Back Yard Burgers

                I was out of town for a couple of days working on a documentary and one of the locals, knowing that Josh and I do this burger blog, suggested that I try Back Yard Burgers. Having never been there I gladly accepted and that was our lunch one day.

                Back Yard Burgers is one of the growing number of not-so-fast fast food places. The not-so-fast, or as the folks at this chain call it, “fast-casual” is intended to be offer up a fresh, high quality meal that gets to the customer quicker than a typical sit down restaurant.

                Back Yard Burgers was founded in 1987 in Mississippi and now boasts nearly 100 locations in 17 states, mostly through the mid-south. Unfortunately there aren’t in our immediate area but to find the one closest to you, check them out on line at http://www.backyardburgers.com/.

                Walking into a Back Yard Burgers you won’t see anything earth shatteringly different than other restaurants. You walk up to the counter, place your order and pay. They then hand you your drink cup and a small plackard to place on your table telling the person who brings out your food which table you are.

The Burger

                Back Yard Burgers advertises fresh 100% Black Angus beef burgers (as well as a variety of other typical restaurant offerings) that is grilled fresh. Standing at the counter placing my order I could see the fire dancing through the kitchen off the gas grill. When they say back yard, they seem pretty serious (though obviously I prefer using wood and charcoal when I grill in my back yard, which would be a little tricky inside a restaurant). This is a good thing.

                I ordered the Classic Back Yard Burger with cheese and my favorite garden and condiments. It arrived at my table almost the same time as I sat down after filling my drink. On the surface this seemed like a great deal but as I thought about it I realized there was no way they could have cooked our burgers fresh. That meant that the burger must have been sitting around the same way it does at the other fast food restaurants.

                With trepidation I bit into it and realized that if this burger had been sitting around it hadn’t been for more than 30 seconds. It was hot, right off the grill and was obviously fresh, not frozen Black Angus as advertised. And the grill, oh you can taste the grill. This is a delicious burger. Add to it the tasty waffle fries and this is a very good place to grab a burger. It’s probably a good thing that there aren’t any around this area or I might find myself eating there more often than I should.

Roosters

                On our way to a car show for our other blog (http://turnerbudds-carblog.blogspot.com/), we decided to stop in to one of the area Roosters restaurants. OK, we know what you’re thinking, Roosters is known for their chicken: wings, sandwiches, and all other sorts of fowl food. Initially that was going to be our plan, grab some wings and head to the show. But as we walked in and looked at the menu we saw that they indeed served up burgers and so we decided to give them a try for this blog.

                Roosters is a chain mostly throughout Ohio but reaching into Indiana, Kentucky and even West Virginia. To find a Roosters near you, look them up on line at http://www.roosterswings.com/index.php.

                Founded in 1988, Roosters has become what might look like an oversized sports bar. With televisions playing every conceivable sports channel packed high on the walls, it could pass for any local area sports bar just about anywhere with one exception: the place is big. Also, adding to the atmosphere, are humorous bits of wit and wisdom posted throughout.

The Burgers

                Before we go any further and offer up any type of charade please understand that Roosters serves up great chicken. Having eaten there before its fresh and tender and very tasty.

                Unfortunately the burgers are not the same. They are frozen, pre-made patties that are essentially heated over on the grill and tossed on a bun. The attention to quality is not the same as it is the with chicken that they serve up.

                Take a look at the picture of Mark’s burger. He ordered provolone cheese and what he got was shredded mozzarella sprinkled on top of his burger and melted.

                Trust us, for all forms of chicken, Roosters is a great place to go. Just don’t order the burgers.

Shooters Sports Grill

                Josh was off doing something else, work or attending to some other trivial matter and I was heading up to what turned out to be a rained out car show when the urge to stop at and grab a burger hit me. That urge, of course, is call hunger. Since I was out in the Loveland area I had a good idea where I was going to stop: Shooters Sports Grill.

                Both Josh and I have had a little experience with this place in the past. A couple years ago a friend of mine from high school had us come out and see her dad’s classic cars, cars that he’s either fixed up or completely re-built on his own. After the tour and a ride in a Model T (he wouldn’t let either of us drive it and I suppose I don’t really blame him), my friend suggested that we grab a burger with her and her youngest son. Obviously, Josh and I readily agreed.

                She led us to Shooters, saying it was their favorite neighborhood joint to grab some grub. Shooters is located not too far off of the Ward’s Corner exit of I-275, at 776 Loveland Miamiville Rd., near where it intersects with Branch Hill-Guinea Pike. You can also find them on the web at http://shooterssportsgrill.com/.

                The place is run by a family that has been in the restaurant business since the 1940s and from the look of the décor they know exactly who they’re catering to. This is a nicely laid out sports bar and grill, with plenty of televisions , lots of booths and tables all having enough room to not be sitting on top of some other guests. All of this is arraigned around a central bar that, though I didn’t sample anything either time I was there, looked to be extremely well stocked.

                Almost as extensive is the menu which, in addition to why I was there that day, has selections ranging from the requisite bar food to sandwiches to pasta and hand tossed pizza. It would be worth going back to check out some of the other items on the menu.

The Burger

                Keeping in line with the nature of this blog, I ordered up their basic offering, a March Madness Burger (yes, a lot of their extensive menu boasts sports related names) and topped it with provolone cheese and a bit of garden. When I asked for mayo they brought a large serving that no five people could possibly use.

                My half pound Angus beef burger was actually cooked to my order and with the first bite, I could tell this was a fresh piece of meat. It was filled with flavor and the other elements, the fresh lettuce and tomato, the cheese and my condiments, all blended nicely to make for a happy burger experience.

                The sandwich came standard with chips that were not something out of a large Husman’s tub in the back. These chips were a little thick and deep fried to a nice perfection. Not sure where they get them (and since I don’t eat chips at home anyway it wouldn’t matter) but I’d like to point out that if I was a chip consuming monster, these would be on my list to purchase.

                Overall my high school friend was right that first time we visited. This is a great little neighborhood place. That first time both Josh and I really enjoyed our burgers and the same held true for this time around. Yes, it’s a little pricy and is not the kind of joint we always favor but you can’t argue with the quality of the food. One thing that kind of jumped out at me both times is that all of the servers were blonde. Made me wonder. But then I took another bite of the burger and looked up at the replays on ESPN and it really didn’t matter who was bringing it to the table.

                If you are in the Loveland area I would highly recommend that you stop in and enjoy a burger at Shooters. 

Putters Sports Grill

                In the midst of the recent (or most recent I should say) heat wave, Josh was off with some friends and I was up in the northeast part of the city meeting with some folks to discuss a project. One of them suggested that we meet at Putters Sports Grill and since I had never been there before, I thought it would be a great opportunity to not only discusses some potential business but to add an entry into the food blog.

                There are now three locations of Putters: Liberty Township, Maineville and Milford. The Milford location had been the one selected but I was told by a semi-regular at one of the others that they were all very similar.

                It is hard to not say that Putters is a typical sports bar but at the same time, it’s hard to classify this place as typical. With a huge dining room filled with the requisite flat screens tuned to every imaginable sports channel and walls littered with sports related memories, it could fit into any sports café mold. But one look at the extensive menu offering everything from your obligatory wings and burgers to an extensive salad selection and even complete family style dinners pushes this more toward a standard definition of a restaurant.

The Burger

                While there are a vast number of options on the menu, I was there for one thing and one thing only: a burger. I’ll be perfectly honest that it took me a pass or two over the menu to find the burger among the wealth of possibilities. Even finding it there are a number or burgers to choose from but as always, keeping in step with this blog, I chose your everyday regular burger with American cheese.

                Served on a fresh and quite tasty sweet brioche roll with an equally fresh garden, the thing that really jumped out at me on my first bite was that not only could I taste the mean but also the grill. Cooked on a standard but obviously seasoned flattop, the maestro behind my burger charred up the edges just enough to give me a hint of flavor. That I liked. I’m not sure if every cook there does that but if not, they should.

                With each burger you are given the option of paying an extra buck and a quarter for fries, onion rings or onion straws but I stuck with the homemade Saratoga chips and I’m glad I did. A little thick, very crisp and with a side of barbeque sauce in which to dip, they were the perfect complement to this burger.

                On the sign to Putters, above the name and logo, they have the phrase “No mulligans here.” For those who aren’t into golf, a mulligan is essentially a do over, when you shank a shot so poorly that your partners feel sorry for you and let you hit again. Well, the burger I got at Putters lived up to that phrase. No mulligan needed.

                If you’re near any of the three Putters I would recommend stopping in and checking them out for yourself. I’ll probably go back and try one of their other meals.