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.

CheezBurger

                  With a name like CheezBurger Cafe you would expect something special. Situated in a little strip mall, hidden by frontage, at 12092 Montgomery Rd. in Symms Township and on the web at http://www.cheezburgercafe.com/, you would expect something good. With Josh busy one Saturday when I was heading up that way for something else, I thought I’d stop in and find out.

                Located through the same main door as Skip’s Bagels (go to the right for CheezBurger Café), the place is small and cozy with oversized booths filling just about all of the available space. On the tables were checker boards in case someone wanted to play.

                The menu is small as would befit a true burger place and they have something called the Triple Threat Challenge and though I never learned what it was, I did see both the wall of fame and the wall of shame.

                With the grill in sight and quick service, I was excited to try out the main attraction.

The Burger

                Though they offer a whole wide selection of specialty burgers, I decided, as always, to just stick with the plain old classic. Being hungry I ordered up a double. Each patty is one third pound of 100% pure Angus beef.

                I love going to a place where the grill is out front. Not only can you see the cooks doing their magic but you can hear and smell the meat as it sizzles its way toward perfection. I wasn’t asked how I wanted my burger cooked (it came medium well) but it was cooked just that way.

                The patties are not very round which means that they are stacked quite high. This makes eating the burger difficult. Add to that how much provolone cheese they had melted, dripping off carrying bits of lettuce, and handling this baby was a challenge. But worth it.

                You can taste the good, quality Angus beef with each bite. Yes, I could taste the garden and the cheese and the condiments but the beef shone through with each and every chomp. This place lived up to its name. Especially when you toss in how affordable it is.

                My one disappointment was the fries. Don’t get me wrong, my curly fries were OK but the menu claimed they offered waffle fries but I was told they didn’t have any. I settled.

                All in all if you can find the place (it’s just a little north of Union Cemetery Rd. on the east side of the street) it is well worth trying.

J.K.'s Chili

                J.K.’s Chili in Madeira (7718 Laurel Ave.) is the kind of joint we like. It’s a small, neighborhood place where the regulars all seem to know each other and are on a first name basis with the people who run the place.

                Normally we try to get in and out of a place being anonymous but this time, on the way in, owner Jim Kagrise saw us taking a picture of the sign and asked us what we were doing. Since we aren’t liars or politicians (same thing), we told the truth. We found that Jim had taken the place over recently. He had retired and was bored, wanting to get involved with something where he could be out and interact with people, something he obviously enjoys.

                He explained to us some of the changes he had made since taking over and while they all seemed positive, we had little on which to judge the differences. Josh had never eaten there before. Mark had as J.K.’s holds a bit of movie history for him.

                A number of years ago when he was producing the indie feature April’s Fool, he and producing partner Matt Hader were looking for a diner in which to shoot some night time scenes. Matt lived in Madeira and had eaten at J.K.’s many times. When they went to ask if they could shoot there, the then owners agreed and an all-night shoot in the restaurant turned out some of the most dramatic images of the film.

The Burgers

                We both ordered the double cheeseburger with our choice of garden. While Jim admitted that they get their meat frozen (usually a demerit for us) these patties were well above the average iced meatsicle. There was a good, fresh beef flavor that was most likely enhanced by the classic flattop grill that is in easy view of anyone in the joint.

                The garden was fresh and the standard restaurant crinkle cut fries were prepared just right. No, this isn’t the produce from your garden or the fresh, hand cut fries but J.K.’s isn’t that kind of place. If that’s what you want, go check out one of those places elsewhere. J.K.’s is a joint.

                It is small and cozy but with lots of front windows doesn’t feel overly cramped. And while the old owners must have taken the signed poster from April’s Fool that once hung on the wall, there are still lots of other bits and pictures up there to look at.

                If you are on the east side looking for a throwback diner at which to chow down, check out J.K.’s Chili. Granted, these aren’t the best burgers in the world but from the looks of the breakfast plates that were coming out during the lunch hour, there are some tasty options beyond beef. Oh, and lest we forget, for the drinks they use bendy straws. What could be better than that?

Sonic Drive-In

          Throughout the 1950s, the drive-in restaurant was a common site all across the USA. Though Bob Wain is credited with the first drive-in back in 1936, a little place that came to be known as Bob’s Big Boy, it was after World War II when they flourished. People could drive up to a speaker, order their food and have it delivered, often on roller skates, where it could be eaten, not so comfortably, in their car.

          There are very few drive-ins left and a piece of the charm of our car generation is now gone. Sonic Drive-In harkens back to those days long ago with a true drive-in restaurant experience.

Founded in the early 1950s as the Top Hat, which at the time was a root beer stand that served hamburgers and hot dogs, the name was changed to Sonic when owner, Troy Smith, learned that the Top Hat name was already trademarked.

           Today there are over 3500 Sonics in 43 states so the odds of you finding one near you is pretty good. The odds of finding them on line are near perfect if you actually click on this link: http://www.sonicdrivein.com/home.jsp;jsessionid=EAF44EE45E754E89AB0893D87B7C053E.sonic-prod

Burgers

           Since it was a very nice day, though a little windy, we opted to sit at one of the tables outside rather than juggle the food in the car. We both ordered the double patty Super Sonic and chose the garden of our liking. And, of course, we both picked tater tots over French fries. Why? Because they’re tater tots.

In all honesty Sonic burgers are decent, as far as a fast food burger goes. They are cooked when you order then and not sitting around in a pan of grease under a warmer to be microwaved when someone decides they want one.

          They are still a fast food burger, though. The meat, though pretty good quality, has been frozen and shipped to the restaurant before being thawed and cooked. That said, they are a large step up from the more famous fast food joints and that alone is one of three reasons to pick Sonic over one of the other chains.

          The second reason is the obvious nostalgia of the drive-in experience. Not all Sonics have their cop hops on roller skates but some do and if you are lucky enough to find one then you truly have fallen into the way back machine with the complete experience.

          But perhaps the most important reason to choose Sonic over one of the big three fast food places is the tots. That’s right, tater tots. Tater tots way outclass fries; end of story.

         We like Sonic and choose it over some of the other places out there. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not comparing this to any of the good local joints we’ve reviewed but sure as hell beats a Big Mac. Check it out for yourself and be sure to order the tots.

Muggbee's Sports Cafe

                   Muggbee’s Sports Café in Anderson Township is a little over a year old now. When we looked at this place early on, the on-line reviews were, to be polite, rather mixed. Most cited decent food but terrible service that was painfully slow. So, we tended to shy away from it, until the other day.

                With no place else that was really interesting us we decided to give Muggbee’s a shot. It is located at 8112 Beechmont Ave. in what, a few years ago, was a Mexican restaurant. Today there are no signs of the former establishment as Muggee’s is 100% sports pub.

                It was about 1:30 and there were only a handful of people sitting around, mostly at the bar watching sports on one of the many TVs and shooting the bull. We walked in and were greeted and told to sit wherever we wanted. With TVs all around we just chose a spot in the middle.

                No server was to be seen. We had been greeted by the cook who came over, got our drink order and then, after bringing them, our food order. (The server did re-appear and apologized pointing out that the owner was taking her attention when we entered. Once back, she was very attentive.)

Burgers

                We each ordered up the Muggburger which, to our delight, we were able to add on our choice of cheese, condiments, sauces and toppings at no further cost. This three-quarter pound burger is reasonably priced to begin with.

                When Josh ordered his burger medium we both got quite a scare. The cook said that it would take 30-35 minutes because “the burgers are pre-cooked to medium well.” Instead of just walking out right then we decided to still give it a try, despite the concept of pre-cooked burgers.

                The food came out quickly and, as is fitting a three-quarter pound burger, was huge. While it looked good we were both worried about the concept of what was surely a frozen hunk of meat that had been cooked and re-heated.

                But one bite and our worries disappeared. The burgers were fresh, 100% beef and, though a bit overdone for our tastes, a delightful bit of burger.

                After we had struggled to finish our burgers (each leaving the majority of our typical food service crinkle cut fries on the plate), we learned that the burgers are pre-cooked and then allowed to soak in au jus until ordered where they are cooked a little more, sealing in the juice that has been soaking into the meat. It is an interesting way to approach a burger and we both admit that it added flavor.

                While we both agreed that maybe cooking the burger to rare and letting them soak, then cooking them to medium or well upon being ordered would be better, we weren’t at all disappointed in our dining experience. It was an amazingly friendly place with great service which belied those early on-line reviews. We suggest that you give Muggbee’s Sports Café a try for yourself.