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.