K and I showed up at the new Columbia BGR on opening day. The place was pretty well-attended, both with friendly cashiers and happy diners. Since we’d already been to another BGR location, where I’d tasted (and loved) their classic burger as well as their Cuban, both of us opted for a new experience: the mushroom-and-onion Wellington, with a side of rosemary fries. (We made the cashier’s day, apparently, because he got to push the “repeat order” button.)
I like BGR’s philosophy of cooking the burgers to order, and using beef that is hormone-free and grain-fed. I was disappointed, however, in the Wellington; I can see the appeal of the caramelized onions and the mushrooms, but for me, the blue cheese was so strong that it basically took over the flavor of the meat. Oh well, I’ll try something different next time. (If you like blue cheese, though, then the Wellington is for you!)
We’ll still be back; K wants to try the lobster roll and I’m looking forward to the asparagus fries. The potato fries were delicious: hot, crispy, and fragrant with rosemary. Also, K got to play with the customize-your-own-soda machine, so I’d call it a win.
A note on doneness: BGR’s definition of medium rare was just a bit more red inside than I had been expecting. I’ll eat rare meat (I’ve had tartare), but for a burger, I prefer a bit more in the way of texture. Next time, I’m ordering medium.
As I understand it, it’s like Five Guys meets the Greene Turtle, but it costs about as much as if you add them together.
I admit I haven’t been impressed with my food at the Greene Turtle, so I can’t speak to that… but on the other hand I do love Five Guys, and the BGR burger is much thicker than what I’ve gotten at Five Guys, and the fries are crunchier and thicker-cut.
The price is definitely pretty high compared with Five Guys, but I’d say it’s about on par with the burger prices at Frisco.
Tried it myself Saturday. A few things:
Regan’s tuna was undercooked (she asked for Medium-Rare and got Very Rare) and my burger was overcooked (I asked for Medium and got Almost Well Done).
The Wellington tasted good. The tuna was great (good sauce etc.). It was comparable to Fudruckers, actually.
Frisco: A burger is ~$8 and comes with fries. BGR Wellington + Fries = more than $11. So the price is actually a dollar or two more than Fuds.
I’ve definitely been noticing some doneness problems there. We went back on Sunday and both of us ordered medium; mine was slightly pink in the middle whereas K’s was browner and drier.
Also, our friend ordered medium rare, and it came out much more cooked than the medium rare I had ordered on my first visit there. If BGR can’t get doneness consistency right, they’re not going to survive long. Hope Regan was okay with her tuna.
Thanks for the review. I can’t wait to go there. I’ll wait a few weeks though til they figure out their cooking temperatures.
In case you want to know, my favorite burger and fries in HoCo go as follows:
1) King Burger at Fat Burger with Skinny Fries
2) Black Angus Burger at Victoria Gastro Pub with Poutine Duck Fat Fries
3) Burnin Love Burger at Red Robin with onion ring tower
4) 1/2 lb burger at Fuddruckers with basket of fries (thick ones)
Sorry not a fan of the fries at Five Guys and the presentation of the burgers there never looks great, so they are off my list.
I look forward to seeing where BGR fits in here.
-Brent
Brent – thanks for the lineup! I haven’t been to Fatburger since they first opened; I definitely have to check them out again. And the duck fat poutine at Victoria is reason enough on its own to eat there.
I look forward to hearing what you think of BGR’s burger when you go.
The tuna was high enough quality to survive the 4 levels in one cooking, I left the raw corner out but I ate the Rare- Medium parts. In the future I’ll save my lightly seared Ahi Tuna cravings for Outback; I’m getting a regular burger if we go back.
I definitely liked the regular burger when I got it (I think they called it the “Classic”). Thanks for the review!
I know it’s not one of the fancy burgers, but the DC Groupon today is for BGR. You pay $4 for a Prime-Beef Dry-Aged Burger at BGR The Burger Joint ($6.99 Value).
Here’s the link: http://www.groupon.com/deals/bgr-the-burger-joint?utm_campaign=UserReferral&utm_medium=email&utm_source=uu765384
-Brent