Articles tagged ‘greasy’

Burger Dive

January 29th, 2013 by Richard Chudy

IMG_1172

It’s not so much a different version, it’s merely a similar product to what’s already out there and established. Burger Dive in Somerville’s Assembly Square has the look and feel like many of its contemporaries, namely Tasty Burger, Wahlburgers, Five Guys and UBurger. Calling it anything short of fast food would be setting your expectations too high. No, it isn’t the golden arches but it’s a quick service burger joint and has all the stigmas that go along with that. It already has the appearance that it could multiply into even more locations; in other words, this one is pretty formulaic. But the menu is promising, with a healthy dose of the normal burger concoctions to slightly different arrangements including a 50/50 burger with half bacon and half beef,  plus different burgers showcasing Fritos and potato chips. The food comes out quickly but not so fast that it’s been sitting under a heating lamp all day. Heck, they even have a burger car parked outside the restaurant that piqued my interest. continue reading »

Wahlburgers

April 24th, 2012 by Richard Chudy

 

Photo by Katie Barszcz

I wouldn’t say Wahlburgers is hyped so much as it is interesting and talked about. We all know the story; Chef Paul Wahlberg is the brother of the famous Mark Wahlberg, (you could throw Donny into the mix too) and just like everybody else, they wanted to open up a burger joint. I wouldn’t say they are just trying to cash in on their name, but of course it’s all part of the gimmick and the reason why some might check it out to begin with. I can’t say I blame you, curiosity got the better of me too. I was dubious at first, but after reading this review, my expectations increased ever so slightly. I would love to take this opportunity to shoot down the notion that I only like “expensive” burgers. We’ve talked about that before and I will certainly talk about that again, but expensive means different things to different people. True, some of my favorite burgers (Craigie on Main, $18, Back Bay Social Club, $23) are exceptionally pricey but worth (almost) every penny. But the majority of my favorites land somewhere in the cheap to affordable spectrum (The Avenue, $8, The Gallows, $10, JM Curley, as cheap as $10.50) and while Wahlburgers is respectable, it is not in the same ballpark as the top burgers in the city. Of course, Hingham isn’t exactly “in the city” so you could make the argument that it’s a stand out in the South Shore, but fair or unfair, I’m comparing it to the other burgers I’ve had, most of which have been in the city. continue reading »

Casey’s Diner

March 27th, 2012 by Richard Chudy

Photo by Katie Barszcz

Stepping out of my comfort zone from the fancy and upscale to the rugged and humble, I ventured over to Casey’s Diner in Natick with some fellow burger enthusiasts to experience a burger as simple as you can get. Walking into Casey’s is like a time-warp; with about eight seats at the counter, seating is limited, and the option of grabbing your meal from the take-out window is available too. Hot Dogs and Burgers are the focus here, and you can smell them a mile away. But I’m a burger guy (shocking I know) and only having a few minutes to eat, I was carefully instructed to order a burger with onions cooked into the patty, and don’t forget about the bacon. What they do to the onions and bacon is what makes this burger; reminiscent of White Hut, it’s all about the crust, the grease and the simplicity, the beef is not the star but it really doesn’t matter. continue reading »

Griddler’s

March 19th, 2012 by Richard Chudy

Oh, Griddlers, you give my dearly beloved Griddled Burger style a bad name. Even though I’m fully aware that sometimes not all burgers have to be gourmet to be good, a place like Griddlers comes along and sort of makes my point about the “expensive” burgers. Often, the cheap burgers are just that; cheap, all grease and no substance, but maybe that’s all that we crave for our burgers. Me, I want a little more, even if that means breaking down something that’s a little less flattering and showing a hell of a lot less finesse in a food category that should be lowbrow all the way. There are numerous examples of quality burgers for an affordable price, but this is not one of them. Better suited to the confines of a drive-through than the upscale surroundings of Beacon Hill, this was a miss, and the very infrequent occasion where we didn’t even finish the burger. continue reading »

Local Burger

August 29th, 2010 by Richard Chudy

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.

Overall Score: 60