Tag Archives: Burgers

Impressions of Shake Shack DC

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Lauren and I had some errands to run in NW DC on Sunday.  Around 11, we were starting to get hungry and were trying to figure out what to do for lunch.   We weren’t horribly far from Dupont Circle so we thought it’d be fun to check out Shake Shack, which has JUST opened up in DC.

A lot of my NYC friends rave about how great the burgers are, so much so that they wait in line for sometimes an hour plus just to get a burger or a shake.  Plus with all the hubbub that it’s been getting on the area food blogs, figured we’d have to see if it lives up to the hype.

In short, it was a darn good burger but it didn’t change my life.  With all the hype that it’s been getting, it was really excepting for it to redefine the way that I understand the American cheeseburger.  When it actuality, it was just a damn good burger.  I don’t think it’s worth waiting in line for more than 15 minutes.

We were pretty stoked because when we got there today the line was maybe 5 or 6 people.  It probably helped that we were there around 11:30 and it was Sunday.

We both got the Shack burgers.  We split some cheese fries.  She got the chocolate milk shake and I got the red velvet custard.  It was all SUPER delicious.  I like that their fries are the crinkle cut fries.  I like fries that have some heft to them.

It’ll be interested to see how Shake Shack fairs in the long-term.  Have you been there?  What do you think?

Also… are heading towards a burger bubble in Washington DC?  It seems like we have SOOOOO many specialty burger places in Washington, DC.

In DC, Five Guys is everywhere.   Spike Mendelson has Good Stuff Eatery.  BGR is starting to grow in popularity.   Didn’t I hear that Bobby Flay was opening a burger place in DC sometime soon?  When is it just too much for the market to bare?  Then again I didn’t think that Georgetown could support 3 different high-end cupcake shops and yet it does.

Well, till the next blog post.  Toodles…

(Photo by Scaredy kat)

Cheeky Tastings: “The Grille”

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I had lunch with a good friend of mine at the Capital Grille near the Navy Memorial in DC the other day. I usually don’t have power lunches but this was just one of those Fridays, I suppose. We were eating at nearly 2pm. It had been a long week.

There’s a lot you could say about the Grille, from the bleached blondes at the bar scoping the room to the excellent staff waiting on your requests to the fact that the place was packed in the middle of a recession. But surely all that has been said before.

Two quick tasting notes. One, the “truffled fries” are insanely good. I’m not certain I’ve had them before. They’re really addictive. Unclear if a goal of the Grille is to make its customers fat but you almost cannot stop eating these things. There was also a sick side sauce in addition to the normal stuff. Sorry, I forget what it was.

Two, the hamburger apparently had bacon up in it. Good idea.

If you’re looking to blow a little money, perhaps have some wine, and have a nice power lunch with some hearty food [oh, the lobster bisque was great, too!] definitely try the Grille on Penn and 6th (or most any other Grille). It’s a little old-school and it’s filled with Washington’s power elite, but so what? Just think about the fries.

- Mark Drapeau

Cheeky Tastings: “French Roast”

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I drink a lot of coffee. But at some point, maybe around six years ago when I moved to New York, I stopped being tolerant of light coffee. And I consider a dark Italian Roast “light.” I can really only drink French Roast or something else fairly extreme like Starbuck’s Gold Coast Blend (which, frankly, is a little light for me). That’s when I make it at home, at least. I usually use Starbucks or Peet’s Coffee brand beans and a normal grinder and machine, nothing fancy. A touch of cream to cut the harshness.

Oddly, when I’m on the go, I am a little more tolerant. But it has to be equally extreme. In New York, I would drink 50-cent coffee from the coffee carts in Greenwich Village, extra cream and sugar. This was light, cheap stuff. Now, especially at airports and train stations, I try to grab some Dunkin Donuts coffee. I always take it “regular” which is old-school for “cream and sugar” (where did that come from by the way?). I’ve tried replicating Dunkin coffee at home to no avail. They just do it – everywhere – in such a way that I can’t like. I suppose it’s like trying to replicate Burger King at home or something.

Any theories on why I have to go to extremes with my coffee tastes?

- Mark Drapeau

McDonald’s Coupons

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For all of my complaints about American shoddiness, I do visit the local McDonald’s more often than I care to admit. The reason is simple: coupon. In this economy, one can never save enough money, and “Mickey D’s” is one of the more recession-proof American institutions. The coupons are decent too. It’s not like some of the clothes coupons we get in the mail. “Buy 5 pairs of jeans, get one free,” or such similar salutes to the excess that got us into this mess in the first place. The coupon booklets we get in the mail once per month are good deals and get the thrifty eater in the front door.

Speaking of excess, Septembers coupon booklet promotes the new 1/3 pound Angus burger. You probably have not missed the advertisements that say “please to meat you” and remind us that “bigger is better.” The promotion implies that blue-collar McDonald’s is serving patties that compete with your favorite local burger dives. I was skeptical, but I also had a coupon.

If I am going to give my body for unhealthy, pant-size-increasing food, the taste should be worth the sacrifice. I’m even  willing to try deep-fried butter or chocolate-covered bacon for the sake of novelty. But there was nothing novel about my 1/3 pound Angus burger from McDonald’s, even the one with bacon. It tastes any other McDonald’s burger, which ain’t worth the heart-attack. If you want a burger with a taste larger than the side effects, come on down to Capitol Hill and visit Good Stuff Eatery. If you want to save money by eating at Mickey D’s, I recommending a grilled chicken snack wrap. They are cheap, filling and good tasting. Moreover, you won’t feel like a bucket of grease was dumped in your stomach afterwards. There’s no earthly reason to buy a 1/3 pound Angus burger from McDonald’s. Unless, of course, you have a coupon.

My Quest For A Double Double Animal Style

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After doubting the amazingness of In-N-Out Burgers, yesterday I finally took the time to do what all my friends hand been calling me to do.  I tried the Double Double Animal Style Burger.

If you look on the menu at In-N-Out, this is an option that you’re not going to see.  It’s on their secret menu.  As an East coaster, this is something that I had heard of but had never partaken in, even though I’ve been to In-N-Out a handful of times.

I have to say that while before for me the double double was kind of “meh”, when you add the Animal style, I give it a firm two thumbs up.    The Animal style consists of “the meat is cooked and fried with mustard and then pickles
are added, extra spread and grilled onions are added.”

(I can’t say that I’d give the fries a thumbs up but I’ll save that for another post.)

I can now better understand how this secret menu adds more of a mystique to In n Out, above and beyond what you’d get if you were just passing by and decided to stop in.

I’ve heard from some In-N-Out fans that they feel that things have gone down hill now that you can actually get the secret menu off of their Web site.

(Photo by dongkwan)

Poll: Who makes the better burger, Five Guys or In-N-Out?

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I have a deep and vexing existential question that’s been bugging me, ever since I got back from San Francisco a few weeks ago. What’s the better burger, Five Guys or In-N-Out?

I’m leaning towards the East Coast’s very own Five Guys. (Don’t hate if you feel the opposite.) To me, In-N-Out burgers feel loosely thrown together and the fries are drab.   It’s good but “meh.”

What do you think and why?  Leave me a comment.  If neither are in your geographic area, what is your favorite place to get a burger?

(Photo of Five Guys meal by House of Sims and photo of the In-N-Out meal by Pointnshoot.)