Hard Times Cafe - Bacon Cheeseburger (3 stars)

1003 W Patrick St
Frederick, MD 21702
Phone:  (301) 695-0099
Website:  http://www.hardtimes.com/

Locations in Virginias and Maryland

Time of Visit:  June 29, 2015 at 11:45 am

My Order:  Bacon Cheeseburger

                     French Fries
                     Iced Tea

 

This week I decided to visit Hard Times Café for their Monday Burger special.

Burger Rating = 3.4 (***)

Presentation, Overall Rating 4

The food came out on an oval shaped, diner style plate, fries alongside the burger.  The burger itself was secured by a long pick speared through it.  It looked nice on the plate, a 4.

Meat, Overall Rating 3

I like my burgers cooked well done and this one wasn’t cooked quite all the way through, with some pink still in the middle.  Like happens so often, just another minute or two would have helped considerably.  However, it was close enough I didn’t send it back.  I didn’t detect any seasoning on the meat and the only real flavor I noticed was the charcoal grilling.  It didn’t have a bad flavor, but the charred taste was overwhelming.  I can’t give this any more than a 3.

Bun, Overall Rating 4

The bun was a nicely-sized, sesame seed coated roll.  The bun matched the size of the burger nicely and held up throughout the meal.  The bun was only lightly toasted and this brings down my rating.  It would have been so much better with a little more browning.  I’m only giving this a 3.

Toppings, Overall Rating 3

Cheddar Cheese:  Like happens so often, there just wasn’t enough cheese on this burger.  The one thin slice didn’t stand up to the other flavors in the burger.  It was nicely melted though, so I’ll still give it a 3.
Bacon:  The bacon was cooked very unevenly, with some parts still a bit fatty and other parts too hard.  It also came served sort of piled up in one part of the burger and I had to try and even it out myself.  The bacon just was not done well, not inedible but not good, only a 2.
Lettuce:  Shredded lettuce again, which I have said before tends to spill out of the burger.  When it’s shredded, it also tends to wilt from the heat of the burger and loses its crunch.  I can’t give this any more than a 3.
Tomato Slices:  There was nothing wrong for these slices, except that they didn’t fit the burger.  Thus, you had some bites with tomato and some didn’t, so only a 3.
Pickle Slices:  These were good pickles and added a nice sharp bite of flavor to the burger.  However, there just weren’t enough of them and they didn’t cover the burger.  Bites with some pickle were really good while bites without seemed to lack something.  Better distribution and coverage would have rated higher, but I can only give it a 3.
Red Onion Rings: These were fresh and had a good crunch to them, really adding to the burger.   But, there weren't enough of them and they weren't distributed well.  I’ll give them a 3.
Mustard:  This wasn’t included with the burger, so I asked for some to add on my own.  It was regular yellow mustard, but added a nice flavor to the burger, a 4.

Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 3

The burger maintained its integrity all the way to the end, but lettuce kept spilling out.  The toppings were distributed very unevenly, so that you didn’t get a consistent flavor experience throughout the meal.  As I mentioned, the char flavor was so strong it overwhelmed everything else, except on the few bites where the pickles came through.  Not a bad burger, but very average, so I’m giving it a 3.

 

Other Notes:

Location and Access

This place is located in the Frederick Square Shopping Center, right off Route 40 on the Golden Mile.  Although there is a sign on the main road, if you’re not looking for this place you’ll probably miss it.  It is in the center’s parking lot and there is plenty of parking available.

Facilities

This store is one of several in the shopping center and is split between the bar and the restaurant.  There are quite a few tables inside set sort of like booths with wooden benches instead of chairs.  It is reasonably clean, but somewhat dark.  Restrooms are located in the back.

Staff and Service

I was seated promptly and the waitress was very attentive, but not too much that it was irritating.  It is a full service restaurant and the food came out pretty quickly.

Sides

Fries:  These were just sad, soggy and without any crispiness or crunch at all.  I certainly would not come here for the fries, unless that’s the way you like them.
Iced Tea:  Your run of the mill, unsweetened tea, just something to wash down the meal.

Value

I got this burger during their Monday Burger special, so it was $5.99 including the fries, about three dollars less than normal.  Quite frankly, if I had to pay full price, I would go somewhere else.  But, for the special price it wasn’t a bad deal.

Glory Days Grill - Bleu Cheese & Grilled Onion Burger (4 stars)

1305 W. 7th St.
Frederick, MD 21702-4102
Phone:  (301) 696-1112
Website:  http://www.glorydaysgrill.com/

Several locations in the Virginias, Maryland, and Florida

Time of Visit:  June 22, 2015 at 11:50 am

My Order:  Bleu Cheese & Grilled Onion Burger

                     Onion Rings
                     Iced Tea

I decided to go here on my first day back to work after my cruise.  It was Classic Burger Monday and close to work, so I stopped in for a burger.

Burger Rating = 4.0 (****)

Presentation, Overall Rating 4

The food came out on a regular, diner style plate with the burger open.  Alongside it on the plate were the onion rings and pickle spear.  It was a nice, well-presented meal, a 4.

Meat, Overall Rating 4

The burger was cooked all the way through with no pink.  The special seasoning they used worked really well and a good crust was developed during the cooking.  It was somewhat compacted in texture and a bit dry, but had a really good flavor, so I’m going to give the meat a 4.

Bun, Overall Rating 4

The bun was a nicely-sized, Kaiser-style roll, which was well toasted for a good flavor and texture. I’m giving this one a 4.

Toppings, Overall Rating 3.8

Bleu Cheese Crumbles:  The cheese had good texture and tasted really good.  Bleu cheese doesn’t melt well over the burger, but this was nicely softened.  They did manage to distribute the cheese across the burger fairly evenly, but still not as much closer to the edge.  Still, for this type of cheese it was really well done, a 4.
Grilled Onions:  These were cooked well, but could have used a bit more caramelization to be really good.  The pieces also tended to fall out of the burger.  I’ll give them a 3.
Lettuce:  This was a rare example of providing enough lettuce to make a difference on the burger.  It was good, crisp green leaf lettuce and the leaf was big enough that it provided multiple layers.  This meant the lettuce provided a good crunchy texture to the burger, a really nice addition, a good solid 4.
Mustard:  This wasn’t included with the burger, so I asked for some to add on my own.  It was regular yellow mustard, but provided a nice addition to the seasoned patty, a 4.
There was also a tomato slice provided, but I chose to eat it separately, as well as some red onion rings, which I didn’t eat as I already had enough onion in the meal.

Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 4

The burger maintained its integrity all the way to the end and everything seemed well distributed.  The flavors all blended together really well and provided a great taste combination.  My one complaint is that the grilled onions and bleu cheese crumbles tended to fall out of the burger a bit.  Overall, a good solid burger, so I’m giving it a 4.

 

Other Notes:

Location and Access

This place is right in the 7^th Street shopping center and easy to spot.    Although it is in a large parking lot, the area tends to be busy and it can be tricky finding a spot reasonably close at lunch time.

Facilities

This building is in good shape and is set up in the typical sports bar style.  There are a few tables set up outside and you can get your order to go, if you want.  The restroom was easy to find and reasonably clean.

Staff and Service

It took a couple of minutes to get seated, but only because a larger group was right in front of me.  They have full, sit down service and the staff was generally very prompt.  It did take a little while to get my food and the mustard I requested took a little longer than it should.  But, the waitress was very friendly and apologized for the wait on the food, even though I hadn’t said anything.

Sides

Onion Rings:  These were cut a little thicker than I like, but I guess many people prefer them that way.  They had the typical commercial breading, but were cooked really well and were really crispy.  These weren’t one of the standard sides, but were available with a small surcharge.
Pickle:  This was your standard kosher dill pickle spear, nothing outstanding, but a nice addition to the plate.
Iced Tea:  Your run of the mill, unsweetened tea, just something to wash down the meal.
Tomato Slice:  This was actually an additional topping provided for the burger, but I ate it separately.  It was the typical, out of season tomato slice, nothing special, but nice with a sprinkling of salt.

Value

I got this burger with their Classic Burger special, so it was almost half the normal price.  That made my meal only a little over $10 before the tip.  That’s not a bad price, but the normal price seems a little high to me.

Darrell’s Restaurant - Peanut Butter Burger (3 stars)

5576 Fenwick Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada B3H 1P8
Phone:  (902) 492-2344
Website:  http://www.darrellsrestaurant.com

Single location

Time of Visit:  June 15, 2015 at 11:45 am

My Order:  Peanut Butter Burger

                     Darrell Fries
                     Iced Tea

 

I was on a cruise that was going to stop in Halifax and had already visited the city and had seen many of its sights, so I just went for a walk and decided to stop for what has been repeatedly voted one of the best burgers in Halifax.

Burger Rating = 3.3 (***)

Presentation, Overall Rating 4

The food came out on a regular, diner style plate with the burger open.  Alongside it on the plate were the Darrell fries, a small cup of ketchup, and a piece of pickle.  It was a nice, well-presented meal, a 4.

Meat, Overall Rating 3

Darrell’s burgers are made from fresh Certified Angus Beef, grilled to order.  Mine burger was cooked all the way through with no pink.  It wasn’t very juicy but it wasn’t too dry either.  However, mine didn’t have that great, freshly made texture that, so I can only give the meat a 3.

Bun, Overall Rating 3

They use nicely-sized, soft buns for their burgers, but for some reason don’t toast them.  There is nothing wrong with the buns, but they don’t do the little extras that raise it from average to good, so only a 3.

Toppings, Overall Rating 3.3

Bacon:  The bacon was really crispy, just the way I like it and was distributed across the burger well.  I would have liked just a little more, but it was quite good, a 4.
Cheddar cheese:  The cheese was well melted over the patty and provided a nice, but Cheddar bite to the taste.  I wouldn’t mind a bit more for a little more cheese flavor, but this cheese was really done well, a 4.
Lettuce:  What can I say?  It was your typical lettuce on a burger.  It didn’t detract but also didn’t really add much, a 3.
Tomato:  The tomato had a good juiciness and held up well.  However, the single slice was only about 1/3 the size of the burger, so a lot of bites didn’t get any tomato, so no more than a 3.
Mayo:  Pretty regular mayo, a 3.
Mustard:  Regular yellow mustard, a 3.
Ketchup:  Pretty standard, but it blended well with the other toppings, a 3.
Relish:  Just a small amount was present, but that kept it from being overwhelming, a 3.
Peanut Butter:  This turned out to be a really nice addition to the burger and provided a different flavor, a 4.

Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 3

The burger maintained its integrity all the way to the end and everything seemed well distributed.  The flavors all blended together really well and provided a great taste combination.  However, there was too much in the amount of condiments and the burger was a bit sloppy.  I’ll admit that I’m a little disappointed, since this was an award winning burger, but it wasn’t a bad burger, so I’m going to give this a strong 3.

 

Other Notes:

Location and Access

This place was not easy to find without directions, but once you get to the right street, it’s easy to spot.    Between the street and the shared parking lot, there is plenty of parking.  An important consideration for my visit was that it was within walking distance of the cruise ship terminal, mostly through semi-residential areas without much traffic.

Facilities

This building has been here for a while, but is in pretty good shape.  I ate in the Sports Café, but there is a dining area upstairs.  There were several tables, including a nice patio area.  I didn’t visit the restroom while I was there, so I can’t comment on their condition, except to say that I didn’t notice there location.

Staff and Service

They have full, sit down service and the staff was very prompt and helpful.  The wait wasn’t too long for cooked to order food.  The waitress was very helpful when I was confronted with the hand-held credit card machine and couldn’t figure it out.  Only a few people were there when I arrived, but the place filled up pretty quickly for lunch, yet service was still good, including watching my drink and giving me refills as needed.

Sides

Darrell Fries:  These were more like small potato wedges and I normally like the thin, shoestring fries.  But, these fries were tasty, seasoned well and fried enough to give a crispy exterior, yet leaving a warm fluffy center.  If you ever visit this place, get these fries.
Pickle:  This was a bit of a joke.  They didn’t give you a whole pickle or even a spear.  What you received was a piece of pickle that amounted to about two bites.
Iced Tea:  I don’t normally like lemon in my tea, but there was a good amount in this tea and it was sweetened nicely, so that the drink was refreshing and not overwhelming with lemon or sweetness.

Value

The price seemed a little high for me.  I ended up spending about 20 Canadian dollars for my meal.  Maybe that’s normal in Halifax, but it’s more than I want to spend for lunch.  It’s okay for an occasional meal, but not as a regular thing.

Change to My Rating System

I have decided to alter how I develop my ratings.  This is a burger blog, not a restaurant review.  We all know that sometimes the best burgers come in the cheapest dive or with the worse service.  On the other hand, you might go to a great restaurant only to find the burger is mediocre at best.

Thus, the formula I use will only involve the following to get the rating: 

Food Presentation and Appearance, Bun, Meat, Toppings, and Overall Taste/Quality.  How I score these categories will remain the same and the ratings will still be from 1 to 5, but the rating will now be all about the burger.

I am not forgeting the other categories:  Location/Access, Facilities/Ambience, Staff/Service, Sides, and Value.  However, these will all be included as notes after the burger rating.  This way, notable issues can still be listed, but they won't affect the rating of the burger.  So, for instance, a bad side of fries won't affect the rating of the burger, but I will still tell you about them.

I will also go back and redo my previous ratings to make them fit the new system.  This may raise or lower some of the ratings, but I want everything to be consistent.  This will also allow me to rate different burger combinations at the same restaurant without reinventing everything.

 

Smashburger - Bacon Cheeseburger (4 stars)

5597 Spectrum Dr
Frederick, MD21703
Phone:  (240) 215-3314
Website:  http://smashburger.com/

International chain, mostly in the United States and a few other countries

Time of Visit:  June 3, 2015 at 11:45 pm

My Order:  Bacon Cheeseburger

                     Smashfries
                     Classic Green Tea

I had a coupon for $2 off a meal, so I decided to visit this location for lunch.  I had the bacon cheeseburger with the standard toppings, plus Smashfries and a drink.

Burger Rating = 3.9 (Four Stars)

Presentation, Overall Rating 4

The food came out on a tray with the burger open so you could see everything.  The fries were in a wax paper lined paper container alongside the burger.  You receive a standard, labeled cup for your drink.  It was a really nice presentation that showcased the burger well, a 4.

Meat, Overall Rating 4

They cook their burgers using the smashed technique which helps build a nicely flavored crust.  Mine burger was cooked all the way through with no pink .  It wasn’t very juicy but it wasn’t too dry either.  They use fresh meat for their burgers and mine had a great texture.  It was a good burger with really good flavor, but not perfect, a 4.

Bun, Overall Rating 4

Their standard bun for this burger is their egg bun.  The bun used was a sesame seed bun that fit the burger nicely.  It was a good, firm bun that held up well in the sandwich, and wasn’t tough or dry.  It had a good flavor and went well with the burger, a 4.

Toppings, Overall Rating 3.5

Applewood smoked bacon:  I like my bacon crispy and while it was cooked through, it just wasn’t quite crispy enough.  It did have a really good flavor and it was arranged so that it covered most of the patty.  I’ll give it a 4.
American cheese:  The cheese was well melted over the patty and provided a nice creaminess.  A little stronger flavor would have been better, but this cheese was really well done, a 4.
Mustard:  Good yellow mustard, but a little too much in relation to the other toppings, a 3.
Ketchup:  Pretty standard, but it blended well with the other toppings, a 3.
Red Onion Slices:  These were fresh and had a good crunch to them, but there wasn’t quite enough of them, 3.
Pickle slices:  These were good pickles that blended well in the burger, a 4.

Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 4

The burger maintained its integrity all the way to the end and everything seemed well distributed.  While there was a bit too much mustard, the flavors blended well and made a very tasty sandwich, so I’ll give it a strong 4.

 

Other Notes:

Location and Access

You have to look for this place to find it.  It’s located in a small strip center across the main road into FSK Mall.  It’s not easy to spot.  The parking is limited but adequate, unless you’re there during busy times.  You could park in the main mall lot, but you would have to cross a pretty busy street to get to the shop.

Facilities

This building is pretty new, so there are no structural problems.  There are several places to sit inside and a few outside tables.  The restrooms were easy to find.  I have to give a small minus because several surfaces needed to be wiped down and they hadn’t even suffered the lunch rush yet.

Staff and Service

Like a lot of places these days, you order at the counter and then they bring your food to you.  The menu is on the wall behind the counter and easy to read.  There are several standard combinations, plus you can build your own if you like.  Plus, there are options other than burgers.  The young man at the counter took my order quickly and even asked if I wanted any variations to my standard burger.  You get your own drinks at the drink station, which was easy to find and operate.  The food is cooked to order, so I had plenty of time to visit the restroom and then get my drink.  There was still a couple of minutes to wait until the food arrived.  After eating, you just leave your items on the table and they will clean it up for you.  After I sat down, they started to get busy and getting the tables cleaned off took a little long.

Sides

Smashfries:  These fries are tasty.  They are the shoestring style fries and they were cooked to a nice crispiness.  They are then tossed in olive oil, rosemary & garlic.  These are probably some of the best fries I have ever eaten.
Classic Green Tea:  This is pretty standard iced green tea that has been lightly sweetened.  Pretty good and quenches your thirst while eating.

Value

I had a $2 off coupon, but the normal price for this meal would have been $11.07 plus tax.  This is a little more than I like to pay for lunch without table service.

Foster’s Grille - Olde Fashioned Charburger w/ Cheddar (3 stars)

Turning Point Pl
8925 Fingerboard Rd
Urbana, MD 21704
Website:  http://www.fostersgrille.com/

Regional chain mostly in Virginia and neighboring states

Time of Visit:  May 30, 2015 at 3:30 pm

My Order:  Olde Fashioned Charburger w/ Cheddar Cheese

                     French Fries
                     Sweet Iced Tea

Burger Rating = 3.3 (Three Stars)

Presentation, Overall Rating 3

The food comes out in a basket, with the fries served alongside the burger.  You receive a labeled cup for your drinks.  Very average, a 3.

Meat, Overall Rating 3

My burger was cooked all the way through with no pink, yet there was a good amount of juiciness to it.  It was char-grilled, with a good charred flavor.  Like most cases, I feel the burger would be better with just another minute or so on the heat.  However, I don’t know whether the patty was frozen (I couldn’t find any reference on the website) or if it was just overworked when pre-formed, but it didn’t have that good hand formed texture.  Plus there were several small chunks of hard fat throughout the burger.  It wasn’t a bad burger and had a good flavor, but there were some negatives, a 3.

Bun, Overall Rating 4

The bun used was a sesame seed bun that fit the burger nicely.  It was a good, firm bun that held up well in the sandwich, and wasn’t tough or dry.  It had a good flavor and went well with the burger, a 4.

Toppings, Overall Rating 3.3

Cheddar cheese:  The cheese had good texture and melted nicely.  However, there really needed to be a thicker slice for the size of the burger.  The flavor was lost, so this only gets a 3.
Mayonnaise:  Pretty average, a 3.
Mustard:  Again, average, a 3.
Onion Slices:  These were fresh and had a good crunch to them, really adding to the burger.  I’ll give them a 4.
Pickle slices:  These were good pickles that blended well in the burger, a 4.
Shredded lettuce:  I’ve said before that shredded lettuce doesn’t add much to a burger, so only a 3.

Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 3

The burger maintained its integrity all the way to the end and everything seemed well distributed.  The only negatives came from the problems with the meat.  One plus, the mayonnaise and mustard blended together well to form a great tasting sauce.  Overall, the burger had a good flavor, but the meat problems brought it down to a 3.

 

Other Notes:

Location and Access

The place is real easy to find, just off I-270 in Urbana.  It is marked on the Interstate signs and there are signs off the road pointing into the entrance.  It’s a nice little shop located in a small strip shopping center.  There was adequate parking for the time I was there, but I could see there not being parking available during busy times.

Facilities

This building looks pretty new and is clean and well kept.  Most of the seating is inside with tables and booths, plus a few tables outside if you want to sit there.  I recall music playing, but it must not have been too intrusive, because I can’t recall what was playing.  I didn’t visit the restrooms, but they were easy to spot.

Staff and Service

You order at the counter here, so I walked up and looked at the menu on the wall.  There was limited staff during my visit, so I had to wait for a minute while one of them finished cleaning off a table.  He did acknowledge me and moved as quickly as he could.  My order was taken quickly and accurately without any issues.  After paying, I went to my table and got my drink at the station.  Since the food is cooked fresh, it took a little while, but not overly long.  After eating, you just leave your items on the table and they will clean it up for you.  I would say it was pretty good service.

Sides

French Fries:  These were pretty average fries.  They had a good flavor, but could have been fried a little crisper.
Sweet Iced Tea:  Not bad tea, but nothing special either.

Value

This meal package was $9.25, plus another $.60 to add cheese to the burger.  It was not an outrageous price, but more than I like to pay all the time.