PrintD.C.'s Best Burgers
In D.C., 13 upscale burgers are ranked by food writer Jane Black in the Washington Post. Do click through to the Post for the whole shebang, as we've only paraphrased here what Black had to say there about each of the joints.
They're all fancy-pants places, so if that's not your bag, you know what to do. Listed in descending order of awesomeness, as determined by Ms. Black:
Central Michel Richard
Slow-cooked tomato slice in olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Hmm. That sounds pretty whatevs. Topped with paper-thin potato disks for a crunchy foil to the juicy meat. 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW [map]; 202-626-0015
Palena
House-made buns based on pastry chef's recipe for Parker rolls. Topped with a northern Italian cheese with a hint of truffle. 3529 Connecticut Avenue NW [map]; 202-537-9250
EatBar
Chef mixes butter, shallots, garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper into the meat. Served with homemade bread-and-butter pickles. 2761 Washington Boulevard, Arlington VA 22201 [map]; 703-778-5051
BLT Steak
Black doesn't have much to say about it other than it's good. 1625 I Street NW [map]; 202-689-8999
Charlie Palmer Steak
"Walks line between manly beef and haute cuisine," with poppy seed buns made from scratch each morning and balsamic onions. 101 Constitution Avenue NW [map]; 202-547-8100
Morton's
Seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little tomato juice. Supermarket-style bun and lackluster toppings a disappointment. 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW [map]; 202-955-5997
Black's Bar and Kitchen
Reading the author's description, this one doesn't seem like it made that much of an impression on her. 77540 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda MD [map]; 301-652-5525
Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar
"A lovely smokiness" from the wood-fired grill. Stellar toppings. 223 Pennsylvania Avenue SE [map]; 202-544-8088
Ardeo
Bacon, avocado, sautéed onions, cheese, and chipotle. At the same time. On the burger. Too much, Ms. Black says. 3311 Connecticut Avenue NW [map]; 202-244-6750
D.C. Coast
Cheese, sauce, and bun "overwhelm the poor burger." 1401 K Street NW [map]; 202-216-5988
The Capital Grille
Ultra juicy sirloin burger with a downer of a bun (stale-tasting onion roll). Ms. Black doesn't dig the havarti cheese, either. 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW [map]; 202-737-6200
Vermillion
Forgettable.
Les Halles
Also forgettable.
Seeking Bliss on a Bun [Washington Post]
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6 Comments:
Any idea where the best non-fancypants burgers are in the DC area? I love 5 Guys, but we need a different idea.
Lunch with the family and they're not into Fancypantsin'. We don't know DC at all and are staying in Alexandria.
Help?
LoDega at 9:39PM on 09/26/07
Quote from the article:
> Many -- you could call them control freaks -- insist on grinding the meat themselves.
Maybe it's just me, but shouldn't grinding your own meat be a minimum requirement? Especially if, as they say in the article, you are so anal about the meat's origin.
LoDega asks:
> Any idea where the best non-fancypants burgers are in the DC area?
If you're talking about a sub-$5 burger, Five Guys is still probably your best bet, even though they only cook to well-done. If you're willing to pay $5-$10, Sweetwater Tavern (the one in Centreville, anyways) makes some mighty fine grilled ground beef on a bun. I don't know if they grind their own, though. ;^)
CVilleBilly at 1:47PM on 09/27/07
I was at top-of-the-lister Central last night, and the burger orders were out of control. Almost every table had one. Central's manager told me they hit 100+ burger orders between lunch (40 alone) and dinner. The usual count is easily half that.
Erin Zimmer at 6:55PM on 09/27/07
Here's a couple of alternatives to 5-Guys:
Elevation Burger
442 S Washington St
Falls Church VA
http://www.elevationburger.com/
Dad's Backyard Burgers
This is on Gallows road near the Lee Hwy intersection.
Both are a bit more expensive than 5-Guys and both have negative reviews.
From 2006's Washington Post best burgers:
The Childe Harold
Elevation Burger
Evening Star Cafe
Palena
The Reef
Wonderland Bar and Grill
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/cityguide/bestbets/2006/guru/front.htm#restaurant
dauerad at 11:26AM on 09/28/07
Many thanks for the advice!
LoDega at 4:44PM on 09/28/07
Urban Burger in Maryland is pretty good (also serve a good one at their Urban BBQ branch). Very juicy and can get it cooked medium rare!
Delorenzosfan at 6:08PM on 09/28/07