Burger To Never Order at a RestaurantCheck out the ‘Burger To Never Order at a Restaurant’ It doesn’t get much more iconic than a good ol’ burger in terms of traditional comfort foods in America. This dated menu item is available in all shapes, sizes, and flavors, from the necessary essentials like ketchup and cheese to a variety of unnecessary toppings, foreign buns, and flowery extras.
Additionally, there are as many burger variations as there are burger opinions, particularly among cooks who enjoy burgers.
There are some burgers that are better avoided, just as there are some menu items to keep away from at sushi bars, Italian eateries, and steakhouses. This entails choosing gourmet burgers made by a chef rather than menu filler like “kitchen sink burgers,” “overstuffed burgers,” and meatless burgers made in a lab, aside from the big taboo in the room (ahem, well-done burgers).
Guy Crims, head butcher at the Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse in San Francisco, is well-versed in what not to order at a burger joint. The beefy bastion is so well-known for its trademark burgers that there are frequent lines around the block.
Burger To Never Order at a Restaurant
Beef Burgers
For David Spero, executive chef of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, a delicious burger is frequently a matter of quality over quantity. As a result, he steers clear of excess for the sake of excess. The “kitchen sink” burger—the one with four different types of meat, three kinds of cheese, and more toppings than you can count—is something I personally try to avoid eating.
He felt that the toppings and condiments should enhance the patty rather than mask it. “A tasty burger is a ratio game. the proportion of meat to bread, the number of condiments to meat and bun, and so forth. A wonderful combination only exists when everything is in harmony.”
Eric Mickle, executive chef of Salt & Fin at Harrah’s Resort Southern California, advises against ordering “Kobe” beef burgers since it is excessive. “Kobe is Japanese Wagyu beef that costs thousands of dollars because of its exquisite marbling, and we chefs pay for it. I can immediately add fat to ground beef. I can add fat as I see fit; I don’t require a piece of beef that is well-marbled.”
Jeremy Shigekane feels the same way about excessive indulgence. The extra-large burger that is challenging to consume only to “go large,” according to the executive chef at 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar at the Prince Waikiki Hotel, “is something I don’t order and would never promote.” The same goes for toppings that are purely extravagant for their own purpose, like…gold on a burger “On caviar, gold? Very good. On a burger, gold? No.”
The controversial subject of synthetic meat and vegetarian burgers is another. It’s not surprising that some meatless burgers and plant-based proteins are superior to others given how popular they are becoming.
“The United States’ most famous and juicy claim to culinary fame. There are certainly many different opinions among Americans about what the ideal burger should resemble.” Josh Mouzakes, the senior chef at ARLO at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego, claims as much. “However, I would never choose a faux meat burger. Even though I support food science and am interested in the study of synthetic proteins, alternative meat burgers—which I personally prefer—seem to have replaced turkey burgers on the menu.”
Vegan Burgers
Andy Knudson, a diehard burger fan, also has opinions on vegan burgers. The majority of vegetarian burgers shouldn’t even be on menus, claims Tillie’s senior chef in Dripping Springs, Texas. You receive the same box-frozen burger from your neighborhood grocery store in about 90% of the orders, he claims! “You need a sandwich with a veggie alternative, so don’t serve it. If you’re going to serve a veggie burger, prepare it from scratch and do a ton of research and development. Aim to sell more than just your beef burger!”
There are definitely better veggie burgers available than others if that’s what you’re looking for. And one such establishment conducting that R&D is the vegan restaurant Lekka Burger in New York City.
Instead, she worked hard to develop a meatless substitute that was as legitimate as her beef counterparts. She says of her collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Amanda Cohen, who helped develop a recipe consisting of whole ingredients like beans, mushrooms, and aromatic spices that are scratch-made daily, “After arduously searching for a healthy meat alternative, I decided to create Lekka Burger to provide an elevated option that is healthy without sacrificing taste.”
To put it another way, chefs and restaurant owners are insistent about keeping to specialized burgers created from scratch using entire ingredients, regardless of the type or flavor of the burger, and avoiding excess for the sake of excess.
