Author: michaelm

There’s a McDifference – EXTRA!

Courtesy of our McDonald’s-lovin’ burgiatrist-in-residence, here are some fun facts about everybody’s [TSB: Dave’s] favorite restaurant.

  •     McDonald’s sells more than 1/3 of all the French fries sold in restaurants in the U.S. each year.
  •     Nearly one in eight workers in the US has at some time been employed by McDonald’s.
  •    Sälen, Sweden, opened the first SKI-THROUGH McDonald’s in the world.
  •    More than 50,000 students from all over the world have graduated with “Bachelor of Hamburgerology” degrees from McDonald’s “Hamburger University.”  Our own “Burgiatrist” is being considered for an honorary degree.
  •      McDonald’s’ three kosher restaurants in Israel are the only McDonald’s in the world where you cannot buy a cheeseburger.
  •     On average, there are 180 sesame seeds on a Big Mac bun.
  •     The northernmost McDonald’s restaurant is located on the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland. The southernmost franchise is located in Invercargill, New Zealand.
  •    Antarctica is the only continent without a McDonald’s.
  •    The most popular international McDonald’s location is located in Pushkin Square Moscow. The store serves an amazing 40,000 people each day.
  •     McDonald’s is the world’s largest distributor of toys.
  •     The Queen of England owns a McDonald’s near Buckingham Palace as part of her vast real estate portfolio.
  •    Americans alone consume one billion pounds of beef at McDonald’s in a year. That’s five and a half million head of cattle.
  •    Every month, about 9 out of 10 American children visit a McDonald’s restaurant at least once.
  •      A personal note: I have eaten at McDonald’s almost 2,000 times (visiting restaurants in Mexico, Canada, Austria, China, and the US), consuming an estimated 500 pounds of McDelicious burgers. Oh…in Austria, they serve it with beer.

Review #46 – Merritt’s Store and Grill

We find our humble burgiatrists wandering around Merritt’s Store & Grill, each of them eager to successfully execute the Sisyphean processes of ordering, receiving, and paying for a hamburger.

ACT I: ORDERING

Michael: Well, hello there, stranger! Why don’t you sit a spell? What’s that? Can’t find a seat? Heck, just wait in line, order your food, and worry about the sittin’ later. Which line, you ask? Well, the orderin’ line, of course. Just make sure you don’t get in the pick-up-yer-food line. Dag-nabbit, son, it don’t matter when you pay. You look like a smart city slicker. You’ll figure it out.

Chad: Uh oh—looks like Michael has fallen into his front porch curmudgeon persona again. Happens every time we get near one of these country store-type burger joints. I swear, if there’s a rocking chair nearby, Marino turns into a bad community theater version of Our Town. We can’t even drive by a Cracker Barrel without him getting out and spewing folksy wisdom to frightened children. Good thing Don keeps the tranquilizer gun handy. He’s in one of those lines here…somewhere…I think.

Don: Oh boy—I’m confused. This carpetbagger definitely does not understand the three-line system. An old-timer was gracious enough to point this greenhorn to the line to the left, but only solved one of the problems. When I got to the front of the second line—what I think was the second line—I was told that my burger would be at least 15 minutes more. So I went to the third line to pay and kill some time, but then I—hey, my B.L.T. burger is ready! All the way back in the second line. I think. Dangit.

Scott: This place can use a sign—you know, with some instructions. While I’m wandering around, I’d might as well jot down a few sentences they might find useful…

  1. Here’s the thing: Start in the line on the left. Trust us on this one. Keep in mind that lots of people will be trying to figure out where’s they’re supposed to be. So be friendly!
  2. Then, go back to where you came in and pay at the register. Prepare to (1) repeat your order and (2) see a different variety of chips from the one near the first line. So…um…maybe you should read this step first.
  3. Write this step down—it’s tricky: Then, go back to the area where the first line was, but this time, stand in the line on the right. (But honestly, where you are in line won’t really matter; you’ll be served in the order in which your meal is ready. Just go with us on this one, ‘kay?)
  4. When your order is ready, we’ll call out your order number. (Important note: Your number is the last two digits on the receipt thing we gave you. Sorry—probably should have put that earlier in this sign.)
Excuse me, waiter? There's a fly on my burger.

Excuse me, waiter? There’s a fly on my burger.

ACT II: REVIEWING 

Don: The burger was good. Not great, but good. Slightly overcooked, not really worth standing in three lines for. The tomato was the best part—big, juicy, and ripe. I give it a 3.5 out of 5.0.

don5bw don35hi don35lo don2bw don1bw

Michael: Those whipper-snappers. I remember when you could order your food and it would be cooked right then and there! Nowadays, bacon and patties are cooked ahead of time and kept in some fancy-shmancy warmer plate for assemblin’ time. I will give ‘em the tomatoes, though. The size of your fist and as red as a sunrise before a rainstorm. Hoooo-ey! All told, this here burger’s a 3.5.

image001BW 3halfmikelow 3halfmikehigh image010BW image013BW

Chad: You know what? I think I’ll join Michael in one of those rocking chairs. I’m feeling a bit cranky and curmudgeonly myself. Merritt’s makes a good B.L.T., I’ll give them that, but reports of their burgers are greatly exaggerated. Leaving aside an ordering and pickup system designed by the makers of Mouse Trap, the burger—even with Merritt’s vaunted bacon and tomato—was disappointing. It was overcooked and a little bland. The patties are prepared on a tiny, non-stick Presto-Daddy type electric griddle, so there isn’t even any crust or char to give the beef a boost. Not bad, but it definitely didn’t live up to the hype. I have to go with a 3.0.

chad5bw chad4bw chad3c chad2bw chad1bw

Scott: Send help. Stop. Lost in Merritt’s. Stop. Ate burger, then got trapped in line. Was decent, not stupendous. Stop. Good tomato, though. Giving it a 3.25. Stop.

image003BW image006BW image009 image012BW image015BW

Average rating: 3.31

Overall position: 32 out of 46

Merritt's Store & Grill on Urbanspoon

Reader Submitted Review – The Wild Turkey Lounge (at Angus Barn) – Raleigh, NC

In what he describes as his “ongoing search for the perfect ground cow,” associate burgiatrist Brian Kachel brings us his review of Angus Barn’s Wild Turkey Lounge.

Most people consider Angus Barn a place for after-work business meetings, birthday celebrations, and people with deep pockets dressed in serious clothing. Well, that’s mostly true. But climb a set of creaky stairs to find The Wild Turkey Lounge, where you’ll find the Barn’s burger—“16 oz. patty [yes—a pound] of our Angus Barn beef, ground by our butchers”—for a measly $17. The staff will gladly explain how the burger can be spruced up with just about anything they’ve got in the kitchen, from the basic toppings to béarnaise sauce and crab. I personally stand by my faithful favorite formation: bacon and cheddar, medium rare, with a side of mayo.

The burger arrives on a large plate surrounded by a buttered, toasted bun, with massive, charred edges, melted shredded cheddar, and three pieces of crispy, curly bacon on top. I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of the AB bacon. I prefer thick slices on my burgers, but AB puts the little curly crispy guys on theirs. I take a massive first bite to look back and see a pink inside while juice drips down the sides and onto my hands.

Closer to the center I find a warm, deeper pink—almost red—core. The beef is soft and moist on the inside, with a crisp shell from an open flame, with a unique flavor that I can only associate with the seasoned grills of AB. I quickly find my inner peace in this perfectly cooked medium rare patty from heaven.

Brian’s review: 4.5 out of 5.0

Review #45 – Corbett’s Burgers and Soda Bar (Cary, NC)

Michael’s Review

Corbett, the man who owns Corbett’s Burgers & Soda Bar, knows a thing or two—or twelve—about hamburgers. He’s spent countless hours refining the blend of the beef, which he grinds fresh, in-house, every day. To me, these things were obvious. My burger—with its glorious char, correctly prepared bacon, and grilled buttered bun—was simply close to perfect.

corbettcarolina

If you need a great burger in Cary without a lot of fuss, stop by Corbett’s and order a bacon cheeseburger (and a blueberry lemonade soda). I, for one, will be a regular.

Michael’s rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

4halfmikehigh 4halfmikelow image007BW image010BW image013BW

 

Chad’s Review

Corbett’s Burgers & Soda Bar offers more than 250 regional and specialty sodas, which is great gimmick to get folks in the door. But the real attraction is the freshly ground burgers.

corbettpimento

My double pimento burger delivered rich, beefy flavor, with a little char from the open-flame grill, and the toppings were spot on. The burgers are served wrapped in foil, so the patty steams a bit, turning the house-made pimento cheese into a soupy mess, but that was well worth it for a burger that holds its own with the best in the Triangle.

Chad’s rating: a very solid 4.0 out of 5.0

chad5bw chad4c chad3bw chad2bw chad1bw

Don’s Review

Especially when a place is new, it’s easy to get caught up in its specialty burgers, when you can actually learn more from how well it does the simple things. This in mind, I ordered a double cheeseburger, “all the way” (traditional toppings), with American cheese. The patty had a nice accent of char on the outside and was pink and juicy in the middle—just the right contrast, amplified by the double slices of melted cheese.

corbettdouble

If you’re looking for a very good old-fashioned burger, then I have the place for you: Corbett’s Burgers & Soda Bar.

Don’s rating: 4.25 out of 5.0

don5bw don4 don3bw don2bw don1bw

Scott’s Review

Truth be told, I was rooting for this place. Given how close it is to my home, I wanted the burger to be good. I wanted a place to stop by with my kids after school to teach them one of the most important lessons of the day: This is what a great burger tastes like. I’ve rooted for places before, only to be disappointed, but halfway through the open-grill masterpiece at Corbett’s, I knew that I was rooting for a winning team.

corbettsoda

Cary needed a great, independent burger place. It got one.

Scott’s rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

4halfscotthigh 4scottlow image009BW image012BW image015BW

Average score: 4.31

Overall position: 12/45

Corbett's Burgers and Soda Bar on Urbanspoon

Review #44 – Brewster’s Pub (Cary, NC)

What two tastes make the greatest taste combo? No, it’s not peanut butter and chocolate—though that’s close. It’s burgers and beer, of course. That’s why The Straight Beef teamed up with our hoppy counterparts the NC Beer Guys for an outing, to see what burgio-beeric magic we might conjure up.

We wound up at Brewster’s Pub in Cary—a new sports bar at the corner of Lake Pine Drive and 64—and while the fare was just fair, the joint buzzed with burger and beer wisdom aplenty. Keep your ears out for a future Straight Beef podcast for more on that. For now, we’ll give our review of the Brewster’s burgers, then hand the mic to the beer experts…

The Straight Beef

Michael, of course, went with the nuttiest burger on the menu: the “Brewster Bomb,” with bacon, grilled onions, mushrooms, and “drizzled with Monterey jack queso.” Though the burger wasn’t spectacular, Michael could tell that the kitchen knew a little something about burger magic. The patty had a nice char on the outside, without the too-often-predictable overcooked middle, and while the unorthodox use of what’s essentially a cheese sauce might have worked against it, the combination of toppings came together nicely. Michael’s review? Solid overall. A 3.5 out of 5.0.

image001BW 3halfmikelow 3halfmikehigh image010BW image013BW

Scott went with the straightforward and aptly named “Hamburger,” with traditional veggies and condiments (if you subscribe to the school of thought that considers mayo traditional). Liberally throwing around words like backyard and serviceable and respectable, Scott landed close to Michael’s view: Brewster’s serves up a decent open-grill burger that isn’t quite stand-out, but offers hints of burger magic to come. Scott review? A 3.25 out of 5.0.

image003BW image006BW image009 image012BW image015BW

The beer selection, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. For a discussion of that, we’ll turn things over to the beer experts.

NC Beer Guys

Beer expectations run pretty high when we enter a place that has named itself both “brewsters” and “pub.” The beer-pairing selections we had for our burgers at Brewster’s Pub left those expectations dashed. It’s especially disappointing for guys that work promoting North Carolina craft beer to see so few NC-produced options on the menu! With all the local breweries located within a few miles of the pub that would love to have their tasty craft beer on tap?

Anyway, they did have four good NC-produced beers in the Carolina Blonde, Caroline Strawberry Blonde, the Cottonwood Endo IPA from Foothills, and the Sweet Josie out of Lonerider. Good, if limited, options, but how do they do paired with burgers.

Dave chose the “Brewster Bomb,” but with all those toppings, what beer do you pair it with that won’t be overwhelmed by the burger? Dave’s first choice was Sweet Josie. You got the beef, bacon, onions, and mushrooms to contend with, and a brown ale is a wonderful complement. You have roasted malt flavors of caramel and chocolate, which match up great with all those toppings. A burger like this would kick a wheat or fruit beer to the side. Even with Glenn selecting a burger with cheddar cheese, Sweet Josie handled it with ease. These are big burgers, so it took two beers to finish them off. Do you want the same, or is there something else on the menu that can handle the challenge?

Cottonwood Endo IPA to the rescue! India pale ales are really good at putting a bite on flavor—and also cleaning up on the end. This particular IPA has a lot of citrus flavor and a nice hop bitterness. It easily handled and paired well with all the flavors it was up against.

What NC craft beer do you like to pair with your summer burgers?

Renegade Review – Dish (Prague, Czech Republic)

Brothers and sisters, sometimes a spiritual journey is required in order to test one’s convictions, to exorcise one’s demons—you know, to shake things up. The need for such a pilgrimage led me to Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. For two weeks, I searched and searched, looking for burger enlightenment. As I grew accustomed to gorging myself on stuffed chicken breasts, wood-fired pizza, and kobassa and beer, my focus was less and less on burgers. I was losing my way. That was until I was saved—yes, saved, brothers and sisters!—by the holy site that is Dish. (www.Dish.cz)

dish_burger_small

This looks good, but where’s the buttermilk fried bacon?

Dish was a spiritual oasis in a desert of heavy, often overly sauced, foods. Dish just makes burgers—and they make them well. Their menu might be simple, but the flavor of their burgers are complex. I gave witness to the burger they call “Savory,” topped with their homemade ketchup, a Portobello mushroom, caramelized onions, a baked tomato, and parmesan cheese chips. The beef was perfectly flavored and cooked to a perfect medium rare. Customer can see the chef prepare the burgers, and it’s clear that he cares that the build is organized and presented well. The bun was a bit of a letdown, as it overpowered some of the complex flavors, thus keeping this angel earthbound.

But still I left with my faith restored, my pilgrimage complete.

Don’s review: 4.5 out of 5

Review #43 – JD’s Tavern (Apex, NC)

DON
Ok guys, I found a receipt in my pocket that shows I paid for a burger with fried egg, bacon, and American cheese at one “JD’s Tavern” in Apex. Did you guys pull a prank on me? I can’t remember the burger at all. I remember awesome buffalo shrimp, good conversation, a long wait for food, and a couple of laughs at Scott’s and Chad’s expense. That’s about it. Definitely no burger.

MICHAEL
That makes sense—you do always get bacon and egg on your burger. Maybe you need something different in your life, like the pineapple and salsa meat sandwich I had. Wait—was it just a sandwich? Maybe it was a burger.

That certainly looks like a burger. Why can't I remember eating it?

That certainly looks like a burger. Why can’t I remember eating it?

SCOTT
OK—this is slightly eerie. I also have a vague memory of eating at JD’s. When the four of us get together for an outing, we usually review burgers, right? But for the life of me, I can’t remember having one there. We wouldn’t have gone on a burger outing and not had a burger, though, right? Right? Please tell me I’m not losing it.

CHAD
I also recall good conversation, decent beer, excellent Buffalo shrimp, and little else. I was as stunned as the rest of you to find a hamburger on my credit card slip, so I did a little research.

Burgiatra Britannica contains references, albeit incomplete, of a phenomenon called “burgnesia.” Apparently there were experiments done in the 1940s under a secret government program designed to determine if a foodstuff, most notably hamburgers, can be made completely forgettable. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) determined that under the right circumstances, a hamburger can be rendered so pedestrian that it is erased from the subject’s memory. I think that is what is going on here.

SCOTT
Nicely done, Major Beef. Another mystery solved. Now it’s coming back to me a bit—something about sliders with three-day-old buns and flavorless patties. I’m not sure I remember it well enough to give a rating, but I’ll go with 2.0.

image003BW image006BW image009BW image012 image015BW

Hey, Scott. Remember me? I still have one of your fillings.

Hey, Scott. Remember me? I still have one of your fillings.

DON
Oh wait! Now I remember this burger. It was completely pedestrian. The goodness of the bun was countered by the fact the patty was way overcooked. I ordered the burger medium rare, and that was a solid well done. The meat was bland and dry, the fried egg was too hard, and the bacon was just…there. Rating 3.0.

don5bw don4bw don3 don2bw don1bw

I can't walk. How can I be a pedestrian?

I can’t walk. How can I be a pedestrian?

CHAD
J.D.’s Tavern has either resurrected WWII stealth burger technology or they have inadvertently stumbled upon a burger that is so uninspired that the brain completely erases its consumption from recall. It is neither good enough to merit recognition nor bad enough to warrant space in memory. Whether they realize it or not, they have perfected the invisible hamburger. If I could recall it better, I would probably give it a 2.5. The overcooked burger itself deserved a 2.25, but the excellent brioche bun pulled it up.

chad5bw chad4bw chad25high chad25low chad1bw

MICHAEL
Wait, I definitely remember Scott’s sliders. They deserved their own jaw muscle workout video, “Buns of Stale.” My pineapple salsa . . . sandwich . . . burger . . . whatever, was most notable for having pineapple and salsa on it. I give it a 2.75.

image001BW image004BW 2halfmikehigh 2halfmikelow image013BW

JD's Tavern on Urbanspoon

1 … 8 9 10 11 12 … 19