What's your favorite burger?

Mine?

Why Tommy's World Famous, of course!



Order it with everything and take a handful of those "little big hot" peppers, too....hey, don't make me come over there!

Post your favorite here.

That's a topic right at my heart! And probably destroying my heart as well...

The only problem is that I don't know that I have a favorite burger or place as much as I just have favorite isolated burger experiences. In other words, like many wines, each bottle/experience is unique and often separate from all others, even if you have the same name again.

I can say that in terms of style, I typically favor modest sized but flavorful burgers to big "bar burgers". I often find big burgers to have a bit too much meat relative to the balance of the condiments and everything else. In that sense, I'm un-trendy and old-fashioned when it comes to burgers. I usually prefer them either grilled at home or in more a "coney island style" (flavorful but smaller).

I also tend to favor the traditional condiments - ketchup, a good mayo (which actually means bad for you), DICED onions, preferably a nice toasted/buttery bun. That's about it for me really. That's about all it takes to put me in burger heaven!

I definitely view burgers as best in a mostly "simple/all-american" light. Rather than something that needs to be exotic or layered with countless toppings.

And cheese is often optional for me. I actually find nowadays that I often view a "good" burger as one that DOESN'T need cheese, necessarily. But, again, I might be a bit un-normal in that way since we are a cheese culture these days. If I DO enjoy cheese on a burger, again, simpler is better - usually just plain American cheese or a very mild cheddar. I'm not big on putting exotic/pungent cheeses on otherwise perfectly delicious burgers...

These kind of posts can make you hungry!

Jeff

From restaurants/takeout places: In-n-Out double double. With grilled onions and mustard.

Home-made: the ones I've had at David Bueker's place.

[David M. Bueker]

Home-made: the ones I've had at David Bueker's place.

The ground round burgers I used to get in a restaurant near Detroit decades ago.
My favorite burgers have to have cheese (and often bacon and onion) but the cheese can vary according to mood--bleu cheese, Swiss cheese with mushrooms, cheddar with bacon, etc. Tomatoes and lettuce are optional. Prefer ketchup to mustard and no pickles.

[Jenise]

Out in the world, an In n Out single cheeseburger, dry with all the vegetables.

At home: 85% ground beef, arugula, American cheese, strips of roasted New Mexico green chiles and red onion slices tamed in a bit of oil and vinegar. On a Kaiser roll.

I judge a place by their bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions. Believe it or not the cheese gets the first scrutany. Hate that plastic yellow stuff!

[Jenise]

I judge a place by their bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions. Believe it or not the cheese gets the first scrutany. Hate that plastic yellow stuff!

For me it's all about the meat. Those chopped/pressed/extruded patties purchased, usually, frozen from food service companies that is standard in most restaurant burgers annoy me to pieces. Ground beef should be tender and even slightly crumbly, not tough and solid.

Liz's turkey burgers with balsamic vinegar and cilantro. They are really good and juicy as long as I don't over cook them.

Ah...I see there are some In-n-Out fans here. Excellent!

A big favorite in our house, too.

So, Daivd....when are you having us all over for burgers?

I judge a place by their bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions. Believe it or not the cheese gets the first scrutany. Hate that plastic yellow stuff!

For me it's all about the meat. Those chopped/pressed/extruded patties purchased, usually, frozen from food service companies that is standard in most restaurant burgers annoy me to pieces. Ground beef should be tender and even slightly crumbly, not tough and solid.

I agree.

When we can afford it, we'll buy some ground sirloin and blend it with 15% ground beef/chuck....then BBQ the ensuing burgers.

Yum.

My favorite is a simple little thing....

burger2.jpg

[Robin Garr]

My favorite is a simple little thing...

So, Rogov, how does one go about consuming one of those? Disassemble and go after it with knife and fork? Or pick it up, open wide and bite down?

I judge a place by their bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions. Believe it or not the cheese gets the first scrutany. Hate that plastic yellow stuff!

For me it's all about the meat. Those chopped/pressed/extruded patties purchased, usually, frozen from food service companies that is standard in most restaurant burgers annoy me to pieces. Ground beef should be tender and even slightly crumbly, not tough and solid.

We wouln't walk into a burger joint unless the meat was a given. We have a place with a statewide positive reputation in Rochester called Wild Willie's. They have wonderful burgers, but everytime we go in we have to have a discussion about cheese. I usally end up with "Swiss" or "Cheddar." This is not the only place where we run into this problem.

Gee, I was always up for an 'in out double double' when I was younger, but might not be able to manage that second double these days....oh, you meant burgers??

My ideal burger, other than the ones I make at home with bacon and cheddar:

Looks pretty raw Bill, like your humorous post. Is that a version of beef tartare?

Yup - tartare. Tim didn't say it had to be cooked and raw is actually my favourite way to eat chopped tenderloin!

Wish I knew how Rogov got an image you have to scroll to see! Impressive burger but a tad messy to eat, perhaps?

Yup - tartare. Tim didn't say it had to be cooked and raw is actually my favourite way to eat chopped tenderloin!

Wish I knew how Rogov got an image you have to scroll to see! Impressive burger but a tad messy to eat, perhaps?

OK.

My Mom used to eat bits of raw hamburger [top quality, of course] with scallions and salt.

I was kinda leaning [pardon the pun] toward cooked beef. I thought my opening post/picture expressed that. But hey...to each his own, right?

I assumed you wanted the favourite beef patty dish, mine just happens to be raw, but most people's would be cooked.

Well-seasoned, grilled at home, good/not-too-lean beef, a generously buttered, toasted bakery-quality bun, a thick slice of raw Vidalia onion, ripe tomato slice, and a little bit of mayo.

Lamb burger, rare, with mint mayonnaise.

Lamb burger, rare, with mint mayonnaise.

Excellent choice, Ted. I can't stand the English penchant for slathering an innocent joint of lamb with mint sauce, but a bit of mint in the mayo on a lamburger works for me.

Lamburgers? No way, San Jose!!!! Here in the civilized part of the world (that is to say, the Middle East) ground lamb is often mixed together with fresh coriander leaves, pine nuts, salt, pepper and if one chooses a bit of finely chopped garlic, and we call those kebabs. And, if they weigh under 70 grams each (and are thus served in bunches), they are referred to as kebabonim (i.e. miniature kebabs). At their best with thick tchina for dipping and, need it be said, a fine hot sauce. Super-simple food but at their best accompanied by either a Cru Beaujolais, a brut Champagne or, if one is on a budget, a brut cava.

Should you ever find yourself in Tel Aviv, try the kebabonim at Dita's. In Beirut try them at Ali Caravan. My word of honor, you will not go wrong. But for heaven's sake, don't ask for a lamburger.

Best
Rogov