Two Weeks Off

We hate to do this but for the next two weeks there won't be a burger blog. Mark is in the middle of shooting the first four episodes for a new web series called Wise Guys? and after that is heading out of town for a few days on another job (where he might be able to find a burger place or two for the blog). Josh is picking up lots of extra hours at work while some of the other folks go on vacation. We promise, once we hit August, we will be back in true form and checking out all the best burger joints around. In the mean time, feel free to leave a message here or email us at turnerbudds@yahoo.com with some suggestions of places you think we should try.

Five Guys

                If you walk into one of the area locations of Five Guys Burgers and look at all the magazine and newspaper articles on the wall you would think you had walked into hamburger heaven. Hanging there are reprints of a vast number of reviews, features and articles ranking the best burgers in towns from Baltimore to San Antonio and beyond, all of which sing the praise of this rapidly growing burger chain.

                Five Guys was started in Alexandria, VA in 1986 by the Murrell family, mom, dad and four sons, who wanted to have the kind of restaurant where they would want to eat. Specializing in burgers (with dogs and some veggie sandwiches on the menu) and fries, they use only fresh, never frozen ingredients. For their fries they even buy their potatoes from area farms and hand cut them on site. All of this pays off as Five Guys has rapidly made a name for themselves as a quality, affordable place to grab a burger.

                We discovered Five Guys a couple years ago when we were on our way to a regional high school football game (Josh’s high school won) and have seen the number of locations in the tri-state increase. You can find your nearest Five Guys on line at www.fiveguys.com.

The Burgers

                We both had the standard cheeseburger which is actually a double with two quarter pound beef patties slathered with American cheese and the condiments of our choice. They also offer what they call the Little Hamburger and Little Cheeseburger which is a single quarter pound patty. I guess this is their version of the kid’s meal.

                It seems that everything at Five Guys is big, from the size of the burger and the offering of fries to the quality of service and the flavors that burst when you bite into the burger. For a chain this really is one of the better places you can eat a grilled up slab of beef on a bun.

                But size wise, it is the French fires that are truly extraordinary. For a $3 regular fry they fill a decent sized cup up with the tasty tubers and then put them in a paper bag. Once safely nestled inside, another scoop of fries is tossed on top. One person cannot (or at least should not) eat a regular order by themselves. Josh even pointed out, as we were leaving plenty of fries still in the bag, that “five guys probably couldn’t eat all of those fries.” Pun intended.

                To say that Five Guys is a bargain, as is stated in many of those article reprints hanging on the walls, isn’t really pushing it either. Along with that massive $2.99 order of fries each of our half pound double patty burgers cost $5.99 and each regular drink was $1.99.

                No, Five Guys isn’t the best place in the area to grab a burger but it is far from the worst. Yes, it may have been overrated by some but keep in mind that it is a chain and as chains go it is hard to beat, that’s for sure. Combine the quality with the value and you have a good place to stop if you are near one and in the mood.  

Rick's Tavern and Grille

                Not too long ago we were heading up to Point Pleasant Park in Fairfield to watch the home opener of the Cincinnati Dockers Australian Rules Football team.  Never heard of Aussie Rules, also called Footy? You should. Its non-stop action, kill the man with the ball mixed with soccer and rugby only more brutal style will turn you into a fan for sure. In fact, the US Nationals are going to be held in Mason this October. Check out the Dockers at http://cincinnatidockers.com/.

                On our way to watch the Dockers play the Columbus Jackaroos (yes, their woman’s team is called the Jillaroos), we stopped at Rick’s Tavern and Grille in Fairfield for lunch. Located in a strip mall at 5955 Boymel and on line at http://www.rickstavern.com/, Rick’s is a very large place that was practically empty on the day we ventured in.

                With televisions viewable at any angle but also a warm, comfortable atmosphere that could probably get loud during happy hour, Rick’s looks like a “happening” place.

The Burgers

                The burgers are seven ounce fresh, never frozen, Angus beef. While they are a bit more expensive (what the hell is this with charging half a buck to add cheese these days; does a slice of American cost fifty cents?) than your typical neighborhood pub burger, we both ordered ours with a garden that was fresh and enjoyed the basic condiments.

                Yes, the burger tasted as advertised. Fresh Angus beef is always a delight when properly prepared. They had a good flavor and were just messy enough. For some reason we got into a discussion about the size of the buns. We talked about places that offered up huge “where’s the beef” style buns as well as those where the bread is so small it disintegrates while eating. But these sesame seed buns were just right.

                Josh ordered fries, which he said were pretty pedestrian and Mark had the chips that come standard. We have railed about this in the past and will do it again in the future. But what is it with places tossing a handful of store bought potato chips on your plate along with the burger. It diminishes the meal in some ways. OK, the chips are cheaper for the restaurant but come on, customers want to feel as though they are getting their money’s worth (did we mention they charged a half a dollar for cheese?).

                Don’t get us wrong, we liked the burger well enough and probably, if we lived closer, we would stop in and try some of the other menu items. And if you’re up in that neighborhood, we suggest you give Rick’s a try for yourself. Just be prepared to pay extra for fries and cheese.