Bard's Burgers

                Back in 2007 Bard’s Burgers moved into what had been the Latonia Restaurant, a small little hole in the wall at 3620 Decoursey Ave., also known as State Route 16. Taking an almost a’ la carte style in their burger menu, Bard’s lets you order, and pay for, just what you want.  With a whimsical attitude and a taste for the large, Bard’s has gained a reputation as being a good place to get great food for little money. Currently they don’t have a presence on the web other than the many review sites where people have shared their opinions.

Josh

            Bards is a small town dive located in the middle of a small town in Northern Kentucky. It has a very unassuming sign right out front and a small store front that is easy to walk by without even noticing it. The service was provided by one guy working the small restaurant. The menu was as simple as it can get and the food was extremely well done. 

           The atmosphere of the joint was as simple as its menu, only one room with an open kitchen that lets the customer watch as their food is prepared. Once the food arrived, one thing really struck me, the burgers were huge, about a third of a pound of beef, with a great crisp garden, and perfectly seasoned too. The fries were just what you would expect, a good side dish for a great burger. Added with a friendly atmosphere, low prices, and a great meal with lots of food, combine that with their insane challenges, the Bardzilla and Porkzilla, and you’ve got a great restaurant worthy of being recommended.

Mark

Anyplace with a slogan that states, “You can’t beat our meat” had better be cooking with tongue firmly in cheek, that is unless the cheek is filled up with a bite of a thick, juicy burger. Feeling a bit hungry I ordered up a double then added cheese for forty-five cents and the deluxe toppings of lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle for a quarter. I opted out of the onion though.  Other options include bacon for $1.50, special sauce for twenty cents or the super toppings which has all of the deluxe goodies but also adds banana peppers, jalapeno and relish for a quarter.

This a la carte type ordering of extras may rub some people the wrong way, thinking that they’re having to pay for items that normally come “standard” on a burger. That’s one way of looking at it. But a regular, which is a thick juicy one third pound patty, costs a whopping $3.50. My double, before the extras, was all of $4.50 and I added seventy cents bringing the cost up to $5.20.

It was noon when we came in and though the place is cozy with a couple of tables in the middle and booths along two walls, we got quick service. Our server immediately brought out our drinks and a pile of napkins for which we were ultimately very grateful.

Above the volume on the lone television could be heard a delightful sizzle coming from the kitchen. If we were sitting on the other side or the place or at one of the tables we probably could have seen through the window leading back and watched out large, plump 100% beef patties being cooked on the grill. The sound and the smell was enough to build the anticipation.

The food arrived quickly and the two half pound patties were stacked on a soft bun and dripping with flavor. It was so large that I could barely fit it in my mouth. When I managed to squeeze it down enough to bite I was delighted at how the flavors struck. With a nice ripe tomato on top along with the ketchup, mustard and mayo, I could discern each individual element. Then the two massive patties and cheese with crisp lettuce and fresh dill pickle on the bottom. All of the flavors quickly melded into just what a burger is supposed to taste like.

The bun was pretty basic and really didn’t add anything to each bite. It didn’t detract, either. Basically its role was to hold everything in place which it was barely able to do. All of the juices soaking in along with the other condiments had the bun shrinking to the point where I was afraid to lay the burger down. Not that I have a problem with that. That’s why I have two hands. By the end there was only a tiny thumb sized piece of bun left on the bottom but that was enough for me to finish off this gem.

Along with the burger I ordered up a side of fries. They are fresh cut in the back and deep fried perfectly. For a large cut potato with skin they were not heavy at all. The outside wasn’t overly crisp but not at all soft while the insides were light and airy. This is a very good way to make a French fry.

If you’re adventurous you might want to try to tackle the Bardzilla. The challenge is a monster burger made up of 10 regular half-pound patties and topped with cheese. In addition you get two pounds of fries. If you can clean your plate within an hour you get a t-shirt. My suggestion is, if you do this and win, order the shirt a size too big. You’ll need it after this meal.