GrubGrade

After eating at the Abbey Burger Bistro, I have to agree with the citizens of Charm City; this dive bar in Federal Hill definitely serves up some of the best burgers in Baltimore.

Too bad the service there makes a mockery of what I consider to be the city’s already questionable nickname.

Continuing on my month long odyssey through National Burger month, I stopped into the Abbey last Friday with frequent GrubGrade reader and commenter ChrisLad. Friday’s have become my burger “splurge” day, and after hitting up Salt Lake’s ACME Burger the week previous, I was looking forward to another high-end gourmet burger.  The Abbey is well known for its diverse burger selection, and bills itself as having the “Best Burger” in the city. While Kooper’s Tavern would likely dispute that title (which, given my knowledge, is an unofficial claim), the reviews on the Abbey were solid according to Yelp.com, and made a late afternoon lunch worth seeking out. (more…)

May is National Hamburger Month, and in a state known for its burger, shake and french fry culture, there are plenty of options to choose from if you’re looking to satisfy that All-American urge for one of our country’s most iconic of foods. To be sure, the burger ‘culture’ of both Salt Lake and most of Utah has long been built around local, fast-food ‘style’ restaurants such as Hires Big H, Crown Burger, and the western-based chain, Arctic Circle, but on a recent trip to the state capital I decided to fulfill my curiosity for something a bit more “gourmet.” Not that the ubiquitous, griddled-to-a-hockey puck quarter pounder on a sesame seed bun isn’t appealing (it is, after all, what America is all about), but there are days when I long to challenge my past culinary experiences, which in the realm of burgers have been few and far between.

Enter ACME Burger Co.

Located just a stones throw away from Pioneer Park and the Gateway mall, ACME touts a menu filled with foodie-friendly ‘upscale’ burgers and sides that come with the familiar buzz phrase slogans that speak to a commitment in the quality of their ingredients and their staff’s personalized and attentive service. (more…)

There seems to be two types of passionate burger lovers in the quick-serve world.  The one that loves Five Guys burgers and the one that loves In-N-Out.  Call it an East Coast vs West Coast type of thing if you want but I’m an East Coast guy and have never been a huge fan of Five Guys.  When it comes to fast food burgers, my money is on an In-N-Out burger any day.  The problem is, as I mentioned, I’m an East Coaster.  On the rare occasion that I get a chance to be on the other side of the country, I make an effort to grab a delicious Double-Double Animal Style from In-N-Out Burger.

A visit to In-N-Out is an experience that is likely to be met with a packed crowd on late weekend nights.  Usually filled with the teenaged clientele and causing extremely long lines…well at least in all of my experiences anyways.  On this most recent visit, it was a Midnight drive-thru run and I was greeted with a line of 15+ vehicles.  A 20 minute wait wasn’t enough to stop me from toughing it out and getting my grub.  I went for a Double-Double, fries and a chocolate shake (yeah I was hungry). While the INO fries are pretty mediocre, the shake was great.  The main reason for this visit was the burger.  The Double-Double gets it’s namesake by doubling up on the burger patty and the cheese. Complete with some lettuce, tomato, pickles and I always opt to go Animal Style.  Going Animal Style means you’re getting mustard cooked into your beef patties, grilled onions and extra spread.  The spread is a Thousand Island type dressing…basically a mildly tangy and flavorful ketchup/mayo/pickle relish concoction that works for me better than regular old ketchup/mustard ever would.  All these tasty ingredients on a freshly baked bun.  The INO Double-Double has me under it’s spell.

In-N-Out has stood by a slogan that is simple and rings true…”Quality You Can Taste”.  There are no heat lamps, freezers or microwaves.

Our commitment to quality starts with our hamburgers.  We make them from fresh, 100% pure beef. They are free of additives, fillers and preservatives of any kind.  But the focus on quality starts well before we deliver our hamburger patties to our stores.  We own and operate a world class patty making facility.  Since we only serve burgers, fries and drinks, making a high quality hamburger patty is everything to us.

Complete meal... Double-Double $3.05, Fries $1.30, Shake $1.89

At a price of $3.05 for the burger itself, I’d say the Double-Double is priced pretty reasonably.  You’re getting a hefty double burger with a filling 37 grams of protein.  I love how in a world where there are grub spots with tons of menu options, In-N-Out keeps it simple.  It’s a very limited menu but it is what it is, a burger joint that focuses on burgers. In-N-Out has a legion of loyal followers and because of this it easily falls victim to claims that it is overrated.  Well I’m in the loyal follower camp and I just know what I like…this is good stuff.  I’d put an Animal Style Double-Double up against any quick-serve burger.  Not overly messy and greasy and still delicious through and through.  In-N-Out just has the taste I like.  It’s an award winning formula that has this East Coaster longing for the Pacific time zone.

• Pros: Fresh and tasty.  Delicious spread.  Good value.  Made to order.
• Cons: Long late night lines at INO.

Taste:  9.50/10

Value:  8.00/10

Grubbing on the Go:  5.50/10

——————————–

GrubGrade:  9.50/10  (GrubGrade Hall of Famer)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price:  $3.05

Nutrition Facts – Double-Double Animal Style

Calories – 670

Fat – 41 grams

Saturated Fat – 18 grams

Cholesterol – 120 milligrams

Sodium – 1440 milligrams

Carbs – 39 grams

Sugars – 10 grams

Dietary Fiber – 3 grams

Protein – 37 grams

I’ve been sitting on this one for months folks.  It’s time for some first impressions.  On a recent visit to Columbus, Ohio I stopped by a neighborhood Wendy’s to check out what’s new.  Columbus, Ohio being the home of Wendy’s, I knew I’d be able to find an up and comer on the menu board.  Sure enough I came across a new burger that weeks later is still on my mind, the Bacon Deluxe from Wendy’s.

Boasting a new Applewood smoked Bacon, the Bacon Deluxe from Wendy’s ($3.99 for a Single) was definitely a change for me.  A big burger with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and raw onions on a soft, quality bun (I’m a fan of the buns at Wendy’s).  I worthy rival to McDonald’s Angus line.  It has been a number of years since the last time I went to Wendy’s and actually bought something bigger than a $1.50 value menu item.  I know Wendy’s has or had that Big Bacon Classic burger on the menu board for years so what’s really the big difference here?  A new name?  To me it seems like a new style of bacon (Applewood smoked) and not much else. The bacon is a smokey sweet style that is a bit thicker and fuller than the bacon put on say the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger (which uses thinner sliced hickory smoked bacon). With the Bacon Deluxe you’ve got the option for a Single for $3.99, Double for $4.99 or Triple for $5.99…and I went for the Single and it was more than enough food for my midnight craving.  The burger came along in a “Big Mac-esque” box because paper foil alone couldn’t contain it.  Absolutely delicious.  Wendy’s does a good job of bringing fresh and tasty condiments in with their burgers and it always helps the overall package.  Even at midnight this was put together well.  :)  The beef (which spills out from the bun) wasn’t dried out as one might expect from a late night run.  Apparently everything is made to order and I believed it.  The crisp, crunch of the raw onions and lettuce…I love that about Wendy’s.  The head of the Wendy’s corporation had recently said publicly that the Bacon Deluxe will feature “juicier beef, an improved bun, bacon cooked from scratch in our stores and improved packaging.”  It’s been 5 months since my experience with the Bacon Deluxe and the memory remains, but I’m due for another taste.

Sorry for the poor picture. The lighting is never good at the witching hour...

Midnight at the drive-thru

It’s been a while since Wendy’s came out with some big burgers.  The New Bacon Deluxe Burger (available as single, double or triple) looks to change that.  I can tell you from experiencing this burger for myself back in June, it’s delicious.  While hanging around in the Ohio area earlier this Summer, I was able to sample some Wendy’s test-market items.  I could not pass up the chance for this (640 calories and 35 grams of fat) tasty burger.

The Bacon Deluxe (single) goes like this:

Four strips of Applewood smoked bacon piled high atop a hot ‘n juicy beef patty, made to order every time. Add American cheese, cool and crisp veggies with a little condiment love and you’ve got a burger to satisfy your senses.

An italian-inspired burger with marinara sauce, mozzarella sticks, pepperoni slices and banana peppers. What do you think?  Going a little too far with this one is what I’d say.  I’m cringing at the thought of spicy pepperoni, marinara and hamburger.  It’s called The Wise Guy Burger and it’s available at Red Robin for a limited time.  At around $8-9 bucks, I think I’d opt for a Banzai Burger instead.

I was taking a look at the Top 15 Fast Food Burger Restaurant list based on 2008 Systemwide Sales and was wondering, taking actual sales out of the equation, what is the public opinion on favorites? Time for a new poll. Poll ends this Tuesday at Midnight… I’m curious to know how it turns out in relation to sales. So what’s your favorite?

Update: Poll is now closed.  Thanks for voting.  Results will be posted Wednesday Aug 26th.

But not because of this

MLB AL East Standings

…but because of this:

Hamburger from Flash's (via FoodFightBlog)

Jon over at FoodFightBlog.com was on The Great Burger Quest to find the best burger in Boston. From what I can see he never gave a final rundown of his findings but he had this to say about the above burger “On the Jon Defreest scale of renewed passion and overwhelming deliciosity, I give the Flash’s Burger an unprecedented 9 out of 10!” He’s got a few more pictures and you can read up on the other burgers he tried on his site.

Flash’s is located at 310 Stuart Street Boston, MA 02116. Has anyone else tried this burger and do you agree? What’s the best burger in Boston?

Burger Bite (via FoodFightBlog)

Some things are classic for a reason. Led Zeppelin II is a great example of this. Unfortunately some people feel it necessary to skip over classics such as this in favor of more obscure songs and records. That is until they finally listen to the album in it’s entirety. This is the Led Zeppelin IV of burgers, the Whataburger.

Previously I would always look past the Whataburger as being too simple to satisfy my palate. I would always opt instead for the BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich or something else in the vein. So, when I entered the orange and white A frame restaurant, I had generally low expectations. Perhaps it was because of those not so great expectations, I was highly impressed by the burger I was served (it was number 29, if you were wondering). (more…)

On a perfect summer day like today there is nothing I’d rather do than walk New York and sample all their wonderful street grub. That is one thing that is sorely lacking on the West Coast. We’ve only got drive-thrus

Shake Shack (photo via GadgetLam's Flickr)

Via GadgetLam’s Flickr from Shake Shack, “…shack attack special, mud pie frozen custard, chocolate sprinkles, hot fudge, brownie bites, and chocolate chips, seriously a chocolate overload but the best EVER!!!”

Nathan's Famous (via Rosemanio's Flickr)

Via Rosemanio’s Flickr from Nathan’s Famous on Coney Island, “Cheesy chili hotdogs, fries… and the best ice lemonade!”

Ice Cream Truck (via Trish Mayo's Flickr)

Via Trish Mayo’s Flickr from a Vesey Street Ice Cream truck, “This was the BEST ice cream that I’ve ever tasted! It was really creamy and delicious and perfectly presented.”

And just because this looks like it was filmed on New York Streets….rememBear the McDonald’s McDLT?