By, Todd Sweeney
June 3, 2010
I’m passionate about food (no, really?). Most bloggers are pretty passionate with what they choose to write about. To be honest, I never thought I’d have my own blog. I’m not usually one to obsess and focus so much energy on one thing, but food is something I can easily be passionate about. I’m most passionate about one food in particular, the hamburger. Everything in a hamburger is so crucial to the final product. The meat must be high grade, the veggies fresh and crisp. The cheese must be REAL, and the bun… well, the bun is almost as important as the meat itself. Even with top quality ingredients, the hamburger, once assembled, can still fall short if not crafted and stacked with utmost care and balance.
Last week I was elated to find a new eatery had opened in Tampa; one with a passion for hamburgers that rivals my own. Burger Monger arrived on the scene to do one thing- make great burgers. Started by partners Jake Hickton and Bob Slane, Burger Monger’s take on the ubiquitous fast food is that with the right high-quality ingredients, the hamburger transcends fast-food mediocrity and ascends to its own well-deserved throne of honor. I can agree with that completely, and couldn’t wait to try it out!
The burger is the obvious main focus here. The menu lists three burger options, single, double, and “Monster Monger”- 16oz. of glorious goodness. The single burger is plenty of food, even for Le Food Whore, especially when covered with their array of toppings that range from traditional to haute (brie cheese, anyone?) The decor is understated and simple, with flatscreen TV’s every few feet showing sports. I overheard the owner tell someone he’ll have the NFL Sunday Ticket in the fall, so that’s good news for the sports lovers. This isn’t a loud, boisterous sports bar though. The tv’s are muted and some great tunes play softly over the restaurant speakers. Nothing distracts too much from the star of the show here, and that star is beef.
Burger Monger’s burgers are made of 100% Akaushi Kobe beef, one of the highest grades of beef available and several grades above prime. The difference is immediately apparent. A thick, juicy Kobe beef patty, perched on a perfectly grilled garlic challah bun was quickly delivered to my table and quickly devoured. This is not an overstatement. I had to return to Burger Monger TWICE MORE to finally get a picture of the burger. I kept eating them too fast! The meat was hot, juicy, and very lightly seasoned with sea salt, letting all the goodness of that Akaushi Kobe beef flavor shine through. I kept the toppings traditional. A slice of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and their “Monger” sauce, which I heard described as “A watermelon-based 1000-Island-y sauce”. It was good, and exactly as described. There were no surprises with the burger. It came out exactly as advertised. The highly-touted meat was every bit as flavorful and met expectations, and the entire symphony of bun, beef, and toppings created a truly glorious burger experience. Burger Monger’s tight focus on their mission to create a great burger pays off right at first bite.
The fries were no surprise either. Great burgers demand great fries, right? Perfectly cooked, lightly sea-salted (sensing a wonderful theme here? No over-salting at this restaurant, yay!) and piping hot and crisp when they arrived, they were better than the fries from the “certain number of male humans’” place. They even had malt vinegar available to douse the fries in, although I opted for my personal favorite fry condiment, Intensity Academy’s Chai Chipotle Chup, happily served by Burger Monger (way to support the locals!)
The real surprise came from the hot dog. I admit I wasn’t expecting it to come close to the quality of the burger, but this is one killer hot dog. Also made of 100% Akaushi Kobe beef, this leaner, meaner weiner came sliced, perfectly grilled, and sitting on top of a wonderful challah garlic bun, also perfectly grilled. When paired with either their “chef-made” onion slaw or mustard kraut, the hot dog outshone even the burgers on their menu.
Not everything was perfect. The team seemed to have some growing pains, understandable in their first week of business. During one visit, both mine and my fellow diners’ orders were incorrectly delivered with either the wrong condiments or some toppings missing, but they were quickly and cheerfully corrected with a big beaming smile from the girl who brought them to us. A fellow eater rightly commented that the beef might have an even better flavor once the griddle is properly seasoned by hours and hours of use. Despite these small shortcomings, I enjoyed my meals, and was able to get in and out during lunch quickly. I was impressed and set at ease to see the owners constantly present in both the kitchen and the dining room, quietly ensuring everything was at its absolute best for their patrons, and letting their passion for what they do shine through.
Perhaps the most insidious affront was on the menu itself, the dreaded chicken sandwich. In a temple dedicated to the majesty and passion of highest quality Akaushi Kobe beef, I was sad to see this paltry excuse for a “healthy alternative” lurking low on the menu. To be fair, it seems to have been done right, all-natural marinated chicken breast meat on a choice of bun, and I did see at least one diner order and enjoy a chicken sandwich each time I was in the restaurant, but come on! There’s no PASSION in putting a chicken sandwich on the menu of a place called BURGER Monger! For a place so focused on quality meat in their burgers and dogs, the chicken sandwich seemed either an afterthought, or worse yet, a craven cave-in to the fussy, overly-health-conscious eater.
Burger Monger shouldn’t be for everyone. If you don’t have a passion for quality hamburgers, fall prostrate at the altar of REAL french fries, or worship the high-end weiner, then maybe the McDonald’s next door to Burger Monger is more suited to you. But if you love ground meat on perfect bread with a variety of toppings, then maybe Burger Monger’s passion will rub off on you. Writing this review has made me hungry for yet another trip to Burger Monger. I might buy a burger or have a hot dog, but I WON’T be getting the chicken sandwich!
Bon Appetit!