Rally's

There was a time when we would get Rally's burgers all the time. One sat on a corner about a half mile from our house and it was easy for us to stop in on the way home, drive through one of the convenient double drive-thrus and have our food home nice and hot.

The problem was that they quite often got the order wrong. We would get home and discover something that was screwed up and would have to drive back. Eventually, after this happened a couple of times, we would get our food at the window and root through the bag, checking to make sure everything was right. This would piss off the people working there but what the heck, we were the customers.

One day we drove past and that Rally's was closed. It became the offices of a small used car lot and was eventually torn down and a bank was built on the site.

Rally's was founded in Louisville, KY in 1985 but had its first official location across the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, IN. By 1996 Rally's was purchased by the parent company of western burger chain Charl's, Jr. and eastern chain, Hardy's. In 1999 Rally's merged with Checkers, a company that basically did the exact same thing, offering burgers and other fast food through a drive-thru only format in different parts of the country.

Today the merged company operates over 800 restaurants in 28 states. Our best count was 13 tri-state locations. You can find the one nearest to you on line at http://www.rallyburger.com/index.html.

Burgers

It had been years since we had eaten at a Rally's so when we came across one we decided to stop in. We each ordered up a Double Decker with cheese and our favorite condiments. When the bag of food was handed to us we, out of old habit, opened it up and checked to make sure the order was correct. It was.

We used to remember the burgers being pretty good for fast food fare, even when they got the order wrong. And compared to the big three of McWendy King they are. The beef is obviously shipped in frozen already formed patties. But there is a bit of juiciness that doesn't happen with the burgers at those three Goliaths. 

Being winter, some of the garden left a little to be desired. The tomato had to be pulled off and the lettuce was fairly limp. The pickles had a nice little tang that added nicely to the melted American cheese.  The buns were fresh like the ones you would get from your local grocery store.

We had forgotten that they put a special seasoned coating on their fries. We both liked that flavoring OK but decided that it probably wasn't very good for us and that after a while it became a touch too much. Still, it was a nice surprise  that once in a while would be a good change of pace.

For us Rally's was more of a nostalgia trip than a great burger. It falls in about the middle of the fast food joints: better than your big three but not quite up there 5 Guys, Back Yard Burger or even Smashburger (which we have given a reprieve). If you haven't eaten at a Rally's in a while you might want to drive thru and give it a try. Just make sure they have your order right before you drive away from the window.

Brothers Bar and Grill

          Begun over 20 years ago in LaCrosse, WI, Brothers Bar and Grill has grown to 17 locations in 10 Midwestern states. as a place to unwind, grab some food and drink and have a good time. Locally they can be found at Newport on the Levee and also on line at http://www.brothersbar.com/corporate_home.cfm.
           While the setting is like most nicer bar and grills this place seems to have a dual identity that associates with each. Yes there is a large bar area in the middle of the massive room and televisions abound  playing a variety of sports channels. But the booths are also quiet enough and set off to the sides enough for you to feel as though you are in more of a traditional restaurant setting. Yes it's still noise, this being one very large room, but depending on where you're sitting you can have a great view of the river and the Cincinnati skyline.
          The menu is pretty traditional pub grub and grill food and is very extensive. There is a wide selection of appetizers including Wisconsin cheese curds (something most folks in this part of the country haven't experienced). There are also lots of sandwiches and wraps, Nathan's Famous hot dogs and a number of your basic entrees.
          According to their web site and "verified" by our server, the menu at each of the locations is aimed at the local community. Plus, all of the recipes have been developed to be made from scratch daily. "Our sauces, salad dressings, even the potato chips are made from scratch every day. Each store's menu caters to its local customer base and includes items such as appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers and full entrees," it states.

Burgers

          Each day Brothers offers up a lunch special and we went down to get the discounted burgers. We each asked for a Classic Burger with Cheese and waited. But we didn't have to wait long. In addition to there being friendly service the food came out quickly and was hot off the grill.

          The burgers were plump and juicy, tasting of, as they promise, one made on a flat top grill just like they did at the old '50s diners. Everything about these burgers were delicious and neither of us could really think of anything bad to say about them. With crisp homemade chips on the side, Brothers shot up our list as one of our favorite non-local dive joints. 

          Our server, having obviously been through the routine before, brought us extra napkins which we needed. These juicy patties of ground beef are multi-napkin burgers. The buns were fresh and were neither too big nor too small.

          Overall Brothers is well worth a trip to Newport on the Levee, maybe even more than once.

Mad Mike's

          Usually when a place starts talking about serving up "gourmet" burgers, we both roll our eyes, shake our heads and figure we're going to spend $10-15 for something that won't ever make our top 10 list. But Mad Mike's is different.
          With three locations, two in Florence and a new one in Newport (as well as an easy to navigate web site at http://madmikesburgers.com/), Mad Mike's seems to be in the business of making up good, fresh, tasty burgers, completely on site, at very affordable prices. Taking a page from the Five Guys handbook, Mad Mike's uses a counter and grill, spending operating funds more on quality than on a fancy server.
          The Newport location, where we went on a recommendation from a Facebook friend, is very airy and comfortable. There are plenty of tables and a true neighborhood vibe to the place.

Burgers

          Yes, there are gourmet burgers on the grill with everything ranging from a Greek style burger to one dripping in mushrooms or sporting a Hawaiian flavor. But as is our habit, we ordered up the basic build your own cheeseburger and it was mighty tasty.

          Like Five Guys, the burger is really a double with two huge 100% Black Angus beef patties dripping goodness from the bun. Also like Five Guys, the good folks at Mad Mike's essentially give you two orders of fries. Here's a tip, unless you are a French fry junkie, get one order for two people.

          The burgers themselves rivaled Five Guys and might even be better. Wait, no "might" about it, these are very, very good burgers. We left stuffed and raving about how good they tasted. You should make a trip across to Newport (a block south of the Levee) and give these burgers a try. Next time we might give one of the gourmet versions a go.

Hold It!

          First off we would like to thank the tens of people who check out our little burger musings. Due to some illness as well as some quite volatile schedules we won't be posting anything new for a week, maybe two. But we promise to return. In the mean time, you might want to check out the posts for Skinny Legs Pub and Grill and Sonny's Three Meat Burgers (which has changed locations and we will have to check it out) since those are the two most popular of our entries. People as far away as Russia and Australia have been reading about these two. So see what you're missing.

Scrambler Marie's

          Scrambler Marie's is a breakfast and lunch restaurant that began in Toledo, OH back in 1989. Ever since it has begun to migrate southward and now there is one near us at 4006 Hauck Rd. in Sharonville (and on the web at http://scramblermaries.com/) with plans for a Florence location. Noted mostly for breakfast (which we can attest is quite tasty) the restaurants are open each morning at 6:30 am and close after lunch at 3 pm.
          Looking like a lot of large chain breakfast style restaurants, Scrambler Marie's is bright, comfortable and roomy. The menu, heavy on breakfast specials such as bottomless pancakes and waffles. But there are also salads and sandwiches from which to choose.

Burgers

          We chose the 100% half pound Angus burgers for our lunch trip and we weren't disappointed. As stated before, the breakfast at Scrambler Marie's is very good, especially for a chain. And the burgers live up to this reputation. They are obviously hand formed and patted and smash seared on the flat top grill. They arrived hot and filled with flavor.

          The place wasn't very crowded when we visited and were seated right away with our drink orders taken by a friendly server. The food came out quickly and arrived hot and juicy (well, at least the burger). And it tasted good.

          Whether you are interested in grabbing a decent burger or are in the mood for breakfast, we recommend giving Scrambler Marie's a try.

The Varsity

          Over the past several years we have seen one restaurant/bar morph into a number of  different places. What was at one time a Mexican chain restaurant is now called The Varsity Sports Bar and Grill. Located at 8112 Beechmont Ave., The Varsity, at first glance is a sports bar that is trying to grab hold of local sports fans of all types. But on closer inspection there is very little to set it apart from a typical bar and grill.
          Like any self respecting bar, sport or otherwise, The Varsity has plenty of televisions throughout the spacious facility. But for a sports bar there is very little else that screams "man cave." Only a couple of references to the local pro or college teams and only two to the local high school that we saw. Not very sporting.
          Their Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/TheVarsityBarAndGrill) describes the place as a new neighborhood bar and grill. So what are they going for? Neighborhood or sports?
          Granted the inside is nice. It's warm and, though a little dim, inviting. Their menu is about what you would expect from any type of bar and grill, basic pub food with some sandwiches and other goodies tossed in.

Burgers

          But what we were there for was the burgers and we ordered very soon after entering as our server was right there offering a friendly smile and taking drink orders. The burgers came up in just about the time it would take to fry one. And while they were big with nice buns and garden, they had a different flavor. 

          To Mark they were reminiscent of the mystery meat burgers he had eaten back in the dark ages when he was in elementary and junior high school. If you're old enough you might remember those burgers. You weren't sure if they were actually real meat and they sat in a pan filled with grease until the lunch lady slapped it on a bun and tossed it on your plate. Ah, memories.

          Neither of us was sure if this was a good thing. The burgers were juicy but it seemed to be the juice that was adding that extra something to the taste. Neither of us can say that this added flavor was bad. But we sure couldn't say that it was good, either. You should decide. If we do go back it will be after we have forgotten those old school day memories.

Second Chance: Smashburger

          Back in February we tried and reviewed Smashburger. We didn't like it. You can read our review here: http://turnerbudds-burgerblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/smash-burger.html. We talked about why it wasn't that good, especially after a lot of folks asked us about it, saying that they liked those burgers. Perhaps, we thought, that it was due to the fact that the location we tried had just opened. Maybe the staff wasn't really up to speed. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
          So we went back and tried it again. This time, not for a review but just to see what everyone else was talking about.  We liked our second trip and have gone back several more times. Each time the food was good. The burgers were tasty and cooked to order. The fries, nice and hot, crisp on the outside and warm on the inside.
          Since it's our blog and we can do whatever the hell we want, we have decided to switch our position on Smashburger and now recommend it. The burgers, smashed like the name suggests to sere in the flavor, are cooked to order and come out hot and juicy. All of the fixing have always been fresh and did their job; add flavor to the burger.
          Not that we really expect anyone to ever take our advice but if, for some crazy reason, you have been avoiding Smashburger because of our lousy review, do what we did, give it a second chance. You can find your closest Smashburger on line at http://smashburger.com/