It's Gallery Night in the 3rd Ward. Must be time for some Wicked Hop! 01.17.2025

 It was the 3rd Friday in January. That means it's Gallery Night in the 3rd Ward, Milwaukee Wisconsin. Sometimes it's a very cold night. Not this time. Temps were in the 20's. (balmy for WI) I was hanging out with my friend Rob. We chose the Wicked Hop because, in the past, they've done right with the burger and beverages.

Burgers it is! "Build Your Own" Cheeseburger. Cheddar for me and Blue Cheese w/bacon for Rob. It was a quick turnaround on the order. Before we knew it, the burgers were delivered. Both of us were quite pleased with the amount of "pink". Too often, it doesn't go that way. All the toppings are on the side so you can choose what to add and where they go. I did everything but the pickle. Only a small amount of ketchup. I forgot to ask for some stone ground mustard. No matter, I pushed forward. It was pretty decent. Maybe not as good as the last 8 times. Something was different. Maybe it was an off night for my taste buds? I didn't hate it, that's for sure. Juicy, seasoned enough. The toppings were all fresh. The fries, delicious.

Rate It: 4 of 5 $18 for a very good burger has become the normal. I'm not a fan. It's the same burger or maybe less for more. That doesn't change the overall flavor. It was still great. Just not wow great.

Surprise! Hollaner Burger Hits the Spot! 12/22/2024

 I'm pretty sure I've blogged about Hollander Wauwatosa and the other Lowland Restaurants. I am also relatively sure that I didn't say anything outstanding about the experience. Well, that changed last Sunday evening. I just can't pass up the chance to enjoy a burger out. In the past the burger at Hollander has been at least satisfying. Not to much a gamble. I will like it. I ordered the "Sconnie". Pickles, bacon, Wisconsin aged cheddar, bier cheese aioli, cheese curds on a pretzel bun. (yes, meat too!) When it arrived it looked unlike other burgers I've ordered at Lowland restaurants. It's not a new selection. The curds tower on top of the bun. I cut it in half, perfect color. There's a lot of cheese. Remember, I'm not a fan of the Pretzel bun. The bun totally works with the flavors. I don't think another choice would stand up to all of what's going on with the Sconnie. Good combo.

Rate It: 4 of 5 (4+) Price was the usual. Flavors worked well together. Not too much sauce. Cooked to the perfect temp. I wish I took a picture. (thought I did) I'm sharing their picture from the Hollander website.

The Diplomat on Brady Street (Burgers w/Brothers!) 11.20.2024

 It was the third installation of the Burgers w/Brothers 2024. The eldest made the choice to go a bit more upscale for his burger. Not that we've been hanging out at dives or dumps. We've enjoyed quite the range of locations and varieties of burgers. His choice, The Diplomat. Located just East of Van Buren on Brady street. Cool vibe as soon as you walk in. There is a front space/bar area that's pretty chill. Around the corner is the dining room area. Well done. Warm, almost cozy space with plenty of art and little vignettes with interesting items. Our server was Roxanne. The menu is very simple, not many items. The idea is shared plates. I'm just not a fan of the term "small plates". Shared I can handle. Anyway, there is only one burger to choose from so that's what we all had. "The Diplomac". Prime beef burger, tomato, lettuce, American cheese, "1000 Island Dressing", pickle and red onion. (their description) $17 without a side.

How about that burger? Dang, it was good! I don't know if it was because I was surprised by how tidy it looked or the choice of roll/bun. No matter, it all worked together perfectly. The "1000 Island Dressing" is nothing like the Kraft foods version. All the condiments were freshly created on site. It made a difference for sure. The sandwich held together bite after bite. Nothing sliding out the back or slopping on to my plate or lap. I took a snitch off the side, just meat. Not crazy seasoned. Could have had a bit more flavor but maybe the rest of it makes up for that. We shared a plate of the Diplomat Fries. These aren't your average fries. Blanched and then fried 3 times. Light and crisp.

Rate it: 4.5 of 5

Overall great taste. Fresh ingredients made for a great mix of flavors. If I'm paying $17 a burger it should be like this.

https://www.thediplomatmke.com/

Smashing Good-Tide & Boar (Moncton Canada) 10/19/2024

 Yet another unintentional burger. 

We met a relative that gave us a tour of the city of Moncton Canada. She shared stories of relatives that had lived there and times past. Lunch was in order by the time we finished touring. Down the street from our hotel room was an interesting place called the Tide & Boar. It looked wonderful inside. The walls had photos of musicians like Roger Daltry, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. The beer selection is quite large. The menu is also diverse. Of course I saw they have a "smash" burger. I couldn't resist.Two patties, cheese, onion, red onion, "house" ketchup on a potato bun. Yum!

It looked beautiful. The patties were crispy on the edge and hanging out from under the bun. Cheese drooped over the edge of the patties. Cut open, all the layers of condiments were in good proportion. The patties had plenty of seasoning. Overall, excellent. The fries looked fresh cut.

Rate It: 4.5 of 5

Tide and Boar

 

 

Pump House is Here to Pump-You-Up! (Moncton Canada) 10/18/2024

 I really didn't plan to check out burgers in Canada. I was supposed to be going out for poutine rapée. The restaurant where they serve it closes at 6PM on a Friday night! It was a long day of driving and too late to go looking for another place serving it. Maybe we'll check out a local place for dinner and a beer. The Pump House was just a block away from where we were staying. Worth a shot? Sure.

It looked like the pizza might be a good choice but the list of burgers grabbed my attention. (go figure). Brew Pub Burger it is! A simple cheeseburger.It was. Good flavor, fresh roll and just enough toppings. Seasoning was decent. 

Rate It: 4 of 5

I'm thinking they aren't known for their burgers. It's more about the beer and pizza. It was a good burger and I'd suggest it for anybody that stops in. 

Pump House

They Did Not Butcher the Burger (Portland, ME) 10/17/2024

 I'm on the East coast of America. I should have seafood every time I go out for food, right? Well, maybe not. I had a Lobster Roll the night before that might cover me for a couple of days.

 I was in Portland Maine for a couple of days. There is seafood everywhere. Lobster rolls are sold at food trucks like tacos. Chowder a dominant word on most menus. I'm glad to try those things. I did but there's a place called Butcher Burger in the port area that has some high ratings. I had to.

The first thing you will notice about the Butcher Burger, it smells like burgers are being cooked. Go figure. So many places don't have that. I'm not sure why. I think even Burger King makes sure that you can smell burgers being cooked from blocks away. It was sort of cool because the sun shined through the window and cut the smoke into strands. There's a cool outdoor patio space but we opted for the inside seating. The seating area is small giving it the appearance of always being busy.

We had the Cheeseburger. Pretty straight forward. House patty, tomato, lettuce, onion, cheddar and block sauce. They did not ask how I wanted it cooked. I'm not sure if that would have made a difference. It arrived after quite the wait. That's okay, I was watching the crowd and what they were eating. 

My first impression, it looked like a burger. Not quite as big as I was expecting a 1/2lb burger to be. My first bite was full of flavor. Raw onions, spicy pickles on a sort of sweet tasting roll. The burger was not heavily spiced. All the other flavors made up for that.

Rate It: 4 of 5

I'm going to be a bit tough. It was a really decent burger. I think they could step up the seasoning. Again, the 1/2lb looked a bit shy. Overall, good value. I'd say if you are near and want to have a good burger, here ya go. I wouldn't go out of the way to have one.

https://butcherburger.com/portland/

Annual Trip to the Nite Owl 08/09/2024

 It might be a new tradition, at least one trip to the Nite Owl with my son's family. The Nite Owl has a limited window to get there and grab some food. The season seems short. Their hours, even shorter. The amount of food sold per hour determines how long they will be open on any given day. The meat is ground fresh on site and when it's gone, they close. They are closed on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday through Saturday, 11AM-3PM. I've heard of them closing by 1:30PM because they "sold out". The whole thing is just a total experience. Expect a long wait, it's not fast food. Arrive early, they might run out of meat. Bring cash.

How about the burger? I went with the plain cheese burger. No nothing on it. Actually, raw onions. On this day the wait wasn't too bad. Just enough time to catch up with my son and grandson. It's Theo's third time with grandpa. I'm pretty sure he and his dad stop there at least one time without me. We quick drove back to their house to enjoy our food on the sunny deck. My burger was just right. Juicy, decent size and loved having it plain. Very good. I will say that I was getting more of the "meatloaf" taste. Quickly, the meatloaf taste is when the burger has the same flavor as meatloaf. I'm not saying that's bad. I'm also not sure how they make their burgers. Do they add stuff to the beef? It was tasty no matter.

Rate it: 4+ out of 5

Prices are increasing each season but, that's business. ($3.90 in 2012) Overall, they still serve a decent if not great burger for a decent price. It's fresh food. The staff is always friendly. It's interesting that they still have you pay when the order is ready. Is that in case they run out of meat, they don't have to refund the money?