Blue Moon Cafe - Chubby Burger (4 stars)

200 E High St
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
Phone:  (304) 876-1920
Website: http://www.bluemoonshepherdstown.com/

Single location 

Time of Visit:  September 7, 2015 at 11:30 am

My Order:  Chubby Burger w/ Cheddar

                   French Fries
                   Iced Tea

 

I was in Shepherdstown to play a round of golf in the afternoon, so I went early to have lunch at the Blue Moon.  While it wasn’t a bad burger, it was lacking in some areas.

Burger Rating = 3.6 (****)

 

Presentation, Overall Rating 4

 

The meal came out on a white, oval plate.  The burger was placed on one end and the fries on the other, along with a plastic container of ketchup.  Everything was well arranged and the burger was well prepared and skewered with a long pick, but otherwise nothing special in the presentation.  The food was hot and fresh and looked good.  Overall it looked good, but needed that little extra, so I give it a 4.

Meat, Overall Rating 3

The patty was cooked all the way through, but needed some more browning to give it a better appearance.  It had a good texture and a good amount of juiciness, but lacked any discernable seasoning.  Because of the lackluster appearance and lack of seasoning, I have to give this one a 3.

Bun, Overall Rating 4

The bun was nice looking Kaiser roll and was probably the perfect size for the burger.  It was given a nice toast on the cut surfaces, but the crust was too hard, which tended to cause the contents to squeeze out.  Still, it had a fine taste and held up really well all through my meal.  I’ll give it a 4.

Toppings, Overall Rating 4

Cheddar Cheese:  I would have liked just a little bit thicker slice, but it wasn’t a bad amount and the flavor came through in the final burger.  It was well melted over the patty and covered it nicely.  Altogether, it is good enough to get a 5.

Lettuce:  This was fresh and crunchy and there was actually enough to provide some extra texture to the burger.  My main complaint is that it being chopped caused too much to escape the burger as it was eaten.  Still, good enough for a 4.
Mayonnaise:  This was a good tasting mayonnaise, but nothing special.  It was spread evenly across the bun, but there was just a little too much, which made things too slippery and caused toppings to escape. I have to give this a 3.
Tomato Slice:  This was a good, fresh slice and it was a good size for the burger, wide enough to cover the patty and thick enough to provide flavor and texture.  Unfortunately, it tended to slip out of the sandwich and the last third just fell out.  Overall, a 4.

Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 3

The different flavors came through, but between the hard bun and the extra mayo, the toppings tended to squeeze out.  The last third of the sandwich was without tomato as it fell out of the burger as well as a lot of the lettuce.  I can’t help but feel that something was missing from this burger, maybe some crunchy onion or a sharp bite of pickle would have made it better or even just some seasoning on the meat.  I do give them credit for using local, grass fed beef, and that’s a plus.  Overall, there were some really good things about this burger, but a few minuses as well, so I will give it a 3.

 

Other Notes:

Location and Access

This store is located on the corner of two streets in Shepherdstown, which is a pretty small town.  However, it’s not on the main drag through town, so would not see it if you weren’t aiming for it.  There are only a few parking spots in front of the store, but a good amount of street parking nearby.

Facilities

The store itself looks a bit cobbled together, but it is clean and comfortable inside.  There are quite a few tables and some outside seating.

Staff and Service

The service is pretty casual and can be a bit slow, but everyone was very friendly.  My order was taken accurately and the food was served just as I requested.

Sides

French Fries:  These were pretty standard fries and were even fairly crispy, at least when they were brought out to me.  They did seem to cool down pretty quickly, but they had a good flavor.

Iced Tea:  A good, refreshing iced tea that they brew themselves, it was nothing special but did quench my thirst when I needed it.

Value

The meal cost me $12.72, plus tip.  That’s probably about right for a sit down meal.