I like mine with lettuce and tomato
Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer
Well good God Almighty which way do I steer for my
Cheeseburger in paradise
That’s Jimmy Buffett’s idea of a good cheeseburger. Jeremy Iggers has a few ideas of his own (HT: Mitch Berg). I’m rather an aficionado myself (which may have something to do with my last post). Here are a few memorable meaty moments:
Cheeseburger in a skyway: L. Philips at 5th and Marquette, Minneapolis. Big, sloppy-looking, hand-formed burger just like Mom used to make. Hard to beat the classic bacon-cheeseburger, but the Jamaican and Cajun variations are also great. Nice fries, too.
Cheeseburger near a fly-way: Lion’s Tap, near Flying Cloud airport. Haven’t been down that way for maybe 20 years, but I remember these burgers. Great seasonings and a moist bun in a funky setting.
Best Cheeseburger that ought to come with a warning: I’ve had the Juicy Lucy (cheese and onions sealed between two patties) at Matt’s, but I really liked the ones at Adrian’s, another South Minneapolis bar that we’d hit after softball games. I gave up a lot of tissue from the inside of my mouth to those babies. Hurts so good!
Best Cheeseburger in London: Another burger blast-from-the-past. A long time ago I spent a semester in England and it was hard to find a good cut of meat by itself, at least on a student’s budget. After a month of dubious meat pies and pasties we made it to the Hard Rock Cafe where they actually had a char-broiled burger that tasted like a real American hamburger. Ambrosia! Moans and whimpers went around the table as we let the juicy goodness roll over our tongues and tonsils (which may have been the chief ingredients of other English “meat” fare we’d had). Unfortunately the Budweiser I ordered to go with it came from the Czechoslovakian brewery of the same name.(And the worst hamburger in London was from a Wimpy’s, which, despite the American name, always tasted funny – and this was pre-Mad Cow).
Best Trivia Cheeseburger: Keegan’s. I tied into one of these last week and it went down even easier than Terry’s questions. I may just have to have another tonight when Night Visions and Tiger Lilly rejoin the group on the patio. (And I’ll award a trivia point to anyone who knows where I got the headline for this post.)
Current Fave: I’m a big fan of the burgers at Red Robin, where I usually get the peppercorn or Blue Cheese versions. Finally tried the Royal last time: a week’s worth of protein in every bite! Burger, smoked bacon and a fried egg on a bun. Add in the bottomless bucket of french fries (the thick, wide kind like Wendy’s used to do) and you can see why the place ought to offer valet parking for ambulances.
Least favorite: White Castle. Yeah, they smell good, especially after bar-closing. And they’re really cute. So is a Pekinese, but it doesn’t mean I want to eat one.
Mmmmm, Matts Juicy Lucy. So yummy.
Red Robin is good, although they just closed the one by my workplace. Something my arteries are thankful for.
There is a small bar in the town of St. Rosa, MN called Linda Bs (I think?) that makes an excellent burger…I believe she calls it the Wagonwheel??
I agree, Adrian’s has the best flesh burner in town. I though it was a bit ironic with this post coming right on the heels of the chest pains story though!
How many times have I told you kids to not slam the door! Oh, wait, that sound was one of my arteries closing. Nevermind.
Glad your ticker’s okay!
My favorite cheeseburger is my own creation. It has a secret blend of mesquite and chipotle seasonings blended into the beef, topped with jalapeno slices, tomato &lettuce. You’ll have to try it sometime.