Mays BC Meet Up

This month we are doing the recession buster burger club meet up. We will be meeting at …..drum roll…

Poag Mahone’s

www.poagmahones.com

333 South Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 566-9100

Monday May 24th at 6:00pm

it’s $2.50 burger night…that’s right 2 dolla and fidy cent…are my expectations high..NO

but a few peeps have exalted the $2.50 burger.

DMK Burger Bar-Review

The place:

DMK Burger Bar

www.dmkburgerbar.com

2954 North Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 360-8686

over all score: 7.66

There were 9 BC members at DMK on May 2nd and we tried to sample as much as we could. DMK has an upscale bar vibe with exposed brick, lofty ceilings and pub tables. They have an interesting bar menu of hand crafted cocktails and boutique beers and spirits (sorry I didn’t look at wine).

The staff was very friendly and put together a large table for us. The menu lists a large array of burger options including lamb, turkey, vegetarian and salmon. Each burger is designed with particular toppings made to compliment each other on the taste buds. In a similar vein the offer fires with different toppings and dipping sauces. There are other menu options with salads and such but this is Burger Club, so let’s get to the meat of the review.

Most everyone will find a burger a like on this menu (at least in print), they cook to their temperature and will not cook any burger less than medium-wellish.  The server told me the patty’s are too thin to cook less than that. I must interject here, I spent 20 years in the food biz and while it can be challenging, I should be able to get my burger cooked to my liking..I’m just saying.

The sides are great, we tried all 4 kinds of fries and they were flavorful and looked great. They had fried pickles ,okra and some onion strings as well that were very good and some of BC peeps favorite of the day.

There has been a lot of difference of opinion over the burgers. Some people felt they were stellar but didn’t like the bun, others liked the bun and toppings but felt the patty was ok. I tasted 5 burgers including my own, I ordered the lamb, everyone else had beef. The lamb burger was fantastic with feta, greek salad and olive tapenade. It had great flavor and balance. The other burgers I tasted were good, because of the toppings. Member, Sweet Baby Ray, got the DMK mac, 3 patties cheese all stacked up. By itself the meat good and juicy. But I’ve had better patties that could stand-alone.

A final note while the staff was friendly and attentive, everyone burger came out at once except mine. I had to wait 7-10 minutes for my food. That isn’t cool.

Taster #1: 8.3

comments: bun had nice texture but weird chalkiness, the patty was juicy and delicious and the fried onion strings were the bomb.

Taster #2:8.07

no comments

Taster #3: 7.7

comments: I had he #5 but I felt the lamb burger was the best

Taster #4: 7.2

comments: the bun was very blah, the toppings were flavorful, the patty was tasty and the fried pickles were the win.

Taster #5: 7.55

comments: The bun scored low points because of the flour residue on top otherwise it would have been 9.

Taster #6: 8.0

comments: The lamb burger I ordered was excellent but it came 7-10 minutes after everyone else food at the table.

Taster #7: 6.3

comments: When the lamb burger is the best burger on the table, you need to re-work your beef patty.

Taster #8: 6.65

comments: Low point of the experience was the patty, which was pedestrian at best. I really enjoyed the truffle fries and the service was very attentive.

Taster #9: 8.83

comments: Juicy burger, great service, awesome sides but, the cupcake was dry

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Aprils Challenge Winner

the envelope please………………..

The Pepper Canister way exceeded most of our expectations.

With 7 members rising to  the challenge most  felt the Pepper Canister was a better burger than English
members comments:

on English:

-The only thing I would go back to English for was the hot bartender.

-I was satisfied with the service, wasn’t the greatest and not the worst

-I had such high expectation for English and sadly everyone’s burger on my group was way over cooked and dry.Maybe it was an off night?

-the burger was made just the way I like it! I got the burger with 3 toppings, bacon, cheddar and avocado and it only enhanced the flavor of the burger.

On the Pepper Canister

–Lovely grill marks on a perfectly cooked burger. More of a solid bar burger than gourmet but it was good.

-So juicy and tasty, I wanted another one….

-Was cooked as ordered, great meat to bun ratio. The bun and toppings are basic burger fare but still great without the fancy pants add ons.

-burger came overcooked and bun was disappointing.

–

May’s Burger Challenge

Ok May is upon us and this month I decided to pit 2 new to the area chains against each other. The deal is you try and hit these 2 spots in May. Shoot me an email:  burgerclubchicago@gmail.com with which one was your favorite and a few lines about why.  You can also mail us on facebook and join the group there.

our first Contender is:

Five Guys Burger and Fries

they have 3 chicago locations:

2140 N Clybourn, 60614

2368 N Clark St, 60614

6477 N Sheriden rd, 60626

and one in oak park

VS

The Counter

only one Chicago location:

666 W Diversey Parkway
Chicago IL 60614

Let the slap done begin!!!!

National Hamburger Month

May is National Hamburger Month!! So what way better than burger club to celebrate. Either come out to our delayed April chow down on Wednesday at 6pm at DMK Burger bar or wait for this months meet up. And of course there is always our monthly burger challenge to get your fix on.

BC abroad-Dallas

I went to Dallas, Tx this past weekend. I knew it be a good steer eating town, there had to be some good burgers. I choose a local place called The Twisted Root Burger Co.  This place was started by some chefs who wanted some damn good food. Everything is made in house from the burgers and shakes to the 3 kinds of pickles and kick ass ketchup on the tables. I had to walk a mile through the Dallas wasteland aka thier downtown on a hot saturday afternoon to get to this meaty oasis.

This place rocks!! There was  a line to the door. You go in order and are given a colored laminate sqaure with a pop icon reference (mine was Daisy Duke). When your food is ready you go up and get it from the window. In the meantime you snag a table and a beer and wait. Great people watching, it is loud there and you have to pay attention when the intercom starts asking for Bond, James Bond or whoever’s food is up.

I was so torn with what to get as they have a lot of types of burgers. Besides beef, turkey and vegetarian they also offer buffalo and venison. There are many types of fried options and even a menu category called sissy food for the salad eaters.

After much debate (luckily I was in line for a while) I went with the Western burger (pepperjack cheese, bacon, fried onions and jalapenos) cooked medium rare. They do have a sign up front stating they cook all burgers medium well and if you want it otherwise you better order it that way.I couldn’t choose one side so I ordered the Fride Ride, a sampling of all things fried (curly fries, sweet potato chips, green beans, pickles and onions served with 2 kinds of ranch). I went with cold bottled beer which they had a good selection my choice was to toss down a few Nerga Modelo.

The Fride Ride

I snagged some of the pickles they have near the register (bread and butter, dill and spicy all made there) and grabbed a seat with my friend (who declined to order..wimp) . I was on my second beer when my name was called. What I brought back was heaven. The fride ride was a heaping basket of perfectly battered and fried  goodness.  The sweet potato chips and green beans were the best Ive had yet. My guest couldn’t resist either and tucked in a fair amount.

The burger was massive.  The bun was solid and the toppings were in excess for sure. I used some of the house made Dijon-horseradish mustard on the burger and had used the house ketchup and BBQ sauce as well on the fride ride. All 3 condiments were superb. It was a great taste balance and the bacon the cut into smaller bite sized pieces which gave some smokiness to each bite. The patty was a shade over cooked , closer to medium but the flavor…the flavor of the patty was amazing. it was rich in beef flavor and had been well seasoned . I actually half way through the burger stripped off the bun and toppings and ate the rest of the patty solo, it was so good on its own.

I only hope they can move one of these up here. It was tasty and affordable. They have a few TX location so check them out if you can.

Aprils Burger Meet

Ok burger fans Ive had a hectic month so have totally slacked on settign this up.

Friday night an early dinner 6:00pm at:

DMK Burger Bar

2954 N. Sheffield Ave

(between Oakdale Ave & Wellington Ave)
Chicago, IL 60657
Neighborhood: Lakeview

(773) 360-8686

dmkburgerbar.com/

be there or be square.

There are 4 days left to get your April burger challenge in.

So far the reviews have split. I in a gluttony of burgerness this week will be going tonight to eat at both establishments.

April’s Burger Challenge

ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!

Each month at burger club we take 2 burger spots (usually in the same hood) and face them off with each other. The challenge is to go to both spots in the same day, try similar burgers and then once no longer comatose write a review comparing the 2. One will be the favorite and the other not so much.

This months contenders are 2 River North spots about 1 block or so for each other. My suggestion is to take a friend and share the food so you cans till drink beer.

The Pepper Canister

509 North Wells Street Chicago, IL 60654-6569 – (312) 467-3300
Open Weekdays 11am-2am; also open Sat

Old Irish bar that supposed to have good burgers.

VS

English
444 N. La Salle Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60654
312.222.6200

This is high aspiring foodies trying to kick it ole school pub

Go for it Burger Club, challenge is until April 30th midnight.  Reviews must be in by noon Monday may3rd.

email your reviews to:

burgerclubchicago@gmail.com

Jury’s Review

The Wednesday Burger Mania Menu

There were 10 members at Jury’s. On Wednesday night when it is Burger night the burgers are $2-3 off the regular menu. With toppings etc most of burger ran $9-10, would of been normally $13-15. Here is a Summation and the individual reviews follow.

Summation: overall score  of 1-100: 71.66

Group Review:

General

The staff was more than attentive to our tables needs. The portions were generous and well presented. The burger topping offerings on the menu were extensive. Unfortunately none of the BC members who had the pretzel bun got their reviews in (you know who you are). The wine, beer and cocktails available pleased the various palates in the BC. The dining area was prettied up nicely with candles, flowers and tablecloths. I want to say that this review is burger focused we did not try any other if the large menu Jury’s offers.

Burger

The burgers came to the requested cooked temperatures, and had large amounts of ordered topping. Is was was a division at the table whether they were lacking in seasoning of the meat or juiciness. I think it was a but of both. (Likely the kitchen staff maybe needs a little brush up on seasoning after cooking as to salt before draws out juices and to sear all burgers on a higher temp. regardless off the requested doneness) One item of mention when Big Daddy requested a fried egg, we were told they didn’t have raw eggs. The patty melt which was waaay at the other end of the table from me, was raved by all who tried. I did view it and it looked like patty melt goodness. I think the method for cooking the melt gave the burger a little more fat which equaled a juicer mouthfeel.

Sides

The steak fries where a miss. They just were not cooked correctly. No crispy edges and soft center here. They were tepid, soft and even a little pale looking. I think it impacted the score for Jury’s. The onions rings were great texturally. They came hot and golden brown with a nice crunchy exterior. I did miss that oniony flavor I’ve had in other places but that was just me:)

The Pounder: score: 77:

I ordered-The judge burger-medium-cheddar, bacon, avocado, red onion and lettuce with onion rings.

The meat was under-seasoned, but was cooked to medium and was sized well to the bun. Felt it was a bit dry and felt the toppings were a little to heavy. Onion rings were decent, a bit overcooked and under-seasoned. The fries were a disaster: soft, unsalted and limp. Did try some of Applejack’s patty melt and felt it was the best item tasted.

Pickle Lover:score 67:

Iordered-cheddar and bacon medium rare with fries.

The patty was very unseasoned, the toppings were good. Loved the bacon crisp and thin. Fries were unappetizing because they were mushy and no salt. LOVED the pickles and the service was EXCELLENT!!

Momzilla:score 78:

I ordred rare, blue cheese, black olives and mushrooms with fries.

Burger was presented well and lots of toppings. While an above average burger place, the patty was lacking in seasoning. If I had only simple cheese on my burger it would of been a lower score. The fact they had black olives helped the score greatly. The burger did seem to be lacking on the juicy factor I enjoy, The fries were a major disappointment-limp, unsalted and boring. I did try the onion rings and they were pretty good.

Service and cocktails were fantastic. The owner even came over and chatted us up for a bit. I did feel that the regular price for burger would of made my score a bit lower as well. Not sure if I would return for a burger.

Thugluv: score 65

I ordered the 1/2 pound Jury w/cheddar, bacon, avocado, red onions on the side and lettuce and a pickle.

Why did i order it? Wasn’t feeling that adventurous, was hungry and didn’t want to take more time deciding over something new and exotic to try. I thought a burger with staple toppings would be safe and the avocado was kind of an added bonus.  I ordered it medium well & not medium rare like Applecracker, fearing brown board infamy the following morning. The burger was good. It had a nice charrish quality outside but it wasn’t dry. Taste was okay, although the bacon, cheddar and avocado really gave it a good boost. It wasn’t messy which was good, i don’t like messy burgers. Top bun was thin, I would have preferred a slightly thicker top bun. Restaurant was kinda stingy with the fries, maybe it was just my plate but everyone else around me seemed to have an abundance of fries on their plates.  It was a notch above aaaight. It was a step above the Pogue Mahone’s burger.

Jury’s Atmosphere: looked like a bar dressed up as a restaurant with white table cloths, dim lighting and candles. It was nice, i like dim lit places.
Service: They were attentive to our h2o needs, waitress actually used my name when asking if i wanted another beer. kinda nice, personalizing the service or sorts.

Blackie: 65 is my score

Ordered the Judge Burger with fries

I score Jury’s a little low as their Judge burger was lacking in the important quality of juiciness. The toppings (avocado, onion and tomatoes) were good and fresh and the bun was adquate. The burger was cooked correctly to medium rare and didn’t seem to be dry but still didn’t have a good pop of juicy moisture upon first bite. Even a well done burger can be juicy if seared properly. That was the only real drawback, but it’s significant.

While the burger itself didn’t blow me away it was obvious to me that the Jury’s staff were being very attentive to our drinks and water and were generally pleasant. The burgers came to our table without too much wait. I did enjoy the steakfries side. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to get back to Jury’s soon, the attentive service and full bar are enough to give their burger another try the next time I’m in the neighborhood

The Spicy Mamacita: I give Jury’s burgers a 78. Decent but not particularly memorable. A solid C. Not bad, but I would not rave about them to a friend.

The atmosphere:

My first impression of the restaurant was good. It had nice decor but nothing special. The wait staff was attentive and competent. I ordered my burger medium-well with pepper jack, bacon, and avocado with a side of jardiniere and onion rings.

The sides:

The bacon came on the side and it was lovely, just lovely. It was thin and crispy, which is important when you want to bite into your burger without having an entire slice falling out and smacking you on the chin. The onion rings were perfection. When you bit into them the onion did not slide out of the breading, which again is important for avoiding that whole chin smacking situation. But Burger Club is all about the burger right?

The burger:

It was a decent burger. I think we all agreed that the burgers were lacking one important component, juiciness. The bun was nice but I would have liked it better if it were toastier. Some BC members commented on the lack of seasoning in the meat. I thought it was seasoned ok, but then again I couldn’t really tell for sure because I had so many toppings piled on top of mine. They did not scrimp on the toppings.

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Burger Musings

While I am waiting on the members reviews to get in I was cruising the web to see what burger joints Chicagoans loved. Besides that there are many places for us to eat at, there is a large divide is burger types. I personally feel any burger over $13 is pushing into a different class. I love food and burger club in my vision is more about pubs, bars and diners type burgers. Naha is great restaurant but not sure the BC can afford a dinner out there.

Luckily there are many places that are word of month with no websites to try. I personally like my burgers bloody, juicy and a tad greasy. Not every place is going to cook my burger as I expect but I still feel I can give it an honest review.

The side with a burger is an important component of the burger experience. I love my fried potatoes but nothing brings me done quicker than mushy, cold unsalted lumps of starch.

Last nights burger club left me wanting another. I believe I’m going to make burgers for breakfast……..