On Sunday June 30th, Rob and I decided to lather up with sunscreen and don our straw hats for an afternoon of sunning ourselves on the grounds of the VMFA (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts). The whole museum district of Richmond is a really nice place to be, and I had been hiding from the sun all summer to avoid getting tan lines for the wedding. Now equipped with a sunny day and a strapless top, I embraced both.
There's something about laying out in the sunshine wearing not a lot of clothing that really makes me want a cheeseburger. This seems counterintuitive to me, but I choose not to fight it. So, we did a little research on Yelp and found a relatively new burger joint just west of Carytown called Burger Bach (http://www.burgerbach.com/).
Burger Bach (pronounced "batch" for some reason) specializes in burgers made from all kinds of organic, grass-fed meats from New Zealand. I did not know New Zealand was such a bastion for prime livestock, but it was hard to argue with Rob's amazing "Queenstown" burger you see above - a lamb burger topped with caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, mushrooms, and a nice tarragon sauce.
The burgers might not look too impressive in sheer volume, but I thought the portion was just right. Even in my plain ol' "Original" burger, I was more than well-fed, between the grass-fed beef, bacon, and array of standard burger toppings. I have to say that even though it was prepared well and to my desired temperature, it really wasn't anything to shout about.
Which is too bad, because standard cheeseburgers can be among the finer things in life. I wonder what went wrong here...maybe this just isn't the place to get that kind of thing. I will say that the fries we shared were quite good, and they have an extensive list of dipping sauces you can choose to pair with them. We had basil pesto aioli and jalapeno remoulade...both were tasty, but the basil one was head and shoulders above the jalapenos!
Burger Bach boasts the best burgers in town, or at least a lot of people who have gone there say so. My take is that it's definitely the place to go if you're craving something gourmet and unique, like Rob's delicious Queensland (dibs on that one next time, it really was incredible). If you're looking for just a plain ol' cheeseburger, both your tastebuds and your wallet will thank you for seeking a drive thru. We hope to make it back sometime to try more of their innovative combinations, but it's always so busy now that we'll be sure to try and avoid the rush.