Mike: Dubuque is a quaint little establishment in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn that serves up a unique array of conventional and specialty burgers alike. Though I am interested in trying some of their more inspired burgers, such as the spiced lamb, cod/scallop, lentil/barley, or any one of their stuffed burgers, I was there for a traditional beef burger. At Dubuque, this consists of a beef patty with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, and tangy dressing on a toasted bun. For a dollar more, I added blue cheese to the party; what can I say, I like blue cheese. The burger is also served with a shot of coleslaw and a hot pickle spear.
I was pleased to find that my burger was prepared as ordered, a perfect medium rare; a competent chef is a real confidence booster. Both the size and consistency of the patty was spot on; though, I felt the flavor could have had a bit more presence. The bun was aptly proportionate to the patty and was toasted well to maintain stability and keep the juices at bay. The flavor of the bun wasn’t much to brag about, but at least it was fresh. Speaking of freshness, on to the toppings, tangy dressing, tomato, and…iceberg lettuce! Are you serious? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; one who prides themselves for their burgers should never top them with iceberg lettuce. It’s like wearing crocs with a tuxedo, you just don’t do it. The tomato was fine but the tangy dressing was virtually nonexistent. I could see the small amount that was there, but I definitely didn’t taste it. Then again, I’m surprised I was able to taste anything other than blue cheese with the amount of it they put on this thing. Like I said, I like blue cheese, but moderation is the key; a little bit goes a long way. As for the pickle and slaw, the pickle was indeed spicy, which I found misplaced, and the slaw was not worthy of mentioning.
All things considered, I’m sure this burger would have fared much better without the copious amount of blue cheese. As a side note, I ordered the fries with my burger, which I found them to be near, if not, perfect. They were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with just the right amount of salt. The serving size was appropriate, as well; not too modest, but not the gluttonous ‘merican serving that most often accompanies a burger. I’m looking forward to returning to sample some of their other burgers; and now I know not to mess with their formula by adding blue cheese.
Overall Rating: 6.8
Kenneth: Venturing to Dubuque was my first time walking this deeply into Carroll Gardens; and there were a lot of interesting shops and boutiques before arriving. Dubuque is a small venue equipped with a little bar with four or five taps of different craft beers paired with an interesting selection of burgers, such as the spiced lamb burger, the cod and scallop burger, a beef burger stuffed with truffled mushrooms duxelle, a beef burger stuffed with basil pesto, and a few others. But, today I selected their standard beef burger. The beef burger comes with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and a tangy dressing on the patty as well as a few pieces of lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and a spiced pickle on the side. For an extra dollar each, you can get cheese and/or apple wood smoked bacon.
Down to the burger! I ordered the meat medium, and it was lightly charred, juicy, and flavorful despite all the toppings. The spices on the meat paired with how it was prepared made it the shining star of this burger. The bun was purely in support of the meat. It added just enough flavors not to overpower the patty, and its being lightly toasted helped hold the patty beautifully between its two halves. The tangy sauce was bland and seemed to be mixed with the shredded lettuce during the burger construction, which did not add to nor take away from the burger. I did choose to add both cheddar cheese and the apple wood bacon, which paired well with the tangy sauce. Normally, bacon adds a lot of flavor to the burger; but, in this case it was just added texture to the burger. Overall, the burger was simple but packed with a lot of flavor, making this a must try burger. This burger doesn’t come with any sides, but I would suggest the hand cut fries or the roasted brussel sprouts. Let’s not forget the spiced pickle; wonderful when paired with the tangy sauce on the burger.
Overall Rating: 8.0
Jeff: This is probably the best home-style burger I’ve had in a restaurant. In the past, home-style meant cheap buns, iceberg lettuce, thin tomatoes, thin patty, and American cheese. This is like a home burger but made with care and adoration. The shredded iceberg lettuce isn't a negative as with a lot of places. I ordered it medium rare with the apple wood bacon and sharp cheddar cheese. I was the only diner there aside from a mother and child, so there was a nice quietness while I waited. It’s not a large space but seeing as it just opened, I sat at a table up front. It was nice to hear the fries being cooked to order and the meat being grilled. Those sounds go well when one is nursing a beer.
The arrival of my order presented a pretty sight. A well proportioned patty and bun with no overhang. The bun was toasted both on the top and bottom. Very nice! This treatment set the bun on a bit of a pedestal, like it was fine baked bread. You’d be surprised how much a properly toasted bun can go when supporting a burger. This has just enough firmness without being toast, yet still soft and “bun” like on the inside. It held up well, and only on the last bite did the bottom bun give in to the juice of the patty. Speaking of which, coming here again, I think I’d order the burger medium. It’s not that the burger wasn’t cooked a nice medium rare, but I feel having it served medium would be more complimentary to the texture of the bacon.
The apple wood bacon completely covered the patty by the folding and layering; that was nice. There were no annoying parts of bacon jutting out from the side of the burger; everything was contained. Did I mention that the sharp cheddar cheese was melted and completely covered the apple wood bacon as well? Well it did, and it was good. If you order cheddar for a burger, make sure it’s sharp, especially if bacon is present. The two just go well together. The tangy sauce on the burger wasn’t over powering and could be nothing more than Thousand Island dressing or liquid smoke with some additional things, but I'm not complaining, and I doubt you would either.
Three quarters of the way through and I’m feeling as though I should've ordered the burger medium; I think their patty calls for it. Not that it's too thick to be medium rare, but I think being prepared medium would compliment the texture of the bacon and cheese toppings even better.
In closing, Dubuque’s Beef burger takes the home-style burger concept and elevates it to a point that others seriously need to reach.
Overall Rating: 8.2
