254 replies to this topic

[bilrus]

when I posted something on DCist about Palena's burger certain commenters were all over me for being an effete snob and not mentioning Five Guys.

Don't people get that there is a major difference between a hamburger at an upscale (or evn full-service) restaurant and one at A FAST FOOD PLACE?

[alan7147]

In the new issue of GQ magazine Alan Richman details his 23,750 miles traveled and 162 burgers eaten across the country to deliver to us his opinion of the top 20 burgers in the country. Surprise surprise, not one with in 100 miles of DC. The closet one is the Rouge Burger from Rouge in Philadelphia, it is ranked #4.

What was number 1? It was the Sirloin Burger from Le Tub in my home town of Hollywood, FL.

Edited by alan7147, 29 June 2005 - 08:27 PM.

[crazeegirl]

In the new issue of GQ magazine Alan Richman details his  23,750 miles traveled and 162 burgers eaten across the country to deliver to us his opinion of the top 20 burgers in the country.  Surprise surprise, not one with-in 100 miles of DC. The closet one is the Rouge Burger from Rouge in Philadelphia, it is ranked #4. 

What was number 1? It was the Sirloin Burger from Le Tub in my home town of Hollywood, FL.

I used to live next to the building next to Rouge...not only were the burgers great, but their chilled curried carrot soup....to die for.

[starfish]

my vote would definitely be for the morton's burger - blue cheese and bacon, thank you. at $12 or $13 it is a steal and a deliciously decadant way to spend lunch you know you should be working.

another burger that it is worth mention is the bbq bison burger at the reef. while table service is inconsistent, if you are sitting at the bar early enough in the evening, you can have a great time and a damn fine burger.

[Al Dente]

It's been a while since I've been, but the burger at Southside 815 in Old Town is great. Juicy as all get out, usually cooked exactly as you request, and the fries are damn decent. My only complaint is that there isn't a bleu cheese option.

Edited by Al Dente, 29 June 2005 - 08:46 PM.

[MeMc]

Today's post--in the event that you want to put your 2 cents in re. burger love. . .

http://www.dcist.com...vinity.php#more

[tripewriter]

As an unabashed Elevationaholic, I suggest that DR.com burger questers check out this thread.

Great food, locally owned and operated, and not a chain.

[AlexC]

I caught a late-night burger at Town Hall in Glover Park last night and wanted to fill the in the troops... They serve food until 11:00 and the menu looks surprisingly well put-together -- I almost went for the house-cured pastrami on rye and considered a club with avocado. They also had substantial $20-range entrees, but six beers in at 10:45 I wasn't looking for grilled salmon. Anyway, I thought it was just a bar, and I was wrong.

Cooked-to-order, medium-rare, loose-packed patty in a soft, airy bun. The grilled onions I asked for came on top of the patty, with the lettuce and tomato tucked underneath. I thought that was a little weird, but it helped prevent the bottom half of the bun from soaking through with grease, five-guys style. No complaints there. They didn't offer any additional toppings (I asked for the grilled onions on a whim), but our server was accommodating and the service was speedy. Yes, the kitchen was closing and they probably hadn't had an order in thirty minutes, but still. Good service.

The fries were twice-fried shoe strings, equivalent to Black's fries.

Another quirk is that they served me one of those mini-bottles of Heinz ketchup, which I approve of. Who knows what people do to those shared condiment bottles or how long they've been knocking around.

Good burger, worth the $8, check it out.

[JLK]

That is the first nice thing I have heard about Town Hall. Anyone else have a positive experience?

[goldenticket]

It's been a while since I've been, but the burger at Southside 815 in Old Town is great. Juicy as all get out, usually cooked exactly as you request, and the fries are damn decent. My only complaint is that there isn't a bleu cheese option.

I have to second this opinion. Southside's burger is a good go-to, nearly always cooked as ordered (as Al Dente said). The fries are pretty good, but I often substitute a side of their yummy greens, liberally doused with Crystal Vinegar

Another plus is that it is available on their late night menu (available from 10:30pm to 12:30 am) for those who are looking for something to eat after everywhere else in Old Town (besides Chadwick's) has stopped serving food.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Welcome AlexC. Great first post, keep 'em coming.

[MUD]

Houston's makes a pretty good one. The fries are great too.

[Al Dente]

Have you ever had this happen to you? Order a burger with bleu cheese, and they bring you a burger with bleu cheese DRESSING slopped all over it...

I could kick a kitten through an electric fan.

Get some freakin BLEU CHEESE fer chrissakes!

[MUD]

Have you ever had this happen to you? Order a burger with bleu cheese, and they bring you a burger with bleu cheese DRESSING slopped all over it...

I could kick a kitten through an electric fan. 

Get some freakin BLEU CHEESE fer chrissakes! 

I've not thought of kicking a kitten BUT do like the sentiment!

I'll also add Urban BBQ to the good ones list.

[David M.]

Houston's makes a pretty good one.  The fries are great too.

Agreed (although since they closed the Georgetown location, it's been a while since I so indulged).

[Heather]

I love the hickory burger there - barbecue sauce, chopped onion, and cheddar. Agreed that the fries are good.

I ate at the one in Georgetown for years and had no idea it was a chain.

[JPW]

Houston's makes a pretty good one.  The fries are great too.

Had one about 6 months ago.

It was good, but I didn't think it was anything to write home about.

[Giancarlo Buonarotti]

the burger a fireflies in del ray, alexandria rocks! i will try palena's burger soon and report back

[amyblues]

I have to second this opinion.  Southside's burger is a good go-to, nearly always cooked as ordered (as Al Dente said).  The fries are pretty good, but I often substitute a side of their yummy greens, liberally doused with Crystal Vinegar 

Another plus is that it is available on their late night menu (available from 10:30pm to 12:30 am) for those who are looking for something to eat after everywhere else in Old Town (besides Chadwick's) has stopped serving food.

I'll third this opnion. Southside's burger is big, juicy, and charry on the outside, and always cooked to spec for me (medium rare), though I'll add that I sub their mashed sweet potatoes for the fries. The fries are crisp, salty and plentiful, but I dream about those sweet potatoes.

[Cooter]

the burger a fireflies in del ray, alexandria rocks!  i will try palena's burger soon and report back

I have to second this. I'm not real high on the rest of their menu, but their burger is top notch.

[scottreitz]

I'm pretty sure a number of you came over to DCist to leave your comments on my burger article. Thanks for your input. I thought you might like to know that we've started going out and trying them all. It's quite a mission.

There's a post to kick things off today http://www.dcist.com...of_bovinity.php

and if you're really a freak, you might get a kick out of my photo montage that I'm keeping on the side for the fun of it. If you like burger porn this page will be for you. All of the pictures will be labled with the restaurant, and if you've sampled any of them I invite you to comment below the photo. I can use your feedback for the final article declaring DC's best burgers.

[Spiral Stairs]

I just remembered another good burger I had, in a most unlikely place: In the snack bar at the Hains Point golf course (East Potomac Park, in SW DC). I had previously heard that Bill Clinton considered it the best burger in DC. That may or may not be apocryphal. (More likely, Clinton considered the burger he had most recently eaten to be the best burger in town.) But after hearing that, I ordered one instead of the half-smoke I usually get there.

It was, indeed, a juicy, tasty burger. It was very basic -- basic bun, basic toppings, basic slab of grilled ground beef -- but the price is right, and it gives you an excuse to spoil a good walk on the golf course.

[Giancarlo Buonarotti]

Don't people get that there is a major difference between a hamburger at an upscale (or evn full-service) restaurant and one at A FAST FOOD PLACE?

Five Guys burger is missing one thing FLAVOR

[HelDC]

I'm a big fan of the Bison burger at Ruby Tuesday. Specifically the RT in DC at 4200something wisconsin ave. I like rare burgers, and a lot of places, even in DC, don't really make rare burgers, but that RT does. Not greasy, but always nice and juicy, on a yummy wheat roll.

[laniloa]

Has anyone tried Backyard Burgers? It is a midwest-southern chain. I stopped in on Monday and enjoyed my juicy burger with full leaves of romaine lettuce (not shredded, wilted iceberg), tomato, tons of pickles, and a healthy slice of red onion on a toasted bun. They had a wall of hot suaces and other condiments. The fries were nothing special. Burger, fries, drink came to $6.00. You order at a counter and then they bring your food to you. I have to comment on the decor (seriously) of this fast-ish food place. Nicely laid out tables and booths, wood floor, potted plants (some real, some fake). Ketchup, salt, pepper, and napkins in holders on each table. They even had some books out for kids to flip through. You really didn't feel like you were in a fast food place. On your way out, there is a basket of individually wrapped mints to help counter that slab of onion they put on your burger. I'll be back.

[kitkatpaddywak]

The best burger I have had has been at 29 Diner located in Fairfax on Lee Highway. I think this diner is a staple in the Fairfax area. Ive had burgers at many places ranging in all prices. But to me simpler is always best. And at $1.95, the burger is very tasty. Add an order of crispy french fries and a soda and it still costs less than a happy meal. The decor is very charming as well. The "Tasty 29" as is often referred is certainly worth the trip, especially if you have a late night craving or just for the heck of it.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

the burger a fireflies in del ray, alexandria rocks! i will try palena's burger soon

Has Fireflies on Mt. Vernon Ave. closed down?

[JPW]

Has Fireflies on Mt. Vernon Ave. closed down?

The post you quoted referred to Houston's, but I think that Fireflies was open when I drove by a few weeks ago.

[Demetrius]

Had a burger at Chadwick's in Georgetown a month or two ago and thought that it was good. Or, at least a lot better than Five Guys.

[brian]

Two exceptional burgers recently, one last night at Café Saint-Ex that easily surpassed the mediocre burger I last had there early into Barton Seaver's tenure. This one was juicy, had properly flesh scalding grease dripping off of it, and came with fresh and fully flavored shoestring fries. There was enough of a sear and meaty depth to the burger that for the next 15 minutes I was distinctly aware that I had just eaten a beast.

The other was a bit more upscale, though not not in a more upscale environment. Temperance Hall in Petworth is a new neighborhood bar/restaurant about a block from the Georgia Avenue metro station. It deserves a fuller review, but the burger I had there last week as loosely bound as Palena's and just as rich. It was topped with a pungent roasted garlic mayonnaise and each of the normal side ingredients was tweaked in some way - I'm pretty sure this is the first time cornichons have made an appearance in an establishment Joe Englert's been involved in.

The Saint-Ex burger was great, the Temperance Hall burger was craving-inducing.

[youngfood]

It's not quite exceptional, but at the $5 happy hour price, the Chef Geof burger can't be beat. It's big and juicy and comes with a heaping portion of crisp fries.

[qwertyy]

It's not quite exceptional, but at the $5 happy hour price, the Chef Geof burger can't be beat.  It's big and juicy and comes with a heaping portion of crisp fries.

Amen. That's a pretty high-quality burger for the price. Definitely opt for it over the other HH options.

[HelDC]

Ok, so I've been craving a burger for days, and wanna try one I haven't tried. I'm thinking palena, mainly based on convenience of location and this thread, the friend I'm going out with suggested clydes or old ebbets grill. suggestions? One of these, some other option? NW DC, somewhere around georgetown-cleveland park-tenleytown preferred. Deadline to influence my dinner is 2:30pm

[erikv]

Ok, so I've been craving a burger for days, and wanna try one I haven't tried. I'm thinking palena, mainly based on convenience of location and this thread, the friend I'm going out with suggested clydes or old ebbets grill. suggestions? One of these, some other option? NW DC, somewhere around georgetown-cleveland park-tenleytown preferred. Deadline to influence my dinner is 2:30pm

I'd recommend Town Hall from my Bacon, Avocado, Cheeseburger I had there Saturday night.

[HelDC]

I'd recommend Town Hall from my Bacon, Avocado, Cheeseburger I had there Saturday night.

Oooo, the grilled cheese&tomato soup appetizer and the burger sound good! An intriguing suggestion!

[CrescentFresh]

I had my first Five Guys burger about a week or two ago from the shop at The Shops. I thought it was great. Hefty, juicy, cooked well, flavorful, really meaty. Loved it. The fries, though, were the complete opposite and will skip 'em next time. I will say, though, you get a hellofalot of fries for a regular order.

[Stretch]

Fry bacon. Then fry sliced bananas in the bacon fat. Top juicy burger with both. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

[Audrey2025]

Maybe this could segue into a "fun with bacon" thread?

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Maybe this could segue into a "fun with bacon" thread? 

Don't pay any attention to Stretch, he doesn't know what he's talking about; it's a well known fact. His prior post just proves the point. Next thing you know, he'll be telling people to fry shit in bacon grease and that it's good. Don't you see the slippery slope here?

[HelDC]

Town Hall was great!

[erikv]

Town Hall was great!

What kind of burger did you have? I am pretty sure that they serve my favorite burger in the area.

[revsmile]

a krispy kreme burger:
http://sports.espn.g...tory?id=2362369
a donut should never be violated in such a manner.

[HelDC]

What kind of burger did you have?  I am pretty sure that they serve my favorite burger in the area.

Rare with cheddar, mushrooms, and tomato. Major points to them for the two large thick slices of tomato. (I LIKE tomato, and a lot of places, you get one slice, and it's even odds if it'll be a large slice from the center or a skimpy slice from the end, and odds are it won't be all that thick.) Minor deduction of points for the somewhat clueless look on the waitress's face when I asked what toppings were available for the burger, and for her reply of 'um, anything really, like bacon or whatever', since the menu just says 'choice of toppings' and doesn't specify the options. The bun was a bit thick as well, towering about an inch and a half above the burger and defeating my best efforts to squish it a bit in order to make it easier to bite. I ended up eating the burger sideways! But it was very yummy, and very not greasy (tho I don't think I've ever had a burger made with black angus that was greasy). I wouldn't have minded at all tho, had the burger been just a lil thicker and the bun about half as thick.

[Joe H]

No, D. C. is not on the list.

http://cityguide.aol....adp?ncid=AOLAC

They did rate D. C. area burgers but there is no explanation for why nationally thy picked one over another. I will make one observation: there is no way in hell that Seattle's Dick's is better than In 'n Out!! Or Long Island's All American's Double Double is better than In 'n Out's Double Double which preceded it by fifteen years.

[Escoffier]

No, D. C. is not on the list.

http://cityguide.aol....adp?ncid=AOLAC

They did rate D. C. area burgers but there is no explanation for why nationally thy picked one over another.  I will make one observation:  there is no way in hell that Seattle's Dick's is better than In 'n Out!!  Or Long Island's All American's Double Double is better than In 'n Out's Double Double which preceded it by fifteen years.

Now, this is AOL we're talking about here. Since when did the lowest common denominator become the trend setter for people serious about anything?

[jparrott]

The tasty, well-flipped burgers

"Well-flipped"? Coming soon to a Sietsema near you?

[mtpleasanteater]

The cheeseburger is my favorite item at Rockland's in Glover Park. Its big and juicy, and usually absorbed a decent amount of flavor from the grill. It comes with fried onions, ALOT of pickles, and theyll give you the sauce that comes with the fish sandwiches if you ask.

I dont like it as much as the burger at Palena, but I think its the best fast food burger Ive had here. (Although I havent been to Elevation Burger, not being sure its really worth the drive from DC)

[amyblues]

I had an okay burger at Cafe Deluxe in Cleveland Park last Friday. It was cooked to medium rare as requested, but was a bit too buttery/greasy and lacking in true meaty flavor. I'll stick with Soutside 815 in Alexandria for my burger fix from now on, though I have been meaning to try Palena.

[TinDC]

The cheeseburger is my favorite item at Rockland's in Glover Park.  Its big and juicy, and usually absorbed a decent amount of flavor from the grill.  It comes with fried onions, ALOT of pickles, and theyll give you the sauce that comes with the fish sandwiches if you ask. 

I dont like it as much as the burger at Palena, but I think its the best fast food burger Ive had here.  (Although I havent been to Elevation Burger, not being sure its really worth the drive from DC)

I want to try this. What type of cheese does it come with and when you say "fried onions", do you mean onion rings?

[mtpleasanteater]

I should have said grilled onions, and the cheese is just american I think. To be honest the thing it really has going for it is the flavor of the meat, although I do think the rest of it (bun, cheese ect) is good too. Make sure you ask for the sauce. I think its really much better than the bbq items they sell.