Mid-Range Burgers
By Adam Kuban
December 11, 2006
After a little more than a year and a half spent focusing primarily on mom-and-pop burger joints on Serious Eats site A Hamburger Today, I felt it was high time to explore the world of burgers in the "casual dining" sector. More than a few AHT readers had emailed expressing the opinion that Houlihan's or Red Robin or T.G.I.Friday's had surprisingly good burgers. Countless television commercials touting the fare at these bar-and-grill type restaurants played a part, too, getting me off the couch and into the booths of four of the nation's most recognizable chains in the course of one day.
My mission was to sample cheeseburgers, collect visual intel, and report my findings to you, our burger-loving readers. I sampled standard cheeseburgers at Houlihan's, Applebee's, T.G.I.Friday's, and Red Robin, asking for medium-rare or as close to it as possible. Below are the results.
Houlihan's
Locations: 80 in 21 states [restaurant finder]; reviewed at 139 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn NY 11217
Cost: $8.79 (comes with choice of fries, coleslaw, or tortilla chips and salsa)
Meat: 3/5
Bun: 2/5
Toppings: 4/5
Cheese: 3/5
Presentation: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
First up was Houlihan's, the smallest chain among those that I tried, with 80 locations in 21 states. Of the four casual dining options of the day, Houlihan's was the most upscale, with a decor that might be described as "slightly swanky"--dark wood accents; dark, moody lighting; a conservative amount of framed retro French movie posters on the walls; and a low-key vibe that matched the Stereolab soundtrack that back the muted Jets game on a handful of strategically placed flat-panel TVs. Service was adequate--friendly but not overbearing.
I ordered the cheeseburger, advertised on the menu as 100 percent fresh Angus beef, medium-rare, and it arrived at table about ten minutes thereafter, cooked well north of desired doneness, to about medium-well. As all burgers at the four restaurants, this one came standard with lettuce, tomato, and red onion were all fresh-tasting, crisp, and cool. The bun was a bit too thick and also dry, throwing off the meat-to-bun ratio and also doing nothing to help the dryness of the overcooked patty. The meat itself tasted like it could have been a contender, had it not been done to within an inch of its life. And, for what looked like a beefy burger as presented, the patty itself only contributed about half an inch to the sandwich's thickness.
Applebee's
Locations: 1,804 in 49 states [restaurant finder]; reviewed at 395 Flatbush Ave. Extension, Brooklyn NY 11201
Cost: $7.59 (comes with fries)
Meat: 2/5
Bun: 4/5
Toppings: 3/5
Cheese: 2/5
Presentation: 3/5
Overall: 2/5
Not more than a few blocks away from the Houlihan's, Applebee's was the next stop on my burger tour. With 1,804 locations in 49 states, you've likely been to an Applebee's, so descriptions are almost unnecessary. This one varied very little from the ones I'd grown up around near Overland Park, Kansas, which is corporate home to the chain--plenty of art on the walls to look at, brass rails, and stained-glass lighting fixtures. Service here, too, was friendly, with very attentive hosts and servers, and the food arrived quickly.
The meat here is also billed as 100 percent Angus beef, and, as the menu states, "All burgers are cooked to medium/medium-well." "Are the burgers fresh or frozen?" I asked the waiter. "Frozen," he replied. Not looking good, I thought, but resolved to give the burger a fair shake. I asked for it as close to medium as possible, but it came out (sloppily presented) very well done and so over salted as to be almost inedible. I was unable to ascertain the flavor of the beef for all the salt. Lettuce, tomato, and onion were all fresh tasting, and the bun was very good--perfectly toasted, soft and squishy, and cornmeal-dusted for some texture on top--but they couldn't make up for the patty they accompanied. I gave up after eating a quarter of this burger.
T.G.I.Friday's
Locations: 576 in 47 states [restaurant finder]; reviewed at 372 Fulton Street Brooklyn NY 11201
Cost: $10.99
Meat: 3/5
Bun: 3/5
Toppings: 2/5
Cheese: 4/5
Presentation: 3/5
Overall: 3/5
Upset at the lackluster showing at Applebee's, I was looking for burger redemption at T.G.I.Friday's. I ended up at an interesting location: the former Gage & Tollner, a landmark Brooklyn restaurant until its closing in February 2004. Though locals bemoaned the fact that a chain replaced the venerable institution, a T.G.I.Friday's is not entirely out of place here; it moved into a space with cherrywood accents, a mahogany bar, and cut-glass chandeliers--just the type of atmosphere the branches I've visited elsewhere try to evoke.
I skipped the Jack Daniel's burger (special JD-infused sauce) in favor of a regular cheeseburger so as to keep T.G.I.Friday's on a level playing field with the other sandwiches eaten. Here, the menu made no mention of Angus beef nor issued any prescriptive proclamations as to doneness; I ordered medium-rare with American cheese. Again, the burger that arrived at table was cooked far beyond what I had ordered, though this time to medium-well. Presentation was adequate, and the burger certainly looked hefty but, as at Houlihan's, the patty here was a relatively small part of equation. Despite the overcooking, there was still some juiciness left in the beefy-tasting patty, and the bun was lightly toasted and pillowy. Toppings were haphazardly stacked and of subpar quality, I ended up jettisoning the shredded lettuce, too-thick tomatoes, and mushy pickles that tasted more like cucumbers.
Red Robin
Locations: 307 in 35 states [restaurant finder]; reviewed at 265 State Hwy. Route 3E, Clifton NJ 07014
Cost: $8.99 (comes with "bottomless" steak fries)
Meat: 4/5
Bun: 4/5
Toppings: 4/5
Cheese: 3/5
Presentation: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
The last burger of the day, which I ate sometime around 10 p.m., was from Red Robin. For this stop, I took out a Zipcar and made the 14-mile, two-hour journey to Clifton, New Jersey, the nearest location to my home. Perhaps it's a bit unfair to throw this one in the mix, since Red Robin is a casual-dining concept based on burgers, whereas the other three do not place the noble sandwich at the center of their business. But it serves as an example of what the other bar and grills should aim for. Here, the burger's price was in line with the first three sites but it far outstripped them in terms of quality.
Red Robin has an atmosphere that's similar to, but a bit more staid, than Applebee's--call it Applebee's Lite. Like the Applebee's I visited, the hosts and servers were very friendly and attentive, and the food arrived at table in almost no time. The 22 specialty burgers on the menu here, all made from fresh ground beef, are cooked "with some pink or no pink," according to my server. I ordered "some pink." Of the chains, this one cooked the burger closest to the temperature I had ordered. I didn't see much pink in the patty, but it remained juicy nonetheless. Toppings were of good quality, sandwiched with patty and melted cheese within a toasted, sesame-seed covered bun. Presentation was flawless, with the burger arriving at table neatly wrapped yet bursting from its wax-paper wrapping, accompanied by a handful of steak fries in a plastic burger basket. As with the other three burgers, the meat-to-bun ratio skewed a bit in favor of bready. Still, after 2.25 burgers earlier in the day, I felt compelled to finish this one.
And thus ended my day and night recon of the mid-range casual-dining burgerworld. Though I'm disheartened by what I found, I realize there are some decent sandwiches to be had. For that reason, I will expand my scope and explore other chains in the near future--notably Ruby Tuesday, which had closed for the evening by the time I made it through the Lincoln Tunnel. Also on the list: Bennigan's, Chili's, and any others that you might wish to send me to (leave your suggestions in the Comments).
29 Comments
11:27AM on 12/11/06
A chain that started here in burger-crazy San Antonio, Fuddrucker's, does pretty well. They used to actually grind their own meat, and had halves of beef hanging in glass-doored refers, but don't anymore, so that is a question mark. But the buns are still made on the premises, are fresh, and actually pretty good, and you top your own with a sort of salad bar that has its lettuce, onions, tomato offered sliced or chopped, as well as salsa, jalapenos and pickles. Maybe the jalapenos are only available in Texas, I don't know. They also have hot cheese sauce to put on the burgers, with or without jalapenos.
We have a Red Robin nearby, and it is open late. My husband was politickin' all year, and so we ate there quite a bit at the end of a long day and night of grippin' and grinnin'. He is crazy about the big one with the fried egg on it, and I don't like the fries, so I get a side salad instead with a regular burger like the one you wrote about.
San Antonio is a burger-crazy town with very opinionated folks, and we have a huge number of mom and pop and local chain burger places. The newest one opened about a year ago, called "Bigz", and it was started by Andrew Weissman of Le Reve. It's the burger place for the upscale fully-loaded Hummer drivers to bring their soccer kids after the game. The burgers are nothing special, although there are some different sauces you can ask for, like rosemary mayonaise, which change daily. Their onion rings are the thing I order, and Mr. dks gets his burger "dirty" (with a fried egg on top). But he'd rather go to a local joint called Chris Madrid's near downtown. If you eat their biggest burger completely, they give you a tee-shirt. The burgers are large in diameter on extra-large buns, but I just get the nachos and a beer.
See? I'm one of those opinionated San Antonians, too.
But look for Fuddruckers. I'd like your opinion on the only place in town I really like to go for a burger.
11:59AM on 12/11/06
Thanks for the Fuddrucker's suggestion, dksbook! I initially had it on my list, but the nearest one is in western New York state. I'll hit up Fuddrucker's when I visit my family for Christmas -- there's one near where I grew up, along with almost any other casual dining restaurant you can imagine.
12:26PM on 12/11/06
If I am not mistaken there is also a Fuddrucker's @ one of the casinos in CT.
1:07PM on 12/11/06
there is on one route 1 in New Brunswick NJ. not too far from rutgers.
1:42PM on 12/11/06
there used to be a Red Robin in King's Plaza shopping mall in Brooklyn. I'm sure I got dragged there once as a kid.
Adam, sorry i haven't done the Madison, WI burger writeup yet. I still have lots of photos on my laptop.
3:00PM on 12/11/06
Adam - the residents of 19 states are lucky to be able to fast-food it at Steak & Shake. The Steakburger (claims are that it's made of steak cuts) is first seared and then cooked to order. The plain bun is toasted - toppings per request. The closet to NYC I believe is in Pittsburgh.
When I visit friends in Ohio this is among my first stops - a truly delicious chain burger if there ever was one.
3:17PM on 12/11/06
@Astrid: Good to hear from you! Long time, no e! Hope all's well with you. Yeah. Last time I was at King's Plaza, I didn't see a RR. Then again, I wasn't looking for it. I'd love to read a Madison burger writeup. Lemme guess: butter burgers?
@Livetotravel: A reader of A Hamburger Today recently sang the praises of Steak 'n' Shake. It's on my to-try list for when I go home, too.
4:32PM on 12/11/06
Adam - There's a Fuddrucker's on Route 4 East in Paramus, about a 10-15min drive from the GW Bridge, probably no further (if not closer) than the Red Robin you visited in Clifton.
4:33PM on 12/11/06
Those commercials for Ruby Tuesday make me want to try their burgers... i've never seen one here in CA though.
10:26PM on 12/11/06
Agree on Fuddrucker's. Not nearly as good as it used to be (when they did the butchering onsite in an area visible to customers, and kept the menu more limited), but still consistently above average.
Red Robin on the other hand can vary wildly depending on location (mostly differences in management). I've given up on the burger's at Red Robin, and stick with the Fish and Chips when I'm forced to go there. If I want a consistently good cheap burger, I'll go to In-n-Out.
The best mid-price chain burger I've had is from Cheesecake Factory, the Chophouse burger. Large quality meat patty cooked to order on a good grilled bun with fresh crisp fries. Most of the Cheesecake Factory menu is trendy garbage often too complicated for the limited kitchen staff to pull off, but the simple dishes are well prepared with quality ingredients.
As for AppleBee's or TGIF's, I'm surprised you bothered. Heavily marketed junk.
11:10PM on 12/11/06
Another solidly good burger-from-a-chain can be found at Houston's. They'll actually give you a lovely patty as rare or as well-done as you want it. Dripping with juices, it's a messy eat, but it hits the spot!
1:31AM on 12/12/06
Charcoal Pit in Delaware. This place takes you back. The best char pit broiled burgers, fries, onion rings and fries. Get a milkshake they make them from scratch one at a time with fresh dipped ice cream. There are 4 or so locations, all good. If your driving through Delaware stop in and enjoy.
9:02AM on 12/12/06
Adam, there is a fuddrucker's on rt 4 in paramus, nj. It's about 25-30 minutes outside manhattan. You're not missing much. The BEST chain burger is Houston's hands down. Loosly packed meat, good bun and fresh toppings. The fries are sick as well. I'm a white mana hackensack regular...I know good burgers.
9:42AM on 12/12/06
oooh national chains. i dig it. if you're making your way through them, outback has burgers on their menus too.
it's refreshing to see you venture out into the chains of "casual dining" because the dichotomy between a "serious eater" and the rest of us is kind of unsettling at times. it almost borderlines on blue state eater or red state eater. real foodie vs the rest of us!
anyway, i see this as a good thing. i dunno how national chains compare to mom & pops, but it's good to know the national chains are reviewed at least. keep up the good work.
10:56AM on 12/12/06
@Matt E. & Davey: Thanks for the Fuddrucker's location info. I didn't find the NJ locations on their website because their "Fuddrucker's Finder" is a bit clunky to use. Wish I would have did a more thorough search.
@Mimi: We actually did a Houston's review on A Hamburger Today. I was going to mention Houston's in this roundup, but Houston's seemed to be a notch above these restaurants in terms of price and quality. But, yeah: Houston's beats all these hands down.
@JerzeeTomato: I learned about the Charcoal Pit when doing some research on Delaware burgers. What about Jake's? I've heard those are some great Delaware-based burgers.
@Pauper: Will try Outback, too, but more important, I'm happy you liked the casual dining element here.
I'm working on an FAQ to the question "What is a Serious Eater?" Our bywords here at Serious Eats are "passionate, discerning, inclusive," with a lot of weight on "inclusive." I think the confusion comes about because the name of the site refers to a phrase that its founder, Ed Levine, uses. Whenever he has a good slice of pizza, apple pie, or some fancypants Thomas Keller somethin'-or-other, he's like, "Man, that's some serious eats!" And so the name just sorta stemmed from that. As long as YOU are serious about a food item being good, then it's serious eats and you are a serious eater. As I like to say, that could be anything from fairground to foie gras, or in my case, pizza and burgers, two of the most egalitarian foods around.
12:49PM on 12/12/06
Max and Erma's has excellent burgers. The poppyseed bun is toasted to perfection and the meat is juicy and flavorful. http://www.maxandermas.com/Locations.cfm
2:04PM on 12/12/06
It's interesting the point that Pauper and a few others have made about the idea of "serious eats." Serious Eats is all about burgers, pizza, and the foods I have been writing about for a long time. We are gourmet populists. We're looking for honest, real food food that's delicious. The name comes from what I usually say when I eat a truly great slice of pizza or hamburger: "That's a serious slice of pizza" or "That's a serious burger." Serious eaters are everywhere. Hell, I don't even care much for caviar.
4:53PM on 12/12/06
I'd like to cast a vote for the sliders at Pizzeria Uno. Surprisingly good, and they WILL cook them medium to medium rare.
6:36PM on 12/12/06
fuddrucker's kicks ass
3:45AM on 12/13/06
Adam I have not been to Jake's yet. But I want to. When I go I will let you know all the gory details.
6:02PM on 12/13/06
Fuddrucker's, in my opinion, is by far the best chain burger -- up there with the best burgers period -- and well above Red Robin. There used to be two in Manhattan, but they have unfortunately been gone for 10 years or so. The nearest one now is in Paramus. Its well worth the trip.
6:23PM on 12/13/06
@Makanmata: Good to hear from you here on Serious Eats! And about burgers. Just like on A Hamburger Today. I'll try the Fuddrucker's in Overland Park, Kansas, when I'm home over Xmas.
8:41PM on 12/13/06
You should also add maybe Fatburger to the list? They're only in about 13 states [lots of them in California and Nevada], but there are several in New Jersey: one very close by in Jersey City [on Washington Street, between Montgomery and Columbus]. Good, freshly-made burgers.
5:07PM on 12/19/06
FIVE GUYS burgers in Charlotte, NC (other locations on website) had one of the best burgers I've ever had. This is the only burger I've had that rivals IN N OUT BURGER.... true burger nirvana.
6:04PM on 02/04/07
fuddrucker's is the best!
8:01PM on 02/04/07
Fuddruckers IS great. BUT.....I want you to try a burger at a cool bar in Springfield, Missouri.... WF CODY'S. They are huge cooked to order burgers. THE BEST AROUND. Another item you could try is a HUGE prok tenderloin sandwich. next time you are in town head down to springfield.
12:17PM on 02/05/07
THE COUNTER IN SANTA MONICA CALIF, LOCATED AT 2901 OCEAN PK. PHONE 310-399-8311 HAS THE BEST BURGERS AND TOPPINGS BAR NONE. EVERYTHING IS UNDER $10.00, MADE FRESH, CHECK OUT THEIR WEB SITE
9:56PM on 02/06/07
J. Alexander's has, by far, the best burger I have ever eaten. They grind their own Certified Angus Chuck in-house. They test it to make sure it has the proper fat percentage mandated by their corporate cookbook. Then they grill the burger on a wood-fire grill. It is served with leaf lettice, cirspy red onion, tomato, and pickles (3). Tillamook cheddar is the cheese of choice, but monterrey jack and swiss are also available. The chain operates only 28 restaurants, and might be considered upscale by comparison to your other burger restaurant selections; however, TGI Fridays charges $10.99 for a burger, J. Alexander's charges $10. I urge you to try it!
9:15AM on 02/07/07
You should try Cheeburger. They even have the 1lb. Burger, that's a challenge. If you eat it all your picture goes up on the wall.
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