PrintTop 5: Kenji Lopez-Alt's Favorite Burgers in Boston
Note: The Burger Lab writer J. Kenji Lopez-Alt weighs in this week with his 5 favorite burgers in Boston.
"Anyone who doesn't think that their home town has the best hamburger place in the world is a sissy."—Calvin Trillin
[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Disclaimer: Amongst the Boston burger joints that will be dissed in this round-up are R.F. O'Sullivan's and Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage. All opinions expressed are the author's alone, and all flames from die-hard fans should be aimed directly at him, not the website, its editors, or administrators.
I'll admit it up front: Boston's got a lot of great things going for it, but burgers is not one of them. Maybe having recently moved to New York—a good 211 miles closer to the Shake Shack—has colored my perspective a bit, but on average, Boston's burger scene is sub-par. R.F.O's? Lean baseballs, right down to the leather skin around them. Mr. Bartley's? Burgers as bland as the tourists that eat there are colorful. Eagle's? Worth going to if you are the kind of guy who likes to discover how many frozen beef patties you can eat in a single sitting without puking (I'm not).
Fortunately, there are a dozen or so places that bring Boston up from the black hole of burger banality—and that's really all any city needs. I'll bet most of you can count on one hand without using your thumb the number of home-town burger joints you're a regular at. Here are my five favorite burgers in Boston, in alphabetical order.
1. Craigie On Main
Rarely do I go for expensive chef-burger creations, but this is the first of my two exceptions. In line with the rest of the seriously delicious, funky, thoughtful, and local food at this high-end bistro, the patty is made from three cuts of sustainably-raised grass-fed beef ground together with bone marrow. A touch of dehydrated miso paste ups the umami-factor. Chef Tony Maws slow-cooks the burger to a medium-rare in a CVap steam oven before charring it on a Molteni plancha. Topped with aged cheddar, crisp fried onion rings, a shmear of sweet, house-made mace-flavored ketchup, newly-introduced red-wine vinegar pickles, and watercress dressed with the pattie's pan-drippings on a house-baked sesame-seed bun, this "cheffiest" burger on my list is not so much a burger, but more a composed dish on a bun. The shoestring fries are also excellent. [Review at GoodEater.org] 852 Main Street, Cambridge MA 02139 (map); 617-497-5511; www.craigieonmain.com
2. Flat Patties
Despite its horrible digs and the food court atmosphere of the Garage in Harvard Square (is there a worse food neighborhood in the world than Harvard Square?), the aptly named Flat Patties is the closest that Boston gets to the thin, griddled, west-coast style burger exemplified by places like Los Angeles's Pie N' Burger. The ultra-thin patties are griddled crisp and served with oozy American cheese and special sauce on a soft, squishy, buttered and toasted bun. A pickle bar which features good crisp cucumbers, hot jalapeños, and onions is essential for adding an acidic bite to cut through the rich beef (I go for the regular cucumber pickles). All that for about the same price you'd pay at a McDonald's. 81 Mount Auburn Street (in the Garage), Cambridge MA 02138 (map); 617-871-6871
3. Radius
Despite the white-linen atmosphere of his restaurant Radius, chef Michael Schlow takes a decidedly more down-market approach to his burger, turning out a monster 9-ounce grilled chuck patty (the excellent beef comes from Savenor's) that would be just as at home in his backyard. Keeping it simple, he tops it with two slices of yellow cheddar, a dollop of kicked-up horseradish sauce, and a big handful of fried onions. Add to that the best french fries in Boston, and the result is a dish that's actually worth the $18 price tag. [Review] 8 High Street, Boston MA 02110 (map); 617-426-1234; www.radiusrestaurant.com
4. Toro
An excellent Spanish tapas bar with a decent burger? I didn't believe it either until I tried the newly introduced burger on their lunch menu (not to be confused with the not-so-good mini kobe burgers on the tapas menu). Made from 100% ground short rib with a fat ratio of nearly 40%, this 5-ounce burger comes with an intensely crusty sear imparted by the 900-degree plancha. Order it plain and it comes topped with a slice of melty American cheese, a handful of shredded iceberg, a smear of their excellent house sauce, and a few pickled red onions, but for the true experience, ask for it "messy," and chef Jamie Bissonette will add a massive spoonful of the same finger-licking, garlicky alli-oli, cotija cheese, and espelette pepper mix that they use to coat their famous grilled street corn (which, for the record, is the best I've had anywhere—eat your heart out, Café Habana). The result is one of the most deliciously messy creations that has ever greased my fingers.1704 Washington Street, Boston MA 02118 (map); 617-536-4300; http://www.toro-restaurant.com/
5. Tory Row
For two decades, the names Chris Lutes and Matthew Curtis have been synonymous with good drinks, great burgers, and black slate bartops. I really could have picked any joint in their mini empire of Boston-area restaurants. Miracle of Science, Middlesex, and Audubon Circle all serve up great variants of the same juicy grilled burger made with high-quality ground chuck as Tory Row, but floor-to-ceiling windows coupled with bacon make their newest addition my go-to spot. 3 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA 02138 (map); 617-876-8769; www.toryrow.us
About the author: After graduating from MIT, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt spent many years as a chef, recipe developer, writer, and editor in Boston. He now lives in New York with his wife, where he runs a private chef business, KA Cuisine, and co-writes the blog GoodEater.org, about sustainable food and cooking..View image
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21 Comments:
Beats turkey leftovers any day!
jkdrummer at 3:48PM on 11/27/09
If they taste as good as they look,they're winners!!
fatty at 3:55PM on 11/27/09
Happy Thanksgiving, Kenji! Actually, on your recommendation, I tried Craigie's and Radius's efforts a couple of weeks ago during a quick weekend at home.
I agree about Craigie -- I thought this burger was stupendous. As an aside, I was there for brunch, and I also thought the homemade donut, pork belly side, and cocktails were superior. My only complaint would be the sesame bun. I thought it was a little small for the patty, and the sesames gave off too much of an unnecessary nutty flavor.
On the other hand, I was greatly disappointed by Radius. I just couldn;t get past the horseradish sauce. It was overapplied, and overpowering. I didn't get anything impressive from the patty, which was also slightly overcooked.
I'm looking forward to trying your other picks at Christmastime. Loving your work lately!
millions at 6:40PM on 11/27/09
Ooof. You bash Harvard Square eateries in once instance (in fact you hardly get out of the Harvard Square area in this review), and then go all "Tory Row" in the next. I must admit, I've stayed away from that place since it opened, just out of principle. BUT, I may have to check it out now, having read your review. Then again, I could just grab the #1 bus down to Miracle. Give me something more to go on than bacon and big windows!
whew...now that I have *that* out of my system... it's great that you still think of us Bostonians from time to time
I appreciate the heads-up on Craigie and Toro. I will definitely be stopping by those establishments.
Keep up the good work!
seenthat at 9:26PM on 11/27/09
@seenthat
yes - I realized the inconsistency as I was writing this. I guess I should have clarified that Harvard Square used to be a black hole for good food, and for the most part still is, with the exception of the two burger joints, and perhaps Cambridge 1, who makes good grilled pizzas (also a Chris Lutes/Matthew Curtis joint).
But, whaddaya mean I hardly get out of the Harvard Square area? Craigie is now in Central, and the others aren't even in Cambridge!
I do admit: a little Cambridge-centric. But what can I say? Lived there for ten years.
Craigie and Toro are worth visiting for reasons well-beyond their burgers.
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at 10:18AM on 11/28/09
@seenthat
Sorry - I meant to add that there's not too much reason to go to Tory Row over Middlesex or Miracle or Audubon Circle. Just like the decor at the four bars (ok, three bars, one lounge) are variations on the same tried and tested formula, he burgers at four bars are nearly identical asides from their toppings. Tory Row is essentially the Middlesex burger minus the pickled carrots, and served on the Miracle of Science bun. Same meat sourcing, same size, same cooking method, same Brazilian dudes manning the kitchens.
Personally, I go to Miracle way more often than any of the others, but I've had Tory Row's burger a few times, and it's been consistently good (asides from one bad dry experience). Just choose the one that's closest to you.
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at 10:24AM on 11/28/09
Am at work, and now extremely hungry for beef! Couldn't help but notice the lack of a Kobe beef burger on the list. I know it is not everyone's fave, but I love good Kobe, especially on a well constructed hamburger! Down here in NY, the hands down choice is the Kobe beef burger from Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in midtown (unclejacks.com) For lunch or dinner, this burger a meal and more (usually with leftovers) and they have the fairest prices of any of the high end steak houses in THE city. Sorry Boston!
Johnq at 5:26PM on 11/28/09
@Johnq
I'm not so into kobe burgers. Kobe is great because of its marbling, but in a burger, you can add as much fat as you want, so the marbling really gets lost.
I don't know many places in Boston that do Kobe burgers. Toro does mini ones, but they aren't that great (kinda like meatballs on a bun), and I think the place in the Natick collection does one.
Any others?
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at 5:33PM on 11/28/09
Can't argue with your picks, although I haven't tried the Tory Row burger yet. I would have liked to see The Druid's burger up there, but now this gives me an excuse to branch out and try Tory Row.
SoxFan49 at 6:29PM on 11/29/09
@SoxFan49
If you've been to Miracle, Middlesex, or Audubon, you've basically tried the same burger. Worth checking out the new location though, it's pretty nice inside.
I'm not a big fan of the Druid burger. If I remember right, they mix herbs and things into the meat, which to me turns it into a meatloaf sandwich - not a hamburger...
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at 10:50PM on 11/29/09
I have to give a big fat thumbs up to the burger at James' Gate in Jamaica Plain. Always my favorite, and now that I'm no longer a Bostonian I crave it. And while I may get laughed out of the room, I am madly in love with the veggie burger at Miracle. I often wanted that more than I wanted a beef burger, and I love the beef.
lkrier at 7:27PM on 11/30/09
@Ikrier
I like that Veggie with pepper-jack too. I used to get it pretty frequently.
I have to admit I haven't had the burger at James' Gate. How do they do it?
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at 8:08PM on 11/30/09
I was pretty underwhelmed by the burger at Miracle of Science. Probably cause they made it well done when I asked for medium rare. I guess I could give it another try.
That burger at Toro looks fantastic.
Harvard Square also has Pinocchio's Pizza.
wunami at 1:24AM on 12/01/09
That Radius burger might be the only way I could ever get BF to go there with me! And now I need to go to Toro and try that burger. Hmmm...birthday's coming up in a couple weeks...
Not quite Boston proper, but my favorite burger is the Steakburger at Bison County in Waltham. Damn fine burger.
Amandarama at 7:34AM on 12/01/09
I'm a big fan of Flat Patties' style burgers and for that reason, cannot get on board w/RF O'Sullivan's burger balls (while not my personal taste, i can see how others might like it). That said, there are 2 more burgers worth checking out at Coda and Sel de la Terre. Both joints use flavorful meat and make a mean burger. Plus, the burgers come with shoestring fries, which i likes!
stargaret at 12:59PM on 12/01/09
The grassfed burger at the Harvest in Harvard Sq is lovely (perfect temperature, excellent brioche bun, and not too fussy ... just really good) --- and it is served with a beautiful crock of crispy fries, home-made catchup and mayo and good pickles. Just plop down at the bar, order a beer and the burger.
mrutter at 1:20PM on 12/01/09
Diss RFO's? Them's fightin' words!
Flatpatties has been among my griddleburger favorites for a while (alongside Billygoats), but I will have to sample the others before I form my opinion on the author's sanity.
jwardell at 11:28AM on 12/03/09
Well I went and tried the burger at Tory Row last night, and was greatly disappointed. Although the burger has great potential, good meat to bun/veggie ratio, solid pickles, crisp bacon, and decently seasoned meat, they cooked it well beyond the point of juiciness. I ordered it medium-rare and got a well-done burger. It might just be a one time occurrence, but I'll stick with M.o.S. if I want one of their burgers in the future.
SoxFan49 at 2:19PM on 12/04/09
@jwardell
eek - that's unfortunate. To be honest, I've had much more experience with Miracle, and they are generally pretty on-target with temp. It's possible that Tory Row cooks are still getting their sea-legs. Maybe it's wiser to stick with Miracle (which produces an almost identical burger with slightly different toppings) where they are consistently good.
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at 2:22PM on 12/04/09
Must try the Toro and the Craigie. Wondering if you tried 4 Burgers? I had the luxury of a weekday off today and I did a tasting: a first visit to 4 Burgers back-to-back with a return visit to Flat Patties. Singles each time, with the burger at 4 Burgers ordered medium well to match up with the likely medium well-well of the thinner patty at Flat Patties. I gotta say, it wasn't even close to me. 4 Burgers all the way. Better seasoning, better char. Still in the small-ish griddled burger tradition but having way better texture, closer to that which you can see in a well-formed, well-cooked 5+ ouncer.
deglazer at 11:04PM on 12/29/09
Tomato-basil slice at Pinocchio's, any rare buger at Bartley's, the al pastor quesadilla at Felipe's...there are food neighborhoods WAY worse than Harvard Square. Don't hate.
Hell, even the Hong Kong does good versions of American Chinese, at least better than any takeout place that I grew up with.
jkaww at 4:22PM on 12/31/09