Oh, you clever, clever people. How is it you keep roping me in, month after month, for yet another burger and fries? What secret hold do you have over my taste buds, oh you sirens of sandwiches, you barons of burgers, sultans of sauces? Stopped by the Violetta mobile today for my third visit. They… Continue reading Portland, OR – Violetta, 3rd Time’s a Charm
Category: Hamburgers
California – The Habit Review
Your typical American story – 16 year old works for burger place in Santa Barbara, saves his tips, buys the joint four years later, ropes his brother into coming in on the deal, thirty odd years later, they have one location for each year they have been in business – spanning the length and width… Continue reading California – The Habit Review
I Pop My Back Yard Burger Cherry
Backyard Burgers started in Mississippi, back in the day, and has spread to 20+ states in the South and Middle West. I’ve driven by them on many occasions, but never found myself in close proximity to one at meal time (HEY, I heard that!). But the other day, I did. Odd, I have no real… Continue reading I Pop My Back Yard Burger Cherry
Western States – Good Times Burger
Spotted this while looking for a mail box in the far north exurbs of Denver. Hadn’t heard of it, parking lot was pretty full, thought I would give it a try. Walked in and was surprised to see a co-branded menu board, “Good Times Burger” and “Taco Johns.” There had been no Taco Johns signage… Continue reading Western States – Good Times Burger
Tulsa, OK – Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili
You know how I feel about places that are pronounced “the best in the city” by various local polls. Ron’s is one such place, an “institution” the puff pieces say. How can some place be an institution that was started a couple decades after I was born? For once, I sat down for a meal… Continue reading Tulsa, OK – Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili
Dallas, TX – Central 214
Maybe you caught a few episodes of The Naughty Kitchen, with @ChefBlytheBeck on Oxygen last year? The show revolves around Beck, a hot Dallas chef, who is running the back of the house at Central 214, the restaurant inside Kimpton’s Palomar Hotel on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas. If you haven’t stayed at a Kimpton, first… Continue reading Dallas, TX – Central 214
New Orleans, LA – Castleburgers
One of the 24/7 munchie palaces in New Orleans is a local chain called “Tastee Donuts.” Hardly a chain, anymore, I had a hard time finding an open location, all my usual Tastees were boarded up. In addition to delicious donut thingies, Tastee also serves “Castleburgers”, a complee schnock off of White Castles/Krystal, no different… Continue reading New Orleans, LA – Castleburgers
Playa del Rey, CA – The Shack
“The Shack” is one of Southern California’s homages to the classic surfer bar…even though you cannot surf nearby, it exudes an atmosphere of beach, beer, burgers, and “bums.” Purchased by the current owners in the 70s, this Los Angeles burger bar has spawned a number of off-shoot locations in Southern California and Hawaii. When I… Continue reading Playa del Rey, CA – The Shack
Los Angeles, CA – The Golden State Cafe
Larry the Lawyer and I continued our burger crawl the other day at “The Golden State”, a tiny storefront establishment on Fairfax, across from Canter’s Deli, coincidentally, one of our regular hang-outs. We were fresh off our laugh fest at Umami Burger, that joke of “naute cuisine” to the east. As we were walking down… Continue reading Los Angeles, CA – The Golden State Cafe
Culver City, CA – Howards Big Burger
This place has been around as long as I can remember, at least going back 25 years. A nondescript window in an equally nondescript strip mall, Howard’s once screamed attention from its brightly colored sign, which has faded with time. (OK, just glanced at take-out menu and it says “since 1971”, Same Owners, Same Good… Continue reading Culver City, CA – Howards Big Burger