I totally needed this

Sonora, a photo by jaceman4 on Flickr.

I had heard nothing but good things about Uneeda Burger out in Fremont. Why the heck does all the good food have to be in Fremont? I guess it's the happening place. First the best sandwich (Paseo) and now the best burger. I kid you not, this is definitely one of the best if not the best burger joint I've ever been to. I came with my small group before heading out back to the East Coast, and I can tell you, I was not disappointed at all, even with all the hype. We had a lovely conversation with a very amicable general manager who knew his stuff. After hearing that his personal favorite burger was the Sonora (#5 on the menu) I opted to get it.

My first take on the burgers were that they were all very well thought out. There isn't as extensive a selection as some other burger joints would boast, but I would posit that there was definitely something for everyone there. The meat was cooked to perfection. Full beefy flavor, not too greasy, not undercooked so that it bled, just the right amount of tenderness and juiciness to fully appreciate the quality of the meat. The Sonora also was served on a nice artisan bun, grilled well, not overloaded, not overwhelming. The fixings included a chili-relish made from roasted Anaheim peppers among other things. While I was originally hesitant because I prefer a kick over a slow burn, the latter of which was used to describe the chili relish, it worked. It wasn't overwhelming, it in fact, did what it was supposed to, complement the burger. The mixture of onions and cilantro and whatever they put in the relish gave it a nice tang, almost like a ceviche but not quite. It's hard to describe and just saying that it was good hardly does it justice. The relish, in addition to being a fixing was something of a condiment in and of itself, mixing with the cilantro to give a nice tangy flavor with that hint of burn afterwards.

While I was disappointed to find that they no longer served waffle-fries, I certainly was not disappointed in the least by the fries. This was my first poutine experience, and I must say the Canadians are on to something here. While it does trend towards the heavier side it was good. Additionally, the beer-battered onion rings had a great sweetness in the batter, and the regular (now hand-cut) fries were great as well. All in all, everything about this place was well thought out and executed nearly perfectly. I know I don't say this much, but this is definitely a place you have to go out of your way to go to if you're looking for a quality burger in the Seattle area. Best burger in Seattle, I don't care what Oprah says.