Harry’s Bar & Grill

June 5th, 2012 by Richard Chudy

Pubs and burgers naturally go hand in hand and for good reason. The problem is, most pub burgers, at least for me, are not very good. A cold beer and a warm fatty burger is a delight when executed properly, but the majority of pubs are more focused on the booze and less on the food. Harrys Bar in Brighton is an elevated version of a better bar serving food, at least in my neck of the woods. I’ve been to Harry’s on three separate ocassions, with pretty mixed results each time. At its peak, Harry’s serves an excellent burger, demographic notwithstanding, it has everything you’d look for in a classic burger. The lesser version is acceptable; sort of greasy, a little beefy but unspectacular. When it’s not great it’s an over-cooked, bland burger that supports the argument for the anti-Pub burger movement. (*movement pending) Of course that all speaks to the inconsistency of it all, not specifically Harry’s but burgers, and restaurants around town, are generally inconsistent. What separates the men from the boys is the ability to bring it every night, which is easier said than done, folks. continue reading »

Corrib Pub

August 7th, 2010 by Richard Chudy

I think expectations often dictate how a burger will be. While I’m still on the search for the best burger in Boston, I’m also realistic, I don’t think each new burger will be the best one and I can end my search, but I have to get to them all. I never expected the Corrib Pub to have Boston’s best burger, and it doesn’t, really I expected it to be somewhat of a train wreck, so in that respect I was slightly surprised that was relatively tasty. Conversely, I’ve been to numerous places that were supposed to be the greatest (Radius, O’Sullivan’s, 5 Guys) but couldn’t live up to the hype, it’s not that I disliked those places just to be different, but when the majority of burger enthusiasts are saying it’s the best, and it falls short, then it’s a serious downgrade. The Corrib Pub has three locations in the Greater Boston area, in a bit of a rush, we hit up the Brighton spot for a quick lunch on Friday. continue reading »

Brighton Beer Garden

May 12th, 2010 by Richard Chudy
Medium rare?

Medium rare?

The only redeeming thing about Brighton Beer Garden is the $2.50 priced burgers on Tuesdays. Well, the classic burger is $2.50, with the purchase of a drink, any additional topping costs 75 cents. But still, with a price tag including tip of $10, I can live with it, although it was difficult even paying that much. I wish I could just start paying what I think a burger is worth when I go out, but in all probability most places would be out of business if that was the model. The burgers at BBG are bad, with a taste eerily reminiscent of Harvey’s (not the first time I referenced the great Canadian chain), if I wanted the flavor of a hot dog I would order a hot dog, why can’t the burger taste like a burger? There’s just a real lack of enthusiasm here, vague descriptions, or lack thereof of the burgers, and my guess is since it’s cheaper on Tuesdays, they feel they can cheap out on the quantity and quality. Or maybe the problem is the timing of it all, 2:45 on a Tuesday is pretty much the skank shift, but the food should always taste great, if anything, less customers means more attention to the food, one would think.

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Porter Belly’s Pub

August 7th, 2009 by Richard Chudy

Photo of Porter Belly's Pub entranceSituated on Washington Street in Brighton, spaced among dozens of restaurants of a dozen different ethnicities, a restaurant has to stand out in some way or it will just be lost in a haze of pizza slices, Carnitas and Kung Pao. On the surface, Porter Belly’s looks like every other pub you’ve been to dozens of times, the interior is questionable, but I must say, the burgers are pretty decent. But I can’t go beyond that. Not the worst we’ve had, but not the best either. I suppose you could do much worse though. They offer almost an exclusive burger menu, there were some specials written out on a piece of paper separately, but it might as well have said roadkill because I barely glanced at it. The burgers aren’t especially memorable by name, and the ingredients aren’t all that imaginative either. I realize I always order a basic cheeseburger, but I’m open to something beyond that should it be a signature burger of sorts. But why even bother with having a dozen or so burgers (some turkey) if you’re not going to be creative about it anyway. Why not just serve burgers and offer free toppings on the side, ala Five Guys, but better? Or make it slightly more upscale but still be a burger at its core, ala The Biltmore, but better? Hmmm, I think I’m starting to realize what my prefect burger might taste like after all, if only someone could execute properly. continue reading »

Eagles Deli and Restaurant

July 31st, 2009 by Richard Chudy

Eagles DeliI had been warned prior to eating here that the burgers were no good, “I’d rather have a Big Mac” they cried. Surely, a place that Boston magazine had recognized as having the best Burgers in Boston in 2006 (must have been a slow year for burgers) would be good enough. They claim to be the second best place in the world to pig out, although I’m still trying to figure out what’s so appealing about that. continue reading »