Shake Shack

What rose from a single hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in Mid Town Manhattan, is one of the most tasty, and rapidly growing little burger chains around. Shake Shack has spread to half a dozen locations in New York and has drifted off into cities up and down the East Coast and even over seas.

In 2004 a food vendor, Union Square Hospitality Group, won a bid to put in a permanent kiosk in Madison Square Park and rather than the hot dogs they had been selling started cooking up burgers to order. It became so popular that people demanded more locations. USHG was glad to comply.

To find a Shake Shack near you (and believe me, you really should) check them out on the web at http://www.shakeshack.com/. The one my daughter, Alli, and I went to is located at 8th Ave. and 44th St. It was the middle of the afternoon and there was still a line of people waiting.

But it moved fast. You walk up, place your order and then wait for them to fix your food fresh.

Burgers

I ordered up their "classic" Shack Burger and when it arrived it was so juicy and perfectly cooked, the meat literally was melting in my mouth. Between their light seasoning and their "Shack Sauce" there was a slight twang with each bite. The burger was delicious.

Alli ordered up the Shroom Burger, a portobella mushroom fried up and stuffed with Muenster and cheddar cheese. And when I say stuffed I mean totally stuffed. I took a bite and admitted that it was actually better than their regular all beef burger. Now granted, I like shoorms but never once thought that a mushroom would actually be better than a delicious all beef patty. 

Oh the fries are pretty ordinary and while we didn't imbibe the menu offers up what we have been told are great frozen custard delights. Many people were enjoying them even on this cold March day. And there were lots of people enjoying the food at Shake Shack (including someone that Alli said is YouTube famous). 

There isn't much more to say. If you're in New York, do what the locals are lining up to do, and grab a burger at the Shake Shack. 

Mercury Bar

On a recent trip to New York, one where Josh stayed at home to deal with work and school, I decided to stop in and check out a couple of burgers from the Big Apple.

For full disclosure I have to admit that I'm friends with the owners of the Mercury Bar. We met Bruno and Daniella before they opened this place and were running a restaurant called the Joshua Tree. It was the summer following the attacks of 9/11 and a very young Josh walked up to Daniella (who for those who aren't familiar with many restaurants in NYC, was standing out front trying to bring people into the establishment) and said, "Hi, my name's Josh, thanks for naming your restaurant after me." We were fast friends ever since.

Bruno and Daniella have since closed the Joshua Tree (they got a tremendous offer for the building). But before that they had already opened the Mercury Bar. Located at 959 Ninth Ave. near 46th St. and on the web at http://mercurybarnyc.com/media/mercurybar.html, the Mercury Bar features the same menu and great food as the old Joshua Tree.

My family and I have eaten there many times. I've taken co-workers there and even some locals. People I know who are visiting the city I will send there. I've had most of the items on the menu but until this trip I hadn't tried the burger.

Burger

Yes, I'm biased toward this restaurant. I liked the atmosphere of the Joshua Tree better since this is exactly what it is called, a bar and so is more raucous and lively. Still, the food is always top notch. Bruno runs a very good kitchen.

The burger is huge. It is fresh, thick and juicy, cooked to order. Since it is NYC everything can be found fresh and Bruno manages to find it. The garden was as fresh as you could imagine for a cold March day. Lightly seasoned the meat was tender and savory and by the time I was about half way through I was afraid to set it down for fear that it would fall apart.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't the best burger I've ever had. It's not even the best item I've had on the menu. But if this burger were served in Cincinnati it would be one of our top 10 for sure.

If you are ever in New York, don't be shy about checking out the Mercury Bar. I always do but, as I said, I'm pretty biased.

Buffalo Wild Wings

A while back we ventured into a place that specialized in chicken and ordered their burger. We knew it was a big risk but this place offered up that thing about which we write in this blog and so we were going to give them the chance to surprise us.

Surprised we were, at just how terrible their burger was compared to their regular chicken fare.

After we posted that entry Mark's cousin sent a message saying that, in essence, if you want a steak you go to a steak house, if you want chicken you go to a chicken restaurant but if you want a burger you go to a burger joint. He was right, of course.

But here we are, repeating that mistake once again. A new Buffalo Wild Wings opened near us and we through we'd give it a try for the burger, something Josh had eaten before but Mark had not.

B-Dubs is a Columbus based chain with close to 700 locations acrouss the country. It was founded by a native of Buffalo, NY who couldn't find authentic Buffalo style wings when on a trip to Kent State University.  Speaking from experience, the wings they put out at these restaurants are pretty decent, not the greatest but pretty good with a wide offering of sauces. Their menu also offers a decent choice of wraps, salads, sandwiches and, yes, burgers from which to choose.

Burgers

We picked the Build Your Own Burger (which is quite popular on menus these days) and cobbled together our personal favorites of cheese, extras and condiments. The bugers were thick and juicy and while the patty was most likely frozen it still had good flavor. At least it was better than the last burger place at which we ate.

Still, there's no reason to really go into it in any detail. Suffice it to say two things: the burger was basic and adequate and that it was further proof that Mark's cousin was right when he said don't go to chicken place and expect to get a great burger.

Max & Erma's

On a recent trip a bit north to an indoor car show for our other blog (http://turnerbudds-carblog.blogspot.com/) we decided to eat at the restaurant in the hotel where the convention center hosting the cars was. Josh had never eaten at Max and Erma's and it had been a while for Mark. Max and Erma's (http://www.maxandermas.com/) is a Columbus based chain that was founded in 1972.

They call themselves a gourmet hamburger restaurant though they feature a full menu similar to a Friday's or Applebee's. Still, it is the burgers on which they have built their reputation. In fact, they are so confident about the quality of their burgers that they even have one of their classics called the Best Cheeseburger in America.

Burgers

In keeping with the nature of the blog we both opted for a B.Y.O.B., a Build Your Own Burger. Unlike some places that make that type of offer, Max and Erma's actually gives you a wide range of options, including the type of bun you would like.

We both chose the wheat bun and were very pleased with the choice. Likewise, the cheese we each picked and the various other goodies and condiments were all fresh and flavorful. Josh even braved it to order a winter tomato and said it actually tasted like a tomato.

The 10 ounce patty was dense, showing no signs of filler, and looked and tasted as though it were fresh and hand patted. Thick and juicy we both liked it but it wasn't quite as flavorful as many other burgers we've experienced, even the chain burgers. 

Price wise it was right there with the other burgers of similar chains and yet didn't really jump out at either of us. No this isn't a bad burger, it's actually pretty decent. But from a value standpoint it doesn't even come close to some of our favorites.

If you haven't been to a Max and Erma's in a while, you might want to give them a chance. But look at the whole menu before deciding to settle on a burger. If, though, you're in the mood for a great burger, there are several better options.

Plum St. Cafe

It's been a while since we found ourselves in a cool little dive joint ordering up a burger hot off a flattop grill. We tend to search out burgers in places near where our activities take us. That's why, when it's warm out and we're running around collecting pictures for the other blog we tend to visit places further from home (there will be some places pretty far from home in a couple weeks because Mark is heading out of town on some business and wants to compare theirs with ours).

Recently we headed downtown to the Duke Energy Center to check out the new car show they host there each year. In looking for a cool little joint we didn't have to go far, just about a half block south on Plum St, 423 Plum St. to be exact. The Plum St. Cafe is very much a downtown neighborhood joint. It is small and sparse, not quite as sparse as its web site (http://www.plumstreetcafe.com/) but since this place seems to cater to a pretty regular crowd there doesn't seem to be a need for added ambiance.

The menu is equally sparse and that's OK. Mostly because there is a very, very small kitchen located at the front of the place. It is open and visible from anywhere in the cafe. That means you can see, yes, and smell your food being prepared fresh.

Burgers

We, of course, chose their basic cheeseburger. It's about a third pound of hand patted fresh beef. Like the condiments, they get their meat from just a little north at Findley Market. Everything about this burger is fresh. Even the tomato in winter, something Mark usually doesn't order when not in season, was fresh, plump and tasty.

Perhaps the one downside to it was the toasted bun. The bun itself was good and the toasting was a nice touch. The problem occurred because the burger was so juicy that the bun began to break apart and neither of us could set down the burger for fear of it completely falling apart. Not that this is a bad thing.

Since the Plum St. Cafe doesn't have a deep frier don't expect to get fries. Instead they will toss you a bag of potato chips. And like everything else in the place the chips are pure Cincinnati: Grippos.

When our check came each of our totals were under $8. That's fast food prices for a good, quality, fresh burger. We tipped pretty well.

While Plum St. Cafe isn't the best burger we've ever had it is one of the best we've had in a while (except for Hwy. 55). But that is because this is really the first local joint we've been to in a while. We need to get to more of those.

If you are downtown, especially on the lower west side of downtown, make sure to stop in at the Plum St. Cafe. It's filled with regulars but we're sure, just like us, you'll be treated just like you belong. You'll get good service, excellent food and a check that is easy on the wallet.

Hwy 55

What started in a closed restaurant in a Goldsboro, NC shopping mall in 1991 as Andy's Cheesesteaks & Cheeseburgers, has become one of the fastest growing burger chains in the Southeast. Now, under it's new name of Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes and Fries, one has come to the Tri-State.

Located at 4450 Eastgate Blvd, next to the new Jungle Jim's, and on line at http://hwy55burgers.com/, Hwy 55 is a kitschy throwback style of restaurant that evokes the feel of the 1950s. An old '50s style car sits atop the place and as you enter to a friendly greeting from the staff, you see all sorts of memorabilia and pictures on the wall and hear classic '50s rock and roll.

We were seated, our drink orders were taken and we were told our server would be Doris Day. That took a minute to register and Mark explained to Josh who Doris Day was. When the server who sat us returned with out drinks we looked up at her name tag and saw it read Rosemary Clooney. We thanked her and asked her to give her nephew our regards and have him call the next time he's in town.

The menu is rather small but pretty much offers up something for everyone's taste ranging from cheesesteaks and chicken to shrimp and the reason we were there, the burgers. More on those in a bit.

As we were waiting for our food to come out, it being freshly made as we waited, Doris Day brought us a sample of the frozen custard. She told us it, like a lot of their food, was made fresh daily. The custard was rich and creamy and very delicious. Neither of us had room after our burgers for any dessert.

Burgers

The basic burger, the Andy, is a third pound of fresh, never frozen beef. Since we were hungry we each ordered up a double. Mistake as we really had to push ourselves to finish. The burger literally melted in our mouths. The beef was very flavorful and tasted as though it had just been ground that morning. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the cheese. It was so fresh that we were looking around to see if they had cows tucked away somewhere. It was like a slice of American that you could buy next door at Jungle Jim's. This food was never frozen or even stored away for long. In fact, everything from the meat to the cheese, from the condiments to the bun literally melted in our mouths. Without a doubt this was one of the best chain burgers we had ever had. In fact, it might be the best.

On the down side the fries were pretty pedestrian. But with the size and quality of the burger neither of us really cared. 

Going into Hwy 55 neither of us had any idea of what to expect. With the vast majority of the 100 plus locations down in North Carolina, neither of us had ever heard of it. This is the first one in Cincinnati and with this type of quality and such a fun atmosphere we can see it growing and spreading the way it has throughout it's home state. 

If you are a burger fan you owe it to yourself to check this place out. Definitely worth the trip to Eastgate.

Mitchell's

We love it when people tell us we should check out such and such a restaurant. If we haven't eaten there it's always fun to see how it lives up to our taste in burgers. But when Mark's friend and fellow burger guru Doug Cribbs suggested that we try, of all places, Mitchell's Fish Market, we were a little skeptical.

Both of us are huge seafood fans. We have eaten in some very good seafood restaurants over the years, including stops at Mitchell's. Never once inside such an eatery did we have the inclination to chow down on a burger.

Mitchell's is getting ready to celebrate its 20th anniversary as a chain of restaurants. Dating back to 1993 when founder Cameron Mitchell opened a small American bistro in Columbus. The group has grown to feature upscale and upscale casual restaurants under nine different brand names. All are known for a high standard of quality.

The Mitchell's where we ventured for lunch is located at Newport on the Levee but you can find all of their locations on line at http://www.mitchellsfishmarket.com/index.cfm.

Burgers

We went at lunch, figuring it was better to sample a burger at a seafood joint then than during dinner. It took all of our reserve not to say screw it and order up something like sea scallops or fish and chips. Instead we ordered up the Market Burger, cooked to order and delivered with cheddar cheese, apple wood smoked bacon (yes, we know, that's usually against our testing policy but what can we say, we both love bacon) and our choice of condiments.

Seeing as though this is the opposite of a fast food joint, it took a little longer than usual to get our burgers. When they came they were hot off the grill. Advertised as a half pound of USDA Prime ground beef the burgers lived up to that billing. They were juicy and flavorful with a just the right mix of lean and fat to ensure maximum flavor.

The cheddar cheese was a nice little change of pace from your typical American but it wasn't something that made us stand up and say, wow, why doesn't everyone do this. It was a mild cheddar, though, that didn't over power the flavor of the meat. Likewise the condiments were crisp and did their job, adding to the variety of flavors but not taking control. The bun was nothing special, basically there as a device to allow you to pick up the sandwich and eat it without getting too messy.

While the burger was good, it should be considering the price. A $10 burger really does seem a little much.

Overall we will definitely go back to Mitchell's. Only it will be for seafood and not burgers.