Red Robin - Southern Charm Burger (4 stars)

5582 Spectrum Drive
Frederick, MD 21703
Phone:  (301) 620-1081
Website: http://www.redrobin.com/

Time of Visit:  July 28, 2015 at 11:50 am

My Order:  Southern Charm Burger

                     Steak Fries
                     Sweet Iced Tea

I realized I only had this week to use my 15% discount at Red Robin, so I went there for lunch and had the Southern Charm Burger, one of the Red Robin’s Finest Burgers.

Burger Rating = 4.2 (****)Oven-roasted tomatoes, savory roasted garlic aioli and fresh arugula tossed in citrus olive oil dressing on a toasted ciabatta bun. $12.99

Mind your manners around this Black Angus patty glazed with brown sugar and topped with candied bacon, honey BBQ sauce, sharp Cheddar and caramelized onions on a toasted ciabatta bun. $13.99

Presentation, Overall Rating 4

The food comes out on a small platter, with the fries placed in a silver-colored cone/cylinder.  Very attractive, but not something that takes your breath away, a 4.

Meat, Overall Rating 4

My burger was cooked just as I like it, cooked all the way through with no pink, yet there was still some juiciness to it.  Not dripping down your arms juicy, but not dry either.  It was char-grilled but didn’t have an overwhelming charred flavor.  This time the patty seemed to be even looser than usual, giving this burger a very pleasing texture.  In addition, this burger comes with a brown sugar glaze, which was cooked very nicely onto the patty.  Very good in my opinion, but I can’t quite give it a 5, so a real strong 4.

Bun, Overall Rating 4

As for all their Finest burgers, the use a toasted ciabatta roll for the bun.  This is a great choice for a burger, as the ciabatta is firm and holds together great.  Plus, it has a great flavor and soaked up some of the juices from the burger and toppings.  Unfortunately, they didn’t have a very good toast on this one, so the most I can give it is a 4.

Toppings, Overall Rating 4

Sharp Cheddar Cheese:  They actually put enough cheese on this burger that its flavor came through.  Also it was well melted, so I’m giving it a 5.
Candied Bacon:  This bacon was really tasty and cooked until crispy, just the way I like it, a 5.
Honey BBQ Sauce:  This sauce reminds me of the barbecue sauce we used to make at home with brown sugar.  It adds a layer of tart sweetness to the flavor profile, but could have been spread more evenly over the bun, a 4.
Caramelized Onions:  These were really nice on the burger, adding little bites of sweet onion crunch.  Their small size did make them tend to slip out of the burger, so a 4.
Shredded Lettuce:  Again with the wimpy shredded lettuce, this didn’t add much to the burger other than some green.  I’m only giving it a 3.
Mayonnaise:  You know, on this burger mayonnaise wasn’t really necessary as it didn’t add anything (except calories).  However, it didn’t take away from the experience, so a 3.

Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 5

This is another tasty Red Robin offering.  All the sweet elements gave the entire burger a really sweet taste, almost too sweet.  Fortunately, the sharp cheese added that necessary savory note to help balance the flavor profile.  Everything held together until the end and the ciabatta roll soaked up many of the excess juices.  Another excellent combination, a 5.

 

Other Notes:

Location and Access

The place is real easy to find, just off I-270, right at the entrance to the Francis Scott Key Mall.  It’s situated across the parking lot from Sears, so there is a LOT of parking available.

Facilities

This building is only a few years old and was recently remodeled when the chain did a reimaging.  There is quite a bit of seating, but none outside, so you can’t eat outside on a nice day.  Restrooms were adequately sized, clean, and easy to find.

Staff and Service

The hostess seated me promptly and the waiter was there soon after.  My drink order was taken while I looked at the menu and I was ready to order when he returned.  My order was taken correctly and I was offered some fries before the burger came out, although I declined and waited for the burger.  The waiter was around enough to get me refills, but not so much that he was a nuisance.  The service was excellent.

Sides

Steak Fries:  The steak fries were better than my last visit, but they still needed a crispier exterior.  They were all freshly fried for me and I didn’t have any soggy ones.  I did get refills.
Sweet iced tea:  This tea was good and wasn’t overwhelming with sweetness, a nice drink with the meal.

Value

This burger seems a little pricey to me, compared to their other offerings.  I just don’t feel that anything on this burger justifies the extra expense.  I did get a 15% discount this time, but I don’t think I would get this burger very often normally.  It was tasty though!!