AJ Bomber's-Good But Not "the Bomb"

One of the places everybody says a person needs to go for burgers in Milwaukee is AJ Bomber's, on Water Street.

I finally made it to Bomber's a couple of month's back as part of a night out. The place was packed. Standing room only. The staff is a lot of fun and very accommodating. The crowd seemed rather prepared to wait for the experience. We grabbed a couple of refreshments, beer & soda. They have this wonderful system to reload peanuts. Little airplanes slide on rails across the room and hit a stopper that causes the peanuts to drop in to a dish at the final destination. Fun.

So, how about the burger? I had a Double AJ.

Tasty, yes. Awesome, not really. Maybe it was all the hype about the Food Channel etc.? Maybe the long wait really didn't make me crave it more? I'm not going to cut it down. It was decent. $$ was relative to the location/scene.

Overall, I think most people would enjoy the atmosphere, food and selection of beers.

I was expecting more of a hand formed, juicy burger on a bit more tasty bun.
3.5 of 5 stars. Mostly because the scene and then, the burger.

(http://ajbombers.com/milwaukee)

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/

$16 For A Burger, Okay! I'll Have One?

The Cannery, Newport Beach CA

Menu description:

ANGUS BEEF CHEESEBURGER 16

1/2 lb. angus beef, cheddar, nueskes bacon, lettuce, tomato, served with french fries

What's wrong with me? I'm at a seafood restaurant, by the ocean, celebrating a 75th birthday. I should be having some kind of delicious fish dish. A sixteen dollar burger on the menu? This is a different kind of challenge! At $16, this better be dang tasty! Actually, it's probably a $12 burger but, the view and the staff cost a couple more $$. It was truly a delicious burger. After sharing small pieces with others at the table there was a new kind of understanding of my choice. The samples were the burger only. None of the fancy stuff. That's from me. I'm not going to order it if I have another chance to dine there but, anybody that wants to enjoy a decent burger in a wonderful setting, relaxing and cozy considering the size of the building. (two floors, several bars, sushi etc)

4 of 5 Stars. Good taste, cooked to my request without telling me that they can't cook it medium rare. Family thought it was tasty too.

TKs Burgers - TKO

Maybe it was because we were renting a beach house for several days and I spent a couple of hours taking surfing lessons from a pro. Possibly, it's just a decent burger. The sign outside is a burger. The atmosphere is surf. A simple menu, no fancy choices of what kind of burger you want. They could have had goofy names, considering the location. I didn't really even consider a Shiitake or Turkey burger. The order came pretty quick considering they made it for us. It wasn't just sitting there waiting for modifications.
Tasty, priced well. Location was funky. Staff was cool. I'd go there again.
4 of 5 stars.

Lucky to have Leff's around

One way to celebrate an anniversary is to go out for a burger, right? Leff's Luckytown in Wauwatosa, WI has a huge following in our town. A magnet for sports fans and a cult like following. I had to find out why.

I got a plain double burger. No fancy stuff. The place was crowded. They have a great outdoor dining area. We lucked out and got a table for two along the street side. When the food came, I was please with how fresh everything was. The burger was tasty but, lacked personality. Still, very nicely prepared. Medium rare, the way I like it. The fries were delicious. Will I go back for another one, probably some day.

What makes going to Luckytown special is the crowd. Everybody is really having a good time. Most folks say that Leff's got it going on. I will have to agree.

Rated: 3.5 of 5 Stars. Only because the staff was a bit slow and the burger lacked signature seasoning.

Day time at the Nite Owl

The Nite Owl Drive-In, 830 E Layton Ave. in Milwaukee WI is one of those places on my list of gotta try burger joints. Cash only, no checks or plastic. There's a walk-up window and an restaurant where you can sit down and hang out. The restaurant doubles as a club house for the Cheaters Car Club of Milwaukee. The club hosts car show a couple of times a year in the parking lot at the Nite Owl.

Enough of the background stuff, let's talk burgers! I ordered the Jumbo Cheese Burger, onions, ketchup  & mustard. $3.90, not too pricey. Because they actually create the burger specific to your order, it takes a couple of minutes. The windows are tinted so you really can't see what's going on in the kitchen. I did notice a set of heavily tattooed forearms moving about back there. Well, the burger arrived and jumbo is a very accurate description. Obviously hand formed, it was delicious. I didn't order any Ice Cream but, judging by the quality of the burger, it's good stuff.

Vintage scene all the way, tasty and fresh cooked per order. Also, very reasonable.

As for a rating on this one... 4.5 Stars out of 5.

Ang(er)us Burger Deluxe

It was a few weeks back when I was out with some family members and they suggested McDonald's for lunch. I haven't been to McDonald's for an actual meal in some time. Sure, grab some fries or a muffin thing on the way to a swap meet but, not lunch complete. I thought this might be a great chance to try the newer Angus Burger Deluxe. I can't spend too much time talking about my experience. It wasn't much of an experience at all. It only reminded me how great a job they've done marketing their product. The deluxe means that you get a pile of stuff on the sandwich. Possibly with the hope to cover for the lack of flavor. Note to self: Don't order fancy sandwich at McDonald's.
No regrets, we had a great time together.

Dasburgereater.