The story describes Mooyah, a recently opened burger joint in Plano, Texas, that clearly has aspirations of becoming a franchise-based empire. What gets me is this passage: "[David Tessier is] enjoying a higher class of burger—made from fresh (not frozen) patties, with premium toppings such as grilled onions—and paying about twice the price."
Ladies and gentlemen, that is not a "gourmet burger." That is, plain and simple, a good hamburger. If you subscribe to the notion that a "gourmet" hamburger exists (and they do—Daniel Boulud's truffle, foie gras, and braised short rib stuffed burger is an example, albeit a ridiculous one), then a burger whose patty is fresh-not-frozen and that's topped with good-quality ingredients is merely the base upon which a "gourmet" burger is built.
The U.S. is a country whose national cuisine might as well be the hamburger. How pathetic is it then that such a specimen made with fresh beef and grilled onions is considered "gourmet"?
I agree 100% percent about the gourmet burgers. There might gourmet burgers in random restaurants but joints which solely server burgers should never call them selves 'gourmet burger joints' or claim gourmet status based on fresh ingredients. Based on current advertising campaign that would make Wendy's a gourmet place and what about In-N-Out :) And yes, there are joints which call themself gourmet burger joints. For example in Bay area we have Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers and they really doesn't have anything to do with gourmet even if they serve one zillion different variations. On the other end of the scale are places like Daniel Boulud's burger or even much more simplier Zuni burger in Zuni Caf in San Francisco.
Agree also. By that criteria, Culver's (fast food chain with admittedly good fast food burgers) is "gourmet". They use only fresh ground beef, and do offer grilled onions. Another example of a self-proclaimed gourmet burger purveyor is the Red Robin chain. Nothing special about their burgers. Not bad, but no need for the "gourmet" designation.
OK. I feel I didn't make the proper connection from Point A to Point Z here. I should have made it more clear that Mooyah did not proclaim itself "gourmet." It was described as "gourmet" by the publisher of a restaurant trade magazine. Mooyah shouldn't receive the ire of us burger lovers for doing what it does, and that's simply making burgers the way they should be made.
Using fresh meat, and grilled onions by no means makes it gourmet. A better designation would be "homestyle burgers" or "fresh burgers". My definition of gourmet is anything beyond the ordinary conventional recipes. Its not about being more expensive. Add a bit of sundried tomato & goat cheese & arugula and you have a gourmet burger without ridiculously jacking up the prices.
an i thought i was the only one lmao when i read the story the other day..thanx for clearing up the gourmet burger thingy up for me..im still going to try a burger there..
I was so intruiged by the hype and being a burger lover, I had to go. It's a good burger but not, as referenced by third parties, a "gourmet" burger. To give an idea of the burger, image a"Big Mac" made at home with fresh everything.
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9 Comments:
I agree 100% percent about the gourmet burgers. There might gourmet burgers in random restaurants but joints which solely server burgers should never call them selves 'gourmet burger joints' or claim gourmet status based on fresh ingredients. Based on current advertising campaign that would make Wendy's a gourmet place and what about In-N-Out :) And yes, there are joints which call themself gourmet burger joints. For example in Bay area we have Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers and they really doesn't have anything to do with gourmet even if they serve one zillion different variations. On the other end of the scale are places like Daniel Boulud's burger or even much more simplier Zuni burger in Zuni Caf in San Francisco.
Hamburger amino at 10:38PM on 06/18/07
Agree also. By that criteria, Culver's (fast food chain with admittedly good fast food burgers) is "gourmet". They use only fresh ground beef, and do offer grilled onions. Another example of a self-proclaimed gourmet burger purveyor is the Red Robin chain. Nothing special about their burgers. Not bad, but no need for the "gourmet" designation.
Hamburger Chris at 11:31PM on 06/18/07
OK. I feel I didn't make the proper connection from Point A to Point Z here. I should have made it more clear that Mooyah did not proclaim itself "gourmet." It was described as "gourmet" by the publisher of a restaurant trade magazine. Mooyah shouldn't receive the ire of us burger lovers for doing what it does, and that's simply making burgers the way they should be made.
Adam Kuban at 11:43PM on 06/18/07
...but it should receive the ire of burger lovers for its awful, awful name...
Hamburger Adrian at 12:00AM on 06/19/07
Using fresh meat, and grilled onions by no means makes it gourmet. A better designation would be "homestyle burgers" or "fresh burgers". My definition of gourmet is anything beyond the ordinary conventional recipes. Its not about being more expensive. Add a bit of sundried tomato & goat cheese & arugula and you have a gourmet burger without ridiculously jacking up the prices.
Hamburger Basil A at 12:12AM on 06/19/07
Couldn't agree more. I guess now that Wendy's is promoting their fresh never frozen patties that they are gourmet as well ... Great article!
Hamburger beebo at 1:36AM on 06/19/07
an i thought i was the only one lmao when i read the story the other day..thanx for clearing up the gourmet burger thingy up for me..im still going to try a burger there..
Hamburger elsoccerboy at 10:23PM on 06/22/07
I was so intruiged by the hype and being a burger lover, I had to go. It's a good burger but not, as referenced by third parties, a "gourmet" burger. To give an idea of the burger, image a"Big Mac" made at home with fresh everything.
Hamburger murrato at 6:54PM on 06/25/07
"Double the Price" in Plano, Texas is about 1/4 of regular price in NYC.
SpandTex Pants at 4:23PM on 04/16/08