Madrones Restaurant - Cheeseburger (4 stars)

7810 Wormans Mill Rd
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone:  (240) 439-4010
Website: http://madrones.net/

Single location 

Time of Visit:  August 7, 2015 at 11:50 am

My Order:  Cheeseburger

                   French Fries
                   Iced Tea

 

I am watching what I eat and have been real good all week, so I decided to take my hamburger treat today.  Madrones has been listed as having one of the best burgers in Frederick, so I went and tried it out.

Burger Rating = 4.4 (****)

 

P 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 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 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 Oven-roasted tomatoes, savory roasted garlic aioli and fresh arugula tossed in citrus olive oil dressing on a toasted ciabattresentation, Overall Rating 5

The meal came out on a white, oval plate with the burger served open-faced and a spear holding the toppings to the top bun.  The fries were alongside the burger with the ketchup and mustard in little metal cups.  It looked very nice as a first impression and I saw nothing wrong with it, a 5.

Meat, Overall Rating 5

The patty was thick, about one inch, but I have to say they cooked it right.  It was cooked all the way through and was still pretty juicy and flavorful.  It was seasoned well and even had a crust that had good browning, but wasn’t tough.  The texture was loose, but held together well.  Overall, a very well done patty, a 5.

Bun, Overall Rating 4

Another plus, they used a really good brioche bun and toasted it well.  My only criticism is that it wasn’t quite sized properly, being just a little too wide for the patty, so I can’t give it any more than a 4.

Toppings, Overall Rating 4

Cheddar Cheese:  The cheese was well melted and was a nice addition to the burger.  Even though the burger patty was thick, the flavor of the cheese still came through.  No complaints, a 5.
Red Onions:  The had three large red onion rings on it.  They were fresh and had a good bit.  However, With the rings all being large, they onion was not well distributed, with the outer burger getting a lot of onion and the inner bites not having any.  I guess I’ll give it a 4.
House-made Mustard:  This was a nice, whole grain style mustard that provided a nice flavor to the burger.  Since it was served on the side, I could spread it however I wanted.  Let’s go ahead and give this, a 5.
House Made Pickles:  These were really good, sort of a sweet pickle, but not quite.  The flavor was great.  But, there were only two small pickles, so only half the burger had any pickle on it.  Because of that, I can’t give any more than a 3.
Lettuce:  Like usual, there just wasn’t enough to add much to the burger, a 3.

Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 4

This was a great burger.  All the flavors blended well and no one flavor overwhelmed the others.  They burger also held together well and each bite had a little bit of everything.  But, because the toppings weren’t distributed equally on the burger and the bun was slightly off-sized, I can’t give this any more than a 4.

 

Other Notes:

Location and Access

This store is located in the Wegman’s Center, across the parking lot from that store.  Once you pull onto the road from Route 26, it’s fairly easy to spot.  There is plenty of parking, although the lot can get busy, especially on the weekend.

Facilities

The store has a nice atmosphere with plenty of table, although there is no outside seating.  The bathrooms are easy to find.

Staff and Service

The staff was very professional, although my waitress could have smiled a bit more.  The hostess was quick and efficient getting me to my table.  It did take a while for my food to be prepared, so this is not the spot for a quick lunch, but it came out cooked just the way I wanted it.  The waitress did warn it might take a while.

Sides

French Fries:  These were standard fries like you will find in many restaurants.  My main comment is that they could have been cooked a bit crispier.
Iced Tea:  Pretty standard iced tea, it was could and thirst quenching.

Value

In total, this meal cost me a little over $15, including tax.  That’s not outrageous for a sit down meal, but it’s not the best value either, just pretty average.