I’m fine with the fact that my friends think I’m a food snob at this point. (probably not limited to burgers I imagine) I make no apologies for my opinions, especially when I don’t like something, and I did not like the burger I had at Local Burger in Northampton. No, technically it’s not Boston, but if it’s in Massachusetts, it’s fair game. I can applaud Local Burger the way I’d applaud b.Good, using local, sustainable ingredients is terrific, but if it doesn’t taste good, what’s the point. And there wasn’t much to like about Local Burger, the fries are way oversalted, not fried properly, and are downright greasy. The burger itself, on a cold, plain Jane sesame bun, has too much stuff on it. Stuff in the form of lettuce, tomato and onion, the normal routine, but it’s practically a veggie sandwich with a thin layer of sad, rubbery meat underneath. And that beef, grass-fed and local, does nothing for me, and quite honestly, most grass fed burgers aren’t worth the hype, as it’s missing the one key component that makes a burger great; the fat. I’m speaking, of course, about local beef, which is often quite lean. The real trick and the real challenge, would be to eat a local, grass-fed burger that tastes delicious, it has been done before (Craigie, of course) but can it be done again? I can’t deny the enthusiasm of the staff and the atmosphere here, but it’s the same problem as b.good, all the passion and dedication in believing what you’re serving is great, but at the end of the day, so few people care about sustainability and sourcing entirely local (this writer does, vehemently) the common thread is flavor, and Local Burger forget the most important ingredient of all.
