The Institute

I'm shocked I haven't written about the Institute, because I've been here tons of times.

There's a lot to like about this bar: It's close to work (for me). It's got a chill atmosphere and is never too crowded. The beer list is good. The happy hour is every day of the week and features $2 off drafts and half priced apps. Most importantly, the Institute is always improving. The bar has expanded along with the number of draft lines, and the kitchen has always been experimenting and getting better ever since they started serving food.

I also finally had dinner here, and the burger is delicious. I'm pretty judgmental when it comes to cheese burgers, and the Institute was impressive. It was perfectly cooked to order, the meat was juicy and flavorful, and the toppings and bun are good quality. All of these are essential for a great burger.

I'll continue to hit up this joint and look forward to seeing how they improve. Maybe Quizzo?

Charlie's Hamburgers

Charlie's hamburgers is a traditional burger stand, the kind that used to dominate before fast food chains took over nearly every roadway in the US and the world. And for this simple nostalgic reason, I'd probably like Carlie's even if they served up mediocre food.

But the burgers here are great. The grill man is a master. If you watch closely, you'll see him with a large slab of beef in one hand while picks off perfectly sized blobs and places them on the grill. The buns are also toasted on the griddle.

I ordered the two special burgers, the bunny special (tomato, lettuce, raw onion, pickles and cheese, and the Charlie special (fried onions, pickles, and cheese). The patties are on the small side, so I recommend ordering a double if you like a heavy meat to bun ratio.

The food isn't amazing, the beef is average, but the Charlie's serves up a gooey, messy burger that truly satisfies. The two burgers I ordered came out to just over $5. I've heard the milkshakes are good, but I can't bring myself to pay for them at $4.35. They don't have a deep fryer, so there aren't any fries.

This place looks more like someone's living room with an indoor grill than a restaurant. It's small, there's lots of locals, but the staff will quickly take care of you and get you fed. If you get the burgers to go, they come in little wax paper sacks, which I found oddly charming.

Bottom Line: It's a bit outside of the city, but if you're headed to/from the airport, it's not that far out of the way. It's a classic American burger stand, and I like it simply for that. But the burgers also hit the spot. Closed Tuesdays.

Penguin Drive-In

Almost as quickly as a new edition of Hamburger America was released, I was lucky enough to be out and tasting the newest findings. This time, it was the Penguin Drive-In in Charlotte, North Carolina. We walked in shortly before six on a Friday and didn't have any trouble getting a seat. Our server came over quickly, and she was pleasant during our whole visit. She offered us the house special appetizer, fried pickles, but I'm certainly at a loss for shy see are so popular. My hometown favorite, Memphis taproom, blows them out of the water.

The beer selection offered standard big brews from across the us and world, as well three craft beers on Draft. I drank a beer from Old Meck right in Charlotte and Widmer Pale ale. Fat Tire was also on tap. The temperature on these beers was a bit warm, and the pours were anything but generous. Still, when the bill came out and I saw they were $2 each, my complaints vanished.

I was dining with Mom, Charlie ,and Laura, and everyone went for burgers. I stuck with the name sake, which came with lettuce, onions, friend pickles, and smothered in pimento cheese. The cheese isn't bad, but is still a novelty. American would taste be better. George Motts wrote about huge 1/3 pound patties, but these are nowhere to be found. Instead, small, griddle cooked burgers were served. They had that distinctive char taste, and the only disappointment with the patty was that it didn't cover all of the bread. It was a good burger, but certainly doesn't deserve a write up in a book that chronicles the country's best burger joints.


The best burger was ordered by Mom: southern style. Essentially a chili cheeseburger, it was quite tasty. We also ordered a few sides, onion rings and sweet potato fries. The fires were covered in cinnamon and sugar, making them like a dessert and frankly, ruining them. The onion rings weren't terrible , but lacked any real flavor and crispiness.

The atmosphere here is fun. Seat yourself, and look at pictures from the business over the last sixty years. It's part bar, part family restaurant, but it works. There's even a Rockola jukebox in the corner with an impressively bad playlist offered.


The bottom line: it seems this place recently came under new management, and maybe not for the better. Still, the burger is good, the beer, like everything else, is pretty cheap. Worth a stop, but don't go out of your way.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack may have the best ground beef I've ever eaten. This is perfectly flavorful, juicy, griddle cooked beef that's ground fresh daily. Respectably, cheese is only offered as American, and the meat and cheese combine in a truly delicious fashion. If your lunch is like mine, a double shake burger will come out with lettuce, tomato, cheese, two patties, and "special" (thousand island) sauce on a squishy white bun, wrapped up in a wax paper sleeve.


This is all quite similar to an In-N-Out burger, but doesn't have the same quality of tomato and lettuce that the fantastic West Coast chain offers. In fact, the relative average quality of everything besides than the meat and cheese is what keeps the burger from being truly amazing.

While Corner Bistro still wins in my heart for favorite NYC burger, that's more because of the establishment as a whole. As I've said, the ground beef here is unbeatable.


I didn't partake in the name sake, but I'd like to try a shake at some point. The fries were average crinkle cut potatoes, nothing special. Be prepared for long wait here, or try and time your visit in between lunch and dinner on weekdays.

Bottom Line: These cows make my mouth water.

Adsum

I made my way here with my good friend Quinn on a Sunday for a quick bite to eat. I heard Adsum has a great burger. So at 5:30 we walk in and are seated at the bar. Sunday happy hour, not bad: $2 cans of Yella Pils and Phoenix pale ale.

The atmosphere here is kind of cool, it's trying to be an old time pharmacy. There are beakers and test tubes, and book shelves behind the bar filled with all kind of gadgets and books. Even though we were there pretty early in the evening and it wasn't busy, the service was surprisingly slack. We were the only people eating dinner and it took about 30 minutes to get our orders.

The burger is served with cheddar, which is not my favorite cheese for a burger. It's congealed before you can finish. The caramelized onions, however, were an excellent topping. But the size of the burger was the most problematic. It more of a ball shape than a patty. It's nearly impossible to fit into your mouth. To boot, my burger wasn't near the medium rare that I ordered. The duck fat fries, which were served on the side, were good and crispy, but had no flavor indication that they were cooked in any special way.

Bottom Line: This place is decent and unique. The service needs a little work, and if I'm back, I won't have the cheeseburger. I'm not going out of my way to visit Adsum again.

Rossi's

I've never lost a battle to a burger until I ordered the Rossi burger. I was fully unprepared for this massive slab of delicious meat. Hamburger America led me to Rossi's for this famed Rossi burger.

Cheeseburgers are $6 and can be topped with a bunch of different options. I was out with Dan. Mine: Lettuce, Tomato, fried onions and American cheese cooked medium rare. Dan: Raw onion and American, also medium rare. The burger comes out on a large white roll, but the bread still can't contain the meat. As I bit into it, the juices began to flow. It was delicious meat and cooked as I ordered. Half way though my burger, it was a mess that's falling apart, and I had a big smile on my face.
We also ordered steak fries and fried zucchini. The fries were standard, and the fried zucchini was a huge order of a surprisingly tasty app. But we should have skipped these and focused on the burger; it was a lot of food.

Beer is pretty standard and nothing special. There are five or so taps; Stella, Yeungling, Miller Lite, Bud, Heineken were all represented, if I remember correctly. $5 for a pint of Stella isn't bad at all.

Most of the reviews on Yelp for Rossi's are silly. If you read most of them, most of the write-ups are about soda and topping prices. If you don't like that, don't get soda. And even with four or five toppings, the burger prices are still below average.

The bartender was nice and attentive, and even warned us that the kitchen was going to be closing down early so that we had enough time to get our order in. He was a fun guy. This place has a weird, but hometown atmosphere.

Bottom Line: The hours of 5-10pm 6 days a week are a downside. This place is still awesome, and completely worth the drive from Philly to try out this burger, which is surely a challenge to finish. I'm looking forward to my next attempt.

White Manna

I love history. I also love good food. And burgers....and when all three can be worked into one, well, I'm pretty excited. The book Hamburger America again shed light on the amazing White Manna location in Hackensack, NJ.

I almost couldn't believe the place when I saw it from my car. It's a tiny building, maybe around 600 sq ft. When you walk in there door, there is a griddle in the center of the room fenced off by a counter. At max capacity, you can't fit more than maybe fifteen people. There are two employees, the grill man, and another person taking care of fries, drinks, and the register. To order, you must wait until the grill man makes eye contact with you, and then, you tell him your order. The menu is small, but that doesn't matter, because the look no further than the double cheeseburger.

When you order you double cheeseburger, the grill man will take two small wads of meat and flatten them on the griddle. He'll top it with american cheese and onions. And then you'll see his meticulous work while he manages the griddle filled with upwards of twenty burgers. The bun is set on top to steam and soak up the grease and onion flavor. And once it's cooked, he expertly slides the spatula under the patty, grabs half the bun, and uses the bun to pull the whole thing off the spatula. The result is a messy, gooey concoction of beef, onions and cheese. It doesn't look pretty, but it tastes amazing. Pickles, mustard, and ketchup are on the side, and like traditional cheeseburgers, this tastes best with pickles and mustard. The double cheeseburger is highly recommended as it offers the perfect bun-cheese-meat ratio.

The decor is also great. The joint was designed after the 1939 World's Fair Diner of the Future, and it doesn't look like much has changed since then. Everyone converges here, from travellers, to business men, to highschoolers. It's fun.

Bottom Line: Eating at White Manna is an experience. From the ordering, to cooking, to decor, this place stands out. And to top it off, you're going to have some of the best cheeseburgers you will ever eat.

Devil's Den

Last time I went to Devil's Den I remember horrible service, okay food and 3 lines tapped with no replacements in sight. My last visit, however, was much improved. This place first landed on my radar for the happy hour. M-F 5-7 gets you half priced drinks. And that's on top of the already reasonable prices. For beer selection, Devil's Den doesn't disappoint. Even though I don't go often, they always have something new for me to try, and I really appreciate that.

The decor here is great, I really like this place and it has a great long wooden bar. There are a few large screen TVs. I went here to watch a hockey game, and while there was music playing all night, the bartender turned up the TV's audio all the way so I could here the game a little bit. The service here does need some work. Everyone just seems to be moving on a slower pace, but it wasn't horrible.

I like the menu here. Dan ordered a raw meat platter and he enjoyed that. It had a lot of interesting different pairings, and the only complaint would be that it wasn't very filling for $15. I ordered the burger, my standard go-to. I ordered a cheeseburger, but it came out without my cheese. It was a few minutes before I could even get the bartender's attention to get it fixed, but I got a free beer for the ordeal. No harm, ho foul. There was harm in how it was cooked. I ordered medium rare, and it wasn't even close. No part of the inside of my burger was pink. The bread is great, the fries are good, and its served with a great aioli. If it came out with my cheese and cooked to order, I would be pretty satisfied. I was also out with Quinn, who is a lover of well done burgers, and she was still talking about it a few days later. I'm definitely willing to give it another go.

Bottom Line: They have a great happy hour here, good beer selection, and reasonable prices. It's not amazing, but Devil's Den is a welcomed retreat, especially in winter when you cozy up next to the fireplace, which brings the whole place up a notch on a blustery evening.

Catahoula

I visited last night with my good friend Lauren. I heard about the "My burger" and wanted to check it out. Catahoula is a small, welcoming bar tucked away on south front street. The beer list has some good craft beers on tap; its nothing you won't around the city but even with six taps we were both able to find something to enjoy. Straub, Six Point, Dark Horse and Abita were all represented.

The atmosphere here is great. Its not a big place, but there a nice long bar with about six tall four top tables around the rest of the room. There are several large flat screens, and all were playing sports while we were eating. This would be a great place to causally catch a game if you want to escape the normal monotony of a sports bar. The service was good, and the bar tender was helpful and welcoming. I can't completely put my finger on it, but something about Catahoula is welcoming and inviting.

The menu here is great and I'd like to visit again to try some of the Cajun offerings. But the purpose of this visit was to try the "My burger." Its a massive 9 oz patty cooked to order topped with goat cheese, bacon a fried green tomato and some kind of aioli. I generally don't go for goat cheese on a burger, or in general, but I was really surprised by it. I highly recommend trying it when you visit.

Honestly, this burger has too much going on. I recommend getting something more simple. One of the reasons is because the meat is delicious. It's excellently prepared ground beef, and my medium-rare was as truly cooked as medium-rare can be. The bun was a large, squishy buttery role that was the prefect delivery method for the patty. The bacon and fried tomato were a little bit of flavor overkill. THe cajun fries served with the burger are strong and flavorful. My only other complaint is that at 9 oz, even I had trouble polishing it off.

Bottom Line: Catahoula servers a great burger, and I like this spot. It's a little more pricey than I would like, but I'm still going to make this a to go spot.

Tessaro's

I'm always trying to hit up places that are listed in the fantastic book "Hamburger America." Tessaro's is one of two places to be listed for Pennsylvania. I visited while in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago with high expectations. I like the joint, it seems like a family run business, and there's a lot of people coming and going. We didn't have to wait long for a table, and the service was fine. I do like the atmosphere, but I just had so many better burgers that I just can't rave about this place.

They don't have a frier, so your burger comes with home fries or potato salad. This wasn't bad, but I really love the classic combination of burgers and fries. Maybe it was an off day. I know they have their own butcher who works in house, and that is exciting. But the burger wasn't memorable at all.

Bottom Line: I've had better.

NYC's Corner Bistro

Corner Bistro is nearly perfect. I packed in here with wonderful my sister, Laura, and a bunch of strangers on a Friday night while visiting NYC. We all stood in line in a small aisle between the bar and a few tables. The line moved pretty quickly, and the wait was made easy by the beer. McSorely's was available in two varieties, Dark and Light, which in real terms means one that's more malty, or one that resembles an amber ale. Both are decent, but I prefer the dark. At the price ($2.75 for 12 oz) you really can't beat it. I love an decently obscure local brew.

The burger is the reason to visit. The price is great, it's cooked to order, and it's damn good. It will please anyone, whether you like a big juicy burger or a little giddle patty, it's perfectly in between and so delicious. It's probably about a 7oz burger, and the namesake, the Bistro burger, comes with onion, lettuce, tomatoe, pickles, cheddar cheese, and bacon on a squishy white bun. I went with a simple cheese burger on my visit, which I recommend because the meat is flavorful enough to carry the burger. It's hand delivered daily from a butcher around the corner.

The service here is quick. I'm sure it's partly because the menu is so small, but the staff is efficient in the tiny kitchen. Alongside the burgers, fries are crispy shoestring fries that a glistening with hot oil. Like the burger, these are classic fries, and complete the meal.

Bottom Line: There's not much to say about Corner Bistro, because it needs to be experienced. I love this place, wish it was on my block, and look forward to my next visit. If you don't stick to a burger, fries, McSorley's combo, you're crazy.

Sassafras International Cafe

Sassafras, you're misplaced. Olde City is a sea of poor service, overcrowded bars, and annoying patrons. You escape the pitfalls and stand out.

I've been meaning to eat here for years. And there's a lot to like about this place. As soon as you step inside, the decor stands out. Simple, historic, well taken care of. A long wooden bar leads along one side with small dining area in the back. There's a fireplace, but sadly, it's not in use. There's also an awesome textured ceiling. And I hear the lady's room is a sight to see.

I was out with my good friend Cambria while we were waiting for a showtime of "Black Swan." I didn't get anything to drink, but the beer list was respectable. Lots of local beers. There isn't anything that isn't readily available elsewhere, but still good choices nonetheless. There's also an extensive whiskey list.

Our server was excellent. He had a fantastic dry sense of humor, and he was on top of everything all evening. He knew a lot about the menu, including the fat content of all of the different burgers, which was helpful info and impressive. We both opted for burgers, medium-rare lamb for myself and veggie for Cambria. They were served with sweet potatoe fries and garlic aioli, and both of these were great.

My burger was excellent. It was juicy, and cooked exactly right. The lamb was a great meat for the burger, with a different taste than beef but the same consistency and texture. There are a lot of options for toppings and cheese, but I went simple with American cheese. Overall, it's an excellent burger, and probably the best in the area. It's also pretty sizable, I'd guess between 6 and 8 oz. The veggie burger is impressive, with a red bean and wheat base. It actually tastes good and has a pretty palatable texture. I don't eat veggie burgers often, but I could certainly enjoy this one.

Bottom Line: I don't make my way down here often, and Eulogy is still my first choice. But Sassafras has a nice bar, a great atmoshpere, good service, and tasty burgers. It gets my recommendation, even if it may be quite some time before my next visit. Still, I wouldn't recommend showing up here after 8:30 on the weekends.

Bridget Foy's

Wednesday night, $10 for a burger and a craft beer. You really can't beat that. And it's a great idea because it got me in the door at a place I would have never gone otherwise.

There's a lot going on at Bridget Foy's. Outdoor seating, a nice sized bar with a huge plasma screen, semi fancy dining room, 3rd floor function room, and weird 2nd floor overflow seating: they all converge here, somehow. The atmosphere isn't too much. As a restaurant, I think it's a little overpriced for what it is. That being said, the service is great. Throughout the whole night our server was nice and attentive.

The tap list is small, but crafted with care. Lager and Kenzinger are standard while four taps rotate respectable beers. I had the Stoudt's scarlet lady ESB, which went nicely with my food. I was visiting with Lulu, and she opted for a pumpkin beer, I forget the exact one.

There are several different burgers on the menu, and we opted to split the Head House and the New Mexico burgers. I'm usually a medium rare guy, but I have to admit the the medium we ordered was impressive. It wasn't juicy, but the medium cooking complimented the loosely packed and well flavored meat. The Head House burger, my favorite for the night, was topped with an egg, mushrooms and gruyere. The New Mexico was also good, with a little spice added by the chipotle aioli, roasted green chiles, and pepperjack cheese.

While the burgers are well-made, the choice of toppings is also a great craft and I applaud Bridget Foy's for working to have a few, thoughtful good cheeseburgers. They come topped on perfectly buttery roles that compliment the burger.

We were too full to have dessert, and I criticize the place for offering a dessert menu without prices, but our server brought out tiny complimentary slices of a chocolate cake that were delicious. If I wasn't so full, I would have liked to have a slice.

Bottom Line: With the general atmosphere and location of this place, it's not really my spot. The prices are a little high, but when you're selling your burgers that are normally 11-13 dollars at $10 with a beer, you can expect me to show up. Wednesday night: great burgers, and a decent spot.

Essentials:

200 South St (at 2nd)

215-922-1813

Hours: M-F: 8am-10pm, S: 9am-midnight, S:9am-10pm

Avg Ent: 10-18

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Accepted for dining room, not for burger night

Photo: Copyright © 2010 Unbreaded. All rights reserved. Please contact to request use. Credit: Michaelangelo Ilagan / Unbreaded

Royal Tavern

The "Royal Burger" is a hot item. If you don't believe me, steer over to the write up about it on Food Network, which calls it the best burger in the state. A more credible write up can be seen at A Hamburger Today. And if you still need more reading material, check Unbreaded. I needed to add myself to this laundry list of bloggers who have written about this famed burger.

I've been to the Royal a few times, and it's never struck me as a great place. The tap list is small, the prices aren't great ($9 for the burger is decent however), and the bar doesn't have much character. I went hoping the burger would be a reason to bring me in.

Before I finished my visit, I had another reason to avoid the Royal. I had the worst service I've experienced in Philadelphia in quite some time. Our drinks took far too long, as did the check. Empty glasses were left on our table, and I was brought the wrong beer. One or two of these may have been understandable, but the overall result was pretty poor.

I was dining with my friend Danny, and he ordered the chicken sandwich. He enjoyed it, but didn't really have too much to say, either. Nothing special. I was hoping that my burger would be something to rave about. On paper, it sounded fantastic: bacon, caramelized onions, smoked Gouda, pickled long hot peppers, and chili mayo.

The pickled long hot peppers had great taste, but they weren't strong enough to stand out with the rest of the flavors. That may be the problem with the burger; too many good flavors mixed together in a way that they just cover up each other.

The bun was thick and dense, and left a lot to be desired. I ordered medium rare, and it came out medium. The result was a dry burger, which wasn't even remedied by the chili mayo. I was underwhelmed by the burger.

Bottom Line: Not the best burger in Philadelphia, or even South Philly. Poor service and a limited beer selection leave a lot to be desired. I haven't been for brunch in years, but I remember liking this spot. They have a lot of veggie options. $17 for fish and chips is a complete joke.

Essentials:

937 E Passyunk (Passyunk between Carpenter and Montrose)

215-389-6694

Hours: 11:30-2am, opens at 10 on weekends

Avg Ent: 9-17

Cash Only: No

Reservations: No

Photo from: A Hamburger Today

McMenimins

I've been meaning to go to McMenimins for months now. It's supposed to be the best bar in Germantown, and I needed to investigate this rumor.

I went out to dinner with John, Allie, and Rachel. The atmosphere here is pretty standard, a long dark bar greets you as from the front door. There is a back dinning room with a handful of tables, and a small outdoor seating area. The quality of seating varies in the outdoor area; one end is quite nice while the other is cramped, separated from the sidewalk only by a chain link fence. Choose your seat wisely.

The prices here are great for the food, and reasonable for the beer. As far as the beer list goes, it is good, even by Philadelphia standards. There have several American craft beers and a few Belgians. I started with the Kwak and then tried an IPA, but the names escapes me now.

Everyone else went with the fish and chips, while I opted for the burger. The rest of the group really enjoy the fish, and liked the fries even more. The first are the twice cooked fries that deliver crispy, perfect consistency inside and out; many spots could take lessons on these great fries.

For my burger, it only came with potato chips, which aren't the ideal side. Other than that, I was very happy with the burger, and would put it in the upper echelon of burgers in the city. The size and proportion of everything was great. I ordered medium rare and it came cooked to specification. It was large and messy, dripping with juices, and if I wasn't in such good company I may have been embarrassed by the process of eating this great burger.

Bottom Line: This is one of the best spots in Germantown. It doesn't have what it takes to bring me from my part of the city, but it's certainly worth visiting if you're in the neighborhood.

Essentials:

7071 Germantown Ave

215-247-9920

Hours: M-S: 11:30-2am; S 4pm-1am; Sunday during NFL 12:30-1am

Avg Ent: 7-15

Cash Only: No

Reservations: No

Pink

I've been traveling a boat load this summer, so I haven't eaten at any new places in Philadelphia in weeks upon weeks. On the way down to Asheville Tim, Jonny and I stopped at the Pink Cadillac diner. This tiny, Elvis themed eatery is located right of the interstate, and seems to be a stop for locals and passerbys alike.

The decor here is crazy. As the name indicates, a Pink Cadillac is sitting in front of the

restaurant. Oddly, there is also a King Kong and Humpty Dumpty out front. Once inside, it seems like a 1950s diner, one that understandably pays homage to Elvis with nearly every inch of wall space.

The service here is fine. Our waitress was pleasent. I don't expect the same speed or quality that I'm used to in Philadelphia, which is good because the South operates at a slower speed.

We got to the restaurant shortly after 11am, which is when breakfast ends. I wasn't thrilled about this, but looked over the menu and ordered the Elvis burger. It's a basically a good version of the Big Mac, right down to the bread in the middle. Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting much from a roadside diner, or maybe it's because the food was great. Either way, the burger here was great. The patties were perfectly cooked and all of the ingredients were to perfect proportions. It was topped with a "special" sauce, and overall was a very enjoyable

burger.

The excellent fries I had as a side order were thick and crispy. Tim ordered onion rings as his side and they were some of the best I've had in a long time. Great meal overall, and a fun place to stop.

Bottom Line:

If you're driving through VA on I-81, Pink Cadillac is a great place to stop at and an even better place to eat a cheeseburger.

Essentials:

4337 S Lee Hwy

Natural Bridge, VA 24578

540-291-2378

Pope: Pub on Passyunk East

I recently revisited this spot. Because it's so far from where I normally hang out, I rarely make it here. The Pope is an all around solid spot, and I'm sure I would visit a lot more if it was closer to me. Everything that they do is well done, but nothing stands out as excellent.

For atmosphere, this place is dark and cozy. If you're visiting during the day, expect to be blinded as soon as you walk out the door. The bartenders are friendly and attentive. The beer selection is very good, even by Philadelphia standards. They had a few beers that I hadn't seen on tap in the city or had not seen in a good while. It's nice to find a bar that can craft a good beer list in a city where standards are so high. They have one flat screen TV in the corner if you're trying to catch some sports.

For food, I had the Pope Burger. I'm drawing a blank on the toppings, I think I had a red onion, lettuce, tomato, and American cheese. I ordered medium rare and it came out cooked perfectly. While not the best burger in the city, it will certainly satisfy you. Dan ordered fish and chips, which he deemed best fish can chips value (at $8) that he has found in the city.

Bottom Line: Pope isn't doing anything amazing, but they're doing everything very well. You won't be disappointed when you visit.

Misconduct Tavern

While I was initially thrown off by the overly enthusiastic seafaring theme at Misconduct Tavern, I do aim to try out all different kinds of bars. Coupled with their 1/2 burger Monday, it seems like a good place to try out.

Dan and I visited for lunch. It wasn't busy, and the server was pleasant and attentive. The beer list here is good and has some nice variety and smaller breweries, but not outstanding. $5.50 for Bell's Quinnanin Falls Lager (12 oz), $6 Ommegang Witte oints are slightly overpriced. I dislike bars that don't clearly advertise their prices, and Misconduct provides a tap list without any indication of price.

We ordered wings and cheeseburgers. The wings served are whole wings, I believe an order or five was $9. At that price, I expected nothing short of condor size wings in the most delicious sauce available. In short, they're more expensive and less falvorful and enjoyable than the wings served up at Moriarty's.

We both ordered medium rare burgers. We both received well done burgers. I don't like sending food back to the kitchen, so I ate and enjoyed my burger, but it was an oversight that shouldn't have occurred. The fries served alongside are okay, nothing special.



Bottom Line:

I can get better food, drink, prices, service, and atmosphere within a two block radius. On the other hand, there are far worse places in the same vicinity. If you're going to visit, at least do so on a Monday, when you can get a handsome burger for $5.

Elevation Burger

A few weeks ago I grabbed a great deal on Groupon: A $20 Elevation burger coupon for $10. I've been meaning to make the trip out here for a while, and at 50% off it's even more worthwhile. Dan and I drove out last weekend. We both love a good cheeseburger, and expectations were high.

In appearance and atmosphere, the location is a pretty standard fast food joint You order at the counter, and take a seat while your food is made. For counter service, the girl taking our orders was pleasant and helpful.

Everything is made to order. The "Elevation Burger" comes with two patties and two slices of cheese on a small bun. I believe they only offer cheddar cheese. At any rate, we weren't offered any choices. Toppings are free, and I went with Elevation sauce (basically Thousand Island dressing), lettuce, tomato, and caramelized onions. The patties are small and thin, but to the perfect amount. The ratios of all of the ingredients are great. The burgers aren't cooked to order; everything here comes out close to well done. While it's not my preferred style, Elevation serves up a delicious cheeseburger. The meat tastes great, and the patties are still juicy despite being well cooked. Overall I was thoroughly impressed with the burger, especially as it was a delicious, well crafted small patty burger. And all that is priced at a cool $6.

I ordered a vanilla shake and fries to round out the meal. The fries are thin cut. Essential, they're a forgettable filler when compared to the burger. You could skip them completely, or order one basket to share among several people. The shake was very thick, but lacked any real flavor and/or texture. I feel like I could make a better one in the comfort of my own home. Neither of these were worth ordering in comparison to the burger.

The Bottom Line: Elevation Burger is delicious. I like their sustainable approach, and it's the closest to In-N-Out we're going to get in PA. While the fries and shakes leave something to be desired, the burgers themselves are reason enough to visit this suburban location. I'll visit again.

City Tap House

Not wanting to squander a rare lunch break in West Philly, Dan and I ventured in search of the best bar in the area. We ended up at City Tap House. This huge new space is beautiful, if weird. Located in the heart of University City, it has the potential to attract an annoying crowd. But we didn’t deal with any of that on our visit. The staff here is great, and our bartender was knowledgeable about his beer. He was willing to pour samples and offered carefully thought suggestions.

The space is beautiful. The bar is probably the largest in the city, and City Tap house also boasts a sizable dining room with an open kitchen. To top it off, there’s an great outdoor area complete with faux fire pits. Overall, the space is impressive and well used. even the bathrooms leave a good impression.

Let’s move on to the important part: Beer. The first time I visited City Tap House I was part of a record setting night: Most taps by a brewery in a single place at once. Ever. The brewery was Bell’s and there were some great beers available. Still, on a normal day, the Tap House boast a quite respectable list. With the sixty taps available, they offer something for everyone and are simultaneously able to have more than a few rare and impressive drinks on tap. I had a black IPA, Hop in the Dark, from Deschutes Brewery, and, at the moment, City Tap House is the only place in the state that has beer from Deschutes. I cannot imagine the person (other than those who do not like beer at all) that is unable to find something enjoyable.

The menu here is impressive. While ordering, I was wrestling between several different choices, and there is a dinner menu available that I didn’t even see. Because I believe the cheeseburger is the standard to which all other food at an establishment can be benchmarked, I ordered one medium rare with mushrooms and bleu. It came out quickly and well cooked. It was a huge burger, and in reality, I should have only ate half of it. Everything on the burger was high quality, with the bleu cheese as an incredible standout. While not my favorite burger I’ve ever had, I have no hesitation putting this on the highest echelon of burgers in the city. The thin, crispy fries perfectly round out the dish.

Dan ordered a pizza, and it came out perfectly cooked. The pizza is cooked in a brick oven, and the result is a crispy, thin pizza that, like the burger, is excellently crafted. Also like the burger, one pizza is more than enough food for one person. City Tap House offers several mouth watering combinations of toppings for the pies.

Bottom Line: Prices are on par with everything else in this area. The space is beautiful and huge, just like the tap list. The food rounds out this contender for the best bar in West Philadelphia.