Finally ate at Bob's

 

My time in Burbank was coming to an end and I knew I had to get back to Bob's to try their burger.  Finally I made it happen.  The building itself is very cool and retro.  It's the original Bob's and they sell T-shirts and banks with Bob displayed.  It is in a part of Burbank call Toluca Lake.  Fairly upscale and a lot of walk-by traffic.  I sat outside on the patio and ordered the cheese burger.  The service was fine, nothing special.  The burger arrived and right away I noticed the dressing.  I always forget that Burger joints in CA seem to think that Thousand Island dressing needs to be on every burger.  They call it their Special sauce.  I've said it a few times but I'm saying it again, I hate 1000 Island dressing!  It's the same no matter what you call it.     So, I scrapped it off and put the burger back together.  The burger was just okay.  It wasn't anything special.  Honestly it tasted like a typical diner burger.  It was  a little overdone and the cheese was American.  The bun was non descript and the toppings were lettuce and tomato.  The fries were the meaty kind which I like but definitely from a bag and dumped in a fryer.   
Overall I'd say that the experience of eating in the location, watching the people walk by, looking at the memorabilia posted in the lobby made it worthwhile.  It brought back all those memories of childhood.  The food was just okay.  I took my photo's and checked the location off my list. On to the next Burger. 

It's National Burger month.

I've been so busy that I didn't even notice it was national Burger Month.  Of course for some of us, it is always Burger month.
Enjoy!

http://sacburgermonth.com/

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/05/happy-national-burger-month.html

Hook Burger

A couple of weeks ago when I was down in Burbank, I saw that a Hook Burger was getting ready to open in the shopping center by my hotel.  Hook Burger is owned by the same team that owns The Habit.  This is a bit more upscale then The Habit along with a full bar.   When I went back last week, they were open and I decided to give them a shot.  I am a big fan of the Habit so I was expecting big things.

First, the new spot is inviting with plenty of outdoor seating and a friendly staff.  You can tell they just opened because everything is spotless and the staff was all smiles.   I ordered the Hickory Burger which comes with Bacon and onion strings and an order of sweet potato fries.  
The burger was giant.  I'm not sure my mouth is big enough for this burger (no comments needed here!) 
This was a tasty burger.  The BBQ sauce was slightly sweet, the onion strings were crunchy and the meat was perfectly cooked. Due to the size, it was a bit messy but I managed to scrape up my leftovers with a fork.   My only complaint was the bun.  It just didn't have much flavor to it.  I thought the bun lacked something but I'm not sure what.  The sweet potato fries were also good but maybe not the best I've ever had.  I still dream about the ones at Umami Burger!  These were good but nothing special.  It was also nice to have a beer with the burger, not something that's available at all burger spots.
Overall it was a thumbs up experience.  The location is great, the people are nice and the food is delicious.  I look forward to going back.