Text 624, 65 rader
Skriven 2013-05-16 10:44:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: burger palace 555
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So we were on our way to rehearsal and decided to check out
Bobby's Burger Palace in the Burlington Mall. This fast-food
chain started by Iron Chef Bobby Flay is meant to bring high
quality food to the masses, at least those who are willing
to spend twice as much as they have to.

You go in and look at the menu painted on the wall, which
offers various semi-normal and abnormal variations on the
hamburger, all available beef, turkey, or chicken, all
available crunchified, which means with a handful of crushed
potato chips dumped on top. There is no plain hamburger option.
Nonetheless, I ordered a plain burger (not on the menu) rare
with (though the online menu advertises beer and margaritas,
this store hasn't got its license yet) a bottle of Boylan root
beer (at least it has beer in the name, I remarked to the
cashier who, being all of about 16 years old, was amused).

Prices: burgers, grilled cheese, and salads are in the $7-8
range, but sides are extra. Fountain bev are $2; bottled $2.50.
Surprisingly, the plain burger is only $5.95.

You order at the cashier and get a number, which you take to
your table (the Carl's Jr. method of service I call it), and
your food arrives in its own good time, which for us was not
too long and not too separated. Everyone from trainee to
manager asks how your experience has been every time they go
past, which is every five minutes until you vacate. Whether
this is meant to make you feel good or annoy you I am not sure.

Sauces on the table are proprietary, and you are led to believe
that Bobby and his team of culinary hotshots has come up with
secret recipes just for you. It may be true. Let's see what I
remember. There's a chipotle sauce that has a pleasant heat and
a pleasant smokiness, though it also has some weird notes, which
are apparent in the rather too sweet and chemically burger sauce.
Jalapeno sauce is wimpy and bad-tasting. Mustard, pretty standard
but of high quality, a good yellow product with the kick of what
we think of as Dijon. The ketchup was tasty and less sweet than
most, thinner, too.

When my burger came, it was rare, 1/3 lb, not frozen but still
preformed (not completely round), on a heavily sesame-seeded
bun that would have been better toasted; raw sesame seeds are
irritating and taste like potato. Pretty good on the whole.
Neither of us ordered the $3 fries, which are the cause of much
of the Internet whining. 

My colleague ordered a bacon blue cheese burger served over
baby greens (an upcharge of a buck or two); this appeared to
be fine, though why anyone would defile a good bacon burger
with blue cheese I don't know. The meat was medium-rare as
ordered; the greens I thought looked a little sketchy, but
I have scant experience with what a salad should look like
after being topped with a hot burger and its grease. I tasted
a tiny bit of bacon that had not been cootified - it was quite
smoky and packed a good flavor punch, necessary because the
serving was only two strips.

Though the reviews are mixed and the complaints about cost
loud, we found the experience good and the value decent.
I am surprised and gratified to report that I will probably
return, but no special trip for sure.
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