Claim Jumper

I was at the Redmond Town center today and thought I'd grab lunch at Claim Jumper.  I've only eaten there a few times and have found the food to be pretty good.  They seem to be known for their giant servings.  Not sure that is a good thing.  I ordered the hamburger, of course.
I got the basic cheese burger with the usual toppings.  The burger was just okay.  It was a bit dry.  I added some BBQ sauce which helped.  The bread was a butter egg bun.  Really good but a lot of bread.  At the end I just picked the meat off and ate it.  The fries were yummy.  Really skinny and lightly seasoned.   Overall it was a mediocre lunch. Next time I'm there I will get a salad.  They are delicious!

Fat Burger

I checked out Fat Burger in Lynnwood a couple of weeks ago.  I was a bit disappointed but part of that was my own fault.  I wasn't starving so I decided to just order the SMALL burger.  What I didn't know is that the small is really small.  Slightly bigger than a slider but not a full size burger.  Because I got everything on it, I couldn't hardly taste the meat.  The bun held together nicely but I could not even tell you if the burger had a good taste.  It was gone too fast.  The fries were the skinny fries and nothing special.  The drink choices were pretty cool.  That had all your basic sodas but all kind of flavors to include- vanilla, cherry, chocolate, etc.   I think I need to go back when I'm really hungry and get the full size.   Stay tuned.

Red Mill- 2nd time

I happen to be by a Red Mill Burger today and I decided to try it again.  Since my visit in October, I had been informed many times that I didn't experience the real Red Mill Burger since I didn't have bacon or sauce.  I have to admit...  everyone was right.  This time I got the bacon  burger with sauce and it was delicious!  The bacon is super crispy and the sauce was not what I expected.  I was worried it was 1000 island dressing (which I hate) but it wasn't.  It was a mayo based dressing with just the right amount of zip in it.  I ate the entire burger...  quickly.  The bun started falling about near the end but it wasn't too bad.  The meat was delicious but the smokey, thick bacon had the most flavor.  I will definately go back.  So far one of my favorite burgers!  I will tell everyone...  you must get the bacon and the sauce. 

Plus, the wall of Bacon is worth the trip.

Lunchbox Laboratory

My sister was in town 2 weeks ago and we decided to grab a burger while she was here.  I've been sticking to the 5 Guys in my building lately so I haven't done much exploring.  It was nice to try something new.

Lunchbox Laboratory is located in South Lake Union and we hit it up for lunch on Monday. The place is totally fun, decorated with retro lunchboxes and signs from the 60's and 70's. Jane ordered The Burger of the Gods and I went with The Native New Yorker.   The service was good and the burgers arrived quickly.  Jane's was by far the better burger.  Hers had Candied Balsamic onions and a  Gorgonzola spread.  The burger was well cooked and just the right amount of sweetness.  It was a delicious concoction.  Mine came with Monterey Jack cheese, onions, buffalo ketcup and ranch dressing.  It was good but a couple of problems.  Too much sauce!  It was so messy I could barely eat it.  The buffalo ketcup had more of a kick then I expected.  The Ranch helped even it out but I could have done with half the amount of ketcup.  There was so much sauce on the burger that I can't honestly tell you how the meat tasted.  The bun held together nicely which is a big plus.  Jane got sweet potato fries and I stuck with the skinny fry.  They were good but maybe a bit average. 

The menu features all kind of yummy milkshakes including Nutella, Boston Creme donut and  Butterfinger!  Plus there is a big selection of Boozie shakes including Key West Pie and the Drunken Elvis (Peanut butter, banana, vanilla vodka and Malibu Banana)  I was too full for the shakes but I would definitely go back and split a burger with someone so that I could have the shake. 
Overall it was a great lunch.  Wonderful getting to spend time with my sister, fun stuff to look at and good food!  Thumbs up!
The show, Americas best bites,  featured Lunchbox Laboratory on January 24th when they highlighted the 5 best burgers in the US.  Their pick was the Dork Burger featuring a Duck and pork patty, Monterey Jack Cheese, onions and garlic mayo.  WOW.


http://www.americasbestbites.com/restaurants/580/americas-best-burger-the-dork-burger-lunchbox-labratory/

Red Mill Burger

Whenever I search "Best Burgers in Seattle" I get the same 2 listings.  Red Mill Burger and Dicks Drive In.  I decided it was time to check  out one of them.  Red Mill is about 5 miles from my house so it was the lunch plan for Saturday. It's in a part of town that I don't know called Phinney RIdge. I found it with no problem and really liked the neighborhood.  It was 2 pm on a Saturday and the place was packed.  I ordered the basic cheese burger, fries and a diet coke.  I got the burger without the special sauce.  What I found out later is that i didn't experience the "real" Red Mill Burger..   I guess the way to order it is with bacon and special sauce.  I should have asked some folks before I went .  Oh well. 

The burger itself was pretty good.  I thought it was a bit thin and didn't have a ton of flavor.  The bun was tasty and  big.  The bun held together nicely and didn't distract from the burger.  The cheese was super yummy and nicely melted.  But it wasn't anything outstanding.  The fries were also okay .  Thought they were good but didn't knock my socks off. 
After I ordered my burger I looked at the grill in the back and there was a giant mountain of bacon.  I mean a MOUNTAIN. It was stacked in a square and was probably a foot high.  The restaurant is tiny and has maybe 6 tables and some bar stools.  There are 3 picnic tables out front which were packed even though it was raining.  I can't imagine how crowded it would be at noon.  
Now I have to go back and try it again.... with Bacon and Sauce.
http://www.redmillburgers.com/

Bob's burgers and brew

http://www.bobsburgersandbrew.com/

The other night I was out and I was starving!  I saw a place called Bob's Burgers and Brew.  I didn't feel like staying in for dinner so I got it to go.  I got the Bacon Burger and fries.  The truth is that I was so hungry that I ate the burger without really taking the time to enjoy it.  The bacon was Delicious!  The bun held up well in the car.  I'm not sure I can review it fairly since I barely remember it.  I will say that it was big!  I could not eat the last few bites.  The fries were a bit disappointing.  They were your basic  fries.  I will have to go back and try it when I can actually think about what I'm eating :)

The Habit

It's been a while since I posted due to my move and new job.  But, things are starting to settle down so hopefully I'm back to updating the blog.  I flew back down to Sacramento last weekend and went with the family to The Habit.  I love the Habit.  I reviewed their new concept Hook Burger a few months ago when I was down in LA.  I've eaten at the Habit numerous times in Fresno but this was my first visit to the Sacramento location.  It is a very casual burger joint.  If you aren't a burger fan (which would shock me) then you have plenty of other options on the menu- Tri-tip, chicken, Tuna, veggie burger, etc.  You have fries , sweet potato fries or onion rings to choose from.  Plus there are shakes which I always want to try but usually end up too full to give it a shot.  The burger is nicely char grilled and has a fresh delicious taste.  You have plenty of toppings to choose from and they don't cover the burger in any of that 1000's Island dressing.    The bun holds up nicely.  

My only complaint is that the sweet potato fries aren't anything special.  Well, that and it would be nice if they had an ice cold beer to serve along with the burger :)   
I've been eating a lot of burgers lately but nothing that I've felt worth blogging about.  I had a 5 Guys burger the other day which was fabulous.  I love their burgers.  But, I've reviewed them recently and will continue to compare burgers to them.  I also have to admit I had a Wendy's burger last week and it was pretty darn good.  The bun was super sweet and soft.  I had stayed away from them for a while because the one near my old house had terrible service.  This one near my new house was nice.  
I'll try to hit some new locations soon.  More photo's to follow.  http://www.habitburger.com/

Eat up!