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/

A Jam Session at the Wauwatiki 07.07.2020

It was my birthday on Sunday, July 5th (thank you, thank you). We weren't in town to celebrate, nor were many restaurants open. We decided that we would celebrate on Tuesday night. Our good friends Karen and Brian gave us a gift card some time ago for Wauwatiki Bar & Grill, one of my (our) favorite places to drink and eat.
The situation with Covid-19 made the crowd a bit more sparse than usual on a Taco Tuesday. Not sure why a Caribbean/ Hawaiian restaurant would offer tacos but, what the heck. We got a booth somewhat distanced from the nearest couple or group of people. It felt special, really.
We ordered a couple of cocktails. She had a Rum Manhattan. I had a Mai Thai. Appetizer, Pork Belly. All, delicious!
Gee, what would I order if I could? A burger? Why not, it's my birthday, right?
A Bacon Onion Jam Burger for me, Hawaiian Style Fried Rice for her.
There may have been a Rum & Coke in between the ordering and delivery of the mains.
Wow!! So delicious! I'm not a big fan of covering my burger with all kinds of stuff but, dang, this was awesome. Juicy, flavors all worked together. The Crack Fries, a little too much for me. I also think it took a bit away from the main dishes. The fries on their own might be delicious but, each time I had some, I had to re-adjust my mouth to eating other foods. (sorry)
Everything was excellent. The staff was cool with all the masks and respecting our space.
I can't complain about the prices, it's worth every buck.
4.5 of 5
I will be back. Next time, outdoors on the cool patio with friends (I hope)

Burdines Waterfront Marina (& Burgers!)

Recently, we spent a few days in the Florida Keys. There is plenty of fresh fish items on all the menus. Burdine's Waterfront Marina has fish and more. I was surprised to see how many variations they did on burgers. That made me think they might be a valid burger to check in to.
Our hotel was only a couple of blocks away so, we walked over. Easier said than done. Hwy 1 doesn't stop for pedestrians. Once across the road, we passed a little Cuban Cafe'. Behind the cafe', in a fenced area was a small village of trailers and campers. I would guess that they were regular housing. The outsides were all decorated nicely. As we walked along the parameter down the road to Burdine's, we got to glimpse in to a couple of them. Families watching television, eating. Far out. Then, a rooster and chickens! What a nice little added bonus to the night's adventures.
The walk turned out to be about 3/4 of a mile back in to the dock/port area. Burdines is obviously about the people that use the dock service and some locals that no where the good food is.
The restaurant is atop the dock service store and office. The posts are wrapped in license plates from all over the place. The bar area is decorated in an island theme.
How about the burger? Well, it's a fairly large patty and bun. First thing I did was pinch off just the meat to get the true flavor. Cooked just right, seasoned nicely. Not bad for a fish joint, right?
As we ate, the sun set on the bay. Smaller boats were still coming in giving us a postcard like moment.
Rated: 3.5 of 5
It was really good. I wasn't blown away. The fries are tasty. Location is special, hidden from the whole "Keys" experience. Nice.

Oscar's on Pierce St, No Garbage.

As you know, I search out places that say they have the greatest or best burger. Then, I take the challenge. Online, they showed up in the Best Burger in Wisconsin.

The 1700 block of W Pierce Street in Milwaukee is one of those streets that people use to bypass the congestion on the main streets. Sort of "back road" through the near Southside of Milwaukee. Along that corridor, is Oscar's. (Don't be confused with the Custard/Jumbo burger joint, it's different)
Ample parking, clean and well lit.

When you first enter, you are hit with all kinds of wonderful spicy smells. A little garlic, onion etc. The staff all say hello as you walk in. You choose the open table you want.

They have a vast choice of beers and my choice, Root Beer. A MKE Brewing Root Beer. Very good. I know, this is a burger blog so, what about the burger?

I got the Classic Cheeseburger. Medium rare. When it arrived, it was just that. The fries are totally homemade and tasty. Unlike most places, they understand that fries aren't the meal. So, just enough fries to keep me happy. The bun is wonderful, buttered and fresh. The burger tasted like one that I might make at home. Very tasty.

All of this and then, the bill came... $20! Wow, quality stuff at a decent price. That rocks!

4.5 of 5.0 The staff, food and price were remarkable. We plan to talk it up and return some day.
http://www.oscarsonpierce.com/

Silver Spur, Elm Grove serves a tasty patty.

09.20.2011

It was another one of those days when somebody makes the suggestion... let's go for a burger! I will be the last person to say "NO". My father was in town for the weekend and thought we should go to the Silver Spur in Elm Grove, WI to have one of their burgers. It's a half pounder. Plenty options for what to put on it. Cheeses etc. I went with the Mushroom Swiss, medium rare. It arrived prepared exactly that way. I snitched a small piece off the corner. Pretty good. It was lacking some seasoning. I would still say they did a fine job. Will I go back? Sure. Will I rave about it, not really. Rounded off, it was a $10 sandwich. Seems to be the going rate these days. A wonderful deck on the back side of the restaurant made it an enjoyable time.

Til the next time,

Dasburgereater.