Farm Burger

Fresh burger with super fresh toppings

Farm Burger

***

First off I want to stress the importance of looking closely at addresses. I was lost for an hour trying to find the restaurant because I thought it said 4108 and it was actually 410b. Slight difference. I was interested in trying their burgers because they made a point of telling you how fresh everything is. "Our burgers are made from 100% grassfed beef that is dry-aged for two weeks and ground daily. Our cows are raised on the sweet grasses of the southeast, and never fed antibiotics, hormones, or grain. Our menu is seasonal and sourced from local farms." I was practically expecting to pick my cow from out back. The restaurant itself is very small and cute. The little canning jars with metal silverware was a neat idea and there was a blackboard listing the local farms they had received products from. My sweet potato fries were yummy but tasted possibly baked. They were lacking something in flavor. The vegetables on my burger : jalapenos, lettuce, red onions, tomatoes and roasted garlic were delicious as was the mystery FB sauce. (The cashier did actually name off the ingredients to me but they were too many to remember). The disappointment was the burger. I honestly couldn't even find it to have to show in the picture and it tasted equally forgettable. I love the concept it just needs a tiny but more flavor either that or come back and just get a vegetable sandwich. 

National Cheeseburger Day

Wish I had known about this day ahead of time. I am marking it on my calendar for next year, I would have celebrated with full fanfare, instead  I ran out at lunch and had a repeat burger from the closest good place, Brad's Grill for the Messy Burger. Messy burger #2 was even messier than the first and I had a hard time keeping all my coleslaw under control. It still was delicious but I would have rather had another Flippin Out burger or Highland Tap burger to celebrate.

George's

Jalapeno Dijon burger

George's

***

The worst part about coming to Virginia Highlands is finding a parking space. On a beautiful day, you get a chance to eat on a little patio or inside the dark narrow bar. The spaces at the wooden booths all have name plates. I told my friend to call me Heather since that's what my spot said. When I saw he Jalapeno Dijon burger I couldn't resist. You have the option of getting a 5 oz or 8 oz burger and then there are a lot of other options for toppings. My burger was nice and juicy with jalapeños, jack cheese, and dijon horseradish sauce. The potato salad was very yummy with a smokey flavor to it. I wish the pickle had been crunchy but it was the soggy kind of spear. It wasn't my favorite burger by far but it was a nice place to start a day in the area. I have heard they are hit and miss so I will have to sample their burgers again.

Johnny Rockets

Double Rocket burger

Johnny Rockets

**.5

Decided to try to brave a burger now that my tummy was feeling better. I almost chickened out and ordered the soy burger but I figured if I was going to chicken out, better to do it in a city far away. At the Chicago airport they give you a beeper to notify you when your burger is ready. I waited in anticipation not only to try this new burger but to see if I could ever stomach a burger again. I loved the fresh onion on it but the burger was so greasy. I only slightly enjoyed it but I was glad to see I could go back to enjoying goood burgers again soon.

Ram Restaurant and Brewery

BeHemoth burger challenge
Ram Restaurant and Brewery

****.5

I had researched restaurants to check out before I went to Chicago and the Ram sounded good before I discovered the BeHemoth challenge. The menu just said "5+ pound burger, bursting with too many toppings to mention and all the fix'ns in one sitting." I thought to myself- "I think I have had at least a 2 lb burger no problem, I can do this." Then the burger actually came. It was bigger than my head! Plus it wasn't just 3 pounds of burger, it also had mayo, Anaheim pepper straws, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, Havarti, country ham, lettuce, pickle chips, sauteed mushrooms, hickory smoked bacon, mustard, corned beef, American cheese and tomato plus I had to eat the fries. I decided the best plan of attack was to hack away at it with my knife to make bite size pieces. I had actually eaten almost 2/3 of the burger in the first 30 minutes when I hit the meat wall. I spent the next 90 minutes being cheered on by family and fellow restaurant goers. Of course the last thing in the world I wanted to do was take another bite. Finally, I was able to swallow that killer last bite. I decided I might not ever want another burger. Turns out I was the first female EVER to eat the entire thing and only the 81st person chain wide to finish! Of course I walked around looking pregnant for the next 2 days & couldn't even bare the thought of red meat.

Westin O'Hare Benchmark Restaurant

Bacon Cheese burger
Westin Benchmark Restaurant

****

My first thought was wow, that's the biggest pickle I ever saw. I was quickly disappointed though because the pickle wasn't crisp & tasty, it was soft & floppy. My grandfather couldn't figure out how to get his in his mouth, little did I know but this was foreshadowing of the burger to come. It was actually a really delicious burger but for $16 a bit pricey. It is a high class hotel & a restaurant there is always going to be really expensive. If you find yourself staying there and don't feel like walking then you'll really enjoy this tasty treat, you just might have to take a loan out first.