Hey ho, hamburger hermanos y hermanas! I hope your Fourth of July was a good one, that you didn't blow off any fingers, and that you had some tasty burgers at the cookouts you attended.
Speaking of grilling hamburgers over Independence Day weekend, did you know that's when Americans buy the most beef? That's what I heard on a broadcast yesterday afternoon on American Public Media's Marketplace show. Not surprising, eh? That factoid was in the intro to a very nice piece on Burgerville (listen here), a small 39-store chain in Washington and Oregon.
If you live in the Northwest, you know Burgerville does it right. Special items on the menu vary from month to month, according to what's in season. This month, for instance, Walla Walla onion rings and raspberry milkshakes and shortcakes are the thing. Chocolate-hazelnut* milkshakes were available earlier this year.
More important to this site, however, is Burgerville's beef. The meat for its burgers comes from Oregon cattle raised by sustainable methods, and it is always fresh–never frozen. Moreover, the small Vancouver, Washington–based chain has been using this meat in all its stores since February 2004. According to the Marketplace story, it only costs Burgerville 5¢ more per patty. And that's pretty cheap, considering that customers get healthier meat and that ranchers have further incentive to raise cattle in a more earth-friendly way.
Like In-N-Out, Burgerville is an exemplary model of what fast-food burgers can be but too often, sadly, aren't. Anyone within a short hop of Burgerville would be well-advised to take up temporary residence there as opposed to McDonaldland or the shoddily run realm of the Burger King.
Sometimes I will say filbert even though I realize it makes me look like a rube. However, I have weaned myself from saying crawdad because that one is a bit much for New Yorkers.
I grew up with Burgerville, and I don't recall it ever being the much lauded organic/seasonal/sustainable company that it is today. Even into the early '90s it was just a regular fast food joint--no sweet potato fries, huckleberry milkshakes, Walla Walla onion rings, etc. I'm trying to figure out when it took on this new niche personna because it's a pretty brilliant reinvention.
I agree with Krista. I'm a lifelong NW'er and this was the first I'd encountered the enlightened Burgerville USA. It hasn't been a bad place in the past but there was nothing special about it either. But what the hell, Bravo! I hope more regional chains adapt to their markets as it sounds like they have at B'ville USA. I need to take a trip to their closest restaurant in Centralia WA to see what this is all about. In case you're interested Burgerville USA is only located in what advertisers would call Portland OR's ADI (area of dominant influence), so if you're talking with folks outside of the Portland area they won't know this chain.
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Hey ho, hamburger hermanos y hermanas! I hope your Fourth of July was a good one, that you didn't blow off any fingers, and that you had some tasty burgers at the cookouts you attended.
2 Comments:
Sometimes I will say filbert even though I realize it makes me look like a rube. However, I have weaned myself from saying crawdad because that one is a bit much for New Yorkers.
I grew up with Burgerville, and I don't recall it ever being the much lauded organic/seasonal/sustainable company that it is today. Even into the early '90s it was just a regular fast food joint--no sweet potato fries, huckleberry milkshakes, Walla Walla onion rings, etc. I'm trying to figure out when it took on this new niche personna because it's a pretty brilliant reinvention.
Hamburger Krista at 11:04AM on 07/11/05
I agree with Krista. I'm a lifelong NW'er and this was the first I'd encountered the enlightened Burgerville USA. It hasn't been a bad place in the past but there was nothing special about it either. But what the hell, Bravo! I hope more regional chains adapt to their markets as it sounds like they have at B'ville USA. I need to take a trip to their closest restaurant in Centralia WA to see what this is all about. In case you're interested Burgerville USA is only located in what advertisers would call Portland OR's ADI (area of dominant influence), so if you're talking with folks outside of the Portland area they won't know this chain.
Hamburger DC at 1:35AM on 07/19/05