burgercrewLA

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at noon (Wayne’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela d. (that’s me!), Trevor Y., Wayne T., and Innie C.
Slacker member who needs a reminder what a calendar is: Dennis K. 

I. Ordering

The menu here is pretty straightforward. They do burgers, fries, and Philly cheesesteaks. Yum!

Trev and I got a Double smash ($13) – Double meat n cheese with grilled onions, pickles n house sauce. It came with some pepperoncini on the side.

We also ordered the Philly Fries ($14) – 5oz certified ribeye n cheese with grilled onions, mushrooms, n house sauce. I LOVE Philly cheesesteaks, but opted to get them in fry form since this isn’t the Philly cheesesteak crew . . . but maybe I could be persuaded 🤔

Wayne and Innie both got a Double Smash ($13) and added jalapenos (+$1.50). Additionally, Wayne got an order of the regular fries as well.

II. The Burger

Let’s start on the outside and work our way in. First off, the size of the burger was good. Not too big and not too small. Goldilocks would be satisfied. The bun was nice and fluffy with a good toast and a nice sweetness to it (Trev mentioned that it might be a touch too sweet). The edge of the bun was sealed, which I never understood the utility of.

The smash. Let’s talk about that smash. In the land of smash burgers, it’s hard to stand out, but this one does. There was an excellent lace and the meat was nicely caramelized without inching over the line into burnt. I love how the meat overflowed out of the bun. It makes me feel like I’m getting a good deal! It’s like the overflow sake of the burger world (side note: if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re missing out).

Toppings were great! The cheese was cheesy. The sauce was saucy and added a really nice saltiness to the burger. The jalapenos were raw (instead of the typical pickled) and seemed to have all the seeds removed. This is definitely a friendlier jalapeno for my spicy intolerant friends. Wayne and Innie agreed that it added a nice flavor of jalapeno without the spice.

III. The Sides

Alright, let’s get this new rating system off the ground:

– Method Cooked: Double fried
– Moisture Content: Low. It was weird. They seemed fresh, but hard (read: different from crunchy). Perhaps it was fried a tad too long? Not sure what the problem was
– Category: I would call these shoestring but some may disagree with me.
-Flavor: Good seasoning. I know that people had complained on yelp about the fries and it looks like they’ve taken that feedback to heart and improved! That’s what I like to see!
-Seasoning: salt. The Philly fries had meat, cheese, onions, and mushrooms. The Philly fries are where it’s at! They were HUGE and all the toppings were delicious. They were mostly concentrated at the top so there were quite a few naked fries as well. I would definitely get these again.

IV. Miscellaneous

There is a small parking lot where many of the spots are limited to 15-20 minutes so make sure to watch signage when you go. There is limited seating (maybe 6 bar seats inside and a few two-tops on the sidewalk outside). They don’t have a bathroom! So if you have a tiny bladder, make sure to use the bathroom before you go.

You can order at a kiosk or with a human. Workers were all pretty friendly. They don’t have a soda machine so your options are canned soda or bottled water. Wayne particularly liked their music selections while we ate.

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $12 to $14. So these burgers are priced right and we all had a nice tight distribution.

VI. The Verdict

Excellent burger. I’d definitely come back. I also want to try their Philly cheesesteak (but am a bit skeptical because it’s served on a bun instead of a roll). Good pick, Wayne! The ratings: 3.9, 4.1, 4.5, and 4.6.

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Dec 14, 2024.

Members in attendance: Angela, DK, Innie, Trevor, and Wayne (myself)

I. Ordering

Everyone but Wayne: The Royal burger (pronounced with an invisible “e” at the end of Royal): 1/3 lb Angus beef patty, with lettuce, American cheese, an over-medium egg topped with special aji sauce, served on a brioche bun, and a side of yuca. Also, it’s not listed on the menu, but the Royal has a separate sausage patty in addition to the beef patty that surprised everyone

Wayne: The Suprema burger: 1/3 lb Angus beef patty marinated in beer, Italian sausage, 2 strips of bacon, over-medium egg and grilled onions. Served on a brioche bun, and a side of yuca

Angela/Trevor: also ordered The Butifarra (labeled as the world’s most famous sandwich): jamon del pais made in-house, and a side of fries

II. Burgers

We started off discussing my Suprema since it was different from everyone else’s. I thought it was overly salty, where every ingredient just layered on the salt. I couldn’t taste the Italian seasonings in the sausage over the salt, the bacon was salty, and I couldn’t notice any beer in the patty’s marinade, maybe because of the salt. The egg was perfectly over-medium, which is how I like eggs in my burgers because the yolk is still like a thick gel without being overly messy.

As for everyone that ordered the Royal, they really liked the sausage patty and considered the beef patty to be an afterthought and not necessary for the burger to taste good. Innie jokingly said that they might’ve included the beef patty just so that they could officially call it a burger. Trev said he’d want that kind of sausage patty on his pizza. Angela said that if the Royal had hash browns instead of a burger patty, it would be a wonderful breakfast sandwich since it had an egg and sausage already.

We all thought that the burgers were constructed really well. The buns didn’t fall apart, and the burger ingredients didn’t fall out of the burgers and drip everywhere. Having the lettuce as a barrier to the bun from the wet ingredients probably helped in terms of structural integrity. We did all wish that the burgers had more acid of some type to balance the flavors. The brioche buns were soft and buttery while still being sturdy.

III. Sides

The general consensus was that both the yuca and fries were cooked perfectly well, with crispy exteriors and fluffy interiors, but they were both unseasoned, and both would’ve benefited greatly from at least a little salt. We still enjoyed both for what they were, but seasoning would’ve put them over the top. Innie also said that the yuca was really good when they were hot but became more dense in texture when they became cold.

The Butifarra was really good. The bread was fluffier than it looked, and the meat was shaved into thin slices and it had sauce on top of it, somewhat like a Philly cheese steak.

IV. Misc

There’s a tiny parking lot in front of the restaurant. They had just opened three months earlier when we visited them, so it seemed like they were still trying to figure things out (aka: service was slow, even for our cups of water to come out). The menu missing a pretty integral part of the Royal (the sausage patty) is another hint that they’re still figuring things out. Interestingly, they took over the space of what used to be a donut shop, which might present its own challenges when running a restaurant.

V. Rating/Value/Verdict

Angela: 3.8/$14
DK: 2.2/$12.50
Innie: 4.0/$14
Trevor: 3.7/$12
Wayne: 2.2/$14

Next Burger Crew meeting will be at Double N Up in Los Angeles.

Yelp
701 Lincoln Blvd Venice, CA 90291

Members in attendance: Trevor Y., Angela d. Wayne T., DK, and Innie C.
Special Guests: Marissa

I. Ordering

Trevor – Banh Mi Burger (med. rare)
Angela – Lincoln
Wayne – Banh Mi Burger + Fries
DK – Banh Mi Burger
Innie – Banh Mi Burger

Banh Mi Burger Description
Angus beef, mozzarella, pork pate, fried onion, jalapeno, cilantro, pickled daikon and carrots

Lincoln Description
Angus beef, American Cheese, lettuce, tomato & onion

II. The Burger
Walking in everyone was clearly excited about the Banh Mi Burger and I’m sad to report it didn’t live up to expectations. Not necessarily because it wasn’t good but perhaps more because we had high hopes.

With that said, as a group we found the meat to have a good beefy flavor however poorly seared it may be. The most enjoyable bites of the burger were when it had a right mix of the patty, pickled veggies and jalapenos. The least enjoyable bites were the ones that had too much of the over-powering sweet sauce that was drizzled? on the burger. We could have gone without the sauce or much less of it and much much more pickled veggies. If we ever come back I would ask for those modification if getting the banh mi burger. I also need to mention this last since it was so forgettable, the mozzarella cheese really didn’t add anything flavor wise to the burger. I imagine a havarti could have elevated this to a new level.

Angela being the lone purist with the Lincoln burger found it be a solid yummy burger. She described it as:
-good patty
-melty cheese
-Pickle-y pickles
-good grilled onions

So if find yourself at Lokal Sandwich Shop and not feeling adventurous, the Lincoln is a very safe burger to order.

III. The Sides
I feel like this burger crew is about to have it’s spin-off mini crew for fries. I will submit to the readers of this blog post a template to judge fries moving forward.
– Method Cooked: Double fried
– Moisture Content: too high, soggy
– Category: >5mm, <10mm therefore not shoestring and not steak fries….sooo regular?
-Flavor: too potatoe-y (read: outer crisps to fluffy center ratio is off)
-Seasoning: salt

IV. Miscellaneous
They have both indoor and outdoor seating so if you have that pup you want to bring along they are welcomed in the outdoor benches. It’s the corner tenant of a small parking lot however the parking spaces in the lot are huge. I would recommend carpooling in the biggest car you can find.

The service is very fast and very good and friendly and the menu is very diverse. I ended up getting an actual banh mi sandwich to go and it was delicious!

V. Value
We rated how much we’d pay for our burgers and it ranged from $10-$13 which is a nice tight distribution.

VI. The Verdict
If compared to the elite burgers of southern california it would get a “good-ish” rating and not something worth going out of your way to get. But if I were in the area I wouldn’t be opposed to getting another burger with the modifications I had mentioned above. Most of the crew concurred with ratings of: 3.7, 3.9, 3.6, 3.8, 4.2.

Next burger crew meeting: Saturday, Dec 14 – allikaphiy – Long Beach

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, October 5, 2024 at noon (DK’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, and me, Innie.
Member in attendance 24 hours later:  DK

As highlighted by its prominence in the restaurant’s name, the unique feature of this establishment is their made-in-house flatbreads.  According to their website, the flatbreads are baked to order from dough that is made on-site from scratch.  

I. Ordering

The menu at BunGraze includes several different burger options.  Trev and Angela ordered the BBQ Burger (bacon, bacon jam, onion ring, and BBQ sauce, $11) as a combo (+$5), Wayne ordered the Breakfast Burger (bacon jam, eggs, cheese, lettuce and tomato, $11), and I ordered the OMG Burger (jalapenos, mushrooms, roasted garlic, onion jam, and onion rings, $12).  DK ordered the Smashed Burger (cheese, pickles, spread, and onion jam, $10).

II. The Burger

We have to hand it to the restaurant… They know to highlight the best feature of their burgers.  The flatbread was universally loved by all the members, and was hands down one of the most praise-worthy buns we’ve had.  It was soft, yet still had a satisfying chew and subtle crispness, reminding us of a good pizza crust.  Some of us spied a conveyor type contraption in the kitchen, which was likely the oven that baked these goodies fresh to order. 

That said, the meat patties of the OMG, BBQ, and breakfast burgers were a sad, tough, and dry counterpart to the delicious flatbreads.  In addition to their textural issues, the patties for these burgers were also formed into an odd, thick puck that concentrated all the meat into the middle ⅔ of the burger.  Structurally, this led to an uneven ratio of meat to bun throughout the burger, with no meat on the edges and a jaw-unhinging amount of patty in the middle.  Tellingly, one of the members stated that the bites with just bread and toppings were their favorite parts.

Those of us who were in attendance on Saturday speculated that most of our issues with the burger construction would be solved by ordering the smash patties.  We assumed that the flattening of the patty would result in a much better distribution of the patty and toppings within the burger.  As luck would have it, DK ended up ordering the Smash Burger during his venture the next day, and he indeed did not have the same complaints as us.  He reported that the smash patties were nicely seared and beefy, and had no mentionable issues besides the burger being a bit too mustard forward.   

The opinions on the burger toppings ran the gamut from good to bad.  The sauces in the burgers (as well as the optional sauces served tableside) were all flavorful and played well with each other.  The onion rings in the OMG and the BBQ were a bit too bready, with the breading getting soggy quickly amid the sauces and with not a lot of onion in the middle.  The bacon on the BBQ and the breakfast burgers were unanimously panned by Wayne, Trev, and Angela.  They reported that the bacon tasted stale and was very chewy in a Wayne-NOT-approved kind of way.

Also, stock up on napkins when you eat here.  The flatbread on the burger is utilized such that one edge of the burger is “sealed” (sort of like a pita wrap or taco).  While this may seem like it would be helpful in keeping the eating experience neater, the edge acted like a funnel to leak all the sauces and juices to the sides.  Eat with napkins handy. Or, perhaps we all just need to take a lesson from Joey to understand proper sandwich eating protocol.

III. Sides

Trev and Angela ordered a combo, and opted to choose garlic parmesan fries as their choice of side.  These fries were amazing.  They were well-seasoned, crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside.  We were impressed with the uniform adherence of the garlic and parmesan to the french fries.  In our experience, most garlic parm fries share a similar issue, where all the toppings immediately fall off during the delicate transfer of a loaded fry from basket to mouth.  We give kudos to whatever fry seasoning technology Bungraze has.

IV. Miscellaneous

Bungraze is located in Little Tokyo, which means parking may be tricky and/or expensive.  We met at lunch on a Saturday so we felt the full force of this predicament.  From personal experience, be cautioned that the Japanese Village Plaza parking structure across the street may be tempting in its convenience, but may cost you an arm, leg, and/or your first born child. 

Our ordering experience was a bit curious.  We arrived and lingered at the register for a good 5 minutes in front of the (assumed) owner, without being addressed. While he wasn’t unfriendly, it felt odd to just wait there for a while in front of him.  There was also an ordering kiosk at the corner by the door, so maybe this was a subtle hint to use it?  

If you choose to order tap water to accompany your meal as I did, be prepared to either be thirsty or to constantly go up for refills, because the cup I received was TINY.  

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers. The prices given were $8.50, $10, $10, $10, and $13, so fairly close to the given prices.

VI. The Verdict

The ratings given by the members were 2.9, 3.2, 3.0*, 3.1, and 4.3.

[*Only because of the bun]

Due to me procrastinating this review, the following burger crew meeting has already happened! That review coming soon….

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at noon (Angela’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela d., Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis K. (waves hello), and Innie C.
Slide member in attendance: Lucy Y.
Special Guest: Chris Y.

I. Ordering

The menu is stored in the cloud, accessible via QR code.

• Trev and Angela ordered the Blvd Outlaw (med-rare) and a Smash Cheese Burger (off the kid’s menu)
• Wayne used Uber Eats to order a Blvd Outlaw (med) because he thought the restaurant staff didn’t speak English
• I ordered the Cali Club (med-rare) with kosher pickles instead of bread butter pickles
• Innie ordered the Blvd Burger (med-rare) sans antics

II. The Burger

Each member of the crew had nothing but positive things to say about the buns. Some burgers are served with sesame seed buns, others with brioche. Angela was especially delighted with the seediness of hers but both choices are solid. If you’re partial to one, I can personally attest to the staff’s willingness to substitute ingredients… just ask!

Folks were less enthusiastic about the patties. While some complimented the pepper-forward taste and smoky aroma, they weren’t cooked to the doneness we had ordered and had no “pop”. The smash patty did get some love from Trev and Angela, but neither shared any with the rest of the group.

As the world turns, slices of bacon stir a controversy. This time, even though they were very generous with their porcine portions, the bacon tasted like it was cooked a tad too long,

III. The Sides

Included in the pricing of all of their burgers are french fries! And they were surprisingly good. Double fried, great texture, with a fluffy interior, albeit slightly under-salted. Fantastic choice of julienned potatoes!

IV. Miscellaneous

It’s mostly street parking and the worst kind: sparse and sketchy. On the flip side, if you’re looking for a quick taco, there are plenty of options. The owner was pretty cool; he came by and told us about their humble beginnings while his wife whipped up delicious cocktails. If you’re planning to chill here for a while, you may want to consider bringing a jacket!

V. Value

I asked the members how much they would pay for their burgers. The prices ranged from $9.50 to $15 (big range!) and so these burgers are considered overpriced.

VI. The Verdict

The ratings: 3.7, 3.8, 3.8, 4.0, and 4.0

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Saturday, August 10, 2024 at noon (Wayne’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela d. (that’s me!), Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis K., and Innie C.
Slider member in attendance: Lucy Y.
Special Guests: Chris Y. 

I. Ordering

The menu here is pretty simple, which we took to be a good sign. Burgers are their mission!

Trev got a Brunch Burger ($11) – Everything Krunch Burger, Crispy Bacon, Egg Your Way. He opted for the egg made medium (they gave him 3 options of easy, medium, and hard). This burger is only available on the weekends until 2pm. So get ’em while their hot.

I ordered a Double Krunchburger ($8.50) – house seasoned smashburger, signature cheese blend, onion, zesty house pickles, on mayo’d buttery bun. I opted for single cheese.

We also got an order of fries ($3.25) – house seasoned with a choice of house made dipping sauce (we got the pickled garlic aioli).

Wayne got the Brunch Burger, egg medium, double cheese. He also opted to make his burger angry (which means you add jalapenos +$0.75). [Side note: there were 3 levels of spice: angry, extra angry, and pissed off.] Wayne also ordered fries with the pickled garlic aioli.

DK ordered the Double Krunchburger single cheese and was pissed off. Plus fries.

Innie also ordered a Double single cheese, but was just extra angry instead of pissed off like DK. She also had fries.

II. The Burger

So as the name would imply, Krunchburger is known for their crunchy cheese! Trev and I got there early so we got to see the chefs in action. They would smash their patties, then add the cheese blend on top and let it get all melty and crispy on the bottoms.

If you had double cheese, the 2nd layer of cheese would just go on top and not get the crunchy bits on the bottom.

While watching them make these burgers I had a lot of excitement. They generously seasoned their meat. They properly smashed their patties (which were preformed and already pretty thin to begin with). They cooked on a flat top, which I love.

Unfortunately, what I put in my mouth did not match what I was seeing them make. The meat was spongy and rubbery (kind of like eating an eraser). Given the amount of seasoning I saw them put on the patties, I was shocked at how bland the meat tasted. So disappointing.

Let’s talk cheese. Innie described it as “caramelized cheese jerky”. Some people liked it, while others didn’t care for it. Personally, I enjoyed it and really just wanted to eat the outer edge of my burger while leaving the sad middle bits behind.

On to toppings. Trev thought the bacon was the texture of beef jerky, but Wayne liked it. He described it as “nice and chewy”. And so the bacon debate continues. Everyone liked how much coverage of jalapenos there was. The 3 levels of spiciness was also a nice customization. They think there were 3 different types of peppers used for the 3 levels (not just different quantities of peppers). The eggs were cooked perfectly and looked so good that we questioned whether they were real eggs (it harkens back to Las Vegas: the land of perfectly cooked eggs). The pickles were house made, but there wasn’t much acid in the them. The whole burger was missing the acid balance we look for. The bun was non-descript (as a bun should be).

So look, as a crew, we’ve eaten at over 200 burger spots and we’ve gotten a bit spoiled over the years. It’s easy for us to be nit picky about stuff that the more casual burger eater wouldn’t even notice. There is a bit of Instagram hype over this place and most people would really enjoy this burger. But if you’re a burger connoisseur like we are, don’t waste your time.

III. The Sides

The fries were really good. They came out hot. They were crispy. They were well-seasoned. All you could ask for in a fry. No dips were needed for these fries, but the dips (all house made) were really good. We really liked the jalapeno aioli and garlic aioli.

Side note: when asking about the dips, the descriptions weren’t really clear. You could pick from BBQ chipotle, Jimmy fry, pickled garlic aioli, creamy jalapeno, dill ranch, and krunch island. I suppose most of these are self explanatory, but when asked about what the “Jimmy fry” dip was like, it was described as a “fancy” dip 🤔

IV. Miscellaneous

Krunch burger is located in a strip mall with easy parking. The kitchen was open for all to see, which was fun to watch the chefs at work. All the seating was high top or counter seating (a bit difficult if you have littles with you). Though, they also had high chairs available, but I don’t think they’re high enough to match up with the tables. Food was served in little baskets, which is good for sustainability. They had a single bathroom that was clean.

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $7 to $12.75. So these burgers a reasonably priced. They’re actually pretty economical given the current burger climate. It’s hard to get a burger under $10 nowadays and here you can get a double for $8.50. I’ll make a not-so-subtle barbed comment though that you get what you pay for.

VI. The Verdict

Lots of hype. Execution looked good, but ultimately didn’t deliver. The ratings: 2.4, 3.0, 3.0, 3.3, and 4.1.

So we originally wanted to go to Beast and Cleaver for our last burger stop of the trip. We get there and were sadly informed that they do not have the burger on their regular menu every day. They only serve it during special pop up burger days.

For a place that has a reputation for good burgers, how can you not have it on the regular menu?

Anyway, we had a quick planning meeting on the sidewalk, went through the list and map and settled on Big Max Burger Co in Queen Anne since it was not too far and it opened soon.

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Sunday, June 23rd at 11am

• Members in attendance: Angela d. (that’s me!), Trevor Y., Wayne T., and Innie C.
• Slider members in attendance: Marty d.-Y., Lucy Y., and Ellis d.-Y.
• Special Guests: Chris Y. and Anella d.

I. Ordering

Trev and I ordered The Big Max ($14) – Two patties, lettuce, B&B pickles, caramelized and chopped red onion, aged cheddar, ketchup, max sauce, challah bun.

We made it a combo ($8) with large fry and large drink. We got the little ones chicken nuggets ($10) and the lil sammy slider ($5) – half patty, house ketchup, aged cheddar, challah slider roll.

Chris, Innie, and Lucy got the Big Max, chicken nuggets, regular fries ($5.50 for a large), and vanilla bean milk shake ($8 for a large).

Wayne also ordered the Big Max. Hey, can’t go wrong with the namesake of the restaurant. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Anella decided to break the groupthink and went with the Queen Animal ($14) Smoked bacon, frizzled onions, avocado, house BBQ, lettuce, B&B pickles, caramelized and chopped red onion, aged cheddar, max sauce, challah bun.

II. The Burgers

So it was obvious that this place was trying to clone McDonalds. We’ve seen that a lot. And we’ve seen it fail a lot as well. Burger Max actually accomplished it! It was spot on. the sauce tasted like big mac sauce, the shreddece and toppings all reminded us of a McDonalds Big Mac. They even went so far as to copy the packaging. I love the attention to detail.

Now, what differed from McDonalds was the sear. I would dare say that it had the best sear we had in Seattle. This was a true smash patty with lovely crunchy edges. Someone likened them to beef chips! Despite enjoying the sear, Wayne lamented that the meaty flavor was just not there. He argued that it tasted more burnt than meaty. I think the rest of us disagreed. I would have loved to just eat the outer edge of this burger! In fact, since Trev and I were sharing, he found that the edges disappeared rather quickly.

The rest of the toppings were good. I mean, the shreddece made the meat slide around, but that’s all part of the Big Mac Max experience. I don’t typically like bread and butter pickles, but I actually liked these. I would have liked to see the sesame seed bun, but the challah was quite nice.

III. The Fries

As discussed in previous reviews, Seattle’s fry game has been weak. But Big Max helped us finish strong in the Emerald City. These were shoe string (not sure if Innie busted out the tape measure, but there was little argument about these fries) and had an herb seasoning. We really liked them. It was like eating potato chips. I dare you to just eat one.

The home made ketchup was meh. Just give me the fancy ketchup. the max sauce was like a mustard, mayo sauce that was really good. The larger order was quite large and we had quite a bit of fries left over.

IV. Miscellaneous

The nuggets were also a McDonald’s clone, but they didn’t have the boot shape vs. the round shapes that we grew up with. I think it was because there was no need. The chicken must have been brined because they were all juicy and flavorful, thus no need to distinguish between the boot shape and the round shapes. The nuggets came in orders of 6 with sweet and sour sauce.

The milkshakes were good. They tasted like melted ice cream and I believe were made with Tillamook ice cream.

The place was really kid friendly. They had coloring pages, rocking horses, a mesh changing station in the single bathroom, and even offered to split the milkshake for the kids.

They had both indoor and outdoor seating. They also had fountain drinks.

Parking is a bit difficult as it’s street parking in the Queen Anne neighborhood.

Overall, it seemed like a pretty great place to hang out. If I lived in Seattle, I think I’d frequent this place.

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $9 to $15 so at $14 these burgers were decently priced. Don’t come here if you’re looking for a bargain basement burger.

VI. The Verdict

While it didn’t make the initial cut for our burger crew list, I’m incredibly grateful that Beast and Cleaver didn’t have their burger available. This was a wonderful way to say good bye to Seattle. The ratings: 3.3, 4.3, 4.4, and 4.7.

Waiting on Wayne’s post

meansandwich.com
@meanseattle
15th Ave @ Leary Way in Ballard
(206) 789-9999
(Burger Crew Does Seattle)

Members in attendance: Trevor Y., Angela d. Wayne T., and Innie C.
Slider members in attendance: Marty d.-Y. and Lucy Y.
Special Guests: Chris Y.

I. Ordering

Everyone ordered the DAM Burger.

Trevor and Angela added Bacon and Egg to theirs.
Innie added jalapenos to hers.

II. The Burger
While waiting for the burger we hung out in the back patio area and there was a great meaty aroma in the air. Think what it smells like outside of In’n Out but just beef. We got our order and I was not disappointed. After my first bite my initial thought was “I love this mustard.” There is a super tasty yellow grain mustard that perfectly compliments everything else in the burger. I do not regret at all adding egg or bacon to the burger. (Disclaimer: I love my burgers with everything on it).

The food came out really fresh/hot but it was wrapped up pretty well which has it’s pros and cons. Pro: it kept a potentially really messy burger very clean. Con: the wrapping does create like a little steam oven for the burger. If there were any lace on the edges of the patties, they were long gone by the time it got to us. The patties were described as “smashed.” We generally agreed that these were not properly smashed burgers but more accurately described as “pressed” burgers. With that said, the loose pack and course grind was very appreciated and the double meat patties provided a great meat/bun/toppings ratio.

If looking to improve the burger, I would have liked more raw onions and have a runny egg.

III. The Sides
Seattle is quickly becoming the sad fries capitol. Mean Sandwich didn’t offer fries. Instead they have “Skin n Ins”

Definitely not fries, but the best alternative we’ve found yet. Fried up to be super crunchy “skins” and really potatoey “Ins”. I still prefer our sub 5mm thick shoestring fries common found pretty everywhere outside of Seattle.

IV. Miscellaneous
Located in Ballard with plenty of local bars in the area. There’s even a service window directly to the bar attached to it in the rear patio. If you’re in the area, seems like a fun place to come hang out with friends and get some good food. There is seating available inside and outside.
No onsite parking available but plenty street parking options nearby. If you’re brining the little ones, the kids menu only has grilled cheese. But if you ask nicely they’ll make a simple burger.

V. Value
We rated how much we’d pay for our burgers and it ranged from $12-$18. The menu price is $18. My bacon and egg add on brought the total up to $23. So we don’t think this is a bargain play.

VI. The Verdict
So not a bargain but it’s a dang good burger. I (Trevor) thought this was the second best official burger we had on the trip. Most of the crew concurred with ratings of: 3.5, 3.8, 4.2, 4.3.

If in the area, it’s worth getting. Despite the name “Mean Sandwich” we found the owner is quite nice.

Next burger crew meeting: Saturday, June 22 at 6pm – Smash that Burger Co –North Queen Anne

The second stop in our annual burger expedition is FamilyFriend in Beacon Hill.

Burger Crew called to order on Friday, June 21, 2024 at 7p.

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, and me (Innie)

Featuring: Lucy, Chris, and Trevor’s Ennui

I. Ordering

There was just one burger available on the FamilyFriend menu, so we all ordered the Double Kewpie Burger (2 beef patties, miso, onions, American cheese, pickles, served with shoestring truffle fries) for $15.75.

II. The Burger

Almost everyone in the crew really enjoyed the Kewpie burger.  The smashed patties had an impressively crisp sear throughout, tapering to a crunchy lace overhang that extended beyond the buns.  In terms of texture, this burger played all of its components perfectly.  The buttery toasted buns added a satisfying chewiness, the chopped pickles and onions provided the crunch, and the American cheese was as melty and gooey as to be expected from the one true burger cheese.  There is a generous application of the namesake mayo, but we didn’t think this disrupted the balance of flavors in the burger.  Also, if you’re going to order something called the Kewpie Burger, you should probably know what you’re signing up for.

Trev was the lone member who didn’t love the burger, and thought it didn’t have the umami he was looking for.  He felt that it was missing an it factor, but couldn’t pinpoint anything specifically wrong with it.  He conceded that it was possible that he was just feeling tired and over caffeinated and his mood could have affected his burger spidey senses.

III. Sides 

A sad theme that unfortunately plagued this year’s trip was listless, disappointing fries.  Earlier in the day, Lil Woody’s impressed us with their ability to somehow produce an even soggier fry than In-n-Out.  Angela and Trev reported that their pregame burgers at Dicks and Local Tide also failed to meet their fried potato expectations.

We were happily surprised when FamilyFriend delivered us some top notch fries.  They were crispy, well-seasoned, and held up well throughout the meal without getting soggy.  The truffle seasoning was well balanced, and the fry was crisp without being overcooked.  A lot of places tend to be heavy handed when dealing with truffle flavor, but these simply tasted like really good fries.

Trev and Angela opted to add an order of Homey Salad (Asian dressing, spring mix, radish, cherry tomato, corn, picholine olives).  Angela thought it was a bit overdressed, but Trevor really enjoyed it.  If you’re very hungry, this might be a good start because it came out really fast.  Trev and Angela also gave top marks to their drink orders, a mango iced tea and a white peach sonic.  What’s a sonic, you ask?  Apparently, it’s just a fancy word they’ve added to make it sound cool.

The restaurant very kindly let me order a side of red rice off-menu, for the discerning tastes of our carb-loving, meat-adverse 3 year old.  I’m not sure what gives the rice the red color, but it was good and tasted simply like a fragrant basmati.

Chris ordered the La Beacon Batchoy (La Paz Style), a Filipino noodle soup dish of egg noodles, pig offal, cow, and fermented shrimp broth.  He said that he really enjoyed it and noted that it tasted authentic to how he remembered eating it as a kid.  He only wished that there was a larger portion of it for the price.

IV.  Miscellaneous

FamilyFriend is located in a small, inconspicuous white and black building that is easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.  Save for a small sign on the window, there isn’t any obvious signage.  The inside reminded us of a converted single family house, almost like someone renovated their home to include restaurant booths and tables and a professional bar.  The atmosphere is a bit loud, and you could still feel some of the summer heat even during the evening hours.  The service here was great; everyone was super friendly and accommodating.

Something to note was that when we received the bill, we noticed a nondescript line item called “charges and fees” that seemed fairly significant.

We inquired about it with our host and he explained that it was an automatic standard gratuity of 25% on the total for parties of 5 or more.  Apparently, this was written on the menu, but it was printed in a pretty unusual area near the food items.  As an often-large group, we are familiar with auto gratuities and we normally don’t have a problem with it, but we found it peculiar that 1) it was a percentage of the total bill (after taxes, and not on the subtotal), and 2) that it was generically termed as a “fee” on the receipt and could easily lead to a person adding additional gratuity on top of it.  After inquiring about it with the staff, they took the fee off.

The parking in the area was very easy, probably because there weren’t many other businesses or residences nearby.  There looked to be additional seating in a patio in the back, but none of us had a good look at it.  We didn’t order any alcoholic beverages, but the bar looked very legit.  The bathroom was nice and clean and offered courtesy feminine products (which was something that I noticed in several bathrooms during this trip.  Go Seattle!)

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers.  These were the ratings and values given by the crew:

Innie: 4.2, $13

Angela: 4.8, $15

Trevor: 3.4 $12

Wayne: 4.3, $12

VI. Verdict

A great second official burger of the Seattle trip!  Next up is Mean Sandwich in Ballard.