Panda's Burger Blog

A blog by a girl in Iowa with no culinary experience and a love for burgers

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America Burger- Saddle Creek Breakfast Club, Omaha, NE

This burger boasts- a wagyu patty, bacon, american cheese, iceburg lettuce, a fried egg, and house mayo

The burger- I will admit this, the bar for this burger was high. It has some stiff competition from other burgers here in Omaha, like the Croque Garcon at Block 16, the Breakfast Burger at Early Bird, and even the gone but never forgotten M’s burger at M’s pub, all of which received good burger rating from this here esteemed blog. And let me tell you folks this burger....was a huge disappointment. Not only did it fail to raise the bar, it forgot when it was supposed the meet the bar and slept in that morning. This burger was working with the best ingredients! House mayo, a fried egg (which the Croque Garcon burger has taught me to truly appreciate), even a wagyu patty!!! And yet, it was boring as all get out. I have one thing to say to folk over at SCBC, and that is that waygu beef does not a tasty burger make. You still need salt, people! Or like any seasoning at all. Like, waygu beef still just tastes like beef at the end of the day. Broil or season that shit or get out of the burger business. A true shame that delicious ingredients were mishandled this way.

The restaurant- Saddle Creek Breakfast Club is a cute little brunch joint, and is a great place to hit up in the months of April, May, June, September, and maybe October when you can enjoy their outside patio. Eating inside is a trial however, because the place is the size of a shoe box.

Final thoughts- A tragedy, really. Bad burger.

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BBQ Burger- Jethro’s BBQ n’ Bacon Bacon, West Des Moines, IA

This burger boasts-  1/2 pound Angus steak patty, topped with pulled pork tossed in Jethro's Secret BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese and crispy onion strings on a freshly baked bun.

The burger- I’ve done it yet again, folks. I have succumb to the siren song of a bbq burger and yet again been disappointed by it. I thought that perhaps this time would be different, because, you know, we were at a BBQ restaurant, but alas, BBQ sauce on a burger has failed me again.  This burger was one of the worst burgers I have had in a while, you guys. Even somehow worse than the BBq burger from Perkins I reviewed last time. BBQ sauce is usually a pretty flavorful condiment, y’all. IT’s sweet, tangy, and sometimes spicy. And yet, this burger was about as flavorless as they come. Tasted like literal cardboard flavored meatloaf. No salt, no spice, nothing. No salt from the onion strings, only a vague watery sweetness from the pulled pork, and absolutely nothing from the pepper jack cheese, which, in the cheese world, should be beating over the head with flavor. There is absolutely no subtlety to pepper jack cheese, OK? I actually couldn’t finish this burger, it was so bad. Don’t get this burger, guys. It’s not good. My husband’s ribs were decent, though.

The restaurant- There are several different Jethro’s BBQs around the Des Moines area, each specializing in a different thing (such as bacon, as this one does). They are very popular around here and often get rave reviews. I’ve been to two locations now, and honestly, I’m not impressed. I don’t know what everybody is so excited about, but maybe I’m just ordering the wrong stuff *looks pointedly at this burger*.

Final Thoughts-  Really, really bad guys. Stay far away. 

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BBQ Tangler Burger- Perkins Restaurant and Bakery- Many Locations

This burger boasts- BBQ Sauce, cheddar cheese, bacon, and onion tanglers on a brioche bun

Tumbr has apparently changed it’s post format since I last posted. Writing on the top makes no sense and now I’m filled with rage for this burger and this post. RAAAAAWWWWWRRRR!

The Burger- Everything is terrible and I hate it, including this burger. I really only have myself to blame for the burger though. I went to Perkins, after all. It’s like the time a tried a burger at the cafeteria in the Field Museum, you get what you came for.

The mediocrity of this burger is so deep that I almost have nothing to say about it. It was a source of calories that I put into my body. Although, to be fair, it might have actually been a decent burger if the patty had not had the texture and flavor profile of meat cardboard. Not a good burger, not a bad burger, but certainly not an experience I plan on repeating.

The restaurant-  I’m going to make a blanket statement here, which I feel like you should all just take into your hearts as sage wisdom- Perkins is too damn expensive, don’t eat there. It’s also not good. Just don’t do it. We payed $40 for two entrees, two sodas, and two pieces of pie. Which is ridiculous. We’ve spent half that at the fancy hipster pub in town.

Final Thoughts- Meh. Mediocre only because after tasting it, I did still put the thing in my body. I hate you, Perkins.

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The Breakfast Burger- Early Bird, Omaha, NE

This burger boasts- beef patty on brioche with a fried egg, cheddar cheese, and sausage gravy; served with hash browns.

I seriously doubt I have any followers following what was essentially a year of inactivity for Panda’s Burger Blog, but its a new year, and new leaf. Here’s to all the burgers we’re gonna try this year! 

This burger, along with being the first of 2019, is also my first foray into breakfast burgers. I’ve seen them popping up on brunch menus all over the place, but until recently, I haven’t been brave enough to try them. But the new year is a time to try new things, so come along on this journey with me!

The burger- As mentioned above, I’ve always kept these breakfast burgers at a safe distance, mainly because usually have some form of egg on them and I am not a big fan of eggs. However, as Croque Garcon Burger taught me, eggs bring many delicious things to the table. So I decided to take the proverbial leap and try one of these bad boys. And I must say, at least in the case, I was not disappointed. This burger has a lot happening, but they’re all good things. 

First and foremost, this burger is a hot mess. A hot delicious mess, but a mess none the less (hehe, rhymes). This is the first burger on Panda’s Burger Blog that REQUIRED a knife and fork to consume. The gravy on this baby makes it structural ticking time bomb, and picking it up to eat it like a normal burger WILL ONLY END IN TEARS. But the gravy is soooo good that 100% did not care. Creamy, spicy, and rich flavors that you just don’t usually get on a burger. And while I know many of you have misgivings about how that gravy is going to mix with the cheese, but let me assure you, it works. I don’t know why, and it should not in a logical universe work, but it does. And that egg is there to provide a lightness that this whole burger needs and is better for. This is the first burger in which a neighboring restaurant patron approached me and asked me what I ordered because it just looked that delicious. In a world of mediocre burgers, this guy is a tasty shining star.

The restaurant- Early Bird is a brunch only restaurant leaning heavily on it’s hipster laurels. This restaurant is for hipsters, by hipsters, and literally does nothing but brunch items. But they do it well, because I have been there a number of times and I have yet to order something that I wasn’t incredibly pleased with.

Final Thoughts- This is a good burger, and a good breakfast.

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The Farmhouse Burger- Alba, Des Moines, IA

This burger boasts- beef patty, fried brussel leaves, bread and butter pickles, and mustard aioli

Hello, burger bloggers. Due to the big move to Omaha and starting the new big girl doctor job, I’ve been MIA for the last few months, but that just means a burger blog back log! Here come some hot burger blogs, fresh off the grill! 

The burger-  This burger is from Alba’s secret bar side only burger Monday menu. Alba is this chic fusion place in Des Moines east village which has made a name for itself by being a titch on the expensive side. Surprisingly, however, their secret Monday burger menu is actually really reasonably priced- a burger and fries for just 6 bucks! Maybe they assume they’re going to recoup their losses on drink sales by making you sit at the bar? Who knows. All I know is you’re going to need a few in you before ordering this burger because... it’s not that great. Sorry Alba, you did a bad job. For a restaurant that has bad a name for itself by having high quality food, this burger is simply lackluster. It’s setup for greatness; flavorful topping that should go well together. And yet, this burger is bland. I don’t know how you manage to be bland with both bread and butter pickles AND a mustard aioli on your burger, but some how Alba has succeeded. And I love burgers with aioli on them. It’s one of my favorite burger toppings. And it goes without mention that patty was also flavorless. And I KNOW that they use good quality beef. Tsk tsk, Alba, tsk tsk. 

The restaurant- Alba is a decent establishment, it’s hipster without being hipster and fancy without being fancy, but pretty much just comes off as meh. And their a fusion restaurant of some kind, but I don’t actually know of what. As I right this I’m realizing that I might still be bitter. Take this restaurant review with a grain of salt. 

Final Thoughts- This is a mediocre burger. If it had been any more expensive, It would have fallen to bad. Yep, definitely still bitter. 

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Classic Burger- Cafe Beaudelaire, Ames, IA

This burger boasts- beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onion. Add cheese (mozzarella, muenster, gouda or cheddar), fried egg, or bacon for extra

The burger- This burger was just recently voted Iowa’s Best Burger for 2018, so obviously it was on the list of places to hit up in Ames before the big move to Omaha. I’ve been burned before by previous award winners- we all remember the lackluster performance of the 2011 winner. But I’m happy to say that this burger is deserving of this year’s best burger award. This burger is simple yet delicious. I did add cheese (gouda), just because I prefer cheese on my burgers, but nothing else. This burger doesn’t rely on any fancy trappings like a lot of the other burgers I've reviewed here, and is actually rather austere in comparison. Which speaks to the quality of the patty, as it is doing all the heavy lifting here. Well seasoned, not too thick, not too salty, this patty checks all the boxes. And the bun is great too. The bun is some sort of house-baked roll that is very dense, such that it holds up great against the juicy patty. I did end up adding ketchup to this burger, but only a little, I liked the mayo it came with quite a bit. This burger is great for anyone looking for that “traditional” burger taste. Nothing fancy, just beef, cheese, lettuce and a bun.

The restaurant- Cafe Beaudelaire is a small bar in the Campustown area of Ames, so don’t come expecting a traditional restaurant experience. It is first and foremost a bar that happens to serve great food, so plan accordingly. There is limited seating in this small establishment, and it is frequently filled with drunk rambunctious college students. If you stay for a drink, plan on staying a while, the drinks are VERY strong. But the food is great, and if you can nab one of the outdoor tables you can spend a wonderful evening taking in the sights and sounds of the town. And for anyone curious, that is mayo that they serve with their fries, and I thought it was delicious.

Final Thoughts- This is a good burger. Congrats Cafe B, on a job well done! You deserve it.

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Provisions Burger- Provisions Lot F, Ames, IA

This burger boasts-  2 Grilled Beef Patties, American Cheese, Iceberg Lettuce,  Zinfandel Onions, and Thyme Aioli on a Kaiser Roll 

The burger- This restaurant actually opened sometime last year, and it has been on the list of burgers to try for a while, but to be honest, this restaurant has so many good options, it took me a while to come around to the burger. And in that time, others in my friend group have had a chance to try this burger, and the reaction was the same every time- universally rave reviews. So I had pretty high hopes for this burger... and it did not disappoint. I’ve spoken of this many times before, but I have a fondness in my heart for sloppy fast food burgers. There are certain flavor profiles that only these garbage low-quality burgers can deliver, that I just love. Like the flavor of a thin patty cooked quickly over high heat. Or the textures and flavors of mayo mixed with shredded lettuce. Or the way that cheese kind of melts into the rest of the burger, adding only hints of flavor or texture, but ceasing to be its own entity. The Provisions burger delivers all of these things but in a grown-up fashion. The char-broil patty, but with good quality beef. The mayo and lettuce, but instead, it’s this delicious thyme aioli. And the cheese, but it’s not your everyday kraft singles. This burger is SO good, and unique it’s deliciousness. 10/10 will order again!

The restaurant- Provisions is a swanky little hipster hideaway with very hipstery dishes. But those crispy potatos. Look at them! They are LIFE!

Final Thought- This is a good burger. 

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Bacon Cheddar Burger- Louie M’s Burger Lust, Omaha, NE

This burger boasts- 1/2 pound beef patty, bacon, cheddar cheese

The burger- Looking at the photo I took, I see now that it not all that appetizing. I blame this wholly on this burger, and not my photography skills. Even the lens blur function on my camera couldn’t make this burger look, or taste, good. For a place called “Burger Lust”, their burgers are not very good. They are, however, big ol’ greasy messes, which I will admit, I do enjoy from time to time. And, I know what your thinking. “But Panda, you ordered a burger with cheddar and bacon on it. Of course it’s going to be greasy.” Well, burger blogger, while you are correct that I did pick two of the greasiest burger topping known to man, I can confirm that their other burgers are just as greasy. Honestly, if their patties had been a little more flavorful, I would have been ok with it. But their patties just tasted like nothing, or they tasted like grease. I couldn’t really tell. But it is a huge burger (1/2 pound patty, y’all!) for pretty fricken cheap, so it’s not all bad. These burgers are probably best consumed at like 2 am after a night at the bar.Then these burgers would probably be delicious. 

The restaurant-  This place is very reminiscent of a dive bar. Again, I suggest you guys uber to this place after you’ve had a few. Then the ambiance will be perfect. They also have a fairly extensive breakfast menu for a place called “Burger Lust”.

Final Thoughts- This burger gets a mediocre rating because I think it has strong drunken snack potential. 

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Jalapeno Popper Burger- Boulder Tap House, Ames, IA

This burger boasts- 1/2 lb. patty stuffed with jalapeños and cream cheese, topped with onion straws.

There’s a new burger place in Ames, and you know what that means: new blog content!

The burger- I’m not going to lie to anyone, I’ve been stuck in a rut- a mediocre burger rut. Pretty much every burger I have had recently has ended up only mediocre, despite me desperately hoping for a different outcome. It got to the point where I was actively rooting for the burgers- only to have them disappoint me. Until we took a trip to Blouder Tap. I had high hopes for Boulder, we don’t get new restaurants very often, and our last burger focused restaurant was...underwhelming (I'm looking at you, Oddfellow’s). Boulder Tap turned out to be everything that Oddfellow’s should have been, burgers with unique toppings done in creative ways that actually TASTE GOOD! Shocking concept, I know. 

This burger was so good, you guys! The patties are a little on the greasy side, but it leaves them very flavorful (umm, delicious fats). The jalapeno cream cheese filling added creaminess and heat, but unlike other burgers with cream cheese as a topping, it didn’t melt immediately and all run off the burger because it was contained inside the burger. I like it when my toppings are actually on my burger and not in a puddle on my plate. The onion straws also added a slight sweetness and a nice crunchy texture component to round out this burger, allowing it to check all the major boxes in my book. This was a tasty burger and I can’t wait to go back and try another. They have some many good looking burgers on their menu!

The restaurant- I am aware that I have already talked about the restaurant quite a bit already, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. The building is new, and the interior is very generic, but the food is delicious. They have an option to season or top your side of fries, I highly suggest paying a little extra to get the cajun fries (pictured above). Well worth it. Treat yo’ self!

Final Thoughts- This is a good burger! Hooray! The streak is broken!

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The Pretzel Burger- Brick City Grill, Ames IA

This burger boasts- angus beef patty, american cheese, bacon, 1000 Island dressing, lettuce and pretzel bun

Another day, another burger blog because I have got to catch up on these!

The burger- Brick City Grill has sort of become our burger standby here in Ames, simply out of necessity. Until very recently (like yesterday) there was no other place in Ames that served a variety of burgers. So, when in the mood for burgers, this is generally where we end up. Having been here a number of times now, I find myself feeling that, while the burgers here are fine, sufficient meals, they’re never as good as I want them to be, or really, expect them to be. The pretzel burger was no exception. It was good, but there just wasn’t enough flavor or contrast. American cheese is not a very flavorful choice, and the Thousand Island dressing just didn’t pack the wallop I was hoping. I did end up needing to put ketchup on this burger. All in all, I really found this to be a meh sort of burger. Credit where credit is due, however. I had not, until this point, tried a pretzel bun before, and I understand now why they are so popular. That thing held up! Even under the barrage of burger juices, it held together and remained both texturally interesting and tasty. I may order more of these in the future.

The restaurant- I have been to this establishment a number of times, please see one of my previous posts regarding it.

Final Thoughts- This is a mediocre burger if ever there was one.    

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Cheeseburger- The Rusty Duck, Dexter, Iowa

This burger boasts- all beefy patty, your choice of cheese, add bacon if you want 

On the first day of Christmas, my true Panda gave to me...a bunch of backlog burger blogs! Through necessity, I’ve been stocking up blog posts over the last 6 months, so watch out folks, because they’re coming at you fast and hot!

The burger- Credit for this burger blog goes to my father, who has been on the lookout for blog worthy restaurants for a while now. He found this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant because it won the coveted “Best Burger in Iowa’ award in 2011, and he figured it was worth the trip. Now, despite what I’m about to say about this burger, it WAS worth the trip. I have been wanting to visit some of the award winners for a while now, and so I was excited to finally try one. On that note, never have I ever had a burger that was less deserving of a “Best Anything” award, and especially not deserving of best burger in the state. The only reason I can fathom why this burger won in the first place is that, and I do not exaggerate here, the patty is literally the size of your face. The picture does not do it justice. This thing came out with a patty that was at least 2 inches thick, the size of a dinner plate, and with at least a half of package of bacon on top. Props to the restaurant for the unnecessarily large portion size for a $12 dollar price tag. However, if I wanted to eat a meatloaf sandwich, I would have ordered a meatloaf sandwich. I will also begrudgingly admit that it is a task and a half to season all that meat, but they somehow managed to do it...and then some. When I first saw the burger, I thought it was going to be a dry, flavorless, sand pit. Instead, it was like eating a salt lick. This burger was inedibly salty, and the bacon, though plentiful, did nothing to help. Even ketchup couldn’t tame this dead sea burger. I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed in a burger in my life.

The restaurant- The Rusty Duck is the local eatery in a very small town about a half hour outside of Des Moines. It’s not much to look at, but the prices are cheap, the portions are huge, and it seems to bring the locals a lot of joy.

Final Thoughts- You may have an award, and I can’t take that away from you, but Burger Blog only call’s like it sees it: This is a bad burger.

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A1 Peppercorn burger- Red Robin Restaurants, Many Locations

This burger boasts- bacon, pepperjack cheese, A1 peppercorn spread, tomatos, and onion straws on an onion bun.

We were back at Red Robin for this burger, despite some nay-sayers claiming that Red Robin has bad burgers (Ben)

The burger- I really liked this burger. Despite being a unassuming little thing plate (especially next to the Burning Love Burger) this burger was sort of extraordinary in the fact that it made the best use of unique flavors I have found in a while. While the cheese and the peppercorn in the spread give this burger a little bit of spice, and you get a little bit of smoke from the bacon, the most powerful -and most interesting- flavor on this burger is its savory or umami flavor. (Now I sound pretentious.) But in all seriousness, not many burgers attempt to showcase flavors like these. Most go for a spicy, sweet, or smokey flavor. Burgers that focus on predominantly savory flavors are rare in my experience, this burger was by far the best at it that I’ve eaten so far.

The Restaurant- It’s a Red Robin. You guys know what those are like. If you don’t please my entry on the Burnin’ Love Burger for further details.

Final Thoughts- This is a good burger. Give it a try.

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Hot and Smokey Burger- Chicago Burger Bar, Chicago, Illinois 

This burger boasts- bbq beef burger, smoked pulled pork, grilled hot link, smoked Tillamook cheddar, habañero-BBQ glaze, and cucumber-onion slaw

The burger- This burger. I had so much hope for it. I thought it could be the chosen one. I thought this would the be burger I talked about excitedly after returning from our whirlwind trip in the Windy City. I had hoped for one of those burgers that stays with you forever, one that matched the sort of trip we were having. And it failed me. And it wasn’t even like the burger from the Field Museum, so bad that it was entertaining. This burger was, simply put, unmemorable. So much so that I’m literally having trouble remembering what it tasted like. And that never happens. With all those toppings, you’d think this burger had some unique flavors, but unfortunately, all they did was get lost in each other to deliver a really generic spice flavor. No smokiness from the hot link or the cheddar, not sweet from the bbq. And that patty was doing absolutely no heavy lifting. In this burger’s defense, I did not eat it with the cucumber-onion slaw. I am told by Luke that the slaw did help break up the flavors a little, but didn’t turn it into an amazing burger or anything.

The restaurant- Chicago Burger Bar is a hip little joint right on Michigan Ave, relatively close to the Museum Campus if your over there and looking for a bite to eat.

Final Thoughts- This is burger had so much potential, but only manages to earn itself a mediocre rating. 

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Big Shoulders Burger- The Field Bistro, The Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois 

This burger boasts-  Local pasture-raised Angus beef patty, Wisconsin aged cheddar, sesame seed roll

So we went to Chicago for Spring Break, and though we did take time out to go to a real burger restaurant, sometimes you run across the unexpected burger blog opportunity. Long story short, I’m doing an entry about the burger at the Field Museum Cafeteria. Deal with it.

The Burger- So let me start out saying that my expectation were very, very, very low for this burger. It’s not really fair to hold a cafeteria burger to the rigorous burger blog standards that regular burgers are normally subject to. I was fully prepared to say something like “this burger is bad, but as cafeteria food goes, it wasn’t terrible.” But you know, things don’t always work out the way you think they will. Like this burger, which surpassed all my preconceived notions about how bad a burger could be. This burger is quite possibly the worst burger I have ever eaten. It literally had both the texture and flavor of sand. This burger had zero redeeming qualities, except that it contains calories to make your cells go. I am told, however, that turkey burger at this same establishment is surprisingly good (Luke had it). But it was actually set up for success! It had interesting toppings like pico de gallo and chipotle mayo. All this stupid burger had was cheese! The turkey burger is cheaper too! How does that make sense!

The restaurant- It’s the cafeteria at the Field Museum. You’re not there for the food or the atmosphere. But they do have a fun Dinosaur themed beer.

Final Thoughts- I’m mean, this entry is basically a joke, because no one out there is like “I’m feeling peckish, let’s head to the Field Museum for some burgers!” But this is a very, very, very bad burger, and if you do happen to find yourself hungry and inside the Field Museum, maybe steer clear of the burger. Or get the turkey burger. Whichever. 

I’m not really disappointed by this burger, just sort of amused by how terrible it still was, given my already incredibly low expectations. 

[pandasburgerblog]

Bacon Cheeseburger- Jim’s Burgers, Sioux City, IA

This burger boasts- lettuce, onions, tomato, cheddar cheese, bacon

It’s spring break time, which means that I finally had some free time to do some burger blogging. First stop- Sioux City. I’ve been to Sioux City many times now, but I realized I’ve never eaten a burger there, so figured it was time to correct that.

The burger- This burger is a little different than the other burgers that I have covered on this blog. Honestly, we had a long discussion about whether or not it was even blog-worthy, and not fast food. I have a firm, not fast-food burger policy here at burger blog, not because I dislike them (the opposite is true) but that burgers served at a sit down restaurant and fast-food burgers are not really comparable. It may be because this restaurant was right on the line between sit-down and fast-food that this burger did so poorly. The burger was...pretty much just a sloppy mess. And don’t get me wrong, I like sloppy burger (especially when I have indulged in the alchy-hols) but this burger was sloppy in all the wrong ways. Limp lettuce and greasy cheese. And it was one of those burgers that uses shredded lettuce, so as soon as you put any condiments on it, the lettuce just kind of congeals in there. No good. Also, flavorless patty, which is always a shame. Luke says I was being to mean for being harsh to this burger, and that it didn’t deserve a bad rating because Jim’s Burgers is better known for it’s tacos? I don’t know about that, but I do know that Burger Blog is a cruel, cold mistress, and if you call your restaurant Jim’s Burgers and you have bad burgers, you will be judge accordingly.

The restaurant- Jim’s Burgers is a hole-in-the wall little diner. It’s a good place for a cheap meal. They’re burgers may be bad, but some have said that the tacos are decent.

Final Thoughts- This is a bad burger. I’m not going to be nice to it just because it’s from your hometown, Luke.

[pandasburgerblog]

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Maude’s Burger- Aunt Maude’s, Ames, IA

This burger boasts- house ground steak patty, lettuce, onion, tomato on a toasted brioche bun (you can add cheese and bacon for extra)

I’m sorry that burger blog has been quite these last few months, but I’ve just been swamped, and also we’re trying to save money and not eat out as much. :P But never fear, I’m back with a brand new burger!

The burger- This burger was actually what I got for Valentine’s dinner out. All dressed up and a super fancy restaurant... and I ordered a burger. So understandably, this burger had a lot to live up to. And boy did it do so. This burger was AMAZING! So delicious!. I’m not super familiar with steak patties, but this is by far the best steak patty I’ve had. It was incredibly juicy. So juicy, in fact, that I thought the bun was going to fall apart on me, but it was a toasted brioche bun so it held together will still staying light and airy. (I very much dislike heavy burger buns- they fill you up with out adding anything to the meal.) And yet again, this burger was a simple one, with only the flavor of the patty to carry it through, and it was still damn tasty. I’m really beginning to respect these simple, classic burgers (though as you can see I did add cheese and bacon.) A note on the bacon; I did not feel that it added anything to this burger. It didn’t hurt it, but this burger doesn’t need it, and it’s not worth the up charge. This is definitely one of those work of art burgers that is delicious with just simple toppings and a well seasoned patty. 

The restaurant- Aunt Maude’s is the “fancy” restaurant in Ames. A very bistro-esque atmosphere, dim lights, the whole deal. The food is top notch, but expensive. This is the place you take your fiance’ for Valentine’s Dinner. ;)

Final Thoughts- This is a good burger

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Ghost Pepper Burger- Brick City Grill, Ames, Iowa

This burger boasts- mango habanero sauce, jalapenos, bacon, and ghost pepper cheese, on a jalapeno sweet roll.

The burger- One of my favorite flavor combinations is spicy and sweet. I like it on literally everything. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, give me that spicy-sweet deliciousness. But the thing is, I’m kind of a baby about spice. Jalapenos and Chili peppers are about as hot as I go. I occasionally go for the mango-habanero combo, but even that tends to be too hot. I have also been known to eat things with szechuan peppercorns, but I dislike the way they make my tongue go numb. But never something as hot as ghost peppers. And for this reason, I had been avoiding this particular burger, but I finally decided to take the dive. And I will say, this burger is damn tasty! But it is hot, I will tell you. I was splitting this particular burger, but I think I would have gotten spiced out before I finished it if I were eating it by myself. Which would have been to bad, because I love all of the toppings on this burger! So good. And the nice things, it’s spicy without being harsh or in your face about it, like other things made with ghost peppers can be. If you like a lot of spice, get this burger. If you only like a little spice, maybe get this burger with a friend. 

The restaurant- I’ve been to Brick City Grill, please look at one of those entries for a description of the restaurant. 

Final Thoughts- This is a good burger! Yum!