Articles tagged ‘Griddled’

Bobby’s Burger Palace

March 21st, 2013 by Richard Chudy

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Boston isn’t exactly littered with celebrity chefs. On a national scale, how many casual food fans can really name more than, say, Ming Tsai as a household name that hails from Boston? Well Bobby Flay isn’t from here, and Burlington isn’t quite part of Boston either but after three separate trips to Bobby’s Burger Palace, I can say with confidence that it is a very high quality burger place for what it is. And that “what it is” is really the only true way to identify and properly score the burger; relating it to other similar burgers and nothing more or less. Bobby’s Burger Palace is a fast casual chain of restaurants quietly spreading throughout different regions of the country, and aside from the “local” Burlington location, there is one at Mohegan Sun and quite a few in New Jersey. I ventured to the Mohegan Sun location last month and enjoyed it, much more than the disappointing and far more expensive burger at his flagship, Mesa Grill in New York City. After a lengthy chat with Flay at the opening of the Burlington store and being once again impressed with the burger I ate, I was excited to head back once more to follow up. 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 »

JM Curley

March 2nd, 2012 by Richard Chudy

What makes a great burger? It’s not a big secret, most restaurant dishes, especially of the comfort food variety, succeed because they are not shy with salt or fat. Burgers are no exception; season aggressively and don’t skimp on the fat and you’re off to a delicious start. Burgers aren’t a diet food, better stick with the salad if you want something healthier, the ideal burger shouldn’t be good for you. Which isn’t to say the burgers at JM Curley are overly greasy or salty, it isn’t, although it is in fact, a strong contender for one of my new favorites in Boston. continue reading »

Abigail’s

February 14th, 2012 by Richard Chudy

Unless you ditch the notion that a burger has to taste, look or feel a certain way, you’re missing the point. It doesn’t make a difference if it’s big, small, grilled or griddled, the only thing that’s important is that it tastes good. After all, isn’t that really what we’re judging?  A heftier price tag may make you think twice, but if it’s $20 and it’s incredible, who really cares? Lucky for you, the burger at Abigail’s costs a mere $9, ($13 if you want to “double down” with an extra patty) and is a satisfying, unpretentious offering. Clearly a lot of thought went into this burger, but they weren’t foolish into trying to gussy up a classic burger. No, it’s not Shake Shack or In-N-Out, but it is a successful, thin burger that is more akin to a Big Mac than anything else. But that’s not its downfall, it’s more a testament to its attributes.
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Bergamot

November 7th, 2011 by Richard Chudy

I’m done with expectations, the next time I hear great things about a supposed great burger I’m going to ignore it. The problem with mostly eating burgers is that in the case of a higher end restaurant, the burger is a perfect barometer to judge any future meals at the same establishment. Fair or unfair, if they can’t properly cook a burger, what hopes do they have to cook any other dish? Served only at the bar, the Bergamot burger is rumored to be a beef blend consisting of marrow and brisket, but it was so salty and cooked so poorly I could have been eating a turkey burger. Ironically, we waited close to an hour for what was promised to be a very thin, medium cooked, and incredibly juicy burger. For such a slim patty, which should have taken mere moments to cook, the wait was far too long, but that’s what happens when you’re banished to the bar, our backs turned to the rest of the dining room. continue reading »

The Avenue

September 23rd, 2011 by Richard Chudy

A wild card in the making, The Avenue in Allston should have no business being in the great burger discussion. Our memories of this place are not positive; a seedy bar overtaken by seedy college kids, cheap beer and darts are the name of the game, surely they are incapable of serving decent food. But a new ownership and a complete interior overhaul has done wonders, at least in the confines of a weekday afternoon, who knows what lies between the walls when the construction workers are swapped out for scantily clad co-eds. At least for the lunch shift, The Avenue serves up above-average burgers. The price is right too, unless you’re ordering a turkey burger (and really, why would you do that?) all of the burgers cost less than $5. On Mondays, the Avenue Burger (lettuce, tomato, secret sauce) is only $1, extra toppings costing a mere .50 cents, you won’t top out for more than $2 for a more than respectable burger. continue reading »