Thursday, May 15, 2008

Where's the Beef?

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. - J.R.R. Tolkien

Today, I'm talking about serious Burgers. Not those lame things that pass for burgers from fast food places made with meat by-products and fortified with who knows what for shelf life, a real made from ground beef (and nothing else) burger is only available at a few places these days. Furthermore, if you can hold the hamburger in one hand to eat it, it is too small. One local place that gets it right is Fuddruckers. Their meat patties are so thick you have to tell them how rare or well to cook your burger. That’s right, unlike those other places you usually go with the wafer thin patties, you have options here. They also grind their own meat and make their own buns in house. They also have a well stocked condiment bar with an array of sauces and lots of fresh (not crinkly, wilted, or old) vegetables. You can get a 1/3, ½, 2/3, or 1lb burger depending on your appetite. As an additional bonus, they use shortening for frying which gives the food a more crisp and tasty exterior than oil (kinda like your grandma used to make). Even though they are a national “chain” and not a “mom-and-pop” type of place like I usually prefer, they serve up the best hamburgers around. Lucky for you, there may even be one somewhere near your area. Now, if they only had a drive through.

3 comments:

Jordan said...

Up at college, we used to go to Fuddruckers fairly often. It's pretty good for a chain, and lies somewhere in between fast food and local restaurant.

That said, I am surprised that it was your example of a good burger. I prefer most local places for most of the reasons you mentioned: bigger burgers, authentic meat.

To me, the key to a great burger is juiciness.

If you are ever visiting NYC, I can show you a couple of places with great burgers. Like my father says, "Nothing beats a good cheddar cheeseburger."

Lucypher said...

If I am ever in NYC, you may be sure I will look you up. As of right now, they are by far the best we've got in Galveston.

Pokerwolf said...

If you're on the East Coast, check out Five Guys. They use only fresh ingredients and they even tell you where the potatoes they use for fries that day were grown.

Also, in order to get a small burger, you have to request it. Big burgers are standard.