Burger crew meeting called to order on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at 11am.
Members in attendance: Angela d., Sumana S., Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis K., and myself (Innie C.)
Guests: Isabel G., Christian Y., and Marty d. (Apprentice member)
I. Ordering
Wayne, Angela/Trev, and Chris/I all ordered the Double Savory burger (mushroom, truffle cheese, caramelized onion, lettuce, aioli – $11.20). Wayne added bacon to his, and Chris and I added jalapenos to ours. Sumana and DK/Isa ordered the special item not on the regular menu, the La Hambuguesa (queso fresco, guacamole, roasted jalapenos, caramelized onions, and Yucateco mayo – $12.20), with double patties.
There are 5 regular burger offerings on the menu, plus a veggie option. All (excluding the veggie option) are given the option of single or double patty.
II. The burgers
Those who ordered the Savory burger were none too impressed. The patties were intended to be smashburgers, but the necessary sear for a good smash-style just wasn’t there. Wayne’s patties had a moderate sear on just one side. Angela speculated that since we were the first guests of the day, the grill didn’t have a chance to heat up properly before some of the patties were placed. The most common complaint of the Savory crowd was that there was no truffle flavor. We all agreed that if truffle was not advertised in the ingredient list, we would have thought this was just a mushroom burger. The cheese didn’t have a stand-out flavor, but nicely settled into the crevices of the patty, and added to the savoriness and gooey-ness of the burger. Wayne thought his added bacon was just okay. It was neither a thick cut nor a thin slice, and it was neither chewy nor crispy. A true purgatory state of bacon. The jalapenos that Chris and I added were of the pickled variety, and would have been a nice acidic addition to the cheesiness if there were more of them.
The La Hambuguesa was a much bigger hit. DK said the patties themselves didn’t have too much seasoning, but the queso fresco and guacamole really made up for it. The queso fresco was thick cut and on point. Isa compared the taste to a torta (she clarified that this was high praise). The ingredients all together made the burger very flavorful and enjoyable. The patties for these burgers had a much better sear.
The beef seemed to be of good quality, and all members thought they had a nice meaty flavor. The patties were very loosely packed. So much so that the burgers tended to fall apart toward the end. Most of the crew noted that while the burgers were tender, they would have appreciated more juiciness.
Buns were buttery and held up well for the most part (except when the patties fell apart at the end). The double patties seemed to be the best choice in terms of satisfying ratio of meat to bread.
III. The Fries/Sides
Between the group, we ordered the garlic fries, the chili cheese fries, and the spicy garlic fries. The chili cheese fries is one of the offerings on the regular menu, but the garlic fries (garlic butter, grama padano, parsley – $4) and the spicy garlic fries (sambal garlic, butter, grama Padano – $4.50) were specials advertised by the register. The fries were thin cut, crispy, and seemed to be double fried. Wayne commented that they were “airy” on the inside. The chili cheese fries were solid – cheesy and satisfying. Trev compared the chili style to be of the Weinerschnitzel kind (not in a bad way). Between the garlic and the spicy garlic fries, everyone preferred the spicy garlic. The garlic fries were flavorful, but the spicy garlic fries had an extra kick that everyone enjoyed.
IV. Miscellaneous
Service was very friendly, and the eating area was clean. The fountain drinks were self-fill and consisted of Coke products. Ketchup and mustard were “Sir Kensington” brand. Trevor, the reigning ketchup expert on crew, declared them to be “the most okay” of the non-Heinz/Hunt brands.
Cups/straws look and feel very much like plastic, but are made of compostable plant material. Definite win in terms of satisfying both environmental friendliness and straw usability (wimpy paper straws are the Edmure Tully of the straw world – well-meaning but incompetent).
If you want to use the bathroom at this establishment, be prepared for a bit of a walk. To use them, you’ll have to go over to a nearby building, take the elevator to the basement, and access them via key cards.
V. Value
The members were asked how much they would pay for the burger they ordered. The range was between $9 and $12 for the double burgers, so most of us considered the burgers to be more expensive than what we would have liked to pay.
VI. The verdict
The Savory burger had ratings of 3.3, 2.7, 2.7, and 3.0. The La Hambuguesa had ratings of 4.0 and 4.4.
Next Burger Crew stop: Burger Shack, San Francisco, CA.