
mouth. The two things Belgians are known for - fries and beer, so the
fries are predictably awesome with ketchup or mayo, or by themselves.
The real star here is the beer, though. All manner of Trappist goodness
and a few I'd never heard of. The Kasteel Rouge is a must-have, and if
you're not driving, get them to mix a bottle of Bush's 12% (yeah, you
heard that right - 12 PERCENT) and Lindemans Peche. Burger by itself is
a solid 7, plus two points for the beer.

9/10

Rayzor - 24 Diner - austin, tx - burger #15

Burger week special: sauteed spring onions, braised (THICK) bacon, "double cream" blue cheese, garlic aioli on Easy Tiger bun. Very, very good (excellent meat, perfectly cooked), but almost too much with all the stuff. 9/10

megabootay - ZAX - Austin, TX - #18

9/10
The South Texas Burger
Mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and avocado on a wheat bun.
It tasted as delicious as it looked. ZAX is one of my favorite lunch spots. This confirms why. The burger was perfectly cooked and the toppings were all fresh. I only gave it a 9 because it was a little too much mustard for me. The fries at ZAX are awesome, too.

megabootay - Black Star Co-Op - Austin, TX - #17

?/10
I have a picture of a burger on my phone. I have a receipt for a burger. But, I don't remember this burger AT ALL. Surely I ate it. It looks like it was tasty. But yea...this was in the midst of a bachelorette party brew tour. So...your guess is as good as mine.

megabootay - Austin Java - Austin, TX - #16

8/10
The Shroom n' Swiss
Mushroom, Swiss, Ranch, tomato, and lettuce on a wheat bun.
Austin Java is a regular lunch joint for me and my old work husband (we have since gone our separate ways. ::sigh::) I figured it would be good. And it was REALLY good. Granted, I had been dumped earlier that week and was drinking mass amounts of alcohol from Tuesday on. So, maybe we shouldn't trust my taste on this one? But I enjoyed it tremendously.

megabootay - Doc's Motorworks - Austin, TX - #15

7/10
Tort Burger
Guacamole, cheddar cheese & pico de gallo, served on flour tortillas.
This is one of my regulars...both Doc's and the Tort Burger. Greasy and yummy as always. Love that it comes with queso and chips, because Doc's queso is actually really good.

Anthony - BJ's - Elk Grove, CA - #19

Cuban Burger - 6/10: This one's not on the menu any more, but they'll still make it. The ham and pickle help disguise the sad patty.

Anthony - Woody's - Port A, TX - #18

Bacon cheeseburger - 7/10: The burger was okay, the beer was cold, and we were on the water. Not a bad afternoon.

Anthony - Hopdoddy - Austin, TX - #17

(Catching up on some posting)

Classic w/ bacon and cheese - 7/10: I really wanted to like this better. The patty was juicy, but needed to be seared more to bump up the score.

Anthony - Z Tejas - Austin, TX - #16

Z Burger - 6/10 Nice bun, but the burger was bland. Definitely needed some char.

Peter Pepper, In-N-Out Burger, Dallas TX, Burger #20

Headed to Arkansas we passed two In-N-Out Burger joints and I took note to grab one on the return trip. Only I used Apple Maps so we passed the first one and almost missed the second one until I realized the directions sucked so bad that I must be using Apple Maps.

pjtravels - Caffe Mac - Austin, TX - burger #28

7/10.
Kelley Burger. Toppings were awesome - crispy bacon, sweet grilled onions. Docked points for dry cibatta bread and patty.

Timko - OAK - Boulder, CO - Burger #33

7/10 - Double patty with Harissa sauce. Great sauce. Despite being a culinary institution in Boulder I always have really bad service and overall experiences here. This time was no different. Bartender had a puss on like she just got her period and made me a shitty cocktail (and made it wrong). Bathroom was filthy too.

Digger/Rocking Horse Pub/Parksville B.C./ Burger #11

You know when you've had a busy day, you're starving, there's a big burger on the menu, and you can't wait to eat it?Well that was me tonight. So I ordered a beer and waited. And I ordered another beer and waited. Finally, I ordered the "Bronco Burger", another beer, and waited. When it finally came, I was ready to attack it. It was 2X8oz. patties, and was awesome. All was forgiven as I finished, Grandma paid, and we headed home, fully satiated.Add 1 point for forgetting the salad that came with the burger. 8.5/10

"You've mistakenly brought me food that my food eats".

Ron Swanson,upon being served a salad.

brownie/Cy's Drive In/CSCO/burger #24

Not too shabby, though a bit overpriced.

JP - Oskar Blues - Longmont CO - 17

Burger: Silo: pulled pork, bacon, hot sauce, pepper jack cheese.

Beer: Pliny the Elder!

Burger has potential. This place is a restaurant shit show on the weekends!! Mediocre food. Atrocious service. No sense of urgency (45 minute waits while you stand next to empty tables). I came here for the taps! The food is much better during week.

Wiley* - Marriott in Houston - Sliders #14

What could I expect from a Marriott in North Houston in a neighborhood with the nickname: Gunpoint Mall? A 5/10, that what.

JohnF - Counter Cafe - Austin, Tx - #14

Nice sweetbread fresh bun. With sweet potatoe fries. 7/10

Two weeks in a row the kebab was across from a porn shop and near a musical instrument store. This one was flavourful, with good sauce (the kebab) and dodgy but delicious lettuce and tomato. 6/10 (full write up here).

Peter Pepper, Mighty Fine, Austin, Burger #19

Mighty Fine is a fine burger. I ordered a 1/2 lb with cheese and bacon "white" which is MF speak for mayonnaise. The crinkle cut fries are ok and the shake was just a bit average. Still it was the burger that was the star and a MF'ing good burger indeed. 8/10.

brownie/Old Mill Brewing/Littleton, CO/burger #23

Monster Burger - onion rings, mozzarella sticks, BBQ sauce, bacon, and jack cheese. And a pickle to get the veggies in.

pjtravels - Hut's Hamburgers - Austin, TX - burger #27

5/10. Alley oop Burger. I remember when I used to love my trips to Hut's. I don't know whether this is the downfall or a great or if my taste buds have been enlightened since then. The toasted bread was dry, the patty was uninspired, and even though I was starving post-ride, the pickle looked too gross to eat.

brownie/Platte River Half/Denver/burger #22

Post race cookout.

Biliruben - The Goodnight - ATX - #21

7 / 10

Name: Texas Wagyu Burger
Toppings: LTOC(c)E
Patty: 1/3 med
Taste: patty has a nice marinade flavor and the ingredients come together nicely. Points off for losing structural integrity and falling apart.

Beebs - citizens burger bar - Charlottesville VA - #14

7/10
Pimiento cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato.
Not bad, but a little too lean for my tastes.

nutsandboltons - Meat Market - London SH#20

Playing on the innuendo of a meat market as a singles' bar, the playful atmosphere at the Meat Market in Covent Garden won me over the first time I went there. It's in a loft overlooking the Jubilee (flea) Market, and the rafters are hung with irreverent fake personal ads and suggestive signage. It's a much more laid-back experience than its sister restaurant to the North and West, Meat Liquor (see my 2nd update for details). I usuallly get the Dead Hippie, but this last time I had a Black Palace burger, which trades the dead hippie sauce and minced onion for grilled onions. Excellent, excellent, excellent burger all around. It's a little bit messy, but worth the indulgence. Order the beige milkshake (bourbon + maple syrup) and take some friends to split the chilli cheese fries. They're a little unusual, but very tasty. Also, this is the first place I've found in London with decent jalapeno poppers.

10/10

nutsandboltons - Northfield Kitchen - London - SH#19

Borough market again. I can't stay away from that place - so many great food options. These guys had a lamb & mint burger that was awesome. I made a note at the time that it was a 7/10, but didn't elaborate, so this'll have to remain one of the great mysteries of the universe. At least until you try one for yourself.

More on Borough Market here (and elsewhere further back in the archive):
http://nutsandboltons.com/food/node/21

nutsandboltons - Crosse Keys - London - SH#18 - addendum

Might be worth attaching the photo.

nutsandboltons - Crosse Keys - London - SH#18

Surpisingly good for a pub burger, although they made the BBQ sauce with Jim Beam Honey, which I don't really enjoy. Onion rings were good and the burger had a solid feel and good flavor. The chips were chips, nothing special. They have almost 30 rotating taps featuring British microbrews, which is more variety than I've seen in one place since moving over here.

7/10

nutsandboltons - Chez Nutsandboltons - London - SH#17

Had some friends in town for work recently, and we decided we'd go through Borough Market and pick up some burger patties to bring home and grill up. I'd intended to treat them to something exotic at Gamston Wood Farm (see my update SH#12), but it was closed on the particular Thursday we went. Instead, we got rabbit burgers at one of the butcher stalls (haven't been able to figure out the name - it's next to the paella and curry stand, for those who've been there). ZOMG these worked out. Rabbit's a lean meat, so they have to cut it with something fattier. I didn't ask what, but I'm assuming beef. At any rate, these got the most amazing golden-brown char on them in the countertop griddle/sandwich press. It was sweet and salty to the point the burgers almost didn't need the bacon we put on them. The meat itself had a good chunky grind with a relatively loose pack, but still held together well. Served with lettuce, onion, tomato, white
cheddar, and bacon on a toasted bun, with a side of home-made thick-cut fried potatoes. I dressed mine with ketchup, mayo and HP brown sauce. Round out the meal with an Innis & Gun Rum Finish ale, and I give this one a 10/10.

I may be biased, though.

nutsandboltons - Philomena's - London - SH#16

Philomena's is a pub near where I used to work, just east of Covent Garden. They have the most amazing sunday pork roast w/yorkshire pudding, gravy, carrots, and parsnips. But this isn't the 50 pork roasts challenge. This challenge is for burgers, son! So I tried their mexican burger. Burger itself was good. Solid flavor, proper grind and pack. Fries were good, but nothing special. The salsa they served on the side was weak sauce, though. Too sweet & not enough chunk or kick. They have a monday burger special that's a pretty good value. Beer selection is pretty good and the wait staff are friendlier than I've come to expect at British pubs.

6/10

Seriously, though. Go there for the roast pork.

Slow Ride - Meli Greek Cafe - Oxford - kebab #16

9/10...I scored it down for not being shoarma or doner, and more for not even being lamb; instead it was succulent chunks of beef with an addictive tsasiki sauce. Review here. [Yeah, that's a porn shop across the street...you don't tend to get decent, or any, kebabs in good locations.]

Peter Pepper, Austin Java Co., Austin, Burger #18

This patty had 90 degree edges. It was named "Gouda Meetcha" which is a dumb name and this burger was almost as dumb. 6/10

OMG CAKE - EZ's on Lamar - Austin - #13

EZ's 4/10

Class bacon & Cheddar Burger

+: it was grilled.. which is nice

-: no flavor. bacon didn't even have flavor... a bit dry..

Maybe I needed a milk shake to eat this?

megabootay - 24 Diner - Austin, TX - #14

While eating: 9/10; After eating: 1/10
Bacon Gorgonzola
Premium Gold Angus on a pain au lait bun with bacon, Gorgonzola, carmelized onions, aioli
This burger tasted amazing. The meat was delicious and cooked to perfection. The flavors of the Gorgonzola and carmelized onions were fantastic. The bread was mouth watering.
But let us fast forward to one hour after ingesting this meal...I got sick. Like my head hanging over the toilet kind of sick. Although delicious, this burger was just too much for my stomach (too rich? too full?). So yea, Gorgonzola on the way up is no where near as good. In fact, it might be the last thing I'd choose to vomit.

megabootay - Hut's Hamburgers - Austin, TX - #13

7/10
#8 - Arnold's Best
Longhorn grass-fed beef with guac, lettuce, bacon, and jack cheese on a whole wheat bun.
I love Hut's...normally. In hindsight, I should've ordered differently. Guacamole is not Hut's specialty. It made everything soggy and messy and took away from it's goodness. Seriously, I make better guac. But I do love their fries and onion rings. So, that made up for my ordering fail.

megabootay - Wholly Cow - Austin, TX - #12

7/10
Pure Single w/ Cheddar Cheese
Dressed w/ Fresh Lettuce, Tomato, Onions, Mustard, & Ketchup on King's Hawaiian Sweet Roll
This was, by far, the freshest burger I've had during the challenge. The meat, the dressings, the roll. Everything was fresh. But, I found the meat lacking a little somethin-somethin by way of flavoring and the tomato and lettuce were so cold it almost made the burger cold. Now, the sweet potato fries were heavenly. Best I think I've ever had.