We are three burger aficionados; united in Brooklyn with a common agenda, sample the best burgers the city of New York has to offer! Our mission: seek out the best and most talked about restaurants, pubs, and burger joints throughout the city and put their signature burgers to the test. At each venue, we all will be ordering the establishment’s “claim to fame,” their “chef d'oeuvre,” and evaluate it based on set criteria resulting in a final grade accompanied by a review from each member.
Location: 10205 SW Washington Square Rd., Tigard, OR
Burger: NW Pub Burger with Caesar Salad
Average Score: 6.8 Price Range: $$$$$
Tom:The Thirsty Lion’s culinary mission statement is to provide an eclectic variety of multi-cultural cuisines with an emphasis on local ingredients, bold flavors, and scratch recipes. Well… they hit it on the head with bold flavors by adding a 2-inch thick slice of raw onion onto their otherwise near-perfect burger. What a tragedy! The gorgonzola infused burger was perfectly cooked to a juicy and delightful mid-rare. The white cheddar not only added the necessary extra calories for a true artery-clogger, but also complimented the meat very well by serving as the glue to hold this tender concoction together, while not taking away the zing of the gorgonzola. The arugula salad sat on top of the horseradish cream sauce (interesting direction) and created an almost nutty freshness that tingled in the back of the nose just right. I was a little dismayed when the burger arrived on a ciabatta bun, as my experiences in the past have shown ciabatta to be entirely too tough for a good burger. As you try to tear through the thick bun you end up squishing and destroying the burger altogether. This, however, was not the case. The bun was airily baked, lightly toasted with butter and fresh as could be. But the true perfection of this burger came in the form of the maple glazed, pepper-bacon. Wow! Probably the best bacon I have ever had. I would go back to the restaurant just to order a side of this culinary marvel. But alas, some thick- tongued dolt decided to sabotage the whole operation by adding the “grilled onion.” I mean that thing even ruins my picture! And to add insult to injury, I ordered the mediocre side salad instead of the fries. A rookie move but I do like to mix up my burger experiences occasionally and it usually comes in the form of a Caesar salad. Slightly less depressing than the pathetic side salad was the thin slice of bland tomato. Which did absolutely nothing for this burger other than increasing the cold/wet factor and should be discarded in my opinion.
Mike: To start off the New Year, we at The Burgerler chose to sample some of the local fare in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. This week, Abistro was the destination, serving up their signature “Abistro Burger.” I’ve had my eye on this establishment ever since it moved into the space just under a year ago. Abistro is an unassuming, yet charming little spot nestled in on the corner of Dekalb and Vanderbilt Avenues that features a fusion of West African cuisine and French technique.
The Abistro Burger is a prime beef patty served on an egg challah roll with a side of herbed fries and a mixed greens salad. If you want to add cheese, bacon, mushrooms, or Senegalese salsa, it will cost you an extra $1.50 each. I ordered mine medium-rare; and for fear of getting a naked burger, it seemed appropriate to add a slice of cheddar to dress it up a bit. When the plate came out, it soon dawned on me just how important the side salad was to the overall presentation. Because the burger comes without any toppings or condiments, the mixed greens added the necessary color to arouse the visual stimulation that this meal would have otherwise been devoid of.
Once I bit into this burger, it immediately became apparent to me why it didn’t have any toppings or condiments on it; it didn’t need any. This burger had one of the most flavorful meats that I’ve ever had on a burger. The meat was prepared to perfection; juicy and savory, with a bit of spice that delivered a small amount of kick that lingered on your tongue, beckoning you to take another bite. Adding cheese was a good choice; and the way it was scorched on top added a small amount of crisp and helped protect the top section of bun from becoming soggy. Speaking of the bun…an egg challah was a superb choice for this burger! The toasted underside carried a quality crunch while the outer surface maintained the airiness of freshly baked bread. The top of the roll was coated with a thin layer of butter, which left your hands on the greasy side, but it was worth it. The challah roll presented this sandwich with a soft, buttery, creamy texture that complemented the flavors born from the meat. The downside of the bun was that the lower half was cut way too thin, quickly absorbing the juices of the beef and disintegrating in no time.
If anything brought my overall score for this burger down, it was the sides. I would hate to think that the same person who made this delicious burger was also capable of making a batch of fries this miserable. Don’t get me wrong; the fries were seasoned well with a mixture of herbs and spices that harmonized well with the burger. Unfortunately, they were soft and lifeless, as if they were warming in the oven since lunch. The salad was refreshing to see on the plate. As I mentioned before, it added much needed color; but it also added another dimension, both in texture and flavor. There wasn’t much to the salad, a slew of mixed greens, a single tomato “slice,” and a wealth of spicy-citrus vinaigrette, but it really didn’t need much more than that. The vinaigrette was quite possibly the most distinct and complex flavor on the plate. Though I did enjoy the dressing, it was a bit much when considering the overall flavor profile. It was like a supporting role trying to take the lead.
Overall, I enjoyed the Abistro burger. Sure, it looks to be a plain hamburger with no bells or whistles to speak of; but what it lacks in luster, it makes up for ten-fold in flavor. Again, I’m glad I added cheese, and I’d be curious to know what a fresh tomato, some raw red onion, and a leaf of crisp romaine might do to a burger this delicious. I definitely want to return; the owner/chef promises they will open up for lunch a few days a week, starting in the spring, with a menu featuring an entire line of new burgers. I’d also be willing to go back to give those wimpy fries a chance for redemption. Everyone is entitled to a bad day and everyone should be entitled to a second chance.
Overall Rating: 7.5
Kenneth: Walking into Abistro, the first thing I thought, “This place looks like a nice place for a date.” I immediately became excited about trying their burger. After selecting one of my favorite beers, Founder’s Porter, the waiter started to rattle off a list of delicious sounding specials just for us to stop him to order burgers. As usual, I ordered my burger medium-well with bacon. To my dismay, this was a poor choice and it arrived overcooked. The plating of my burger was a beautiful site, as it was accompanied by fries and a salad, leaving no need to choose.
They chose an egg challah bun to join the patty, which was delicious except for how greasy it made my hands with each bite. I had to wipe my hand off each time I picked up the burger, not a good look. The patty-to-bun ratio, on the other hand was, can you say perfect? PERFECT! The patty was well seasoned and each bite contained an overabundance of flavor, even though it was over cooked. Coming to the end of my burger, the meat started to become gamy, which I blame on how it was cooked. You can choose either bacon, cheese, or both for a bit extra; I would suggest getting at least one, otherwise the burger would be bare. Then there was the salad, which came with a tomato that was cut too large for the burger and dressed in a citrus-cayenne vinaigrette; therefore, I would not put the lettuce on my burger. The fries were well seasoned just like everything else. Overall, the patty was pretty good; I disliked the bun, but would I go back to try some of the other burger creations the chef said he was going to make? Yes.
Overall rating 6.5
Jeff: I’ve been told about the Abistro burger for quite some time. Ever since they moved into the old Cellars spot, which has been vacant for at least 5 years, I’ve been meaning to give it a shot and see how it fares, as it starts Dekalb Avenue’s restaurant row. Ordered medium rare and with bacon, I patiently waited as my burger cohorts and I took in our surroundings.
The burger arrived and I was taken aback. No onion, or lettuce, and the tomato was narrow in diameter while also being pretty thick. How is this supposed to go on my burger? In addition to the fries, that looked a little over cooked, there was a side salad. It was nice to have both, as a little greenery after a burger can be a good thing. I decided to save the tomato for the salad and treat my burger as though it was the first time cooked meat has met sliced bread. I notice that the top of the bun was glistening. Is it butter? I’m not sure; traditionally, challah bread isn’t supposed to contain butter, but traditionally, challah bread probably wouldn’t be sharing a plate with bacon either.
Oh my! The beef seasoned here was right up there with what I had at Dumont. Yeah, this patty tasted great! Even though it was cooked a little bit more medium than medium rare, it was still juicy and succulent; and the decision to prepare this with the challah bun was a winner. Challah bread may contain sugar, some may use honey as a substitute. I'm not sure which was in this bun, but it was damn good. The bun was toasted just enough to have a firm under side on the top bun, yet a fluffy interior; delicious. I really would like to know what they seasoned their beef with, as it’s just that good. I also found that I was able to distinguish the bacon from the patty and have them complement each other as well. So often as I have found, bacon is used to cover the lack of flavor in the beef; not here.
I took a moment not to devour my burger and try some of the fries. Wow, this salad is good! Make no mistake about it, the dressing on the salad definitely has some zing, and I for one, welcomed it. I couldn’t make out which citrus was flavoring the dressing, nor could I figure out what gave it it’s zing; but it is best enjoyed on its own. The fries? Yeah, well, they were kind of soggy. I suspect they were baked first then fried; or, maybe they were only baked. Either way they didn’t stand up to the burger and salad.
Did I really just enjoy a burger consisting of meat and a bun with a little ketchup? Yes, yes I did; and it was good. Now if they can get their fries up to snuff, they will have an all around winner.
