2657 N. Kedzie Ave Chicago, IL 60647 (map); (773) 276-7110; longmanandeagle.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Spectacular meat, this burger is a couple easy but significant tweaks from being among the best in town. Want Fries With That? You bet your Lifesavers Price: $12
Inspired by my trip to Atlanta's Holeman & Finch where I had a spectacular burger and some delicious cuts of meat that would bring tears of joy to Chichi Wang, I headed over to Longman & Eagle when I got back to Chicago. L & E opened at the beginning of the year in Logan Square and has suffered no growing pains, earning national praise as one of the country's five best bars for eating by Esquire (Holeman & Finch got the same honor).
We had a meal of roasted marrow bones, grilled pork cheek, and the absolutely remarkable Tête du Cochon. We also sampled bits of L & E's ridiculously large selection of whiskey/Scotch/rye/bourbon. All of that led up to the purpose of my visit: to check out the burger.
Southern California-based burger chain Original Tommy's is known for their chili burgers. [Image: originaltommys.com]
Yesterday we received an email from an AHT reader asking why we ignore chili as a burger condiment. Sorry, chili—it wasn't on purpose! You slipped our minds. So before we continue our investigation of chili burgers, let us know whether you like them or not.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, September 1, 2010 at 2:15 PM
[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Traxx
800 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (map); 213-625-1999; traxxrestaurant.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: The restaurant inside LA's historic Union Station makes a great patty, but undermines its burger with a substandard bun Want Fries with That? Sure—frozen, skinny cuts are professionally prepared Prices: Traxx Burger w/fries, $13 Notes: It's hard to argue with sitting inside "the Last of the Great Railway Stations," but if it's a sunny day sit outside in the courtyard
There are few buildings in Los Angeles more worthy of going out of your way to see than our Union Station. When it was built in 1939 it was touted as being the "Last of the Great Railway Stations," it's not the biggest of America's train stations, but it is, in my view, one of the most attractive. You've probably seen its ornate interior before, but its just as probable that you didn't realize it. The waiting room has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows through the years (the best version coming in the form of a police station in Blade Runner).
I don't often take a train, but I often poke my head in to take a gander at the grand entrance, like I happened to do the other day. That's when it hit me. Traxx is the now aging restaurant inside the station that first arrived in Los Angeles around the same time I did (a short dozen-ish years ago). It got a lot of attention back then for bringing a little high-end cuisine to the station. I made a bet with myself that the current menu would have a burger ready for my attention. A closer look revealed that I was half right.
Palm Beach County > Burger Roundup: Seven recs around the county. [pbpulse.com]
Corpus Christi > Padre Island Burger Company: This beach shack-themed burger joint serves specialty burgers like the Hangover topped with a fried egg and caramelized onions. [Eating Our Words]
Texas > Del's Charcoal Burgers: The burger is well seasoned and has good flavor, but may not be as juicy as you'd like. [Pegasus News]
NJ > Billy D's: This burger joint in Millville replaced Torelli's Burgers, but recreates Torelli's secret burger sauce. [The Daily Journal]
NYC > Shake Shack Times Square: Shake Shack may be expanding quickly, but the high quality's still the same. [Immaculate Infatuation]
Canada > Bistro Cache: Leathery exterior + dry interior + lack of flavor = :( The saffron mayo helps a lot, but there isn't much of it. [Victoria Burger Blog]
Seoul > Le Vert: Their house burger comes with bacon, egg, cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and barbecue sauce. [The Hamblogger]
South Korea > Smashburger: The Denver-based chain is planning to sign its first South Korea franchise development agreement in 2011. [MeatPoultry.com]
Last night I tried Rub BBQ's Vietnamese-inspired Banh Mi Burger ($9.25) featuring an oblong beef patty mixed with shallots, garlic, ground peanuts, fish sauce, and coconut milk, topped with shredded housemade Asian barbecued pork and slices of housemade paté, strips of pickled daikon and carrot, and cilantro, all piled in a spicy aioli-smeared baguette.
Of course, it was good. Can't go wrong with a savory, moderately juicy triple meatstuff stack topped with crunchy pickle shreds in a soft, toasted baguette. The baguette wasn't as light and shatteringly crispy as a typical banh mi baguette—more bready and dense, with a thicker, crunchy crust—but it complemented and held up to the filling well, and thankfully didn't result in backslide like the bagel burger. The burger had a tinge of heat, but like Law and Food said in their review, more spiciness would've been welcome.
Posted by Nick Solares, August 31, 2010 at 9:30 AM
Allen & Son Pit Cooked Bar-B-Q
6203 Millhouse Rd, Chapel Hill NC 27516; map); 919-942-7576 Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: A potentially excellent burger is hampered by local law that doesn't allow ground beef to be served at a temperature less than cooked all the way through Price: Hamburger with chili, onions, and mustard, $5; + 15¢ for cheese
I know, I know: It's a barbecue place. I get it. Before you get all up in arms about me "ordering the wrong thing" or "missing the point" of the place, understand this: AHT is a hamburger blog, and we talk about burgers here. If there's a burger on the menu, it's fair game for review.
With that out of the way, let's talk burgers.
I was at Allen and Sons to eat some of their justifiably hyped barbecue, but when I noticed a table full of construction workers all eating hamburgers my interest was piqued. In fact, Allen and Sons is more of a family-style restaurant than a barbecue joint—the menu offers plenty beyond the 'cue such as fish, chicken, and a wealth of sandwiches, including the massive burgers I was admiring from afar.
Earlier this year Burger King said they were considering putting stuffed burgers on their menu. Today Indy Grub Review tried the Jalapeno-Cheddar Stuffed XT ($4.35) at the Burger King at 3303 West 86th Street in Indianapolis, giving the burger a 3 out of 5. As there's little info about this burger online, it looks like Indy is at least one test market for the burger. If anyone else tries it, let us know how it is.
When a heart-shaped locket just won't do, keep a photo of a loved one/burger close to you with this gold-plated burger take-out box-shaped locket ($80 from Chinnychinchin). Also comes in silver.
Earlier this year Burger King said they were considering putting 
