The Main Cup - Cheeseburger (5 stars)

14 W Main St
Middletown, MD 21769                    
Phone:  (301) 371-4433
Website: themaincuprestaurant.com

Single location

Time of Visit:  June 17, 2015 at 1:30 pm

My Order:  Cheeseburger

                     Fries
                     Iced Tea

I was in Middletown checking out the disc golf course in the park, so I thought I would eat at The Main Cup.  I have eaten here before, but I don't think I have ever ordered a burger.  It turned out to be a great burger, in fact it is my first 5 star burger.  This was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend this restaurant.

Burger Rating = 4.6 (*****)

Presentation, Overall Rating 5

The meal came out on a rectangular platter with the fries alongside the burger and some ketchup in a small ramekin for dipping the fries.  The burger was placed with the top bun slightly askew so you could see the meat patty and the cheese melted over it.  A very nice presentation, I'm not sure it could be much better, so I'm giving it a 5.

Meat, Overall Rating 5

This was a thick, char-grilled patty.  This is not my favorite style of burger, as I normally like the thinner patties.  However, they did this meat right!  It was cooked all the way through, yet was still pretty juicy.  It was also very well seasoned and had a good texture, not too densely packed.  Even though I used a little mustard, it wasn't needed to flavor the meat, as the meat had plenty of flavor on its own.  Outstanding job, a definite 5.

Bun, Overall Rating 4

The bun was a toasted brioche bun, with a good texture that held up well to the sandwich.  Maybe a little more toasting would have provided a bit more texture contrast, but otherwise well done, a good strong 4.

Toppings, Overall Rating 3.8

Cheddar cheese:  The cheese had good flavor and was well melted over the burger.  However, because of the thick patty, it could have used a little thicker slice of cheese, so only a 4.
Lettuce:  Good fresh lettuce leaves, that actually provided a bit of additional texture to the burger, but could have used maybe one more leaf.  Not perfect, so a strong 4.
Tomato slices:  Juicy slices, but not the ripest.  Plus, the slices seemed to fall apart as the burger was eaten, a 3.
Onion slices:  Red onion, sliced really thin, almost shaved.  They provided a great flavor to the burger.  I like the crisp bite of onion though, so the slice could have been a bit thicker, a 4.
Mustard:  A good yellow mustard, but not at all necessary.  The thin spread I added myself added a nice additional flavor though, a 4.

Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 5

From the first to the last bite, this was an outstanding burger.  The meat was seasoned enough that no toppings would have been required, but the toppings included complimented the meat well.  I don't any real complaints about this burger, a easy 5.

 

Other Notes:

Location and Access

The place was right on Main Street, so it was pretty easy to find.  Parking, however, can be difficult.  There are a few small lots one block back, but they are often full at lunch time.

Facilities

This is an old building, but it has been remodeled well.  The atmosphere is kind of a combination of pub and coffeehouse.  It can be a little dark at times.

Staff and Service

When I stepped inside, a chalkboard directed patrons to seat themselves.  The lunch rush was over, so it was easy to find a table.  A large group was just leaving, so it took a couple of minutes for a waitress to get to me, but not an excessive wait.  There are plenty of options, including sandwiches, salads, pizza, and other entrees.  The waitress was friendly and reasonably attentive throughout the meal, great.

Sides

Fries:  These fries weren't bad, but they could have been cooked just a little crisper.
Iced Tea:  Pretty standard iced tea.

Value

The burger was $9.99, and came with the fries.  Considering the quality of the burger and the good service, I feel it was priced right, especially since the same meal at many of the counter service establishments would have cost just as much.