So I remember coming here when it used to be a pseudo-Hawaiian burger joint. In fact, Rain City Burger still has the same mahalo trash can that the old place (I can't remember the name for the life of me) used to have. After perusing their menu (which mind you was relatively extensive but to me honestly fairly run-of-the-mill) I ultimately decided to go with what they call the Huskies Burger, which I assume was named for some reason for the UW Huskies.
The burger in and of itself was fairly well made. A 1/4 lb patty with 2 large onion rings on it. The patty itself, being only 1/4 lb, was somewhat overwhelmed by everything else on the burger, but from what I could taste, the meat was good quality beef. The bun was your typical sesame bun. The fixings were lettuce, tomatoes, and onion rings. The onion rings I could tell were fresh, which were nice. They weren't super crispy which gave an interesting (in a good way) flavor and texture to the burger as a whole. There's supposed to be some sort of "Rain sauce" on the burger, but honestly, the onion rings sort of overpowered everything.
The fries (which you have to get extra) were pretty good, your run-of-the-mill semi-soggy stuff. Some people like it, some people don't, I personally don't mind. I always have a soft spot for burger joints that carry malt vinegar as a side condiment. All-in-all, it's not a bad joint, but there's nothing outstanding about it either. It's pretty much what you see is what you get. So if you're ever wandering around the neighborhood, and are looking for something to eat, this isn't a bad place to stop.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A lapse in sound judgment
So my buddies decided to take me out to try this thing for my birthday. The Behemoth at the Ram was a fairly new item and I approached it with mixed feelings. I have to say though, the food at the Ram has significantly improved as of late, maybe I should go back more often.
Anyways, the burger itself wasn't anything special, besides the three patties, the excess fixings made it actually quite difficult to eat. Overall, the lack of condiments other than mayo meant you could experiment with whatever stuff was on the house, I stuck mostly with A1 and BBQ sauce. The beef was good, but not exceptional, it was good enough to keep me going for a little while. All-in-all I don't really recommend trying this unless you really want to for some reason.
Fries were good. Not much else to say.
Anyways, the burger itself wasn't anything special, besides the three patties, the excess fixings made it actually quite difficult to eat. Overall, the lack of condiments other than mayo meant you could experiment with whatever stuff was on the house, I stuck mostly with A1 and BBQ sauce. The beef was good, but not exceptional, it was good enough to keep me going for a little while. All-in-all I don't really recommend trying this unless you really want to for some reason.
Fries were good. Not much else to say.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The price is right, very right
Yeah, I can't think of any witty titles anymore, but I'm hoping that's not really why you read the blog. I suppose my writing is somewhat inconsistent at least in quality, but I'm hoping that I make up for it with my readability and witty exposition (or so I like to delude myself into thinking). That being said, I was in the Bay this weekend for a wedding and decided to visit an old haunt of mine, a local sports bar by the name of St. John's Bar and Grill. Why do I like this place? Simply put, because they have great deals. Every day there is something half off on their menu. From cheesesteak to chicken sandwiches to appetizers, and most importantly, to burgers. Saturday happened to be burger day, and when you're paying almost as much for your beverage as you are for your burger, you know you're getting a good deal (as well as getting fleeced on the beverages, but I guess that's true everywhere). They have a fairly large selection of burgers, all of which are pretty good, so I opted for the jalapeno burger this time.
The meat was a full, hearty (estimated 1/3 lb) patty. Very juicy, well cooked. The bun was a lightly toasted onion bun, typical thing that you can find at the supermarket, but it does add a nice flavoring to the burger. The fixings consisted of your typical iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato, and rings of white onion, plus sauteed jalapeno peppers. The peppers were pretty fresh and gave the burger a nice kick. I think there was some mayo and mustard (possibly ketchup) in the burger, but the flavor of all the ingredients made it so you didn't need a whole lot in terms of condiments. The jalapenos gave that kick but weren't overbearing in that it was too hot to handle.
Typically they don't give sides, so my friends ordered an order of garlic fries to split. Very heavy on the garlic, pretty good stuff. The normal side is a small bag of Lays chips, but hey, if you're paying less than $4 for these burgers, it's okay if fries aren't included. Great joint to catch games and just get some affordable grub. Good burgers, great deals. Even at full menu price it's not out of this world expensive. If you're in the area, I'd say it's a place to drop by.
The meat was a full, hearty (estimated 1/3 lb) patty. Very juicy, well cooked. The bun was a lightly toasted onion bun, typical thing that you can find at the supermarket, but it does add a nice flavoring to the burger. The fixings consisted of your typical iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato, and rings of white onion, plus sauteed jalapeno peppers. The peppers were pretty fresh and gave the burger a nice kick. I think there was some mayo and mustard (possibly ketchup) in the burger, but the flavor of all the ingredients made it so you didn't need a whole lot in terms of condiments. The jalapenos gave that kick but weren't overbearing in that it was too hot to handle.
Typically they don't give sides, so my friends ordered an order of garlic fries to split. Very heavy on the garlic, pretty good stuff. The normal side is a small bag of Lays chips, but hey, if you're paying less than $4 for these burgers, it's okay if fries aren't included. Great joint to catch games and just get some affordable grub. Good burgers, great deals. Even at full menu price it's not out of this world expensive. If you're in the area, I'd say it's a place to drop by.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Just because it's "organic" doesn't make it better
Now I'm not here to bash on the whole "organic" thing. I'm sure it's better for you, but that is not indicative of it tasting better, and honestly, when I buy food, that's what I care about more. So, while I know Portage Bay Cafe is all about being sustainable and organic and local and all that, I can't say I was huge on what they simply dub Burger on their menu.
Overall, the whole natural ingredients thing do taste better, but just because you have good ingredients it doesn't necessitate a better burger. I liked the char and the full beef patty of the hand-pressed patty, and it was substantial, a little over-cooked for my liking, but it was beefy. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and the bun was a nice doughy local baked concoction (reminded me of those "pub buns" that you can buy at the supermarket, I liked them) which were good. I think there were supposed to be some red onion sauce or something on the burger, but honestly I couldn't taste it. All in all, it's not a bad burger, but it's essentially a very nice thing that comes out of a backyard BBQ, not necessarily something I'd go out of my way to get. Tack on the fact that cheese and bacon cost an addition dollar a piece, it's not really worth it.
The sides were basically home fries sauteed with chili powder/taco seasoning, nothing extraordinary. I think I like regular fries better, but this is more of a breakfast joint, so I guess they get a break on this one.
Overall, the whole natural ingredients thing do taste better, but just because you have good ingredients it doesn't necessitate a better burger. I liked the char and the full beef patty of the hand-pressed patty, and it was substantial, a little over-cooked for my liking, but it was beefy. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and the bun was a nice doughy local baked concoction (reminded me of those "pub buns" that you can buy at the supermarket, I liked them) which were good. I think there were supposed to be some red onion sauce or something on the burger, but honestly I couldn't taste it. All in all, it's not a bad burger, but it's essentially a very nice thing that comes out of a backyard BBQ, not necessarily something I'd go out of my way to get. Tack on the fact that cheese and bacon cost an addition dollar a piece, it's not really worth it.
The sides were basically home fries sauteed with chili powder/taco seasoning, nothing extraordinary. I think I like regular fries better, but this is more of a breakfast joint, so I guess they get a break on this one.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Perhaps it's better when you're hungrier
I can't say that this place was horrible, but I can't say that it's out of the ordinary. It certainly has changed since I first ventured here years prior to the creation of this blog. I decided one day to swing by the Burger Hut for a burger. Now, it's apparently a Halal Burger and Kabob Hut, as ownership has changed since my first foray. The main selling point of this place was that it was one of the few places open for students with late night food cravings, as the doors weren't locked until 3AM, a time at which, I imagine everything tastes better. The prices were more reasonable than previously, I opted for the Mushroom Burger.
The burger itself wasn't anything particularly out of the ordinary, the patty was seasoned with some pretty good spices (which I will venture is Middle Eastern/Mediterranean in nature) which was cool. The bun is your run of the mill sesame bun, the fixings your typical mushrooms, Swiss, lettuce, and tomato. I think there was ketchup on there, but I couldn't really taste it. Overall, the spices and from the sautee (of the mushrooms) kind of overpowered all other flavors. It wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way for.
The fries were fresh, but just fried, meaning, no seasoning, meaning, they tasted like crispy potatoes. A little bland.
The burger itself wasn't anything particularly out of the ordinary, the patty was seasoned with some pretty good spices (which I will venture is Middle Eastern/Mediterranean in nature) which was cool. The bun is your run of the mill sesame bun, the fixings your typical mushrooms, Swiss, lettuce, and tomato. I think there was ketchup on there, but I couldn't really taste it. Overall, the spices and from the sautee (of the mushrooms) kind of overpowered all other flavors. It wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way for.
The fries were fresh, but just fried, meaning, no seasoning, meaning, they tasted like crispy potatoes. A little bland.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Nostalgia ruins things later
Typically it does. First note though, I will be doing something a little different this time, I'm going to nix the whole grading mechanism and the more I think about it the more I find it somewhat contrived. So now, I'll just go with my (witty) exposition to discuss the merits of each burger (rather than place) that I have consumed. I had actually been somewhat looking forward to going to Cheesecake Factory (as you can tell by the dim lighting in the picture) for a while. I recall generally disliking the place and then once going for somebody's birthday, ordering the Kobe burger and being blown away. Perhaps it was the low expectations that time and the higher ones this time, perhaps it was the Palo Alto Cheesecake Factory that time and the Bellevue one this time, who knows? I would posit that it's likely the menu change (as I've experienced with Red Robin), which now boasts a greater selection of burgers (which apparently I guess you can get any of which with kobe beef), was the cause of the decline (at least in my perspective) in the quality of the product.
The beef was good, albeit the patty was a little small for the bun, but it had that full beefy flavor. The sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions added a nice fragrant sweetness to the flavor. No condiments, but you really didn't need a whole lot as all the natural flavors mixed together quite well. That being said, it was plain. I didn't really appreciate the shredded iceberg, not that I don't like it, but for a place like Cheesecake factory, it seemed a little sub-par, other than that, the bun was a nice toasted kaiser roll affair, nothing fancy, did the job. Overall, it's a good burger, and the burgers are probably what I'd stick with on the entrees at Cheesecake Factory if/when I return. It's got that nice, safe, know-what-you're-going-to-get factor to it, so if you're ever there for any reason, and you don't know what to get (it's hard to decide when the menu is a catalog), go with the burgers, the kobe is a safe bet. $13 is a little pricey, but you could do worse, and besides, it's Cheesecake Factory, not like you're going to pay much less for anything else.
On a side (semi-unintentional pun) note, the fries are your run of the mill affair. You do get it a cup, which I guess is fancier? Either that or a way to give you less without looking stingy. Who knows? It's not like we're here for fries anyways. That being said, it goes well with the burger, it's hard to do fries poorly, though it's not unheard of. Cheesecake, they hit status quo.
The beef was good, albeit the patty was a little small for the bun, but it had that full beefy flavor. The sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions added a nice fragrant sweetness to the flavor. No condiments, but you really didn't need a whole lot as all the natural flavors mixed together quite well. That being said, it was plain. I didn't really appreciate the shredded iceberg, not that I don't like it, but for a place like Cheesecake factory, it seemed a little sub-par, other than that, the bun was a nice toasted kaiser roll affair, nothing fancy, did the job. Overall, it's a good burger, and the burgers are probably what I'd stick with on the entrees at Cheesecake Factory if/when I return. It's got that nice, safe, know-what-you're-going-to-get factor to it, so if you're ever there for any reason, and you don't know what to get (it's hard to decide when the menu is a catalog), go with the burgers, the kobe is a safe bet. $13 is a little pricey, but you could do worse, and besides, it's Cheesecake Factory, not like you're going to pay much less for anything else.
On a side (semi-unintentional pun) note, the fries are your run of the mill affair. You do get it a cup, which I guess is fancier? Either that or a way to give you less without looking stingy. Who knows? It's not like we're here for fries anyways. That being said, it goes well with the burger, it's hard to do fries poorly, though it's not unheard of. Cheesecake, they hit status quo.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
An amendment, but not a big one
Okay, okay, okay. Since Red Mill Burgers are touted as "the best burger in Seattle" I had tried it and decidedly shot that down, only to find I ordered the wrong burger. This time, I got the right one, you know, the burger that Oprah has said is something you must consume before you die. Though, honestly, given it's Oprah, that would be like everything (zing!). Sorry Oprah, won't happen again.
So overall, this burger was much better than the last. The area of the burger is much larger, so 2 1/4 lb patties is much more appreciated than just 1. The beef was well cooked and beefy. The fixings were good: slices of bacon, melty cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, all the basic good stuff you want in a burger. Love the Mill Sauce, didn't taste enough of it. I'll keep this short and sweet.
Fries were good, nothing special, onion rings still don't impress me, for all the hype they're.... meh.
Not going to re-grade, but this is probably the burger I'd go for at this place.
So overall, this burger was much better than the last. The area of the burger is much larger, so 2 1/4 lb patties is much more appreciated than just 1. The beef was well cooked and beefy. The fixings were good: slices of bacon, melty cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, all the basic good stuff you want in a burger. Love the Mill Sauce, didn't taste enough of it. I'll keep this short and sweet.
Fries were good, nothing special, onion rings still don't impress me, for all the hype they're.... meh.
Not going to re-grade, but this is probably the burger I'd go for at this place.
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