Okay, I Got the Point. (Point Burger Bar)

03/28/2016
I've been wanting to get out to the Point Burger Bar since I found out that Point Brewing was planning to open at the Park Place location.
Is it a Burger Bar? or a bar that has burgers? I'm going with a Burger Bar. They have quite the selection. Some of the basics, with their naming. Then there's Duck, Lamb, Turkey, Veggie, Bison and Salmon. That could be fun, I guess. It is supposed to be and upscale eatery/bar.
I came in thinking go basic to get the "real" flavor. Upon looking at the menu I decided maybe I should get the one that bears the name, Point Burger ($13.95) Prime Angus, Sarvecchio Montamore Cheese, Nuke’s Bacon, Truffle Mayo, Brioche Bun. Would I be considered out of line to say, I'm sick of the word Brioche. So, order I did. I requested to have the Truffle Mayo on the side. "You can't do that, you will need to Build Your Own Burger." Really? I'm paying $14 for a burger, put the sauce on the side! Well, I got the Classic (Prime Angus, American Cheese, Lettuce, Onion, Tomato, Kaiser Bun) because I didn't want to fill out a card explaining my preferences. Did you see that the "Classic" is served on a Kaiser roll. Hmm.
When it arrived, I was pleased to see that the meat was cooked just right, a little pink. Not terribly appealing appearance-wise. Sort of looked too formed. Flavor was good. The cook wasn't afraid to use some spices. Cheese was a bit lacking for flavor.
I'm not going to complain about particular things. It was cooked how I like it. Seasoning was good. Roll seemed fresh as did the tomato, red onions and lettuce.
The decor wasn't much to write about. The wall covered with kegs was pretty cool. I think they might cozy it up a bit. Totally my taste.
Rate it: 3.5 of 5
Not bad. Not mind blowing. Price is within the modern restaurant burger range. I'm already on record for whining about what we get for $10 these days. Service was a mixed bag. When she was at our table, she seemed attentive.
I might go back. It might be a while because more of these burger joints are opening around town. Financially and caloric-ally difficult to get to all of them.

Kon Tiki, Tucson AZ-Taste of Paradise

Kon Tiki is a throwback to a time when folks in the U.S. were fascinated with all things Polynesian. The menu reflects it. The food is named to make you think of the Big Island. (The Big Kahun, Monkeys On A Stick) They serve Tacos and burgers as well.

Keeping with tradition, I asked the people I was with my standard question, "Should I get the burger?" The Tiki Burger w/Cheese.
Seasoned nicely with a fresh and slightly sweet bun, which I like. It could have been more on the rare side for my liking.

Did I mention that I think burgers should be priced at around $7.50? Well, this came close. A half pounder w/fries for $8.25!

This review was not at all influenced by the Mai Tai that I had.

The bar & restaurant really have great "tiki" decor and playing some Les Baxter or anything close would have created the ideal scene. Instead the music being broadcast was current pop. Keep in mind, it was the lunch hour. Maybe the night time is different.



My Take:
Burger & bun were very good. Fries, delicious. Love the Tiki lounge theme. Very well done. Price made me happy. Different music, burger not as well done
4 of 5.

Tubac Jack's a pleasant surprise

When you go to Tubac, AZ you are usually heading there to do some shopping. Tons of galleries and shops to buy all kinds of items. Typically, a place like this offers food that is just good or pretty good but, at a price. Not so at Tubac Jack's. $10.50 got me a half pound mushroom swiss burger.
Cooked a little more than I prefer but, flavor was right on. The roll it was served on was fresh and shined from being buttered before toasting it. Juicy, all the flavors came together just right. I couldn't stop eating the tasty fries.
All this in the midst of what might be a bit of a tourist trap. Nice.

My take:
Great wait staff, a bit playful. The patio made you feel like you were somewhere other than near all the shopping. Price was decent, I'm still a cheap ass and think burgers should be $7.50 or less so, don't pay too much attention to my whining about price.
4 of 5

Diablo Burger, Flagstaff AZ. Great mission, so-so burger

Sorry about the "so-so" but, when you have all kinds of people giving you awards/recognitions for the best or one of the best burgers, you'd better prove it.
Diablo has a great story. The trust they started in 1993, the challenge to stay local and fresh. I dig that. It was one of the things that made it a burger to have. What could be better than chowing down a delicious burger and supporting a cause.
Rather than getting the simplest burger I took on the Wrigley Field. Bacon, Swiss, Grilled onions and Honey Mustard sauce, which I had them set on the side so I could add at my discretion. Medium rare. It comes with fries. I got a root beer to wash it all down.
The burger arrived cooked to the exact pinkness I like. I was apprehensive of the English Muffin bun/roll. Sort of cool, it gets branded with their logo. Fries looked great and were plentiful.
My take:
Meat wasn't seasoned much or not at all. I'm not sure of the way they make their burgers but, I got the impression that they use bread crumbs and eggs mixed in. If not, I'm not sure what I was tasting. Smoky bacon gave it a boost of flavor. The English muffin bun really didn't do much for the flavor, it was fairly bland also. The fries were as good as they looked. Peel on and seasoned nicely. I used my Honey mustard for dipping. Yum.
I took a look at our bill and found myself short of breath. Maybe I'm supposed to think it was a great burger because it cost more than most any other I've had at a restaurant/eatery? 
My take:
Pros: Cooked to spec, great fries, cool branding Con: Not much seasoning, not sure about the English muffin thing, price
3.0+ (the fries)
I'm hoping that it was just an off day for the cook staff. I think that on a different day, they might impress me. I'm just not sure if I want to gamble more money to find out.