Dairy Queen

          We were out driving around and saw a Dairy Queen. Josh had never eaten there. Sure, he'd been there for the ice cream and other goodies, but never for a meal. So with a little hesitation we decided to give it a try. Besides, they had been advertising a special price on their quarter pound cheeseburger and fries.
           Being 70 years old it's easy to think of Dairy Queen as being an old fashioned type chain. In many ways they are. Not all of their 4500 locations offer food or as they call it, brazier food (funny story about this; back in high school Mark knew someone who, in all honesty, wanted to know how DQ was advertising brassiere food). If you're looking for one near you, check out their web site at http://www.dairyqueen.com/. Be aware that not all locations sell food so look for one that is tagged brazier.

Burgers

          You would expect DQ to be like most other fast food style restaurants and in many ways they are. But when we came in, and maybe this was because it was a slow day, but we placed our order at the counter and took a seat. The burgers were then cooked for us. It was also pretty obvious that the fries were dropped for our order as well.

          We don't mind waiting a little if my burger is being cooked after we order. That means the food, especially the fries, aren't sitting around wilting under heat lamps. 

          Our next surprise was when we took a bite. These are better than your average fast food burgers. No, they're not spectacular but there was honest to goodness beef flavor and, for a frozen burger, it was juicy as well. And the fries, these were very good fries. Oh, sure, they're your basic frozen restaurant fries but these must have been cooked in a brand new batch of grease because they were tender and tasty.

          Now we probably won't go out of our way to munch down on DQ burgers again anytime soon but if the occasion were to arise we would probably not hesitate to try out some of their other burgers (and of course a Blizzard).

Applebee's

          Choosing to try out the burgers at Applebee's was a bit of a gamble for us. We hadn't been in a long time and there was good reason for that. It seems that one of us had gotten sick after eating there the last three times. So the prospect wasn't all that appealing. Still, we had vowed to give it one more chance and put on our big boy underwear and headed to our neighborhood Applebee's.
          Applebee's is the largest "family" restaurant chain in the country with nearly 2000 locations. They were founded more than 30 years ago and currently operate in 49 states as well as a handful of foreign countries so odds are that if you haven't already eaten at an Applebee's you've at least driven past a couple in your time. You can find your closest Applebee's, if you don't already know where it is, by checking out their web site: http://www.applebees.com/
          I will point out that we had a family member who used to work in the kitchen at our neighborhood Applebee's (Josh's older brother). This was several years ago and because of that we would frequent the place. We never had any gastric problems during those visits. It was only in the last three times, each using their carry-out Carside to Go, that we experienced our problems. And that was well over a year ago. None of those times was by eating a burger.

          The menu at Applebee's is rather extensive. You can get anything from a steak to basic bar food. They offer up a handful of specialty burgers, all closing in on $10 apiece. What they don't show on the menu, though, is a basic cheeseburger. You can get one but you need to ask.

Burgers

          Just about every time we try a burger for this blog we stick to a plan that calls for us getting the basic everyday cheeseburger. But since one isn't advertised on Applebee's menu (and far be it from us to every rock the boat in any way), we ordered up the Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger. Hey, what's a little bacon between friends.

          There's one question we love hearing when we order up a burger: "How would you like that cooked?" That is a question we got when we placed our order. Even better, when they arrived they were cooked the way we had asked.

          It would be nice to say that the burgers at Applebee's are great. They're not. They aren't bad but if you're going to plop $10 down on a burger there are lots of better places to go. (In fact, there's a Friday's less than half a mile from where we ate at this Applebee's.) 

          We both felt the burger tasted OK but there was nothing to make it stand out as exceptional in any way. The same can be said for the fries. They were OK, perhaps a little too much pepper, but they were properly cooked and tasted like your basic fries.

          Overall the burgers at Applebee's are decent but far from our favorites. In fact, they're not even our favorites from this type of restaurant chain. For what you get, burger wise, it's a bit overpriced. But on the bright side, neither of us got sick.

Traci's Sports Lounge and Grill

          With Josh dealing with his own teen-aged life, I found myself up near my old stomping grounds of Loveland and decided that my friend and I would try out a place that I had passed several times but into which I had never stopped: Traci's Sports Lounge and Grill. Located at 784 Loveland-Miamiville Rd. (and on the web at http://www.tracissports.com/), Traci's bills itself as a "casually posh social lounge" crossed with the "energy of a sport's bar." Quite a combination.
          Opened by former Cincinnati Ben-Gal cheerleader and current coach Traci Napier in December, 2010, Traci's is at its heart a sports bar. With lots of big screens providing a myriad of events and, at least on my visit, a friendly and efficient bartender/server, the place is inviting and, one can imagine when crowded, very electric. Above and beyond that, though, is the fact that the chairs and bar stools in this place are actually comfortable. When was the last time you were in a sports bar where the seats were, how can I say this, actually a little plush? Maybe that's the "casually posh social lounge" coming through.

          When we walked in we were immediately asked if we had been there before. Upon hearing that we hadn't our bartender/server (it was a slow and rainy Saturday) told us that this place was mostly a bar and so the food reflected that. One look at the menu and that was confirmed. But the reason I was there was the burger and that sat right at the top.

Burger

           I ordered up Traci's Regular Burger, a quarter pound of 100% Angus beef, and splurged the fifty cents to add a slice of American cheese. I then added in another buck fifty to have fries with my meal.

          The burger arrived in due time and the large Kaiser bun was just about the right size. I noticed immediately that the fifty cent slice of American cheese wasn't actually melted on the burger but rather had been plopped on the patty after it came off the grill.

          This may be 100% Angus beef but it had been frozen before it kissed the grill. Never a good sign. And that was reflected in the quality of the burger. While the lettuce and tomato were fresh (in fact there was almost too much lettuce and became a near hazard as I worked my way through the burger), they couldn't really enhance a burger that was rather lifeless.

          Add to that the fact that my dollar fifty shoestring fries were beginning to get cold by the time they reached the table and it's easy to say that this wasn't one of the better burger joints in which I had ever eaten.

          I imagine that if you wanted to come, hang out with some friends, have a beer and some wings and watch some college ball on a Saturday afternoon, Traci's would be a good bet. But to go out and have a burger, you are better off going to any number of other joints.

Slatt's Pub

          Recently we were around the Blue Ash area and checked the smart phones to find a burger place at which we hadn't chowed down. What we found was Slatt's Pub. Located at 4858 Cooper Rd. (and on line at http://www.slattspub.com/), Slatt's is best described as an upscale neighborhood pub. It is clean and fairly new and what struck Mark the most when we first walked in was the quality of the music being played. The first song, in fact, was a cut off the Deep Purple classic album Fireball which marked the best line-up in the band's long history.

          But even though the music was great, that's not the reason we came. We came to eat. The menu is rather extensive and a bit eclectic (not that you can really tell from this lousy picture), ranging from typical bar food items up to steaks and just about everything in between (including a nice wine list and martini menu - remember, there is no "i" in team but there is in martini).
          Be all that as it may we came for the burgers.

The Burgers

          We each chose their basic Cheeseburger which is a very large half pound patty topped with American cheese and our choice of toppings. Right off the bat we could smell the flavor of the burgers. As soon as the plates were set on the table we knew that the grill that is being used in the partially visible kitchen had been well seasoned. There was that great little bit of char around the edges that a properly cooked grill top burger gets. Add to that what tasted like fresh, never frozen beef that was most likely 70/30 and this was a flavorful burger. 

          OK, the bun was a little big and both burgers were a little more to the medium well than medium side but the flavor was there. Plus, they slapped on and melted two slices of American cheese. This is a decent burger, moist and flavorful.

           Coming with each burger was a small helping of thick-cut steak fries. These were probably frozen before being fried but the were still very well cooked; firm outside and soft in the middle. Lightly seasoned with what seemed to be a barbecue seasoning (similar to a Grippo's) they were, as it turned out, just the right serving size with these large and tasty burgers.

          Not that we get out to Blue Ash very often but Slatt's Pub was well worth the trip, in our opinion. No, it isn't one of our top 10 all time burgers but it was better than a lot that we have eaten for this blog. We recommend that if you're in the neighborhood, check it out. You won't be disappointed (unless you don't like great classic rock music that is).

The Grill's the Thing

          Recently we were at an event in support of our other blog (http://turnerbudds-carblog.blogspot.com/), it was a fall festival centered around a car show, held at the Clermont Sportman's Club (http://turnerbudds-carblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/17th-annual-sportsmans-club.html). It's pretty common for us to combine our two passions: cars and burgers. In fact we decided to do both blog based on the fact that, when we were on our way to a car show or other event, we could find a good place to stop and grab a burger.
          Actually the whole car and burger thing goes back even farther to when Josh was learning how to drive. Knowing that he was supposed to put in time driving in different environments, Mark would pick out a burger place that Josh would then map out. We would drive to the restaurant with a good burger being Josh's reward for for getting us there and Mark's for sitting with white knuckles in the passenger seat.
          For this year's show, the 17th Annual Car and Truck Show being sponsored by the Clermont Sportman's Club, we knew from past experience that the show is very large and that, while the club is isolated away from any restaurants, they cook up their own grub. We decided to eat there.

Burgers

          There's something about a burger cooked up on a grill before your eyes. Even if it's a frozen patty (probably from JTM) that grill infuses the meat with a flavor you just can't seem to get anywhere else. Granted we're both big fans of wood and charcoal grilling rather than gas (your barbecued food should give you gas, not be cooked with it), any type of outdoor grilling seems to bring out the best in a burger.

          We didn't just stop with a burger and an unmelted slice of American cheese, we each dove into a freshly grilled and slightly charred hot dog. Hell, if they would have had bratts and metts and any other type of sausage off the grill we would have probably sampled some of those as well. The grill's the thing, you see.

         OK, so these burgers weren't the best quality, they were frozen patties, and you won't be able to hop in your car and find them to try for yourself. Still, these burgers and thousands like them are cooked up every weekend during good weather at fairs and festivals and all other sorts of outdoor events throughout the region each year. And they're worth getting because nothing beats a freshly grilled burger. Enjoy.

Texas Road House

           When we started this we vowed to stay away from the chain restaurants and concentrate on the local joints. While we've tried to maintain this philosophy it is rather difficult to do considering how often we're posting. It started when we wanted to do a couple of our favorite chains and has grown from there. So while we still would rather find local places to sample burgers we continually find our circumstances drawing us to the occasional chain.
          This week we head to Texas Road House (http://www.texasroadhouse.com/). Texas Road House restaurants are in just about every state these days. But in 1993, when they were founded, there was just one. Yes the atmosphere oozes Texas charm, from the stuff on the walls to the loud country music wafting through the air, from the fresh rolls to the huge pot of peanuts sitting on the edge of every table. And since this is a steak house at heart, there is plenty of good looking quality steaks on display in the front case as well as lots of sizzling meat on the grill.

          The atmosphere is the only thing that is truly Texas about this restaurant. It was founded in Indiana and now has its corporate headquarters in Louisville, KY. But don't hold that against it. It's all about Texas size, Texas flavor and Texas appeal.

Burgers

          With me on the road and Josh back home with school and work, it was a solo effort again. And I ordered up the All American Cheeseburger which is advertised as a half pound of ground chuck. When it came to the table in an appropriate time, delivered by my friendly server, I could see the idea of Texas size was holding true, at least with the bun. The bun was so big, so fluffy that I flashed back to the famous old Wendy's commercial that made famous the line, "Where's the beef?"

          The beef was there but dwarfed by the bun. The bun was soft and easily compressed so there was no danger of a case of TMJ. And when I found the burger I knew exactly where the beef was. With a flavoring of spices that accentuated rather than covered the meat flavor, this was an acceptable chain restaurant burger. The meat was fresh and, in my humble opinion, overcooked. No, I wasn't given a choice as to how I wanted my burger cooked. The people in the kitchen had pre-determined to overcook it to a complete well done.

          Being well done it robbed the beef of a lot of its natural juiciness. And that's a shame because this has the makings of very good burger. The lettuce and tomato were crisp and fresh. Even the jumbo sized bun was high quality and had good flavor. But you don't spend eight bucks for lettuce, tomato and a bun. The beef had flavor just too much of it was left on the grill when it was over cooked.

          I've eaten at Texas Road House numerous times. One of my favorite times was when I was having lunch with a friend who, at one point in his life had been a guitar tech for ZZ Top. He told the story of dining with the band's bassist, Dusty Hill. Dusty, my friend said, insisted that they sit at a huge table, big enough for eight or ten. He then proceeded to order every entree on the menu. He took a bite of each to try it, careful not to get any in his famous beard (isn't funny how the only member of ZZ Top who doesn't have a beard is drummer Frank Beard?). After lunch he had the server pack everything to go and he took it all to a local homeless shelter.

          I have never done anything like that though I have quite often listened to that little band from Texas and had meals at Texas Road House. Their steaks are good (not as good, in my opinion as Outback but right up there) and so are a lot of their other menu options. I do recommend Texas Road House though you can get a better burger at lots of places, including a lot of chains. But if you like your burgers burnt to well done, you might just want to check them out.

Willie's Sports Cafe

          Driving to Kenwood isn't something most sane people do without a damn good reason. Even in the middle of the day during the week the traffic can be a little like a slow time in LA. Still, that is where we were headed when we decided that, since we were there, we would find a place, grab a burger and feel as though we had accomplished something.
          Nestled around the corner from Kenwood Towne Center, located at 6475 E. Galbraith (and on line at http://williesonline.com/) is Willie's Sport's Cafe. Willies now has multiple locations throughout the tri-state, including this Kenwood location. Each has a very similar menu and the promise that this spacious sports infused restaurant will be just as good as the last one at which you ate.

The Burgers

          While there are a few specialty burgers offered here, in keeping with our way of doing things, we ordered up the standard Cheeseburger. They promise a half-pound of fresh ground beef "cooked to a tender medium well." And that's exactly what we got.

          Yes, we have complained about this before but we are still bothered by the fact that a growing number of restaurants insist on overcooking a burger and taking the choice out of the hands of the diner.

          But we were surprised when our server asked how we wanted our burgers cooked. Maybe she was new and at her old restaurant patrons had a choice or maybe, we hoped, this was indeed a change for the better that was going on here. So when choosing our burgers we put in for a medium and a medium rare.

          When the burgers arrived, hot and smelling of the grill, they were both cooked medium well. Oh how our hearts and hopes had been dashed.

          Still, taking the high road we dug in. There was still some flavor that hadn't been cooked out of the meat. And while it wasn't really juicy the way a "properly" cooked burger should be, turning it medium well didn't really dry it out either.

          There must have been a decent fat content to the beef, at least an 80/20 and perhaps a 70/30 but since the burger was huge and hadn't shrunk, it was more likely the former rather than the latter. 

          The burgers were good. We both agreed on this. They weren't great but then when you are comparing burgers to the top spots around the region it's difficult to get that great burger. By the time we were taking the last bites of the sandwich it was a total mess, one that we couldn't put down for fear that it would totally fall apart. This is a good thing. It's generally a sign of fresh condiments, a fresh bun (in this case a sesame seed beauty that actually had flavor) and a burger that still has some of its juices.

          Both of us accepted the fries when offered and they were nothing special but at least they were cooked properly. 

          Overall our experience at Willie's was pleasant. The service was great and we showed it with a nice tip. We would have liked the burger to be.... well not so well done. That in itself would keep us from heading back to Willies, for the burgers at least. But if you enjoy your burgers overcooked, they serve up some that are big, filling and still have some flavor so check them out.