12/30/2017 Wilson's Sandwich Shop's double cheeseburger

Wilson's is a local (Findlay) hamburger joint that people rave about. Today we decided to stop by and see what all of the hype was about. You have the option of eating in the diner or driving through and picking your order up at the window.

I ordered a double cheeseburger with bacon and mayonnaise. I was excited as I unwrapped my sandwich and took a bite.

The bun was an average bun that could be bought at any grocery store. Nothing bad, but not amazing. The burger was nice thin seared patties seasoned with salt and pepper. I wish the bacon would not have been so crispy, but that is more of a personal preference. I hate when bacon crunches.

Overall Wilson's makes a nice burger for a quick lunch, but isn't where you want to go for a big thick juicy burger. Definitely a place I would stop again for a sandwich, but not when I'm in the mood for a meal.

Burger: 4
Bun:  3
Toppings: 3

Overall: 3

Kristina
Kristina@rateaburger.com

12/18/2017 Pier 7- Mushroom Truffle Prime Burger

Today was the employee Christmas party for my company. We went to Pier 7. I was super excited, because every day on my way to work I see Pier 7 advertising their burgers. When I sat down and looked at the menu, I was surprised that somewhere advertising burgers as one of their best dishes had only 3 on the menu.

My burger came out and right away I was concerned. I didn't see any of the burger or toppings peaking out of the bun. When I picked up my burger, I again grew concerned that the brioche bun was cold. I like a hot meal. About halfway through the burger, I took half of the bun off because there was just too much bread and decided I would eat it using a fork.

I was happy with the overall flavor of the burger. The charred grilled outside had a great flavor and almost had a crusting. I ordered my burger medium. It had a soft, moist, pinky, and juicy center. It had a wonderful salty flavoring. 

The toppings were lack luster. I really want a bite of each topping in each bite and you could not do that with this burger. The burger advertised sauteed onions and mushrooms, brioche cheese and truffle aioli. I would have liked to have about double the amount of each topping on the burger. What I could taste was good. It could be an amazing burger if they would put on more toppings and serve it on a warm bun.

Toppings: 4

Bun: 3

Burger: 4

Overall: 4

Kristina

Kristina@rateaburger.com

10/29/17 Max & Erma's Cola BBQ Bacon Burger

Max & Erma's advertises this burger as the "Winner of Best Topped Burger". Let's take a look:

The toppings were caramelized cherry cola onions, smoked bacon, onion rings, and cherry cola BBQ sauce. I was sold. I love cherry cola and long-time readers of this site will know I am a sucker for a BBQ and onion burger (Western...Rodeo...whatever marketing name someone will give it). I don't know if Max and Erma themselves have given the burger the award for best topped burger, but this burger did not make grade for the toppings and the root cause was the cherry cola BBQ sauce...or lack thereof. The flavor itself was lackluster. There was nothing of substance to stand apart from a normal "original" BBQ sauce, let alone an advertised cherry cola BBQ sauce. With that said, there was not much sauce on the burger to begin with. If you put it in the name of the burger, it better be a main taste in the burger. The onion rings were perfect for a shareable side, but not for a burger. One bite and the entire onion ring falls apart...breading...everything. The caramelized onions were non-existent as well. Overall, as the graphic indicates, the toppings are a spectacle, but they overall fail on each level.

The patty was good. It wasn't over-seasoned nor was it bland. I wasn't impressed, but it doesn't deter me from trying another burger from Max & Erma's.

The bun is a brioche bun that was just a bland bun that was meant to hold the burger together...and it did the job somewhat. It didn't distract you from the burger not did it become the highlight...nor did it compliment the burger either.

Toppings: 2
Patty: 6
Bun: 5

Overall: 4
-Nick
nick@rateaburger.com

10/29/2017 Max and Erma's Garbage Burger

Nick and I were debating what to do and where to go for lunch yesterday. We decided this was a great opportunity for a burger review.

So we usually pick what burger to eat by choosing our favorite, or trying something crazy. The name Garbage Burger intrigued me.

The burger is a half pound burger that is loaded. I can't think of a topping I would add to it. It has
crisp smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, American cheese, mozzarella cheese, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and marinara sauce.

My burger was cooked perfectly. It came out medium. It seems like when Nick orders well done and I order medium, that one of our burgers are bound to come out wrong. Not the case today. The patty was well seasoned.

The amount of toppings were great. I love having a burger that is complimented by the toppings. I would have preferred the cheese slices to have been melted since the other toppings weren't hot toppings. I also would have sauteed the onions longer. They were really crunchy.

The bun is a brioche bun. It wasn't toasted or warm, which was disappointing. It was fresh and soft, however.

Overall I would happily choose this meal again.

Bun: 4
Toppings: 8
Patty: 7

Overall: 6

-Kristina
Kristina@rateaburger.com

9/30/2017 Barley Creek Brewery's Jalapeño Popper Burger

On a weekend get away we stopped at the Barley Creek Brewery in hopes of finding great burgers. We were not disappointed. They had about 8 varieties of burgers and sliders. I ordered the jalapeño popper burger. It said that the burger came topped with jalapeño queso sauce, fried onion rings, and sliced jalapeños. The burger came out over done which was sad. I ordered medium and it was well-done, no pink in site. Luckily it was a very juicy burger and I think that saved it. All of the toppings were great! The onions and the jalapeños were fried and delicious. My only complaint was I wished the burger has mayo or another condiment. The cheese sauce was so think which made it great to stay on the burger but made me want mayo. The burger was fantastically seasoned. It was a great hamburger. The bun was warm and soft and possibly brushed with melted butter. Yum!

Toppings: 8
Patty:7
Bun:8

Overall: 8

Kristina
Kristina@rateaburger.com

10/1/17 Official BBQ and Burgers Black Angus

Today on our travels home from New Jersey we stopped in Pennsylvania near Harrisburg to try Official BBQ and Burgers burgers. With the name being so official we knew we needed to stop. The shop is a mom and pop type of restaurant off the side of a highway. You go up to the counter and order. I ordered the Half pound Black Angus cooked medium. This burger place is unique because they have about 20 items you can pick from for them to put on your burger. I ordered cheddar cheese , mayo, bacon, and A1. As a side note, they have just as many toppings to add to the top of your French fries.

All of the buns are listed as gluten free. I am really beginning to appreciate having this as an option. The buns were soft but did not have any thing special done with them. The patty was overdone. It was very close to being well done. Only one or two bites had a slight hint of pink. The meat was seasoned well with salt and pepper. The patty was neither juicy or dry. I love cheese. The thickness and oozing of the cheese suggests they put on multiple pieces of cheddar cheese. The mayo and A1 were there enough to be present and noticed but I would have liked more on by bun. The bacon was not impressive. I for a couple bites forgot it was even on the burger. I would eat here again and would like to try something from their BBQ menu as they had over 10 sauces to try.

Bun: 4
Patty: 4
Toppings: 5

Overall: 4

Kristina
Kristina@rateaburger.com

4/9/17 - Cheddar's Smokehouse Burger

Kristina and I decided to visit Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen after church today. I ended up tacking their Smokehouse burger.

Their toppings are bacon, cheddar cheese, pickles, tomato, BBQ sauce, and onion straws. The toppings were all over the place on this burger. The best part of this was the bacon. The bacon was cooked perfect. But the cheese was hard to taste, the BBQ sauce was non-existent, and this burger was exploding with onion straws. So if you want roughly an entire onion on a burger, this is the burger for you!

The patty was nothing to go home and tell mother about. It wasn't bad, but it was bland. There was not taste, but it doesn't take anything away from the rest of the sandwich. It, at bare bones, did its job.

The bun was something else. It wasn't bad. It was like they took a big dinner roll, cutting it in half, buttered it all around, and put a burger in it. It was good, but there was a lot of butter and the bun itself wasn't special.

It will pass as a BBQ burger, but there are many others that are better than this one. I would suggest getting their chicken before having one of their burgers. Keeping in mind as well, you will notice their low price, but the price is not including any side, including fries or kettle chips. 

TOPPINGS: 5

PATTY: 4

BUN: 5

OVERALL: 4

-Nick

nick@rateaburger.com

4/3/17 - Buffalo Wild Wing's Meltdown Burger

I had some "fun and excitement" at work this week that lead me to have a late supper. While a co-worker too advantage of the bone-in Tuesday deal, I decided to try their limited-time Meltdown Burger from the Findlay, Ohio franchise.

The toppings were swiss cheese, a deep-fried cheese wheel, red onions, and a cool heat BBQ sauce. The BBQ sauce was near perfect with a nice kick while not overwhelming. The deep-fried cheese wheel was pleasant to taste as it adds the element of a cheesestick on top of the burger.

The patty seasoned with a caraway seasoning. The seasoning was a seasoned salt/red pepper combination that complimented the toppings well. The patty was sized well with the bun, but really the seasoning saved the patty from a lower rating.

The bun is a sourdough bread with a twist...pretzel salt. The salt was a nice addition, but it sometimes took you out of the sandwich. The bread, however; was fantastic. It wraps the toppings and the patty in a bow.

This burger is a nice burger overall and is a shame it is a limited time. It is an unique burger with toppings and additions that I normally don't find in other burgers. Try it before they remove it off their menu.

TOPPINGS: 7

PATTY: 7

BUN: 8

OVERALL: 7

-Nick

nick@rateaburger.com

4/1/17 Easy Street Cafe's Pizza Burger

Kristina and I visit the Main Street of Bowling Green, Ohio often. There is a variety of restaurants with their different cuisines. Look for other reviews for Beckett's Burger Bar and future reviews here as well. We returned to the Easy Street Cafe as despite having been here before, we never had a burger. Kristina had the Easystreet Burger...check out her review as well. Today I am reviewing East Street Cafe's Pizza Burger.

Before I get started, sometimes someone just wants a standard burger. Normal toppings of lettuce, tomato, mayo/ketchup, and cheese. From what we saw on our menu, they did not offer a standard burger to order. So I chose a pizza burger as a second option.

Their toppings were a pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. The cheese was well-distributed, but the pepperoni was gathered in the middle like it was hiding the weakest pepperoni from being devoured first. When you make a pizza burger, you are serving two masters. You are making a burger and the burger needs to be done right as well as the pizza itself needs to be addressed. Much like a pizza, the sauce can make or break the pizza and this sauce smashed the burger in a negative way. The sauce tasted like a bland ketchup with no flavor. Their marinara for the mozzarella sticks had more flavor than this. The sauce also was very runny that much of the toppings fell off the burger after one bite, including team pepperoni that wanted to go down together.

The patty was a surprise. Not many places go for the charbroiled patty. I can see why after I took a few bites. The patty's taste was okay. The charbroiled taste can be an overwhelming taste and sometimes can overtake a burger. This was okay. Not fantastic, not horrible, just okay.

The bun was a kaiser roll. It doesn't add or take away from the burger, which is acceptable. The bun did its job.

Overall this was not a good burger in the slightest. When the burger's best trait is the bun, you're not in good waters. The charbroiled taste combined with the toppings were an unnatural combination and a displeasing taste to the tongue. I kept thinking I could have a better overall burger at Burger King with the charbroiled reminder. Between the charbroiled taste,  the bland sauce, and my toppings falling off, I walked away from this burger and didn't finish. When you get irritated eating, I would not bother trying it again. Thumbs down.

TOPPINGS: 3

PATTY: 3

BUN: 4

OVERALL: 3

-Nick

nick@rateaburger.com

4/1/17 Easy Street Cafe's Easy Street Burger

Easy Street Cafe is a little restaurant on Main Street in Bowling Green, Ohio. Today I ordered The Easy Street Burger. It is advertised as being smothered with sauteed green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese served on a Kaiser roll.

The burger was charbroiled and had a great grill flavor. The burger was ordered medium and came out perfectly cooked. The only complaint about the burger was it was lacking a little flavor. I think the restaurant needed to add a little salt or pepper to the patty.

The toppings were delicious as well. I would have personally liked fewer peppers and more of the bacon. You could only taste the green peppers. If the menu hadn't said there was bacon on the sandwich I would have guessed that there was not any on it. The ratio of onions, cheese, and mushrooms seemed to be perfect.

The roll was just a roll to hold the burger. There wasn't anything flashy or special about it, but it did it's job of holding the burger well. 

TOPPINGS: 7

PATTY: 5

BUN: 4

OVERALL: 6

-Kristina

kristina@rateaburger.com