OMG BGR! I spent $40 on burger meals for two at the new BGR The Burger Joint. Was it worth the sticker shock? I kind of don't think so.
The restaurant opened Monday in the Ridgeway Trace Center on Popular. It's located between a Super Cuts and Mountain Yogurt (MoYo, YoLo, these acronyms are making me crazy) in the strip of retail stores across from Best Buy. It's organized with a walk up counter for ordering, and the menu on the wall is oversized, well-lit and promises a lot. Take the Wellington burger, for example, pictured above. Here's the description: deep-roasted mushrooms (sounds promising, yes?), caramelized onions, garlic and black truffles with a touch of mustard and blue cheese. Even at $8.99, we were psyched.
Sadly, the burger didn't live up to our expectations. There was just a scattering of onions and mushrooms, and while I could taste the blue cheese a little, I could not see it. For $9, I want to see some heft. That said, the meat did have a delicious flavor, and we loved the buttery brioche bun.
The Wellington was Tony's order. He also got a side of onion rings. I liked the thickness of the rings, but Tony described them as "very ordinary." They cost, btw, $4.49. Here's Tony's exact quote: "For a buck less, you can get a burger and fries at the bar at Acre."
I ordered the Ahi Tuna burger, and the tuna was fresh and flavorful, but it was more than an inch thick. The tuna steak would have been lovely on a plate of food where I could slice it, but it didn't work as a burger that needs a big bite.
Now that we've gotten all the negatives out of the way, let's move to the positives. If you like '80s vintage rock, you will be happy. We're talking Sammy Hagar, the Scorpions and Shannon (Let the Music Play!). When Tony microwaved his leftover burger the next day, he said it was much better than the night before. My fries (a little over $3 with the toppings) were a great change from the ordinary thanks to chucks of roasted garlic and fresh rosemary. Then there were our drinks. Excellent all the way around. Tony got a Ghost River in a bottle, and I had a double chocolate shake. Hot fudge sauce coated the inside of the glass, and it was crowned with whipped cream.
Ghost River on tap will be available in the next day or so, and wine will be sold as soon as the liquor license is approved. Will the good out-weigh the expensive for BGR The Burger Joint? Let me know what you think.
