Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I used to work as a server at Clyde's in Georgetown. The burgers are a staple and always good. I love getting a blue cheese burger with bacon and raw onion.

I seem to remember that the fries were frozen, as you deduced. Their qualtiy, unfortunately, is very changeable, depending on when you go. The best time to get good, fresh, crispy fries was during the lunch or dinner rush, when the fries are likely to be freshest. During the post-afternoon or later in the evening time, they do sit around for a little while.

I'd like to return to the Glenfiddich v. Laphroaig debate. To say that Glenfiddich (a smooth highland malt) is a possible subsititute for Laphroaig (a smokey, strong island malt) is wrong. That doesn't mean, though, that there are now cheaper substitutes to look for. Probably your best bet for a cheaper substitute would be Bowmore (which also hails from Islay). It goes for around $40.

The unfortunate truth, of course, is that you can't get this in the U.S. Not only do real butchers barely exist anymore, none of us have the actual time to go shopping every day for dinner! I know that working from 8 until 7 isn't conducive to putting the time needed into a good meal.

It would take a complete cultural change in the U.S. to achieve this. How sad... makes me want to move to Rome!

First Five Guys was in Alexandria VA, I believe.

Mr. Smith's is nasty. You should have skipped it and gotten the Black and Blue burger at The Guards if you needed to stay in Georgetown. Or Chadwicks (under the Whitehurst), I've never been but I know people who swear by their burger.

The first Five Guys, was definately not in Georgetown. I believe the first one was in Arlington, VA but doesn't exist anymore. While this is hardly an original thought, my vote for best burger in DC is the front bar of Palena.

Definitely try Z-burger in Chevy Chase. I tried it this weekend and fell in love. Watch out Five Guys, the DivaofYum has found your competition. Savory, decent sized patties with all the toppings you could ever want! Gotta try the onion rings and the z-sauce! YUM!!

Not far from Georgetown, I highly recommend Chef Geoff's. While I'm not a fan of their food generally, it's hard to beat their $5 burger and fries happy hour special (all day on weekends). The burgers use great meat and are properly cooked to temp (toppings like bacon and cheddar included for $5). The fries are thin and crisp. Paired with an $8 supermug of a great microbrew, it makes for a tasty and filling dinner. Great after work or, for tourists, after a day of sightseeing.

Now that my husband and I have left D.C., we compare all burgers to Chef Geoff's.

http://www.chefgeoff.com/main/index.cfm?Restaurant=cg_downtown&Category=Events&Section=Main

I've got Nick's back on this one. Yeah. It's difficult to write about the same subject matter over and over and over and ... and not find yourself revisiting similar phrasing and topics. I've struggled with it for years now with burgers and pizza. Nick manages to hit all the main points a burger freak would look for -- juiciness, bun-beef ratios, patty texture -- and still write compelling reviews that give a comprehensive view of a particular place and its burger. I think the copious detail and history of a place that he often gives balance out any perceived repetition. The only other approach I could see a guy taking is one that Mister Hamburger took while he was still active: reducing the parameters to a grade scale and glossing over them. I like Mister Hamburger's approach, but I like that Nick gives us lots of detail beyond a simple scale.