Burgers in the Berks

Bennigan's at the Berkshire Mall

2010-05-03T21:20:00.018-04:00

As you can see by the dates, we haven't rated a burger in eons. Beef Boy and I have decided to get back into the cloak and dagger, but before we can, we need to take care of some unfinished business...

Back on May 9, 2009, Beef Boy and I went with the Nebraskan Nymph to do a review of a burger at Bennigan's. We all hadn't been there, so thought it would be a good place for us to do our first burger together.

You may remember my discussing the Nebraskan Nymph's superior knowledge of meat, so I was really looking forward to a review with her.

Alas, the end result was less than stellar. Hence the lack of enthusiasm and profusion of procrastination in this review. I am going to make it short, but not so sweet...

We asked for the most popular burger, which ended up being the Guinness Glazed Bacon Cheeseburger - "A juicy grilled beef patty brushed with our Guinness Stout Glaze and topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, crispy fried onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Served with a side of Guinness Stout Glaze. $8.99" We were asked how we wanted it cooked. Beef Boy went with the sesame bun, but I asked for a wheat bun. The first is his, the second... mine.

The Nebraskan Nymph decided to go with something different, the American Burger without the cheese on the sesame seed bun. She had decided to really test the meat factor in their creation of a rated burger.

All came with onions sliced thin, tomato slices, 3 pieces of bacon, on a bun that was toasted on the grill. The burgers appeared to have a nice sear and were not hand formed, but were not frozen cookie cutter burgers either. The buns except for mine seemed to fit the burger fine. The wheat one was a bit small.

NN's burger arrived past medium and she felt it was "old beef" that had been stored. It was pretty to look at, but the taste was not that good. "Not fresh meat". She was heartily disappointed, since she had such expectation of the meat from the menu description.

BB and I thought the sauce was tasty, but overpowered the rest of the burger. The patty itself was cooked close to medium. My bun fell apart.

The fries were delicious. They were crispy, properly fried and nicely salty.

We will be dragging the Nebraskan Nymph out again in the very near future to a more swanky place, so we will have a better shot at a better rating... Somewhere in South County... You have no choice NN, you are coming!

Unfortunately, it is not a Coca-Cola establishment.

Bennigan's Grill & Tavern
The Berkshire Mall
655 Cheshire Rd
Lanesboro, MA 01237
(413) 445-5300

The Nebraskan Nymph's rating is:

Our rating is:

Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant

2009-11-20T22:04:00.020-05:00

I work with a very smart, very witty, and entertaining individual who will here be known as The Bacon Baron. He loves creating and consuming fabulous food and has an excellent palate, so when he any his lovely wife traveled to Toronto, Canada to Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant and offered up a burger review I was thrilled to include it as an entry. It is reviewed as follows:

Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant

After a day of touring the Hockey Hall of Fame where else does one eat but at "Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant"? The atmosphere is everything you would expect. One side is flashy sports bar, the other sit-down dining, both adorned with ample memorabilia and hockey decor.

My dish of choice was The "Great One" Burger; the house burger and restaurant favorite as denoted by the "99" next to the menu listing.

The 1/2 pound patty almost filled the onion kaiser rolled on which it was served leaving just enough edge to give you some grip without leaving you wanting for meat. Topped with 2 strips of crispy (I prefer mine chewy, but didn't really mind) bacon and a thick slab of Canadian cheddar cheese, this burger is served with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion on the side as well as an ample heap of thick cut fries.

The bun was fresh and the onion subtle. The burger was cooked to well-done, but remained moist. I was not asked how I wanted it cooked and I wonder if either Canadian law or restaurant policy only allows well-done. The lettuce (green leaf) was serviceable, not the best I've ever seen, but good. The tomato was served in two thin-cut (the way I like it) slices and, like the lettuce, was nothing special, but certainly edible. The pickle was one large crisp slice of pickle that fit surprisingly well on the burger. The onion was two very small rings of raw red onion which I opted to leave off, although I doubt I would have even tasted them they were so scant.

I was offered ketchup, yellow mustard, and relish as condiments. I opted for a small amount of ketchup and yellow mustard.

What does one expect of the food at a theme restaurant? I was ready for disappointment. To my surprise, it was love at first bite. I don't know exactly what it was. The patty was probably a different kind of beef than I am used to, maybe even locally Canadian grown, I'm not sure, and it was definitely seasoned with just a hint of something. It tasted like maybe just a touch of salt and pepper, but could have been whatever was stuck to the griddle for all I know or care. Even the ketchup was different, better. I looked at the label and saw that it was sweetened with white sugar instead of corn syrup, and I could definitely taste the difference. The bottom line was that it was delicious, one of the top 2 or 3 burgers I have ever eaten. Truly this burger has the right to call itself the "Great One".

As a side note, being that this is Wayne Gretzky's restaurant and Wayne is of Polish descent, one of the menu items was "Grandma Gretzky's Pierogies". Being one of my wife's favorite foods, she ordered it without hesitation, a decision that earned the approval of our waitress. Stuffed with potato and cheddar cheese, they were deep fried and served on a bed of sauteed onions and bacon. I want to say that again in case anyone missed it the first time. Stuffed with potato and cheddar cheese, they were deep fried and served on a bed of sauteed onions and bacon. Has ever there been a more delicious string of letters in the English language? My only regret is that I could only eat one of these amazing creations.

I regret to inform you that Wayne Gretzky's is a Pepsi establishment.

99 Blue Jays Way, Toronto, Ontario M5V 9G9
Tel: 416 979-PUCK (7825)

Ozzie's Steak & Eggs

2008-11-28T21:06:00.017-05:00

As you will see by the time gap, life has interfered with Beef Boy's and my quest to find the best burger in the Berkshires. It has been very frustrating that we haven't had an opportunity for a while to go out on a succulent mission. Hopefully in the Spring, we will be able to consistently get back in the saddle so to speak.

As I was thinking of where our next tasting should be, I remembered how "The Wild Rover" is addicted and obsessed with Ozzie's Steak & Eggs, an eatery in Hinsdale. They serve breakfast all day, lunch, and dinner. Remembering his glow from drinking the Ozzie kool-aid, I suggested to Beef Boy that we end our Black Friday shopping with a burger there. Needless to say, he was in immediate agreement. He too missed hearing the leather creak of the saddle.

It took us a bit to find, since I thought it was in Windsor, but a very helpful cashier at a convenience store gave me excellent directions, even around a bridge being out and a convoluted detour. We finally arrived at the establishment, with it's humble facade. Inside, it felt like a cozy diner.

Beef Boy and I checked out the menu and asked what their signature burger was. The waitress informed us that it would be the 10 oz. Ozzie Burger that was part of the "Jumbo Burger" section, but since it was early in the day "We would probably prefer the 6 oz. version."

Silly girl... We both ordered the 10 oz. version, with mine being served on a boulé roll and his being on Texas toast. According to the menu, the Ozzie Burger is made of Black Angus beef with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise and costs $8.50.

The menu also states that it comes with a side of "Rail Fries", but we were given the option of tater tots, which Beef Boy opted for. I stuck with the fries. We were happy to be asked how we wanted them cooked and went with our usual "medium" and American cheese.

The burgers arrived as you see it above. Both burgers arrived with 3 slices of tomato, 3 slices of bacon, and iceberg lettuce. Three pickle slices were included on the side. The patties were hand formed and griddle cooked. Beef Boy's Texas Toast was buttered and grilled and a great size for the burger. My boulé roll was griddle toasted and seemed a bit too big, but stood up to heartiness of the burger.

Upon biting into my burger, it was medium on the side of rare. His was pretty medium. The tomatoes and lettuce were fresh and the bacon was nicely cooked to a beautiful crisp. These burgers were big suckers! The fries were made in house and were appropriately salted. The tater tots were fabulous. Crisp, crunchy, and not greasy.

We enjoyed the meal greatly. Of course, as usual, Beef Boy did get the better burger, with the incredible Texas toast. We recommend going with that for the bread choice. It was incredibly decadent and easily sliced about 6 months off of his life. Yummy!!!

Beef Boy and I agreed on a rating of 4 1/2 burgers, after calculating an average from his 4 3/4 and my 4 1/4 rating.

We are thrilled to report it is a Coca-Cola establishment. We will be going back for breakfast. It is their specialty and they make homemade hash. Yowza!

Ozzie's Steak and Eggs
26 Maple Street
Hinsdale, MA 01040
(413) 655-8309

The Shack

2008-08-29T21:32:00.004-04:00

On another day during our sojourn in Alabama, the Major Promotable Troubadour took us to a local burger joint in Marion, AL, the town where we were staying and the place where MPT grew up. It was The Shack.

This place was all about the atmosphere. Beef Boy and I walked in with MPT and you would have thought we walked in with Elvis. Everybody and their brother seems to want to greet our Julie McCoy and it was really nice to see community in action.

After much approbation, the three of us decided to have a seat on the deck. The two natives that I was with love the heat... well actually, I don't even know if they noticed the heat! We ordered a nice cold beverage and obligatory burger. MPT and I ordered onion rings and Beef Boy had his fries. No choice was given to us in the cooking of the burger. The burgers were $3.50.

The burgers arrived as you see above. The were blanketed in a standard hamburg bun, that was a good size for the burger and it was nicely toasted. The patty, which had a nice sear and seemed to be cooked on a griddle, was hand formed and rested on yellow American cheese, a tomato slice, a slice of onion, 3 leaves of iceberg lettuce, and a pickle. I wonder if it is a Southern thing that the burger is on top of the extras and condiments? I have never seen this done and in both Alabama establishments this was the burger construction.

Upon delving into the burger, we noted that it was cooked just past medium. It seemed moist, but we actually couldn't tell if the moistness came from the beef patty or the condiments and tomato.

The star of the show for me were the vidalia onion rings, which were crispy, delicious, and huge. I love onion rings, but rarely indulge in them, so this was quite a treat! Beef Boys fries were krinkle cut, good, and typical joe fries.

I do have to say that the plates were scary, but I decided to consider this part of The Shack's charm.

Our initial rating was going to be 3 burgers, but upon seeing the sign below, we couldn't help but give it an extra 1/4 burger for the sentiment.

Unfortunately, as you can see by The Shack's sign, it is not a Coca-Cola establishment.

The Shack
Route 3
Marion, AL 36756
(334) 683-8966

Pearson's Diner - Fatman's Smokehouse BBQ

2008-08-28T16:15:00.005-04:00

I am not sure if I mentioned that Beef Boy is not originally from the Berks. He is actually a native of Aliceville, Alabama and moved here due to his red hot lusty desire to marry and grow old with moi. For some strange, demented reason, he thinks I am smokin'! Of course I think he is ever so dreamy, so the feeling I guess is mutual.

We recently went down to visit his family and had an outstanding time. We stayed with his warm, witty, and thoroughly charming, sister and handsome and stoically funny brother-in-law in Marion. They will be hence forth referred to as the Dame of Dixie and the Handsome Huntsman. We were also lucky to visit with his niece and nephew, who are just a few years younger than us and they will be henceforth referred to as the Magnificent Lady M and the Major Promotable Troubadour.

We were there for a little over a week and a week in the South seems to go by slower than that in the North. I think everything is slower in the South. Pleasantly so!

One day Beef Boy, the Major Promotable Troubadour, and I had decided to trek north to meet some of their friends that they hadn't seen in eons. MPT was gracious enough to do the driving in his GORGEOUS Lexus with cool GPS. We eventually met them in Tuscaloosa after doing some site seeing, which I can't divulge here, else the Major Promotable Troubadour will hunt me down like a dog and roast me on a spit! I have promised to put it in the lock box... Don't ask!

On our way, we stopped in Aliceville to see what changes the town had undergone, since Beef Boy had been there. While driving down the main street, we saw that there was an eatery that was new to us. Previously it had been occupied by Barry's Diner, which served superb burgers, but had closed years ago when Barry decided to explore other business opportunities. Anyhoo... the establishment seemed to be a combination of a diner and a barbeque joint. We checked the window and they advertised a Cheeseburger Combo for $3.49. We were excited to be able to do a spur of the moment burger rating in Aliceville.

The three of us sat down and ordered the combo which came with fries and a drink. No choice was given to us in the cooking of the burger.

The burgers arrived as you see above. As you can see, the burger arrived blanketed between a piece of yellow American cheese and a slice of tomato, iceberg lettuce, 2 pickles, a slice of onion and ketchup and mayonnaise. I was enchanted with the layering of the items. Typically, everything is usually layered on top of the burger, but this just seemed, I don't know, more friendly. Like the vegetables were happy to be with the burger and declared that they were just as important as the beef. A nice change.

The bun was slightly toasted and was a typical hamburger bun. Upon biting into the burger, it was cooked well done, but was still a bit juicy. There were barely pink patches in mine and Beef Boy's was more done than mine.

The fries were "joe" krinkle cut fries and were fine.

The meal wasn't earth shattering, but for $3.49, it was a nice deal and worth it. After much discussion, we agreed on a rating. of 2 3/4. Next time I want to try some of that BBQ!

I do think the Major Promotable Troubadour was amused by how we went about rating the burger. Always happy to entertain MPT!

Unfortunately, it is not a Coca-Cola establishment.

Pearson's Diner - Fatman's Smokehouse BBQ
116 Broad Street
Aliceville, AL 35442
(205) 373-1003

Red Robin

2008-07-29T20:37:00.011-04:00

Years ago, Beef Boy and I were with the Maples in Latham, NY furniture shopping. We were looking for a place to eat lunch and we came upon this place called Red Robin. We had no idea what kind of eatery it was, but it looked like a respectable chain where we could get some artery clogging, heart stopping grub. They also had a liquor license, so everyone was happy! As we sat down, viewed the menu, we realized this was a Burger crack house, which also served up endless fries... and I mean, endless fries. We really enjoyed that meal and from that visit on, Beef Boy was "When are we going back?", "You know there's a Red Robin in Millbury... we should go!", to which my response would be "Millbury is about 2 hours away.... simmer down!" When it comes to the beef, he, and I say this will all the love in my heart, is a tunnel focused nag.

Much to my chagrin, recently Mr. Maples happened to be traveling on Interstate 91 and saw that the highway sign now said Red Robin was just opened near the Ingleside Mall in Holyoke. Holyoke is approximately 50 minutes away. Needless to say... I was sunk.

We happen to be going Boston, so the Maples and I were going to surprise him by taking him to the new location. Just before the sign came up, he actually brought up Red Robin. Cripes, could he smell the burgers? Does he have that certain burger sixth sense. Anyhoo... he then saw the sign and was thrilled to be having lunch there.

We were greeted warmly and sat at a nicely located table. After ordering up some adult beverages and not so adult beverages, Beef Boy and I ordered their signature burger, the "Red Robin Gourmet Cheeseburger". We were asked how we wanted it and we both ordered it our traditional medium with American cheese. The waitress replied to our medium request "Some pink?" and we replied yes.

On the menu, the description is as follows: "Red Robin Gourmet Cheeseburger - The original... and also the one upon which we have built our fame! Garnished with crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, pickles, onions, mayo & Red’s pickle relish. You choose your favorite cheese: Cheddar, American, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Bleu, Provolone or Pepper-Jack. $8.49"

The burgers arrived as you see it above. The burger was snugly encased in some wrapping to make eating easier. As we deconstructed the burger, we saw that it came with 2 pieces of American cheese, 2 thin tomato slices, and shredded lettuce. The sesame seed bun was lightly grilled. The onions and pickles were on the bottom portion of the bun, so the burger was surrounded by fresh veggies. Upon noshing into the burger, it appeared a nice medium pink and was juicy. It had a healthy sear on both sides with a crispy edge and both our burgers were cooked consistently. The bun was the perfect size for the patty.

We determined that it was the best drive-in style burger we have yet to consume with its traditional medium thickness that you would find in that type of establishment. It was what that genre of burger should be.

The endless fries were crisp, light, lightly salted, and were cut as a traditional steak fry. A delightful trip was had by all! Beef Boy and I agreed on a rating of 4 1/2 burgers.

We are happy to report it is a Coca-Cola establishment.

Red Robin
27 Holyoke Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 315-4350

Gala Restaurant & Bar at The Orchards Hotel

2008-07-06T19:45:00.007-04:00

You might recall that I said in the criteria posting that our ratings were up to five burgers. A five burger burger is one where we would hear the angels sing and be catapulted into an apoplexy of burger ecstasy. We never expect to find that holy grail. Well.... at Gala, we actually heard the angels warming up. WOW!

Gala Restaurant & Bar is relatively new at the Orchards Hotel in Williamstown, MA. I am not sure what was the restaurant in the hotel previous to Gala. The only time I have ever been to the Orchards was for a Christmas party that the firm I used to work for held. Besides that, it is a very pricey trip and staying at the Orchards in high season, i.e. the Summer, would run you about 40 quality burgers!

Gala Restaurant & Bar has been advertising the bar as casual location where one can just relax and come as you are. This is pretty much to attract the locals and bring them in all year round. I checked out their bar menu on-line when I heard about their opening and was excited to see that they offered a burger. We were looking to go for a burger run, but I didn't want to drive too far, so we decided on this establishment.

We approached the hostess filled with trepidation, thinking that maybe we wouldn't be allowed in due to our casual attire. The other patrons going into the restaurant and bar were dressed to the nines. This is quite the fancy schmancy place you see and we are just the yokels from down the road. We were warmly greeted and seated as we requested in the bar.

The atmosphere is lovely and the server, while being a little flaky, was friendly. During the course of our stay, the bartender, and another server assisted in the serving of our table. The service was technically superb.

We perused the menu and saw that the burger was listed as "Angus Burger - 8oz. grilled certified Angus burger with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and Belgian style fries." The price was $9. So Beef Boy and I happily ordered the burger our traditional medium.

The burgers arrived as you see it above. The burger was hand formed in an imperfect square shape (our first)... no this is not a Wendy's Burger! The kaiser roll was beautifully toasted and lovingly hugged 2 fresh leaves of romaine lettuce, 1 slice of tomato (BB did get two slices), and a slice of red onion. The burger showed gorgeous evidence of grill marks and had a fabulous sear. Upon biting into this made to order burger, we experienced an excellent juicy pink. Absolutely delicious. Both burgers were cooked consistently. We always switch to taste so as to be fair and scientific in our tasting.

This burger had the freshest veggies we have had so far and the best looking, best tasting, and biggest ole kosher dill pickle to date. The fries were made in-house, skin on and were crispy and lightly salted. Fabulous for a non-seasoned fry.

As an aside, we did order the hummus plate, which came with pita chips, imported olives and artichokes. The plating was lovely and the drizzle of balsamic vinegar was a fine finish. This was THE best hummus we have ever had... Beef Boy was served his Earl Grey in a lovely, traditional English way. It was only after we got into the car to leave that we realized we didn't request American cheese nor were we offered. As you know, in the past, this would have ticked me off, but man, this certainly didn't need it!

As of today, this is easily the best burger we have found in the Berkshires. We still have faith, though, that it can be topped. We unanimously award it 4 3/4 burgers.

We are happy to report it is a Coca-Cola establishment.

Gala Restaurant & Bar
at The Orchards Hotel
222 Adams Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
(413) 458-9611

Friends Grill

2008-06-17T19:14:00.009-04:00

I had heard from a great number of people that Friends Grill is a great place to have a drink and some good food. Beef Boy and I have wanted to go there literally for about a year. We have tried to go several times, by ourselves and with Mr. and Mrs. Maples, but to no avail, arriving in their parking lot when it was closed. I found out that they had a hamburger, so this really made us committed to go and I finally called for their hours of operation. We thought that since the establishment had "Grill" in its name, it was portentous in it serving a great burger. We were really excited! In the car we went...

Beef Boy and I decided to take a trip over. Upon arriving, we were amused by the schizophrenic signage. Note the indecision of the word "Grille" ... "Grill"? Upon entering, we experienced the atmosphere is that of a bar, which is fine with me!

On their menu, there was a section called "From the Grill". There listed was a "Quarter Pound Burger" at a cost of $3.95. Add ons were cheese for .50, bacon for $1, fries for $1.25, or sweet potato fries for $1.75. Typically it comes with chips and a pickle. We ordered our regular, a hamburger with American cheese and I opted for sweet potato fries, while Beef Boy ordered the traditional fries. We were not given the opportunity to have our burger cooked to order.

Our order arrived as you see above. The sourdough bun was griddle toasted and the server answered our query that it was baked in house. As you can see two slices of American cheese were provided. The burger was a typical preformed, fast food burger. We think it was purchased from a place like Wohrle's Foods Inc, which is a local food supplier for restaurants. It was a thin, well done patty that was cooked on a griddle without much sear. As you can see, no lettuce or tomato was provided. The burger was "fine", nothing special. Just a Joe burger.

The pickle had a nice crisp. The sweet potato fries and crinkle cut fries Beef Boy got were fine, but obviously frozen and again probably from Wohrle's Foods Inc. The server confirmed that they were not made on the premises. We suspect much isn't.

The bottom line is the best thing was the bun and the generous cheese. I could have easily been happier with about five of those buns and a vat of butter.

*SIGH*

We gave it a rating of 2 1/2 burgers. I apologize for the lackluster review, but it was a pretty lackluster, disappointing burger experience. In fact, it was the most disappointing experience we have had to date.

Unfortunately, it is not a Coca-Cola establishment.

Friends Grill
117 Seymour Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 443-4477

Kneebone's Steakhouse

2008-06-07T20:41:00.001-04:00

This experience was just sad...

Kneebone's Steakhouse is located in the Allendale Shopping Center in Pittsfield. It previously was Truffles and Such. Before then, I think it was part of Sears before they moved to the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough. The establishment's interior looks like a typical hotel restaurant. There is even a hallway that looks like it would go into the lobby. Just odd, since it is actually in a strip mall.

Beef Boy and I have never eaten here. I was reluctant to bring it up to my darling because he is after all Beef Boy. This applies to all beef, so I always thought if we have steak there once, I would be a goner. Avoidance is a great thing. Well, we were looking for a place to rate and I decided that it would safe going in knowing we would just be having a burger and not dealing with BB wanting a zillion dollar steak.

Kneebone's indeed did have a burger. Their menu lists an "8 oz. Sirloin Burger served on a bulky roll with American, Blue Cheese, Monterey Jack, or Swiss for $9. All light fare items are served with your choice of fries or homemade coleslaw. Add sautéed vegetables of the day for $1.50". We ordered the burger with American cheese. We went with fries instead of the coleslaw, which was vinegar and mayo based.

Our order arrived as you see above. The roll was very lightly grilled and was ridiculously too big for the burger. As you can see, it just dwarfed the patty. There were 3 small pieces of romaine lettuce along with 2 medium slices of tomatoes. The veggies were not particularly fresh, but not over ripe, just kind of "eh". As you can see, the piece of cheese was a nice thick slice. The burger itself did have an excellent sear with beautiful grill marks. After putting it all together to take a taste, upon biting into it, I discovered a nice, juicy pink surrounded by the appropriate charred brown. Beef Boy's was done more than mine. There had been some confusion when he ordered and it arrived just past medium at no fault of the chef, but it was still moist and tasty. The flavor of the burger was outstanding and the waiter answered our query by letting us know it was indeed seasoned and cooked with wine.

Both of our bulky rolls disintegrated acting like a sponge to all the lovely juiciness. We both agreed that the meat itself was outstanding. This hearty burger didn't merit the weak bun it was served on. The roll and vegetables really were an insult to the fabulous piece of meat that was prepared. This really ticked us off and we really were so angry at the disrespect we felt that was given to the beauty of the burger. I know it probably sounds ridiculous, but Beef Boy and I make a serious concerted effort to respect the sacrifice that animals give. The lovely beef, chicken, pork, seafood, fish that we partake in is really appreciated. We don't take their gift lightly.

The French fries were made in house and were shoe strings with skin. They weren't crispy, but a bit greasy and soggy.

We did mention to the waiter that the chef really should think about a better, heartier bun. So very sad. With a heavy heart and righteous indignation, we agreed on a rating of 3 3/4 burgers.

Unfortunately, it is not a Coca-Cola establishment.

Kneebones Steakhouse
Allendale Shopping Center
61 Cheshire Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 442-9537

Cobble View Pub & Pizzeria

2008-05-24T19:09:00.008-04:00

The Cobbleview Pub & Pizzeria is a new establishment in Cheshire. My earliest recollection of the building was as a laundromat, then it was sold and transformed into a small restaurant. Since, it has been many restaurants. The current owners also own the Freight Yard Pub and Taylor's Restaurant in North Adams. I predict it will be successful, since Cheshire has a need for a pizza joint that delivers.

The establishment's namesake are "The Cobbles", which are a large rock outcropping that overlooks the town of Cheshire and are part of the Appalachian Trail. The views from the summit are amazing.

We arrived in the afternoon and there is also a little bar that one can sit at. We opted for one of the surrounding tall tables, typical that you would see in a Pub or Tavern.

We were amused to find the burger offering under a menu heading titled "Hoofs, Fins, Feathers". They offer a 1/2 lb burger with fries for $7.99. One can add for a $1 the following various toppings: bacon, chili, cheese, peppers, onions, or mushrooms.

The burger is not cooked to order. We ordered the typical burger with American Cheese. I specifically asked for the burger to arrive as is the norm.

Our order arrived as you see above. I believe this is the first establishment where the hamburger arrived without lettuce and tomato. I really found this weird. We weren't even asked if we wanted them added, so I think rightly assumed they just came with it.

The kaiser roll was toasted on a griddle and the burger, which was hand formed, had a good griddle sear. The roll was a bit bigger than the patty, but was an appropriate size and there was one slice of American cheese.

Upon biting into the burger, mine was just past medium, a bit juicy, whereas Beef Boy's was more medium well and just moist. His did get progressively rosier as he ate toward the center of the burger, but one shouldn't have to hunt for medium! Anyhoo... the burgers were inconsistently cooked.

We thought that the French fries were going to taste seasoned, but they were just overdone. Through the "crispiness" we deduced that they were frozen shoe string fries that were deep fried cooked in old oil.

In determining the rating, we initially thought of the place as a pizzeria and that we probably should not expect it to have more than a typical burger (similar to our Pedrin's theory), but the more we talked, it occurred to us that if they wanted to have Pub in the title of the restaurant, they should live up to what the moniker entails. So... we gave it a rating of 3 burgers.

Unfortunately, it is not a Coca-Cola establishment.

Cobble View Pub & Pizzeria
41 South Street
Cheshire, MA 01225
(413) 743-1266

Patrick's Pub

2008-05-10T20:31:00.009-04:00

Patrick's Pub has been around for as long as I can remember. In my younger days, I did happen to pop in there every now and again on a Friday or Saturday. It has always been a popular night spot, so this is how I have always thought of it. As you would guess, they treat St. Patrick's Day as sacred with all the expected accoutrements. They do pull a hell of a Guinness! Basically, it was the bar on the rotary in Pittsfield, which was fun to go to, but a pain in the butt to find parking for.

Before today, only twice in my life have I gone there for a meal. In regards to their hours of business, it always seemed vague. I have gone several times during the day, but they always seemed to be closed. Very odd. It may have changed hands over the years and maybe that is where the confusion lay. Anyhoo... I called them to see if they were open and indeed they were.

Patrick's Pub offers the "Patrick's Burger" for $7.50. It is a "half pound hand made burger cooked to order and served on a hard roll." All their sandwiches and burgers come with lettuce and tomato and are served with potato chips and a pickle. One may substitute fruit or fries for chips for and additional $1.50. Beef Boy went for the fries and I, thinking about my girlish figure, went for the fruit.

The burgers arrived as you see it above. Both had two slices of American cheese, red leaf lettuce, and two thin slices of tomato. Both burgers has a nice sear with grill marks and upon biting into the patty appears to have the requisite pink center. Both were juicy, but not greasy, done medium, although mine was medium with a hint of rare and his was medium with a hint of well, but they could both qualify as being medium. They were really delicious and seemed to have a charcoal cooked taste, although the waitress indicated that no charcoal was used in the cooking process. The roll was a proper size.

As you may note, my fruit consisted of two slices of kiwi, a slice of orange, a slice of honey dew melon, a half slice of pineapple, and 9 grapes on a bed of lettuce. Very fresh and yummy.

Beef Boy's fries were typical frozen crinkle "Joe" fries, not a bad thing, just ordinary.

We enjoyed the meal (especially my perfect Guinness) and we easily agreed on 4 1/2 burgers as the final rating.

We are happy to report it is a Coca-Cola establishment.

Patrick's Pub
26 Bankrow
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 499-1994

Westwood Restaurant & Pub

2008-04-26T20:12:00.012-04:00

Beef Boy and I ventured out to Westfield, MA with Mr. and Mrs. Maples today. We typically travel there periodically for a "Murphy's Irish Red Run", a great import that we can't get in Berkshire County. Mr. Maples has a "connection" and he is generous enough to share with me.

We knew we wanted to eat out and we had been to the Westwood Restaurant & Pub for drinks before. They have one of the largest circular bars I have ever seen in person. It is probably 3 to 4 times bigger than the bar shown in Cheers. They have a nice menu, so we figured next time we were in town we would try their nosh.

Their menu describes their signature burger as follows: "Pub Burger - Half pound of fresh, lean ground black Angus beef patty frilled to perfection then topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Served with french fries or coleslaw. $7.95" One can "Add bacon to your sandwich for $.75 or cheese for $.50. Choice of cheese: Swiss, Provolone, Cheddar, or American. Add any of the following toppings for $.50: Sautéed mushrooms, sautéed onions or roasted red peppers." "Have your burger or salad chicken, steaks or shrimp blackened, teriyake, or BBQ for $.50 extra."

The burger arrived as you see it above. The sourdough bun was grilled nicely. There were 2 thick slices of tomato along with 1 leaf of green leaf lettuce. It was topped off by 3 single rings of onion. On to the burger itself... It was hand formed, topped with American cheese, and cooked on the grill, resulting in a beautiful sear. Mine was a bit cumbersome to eat due to the thickness of the tomatoes and onions, but it was done to a juicy, luscious medium and damn it... I wish this was a Berkshire County establishment! It was really, really tasty. Beef Boy's experience mirrored mine, so it showed consistency in the cooking. Nice!

The fries were skin on and lightly salted and crisp. The pickle... a little to flaccid for my taste.

All in all a delightful meal and we agreed on 4 1/2 burgers as the final rating.

We are happy to report that it is a Coca-Cola establishment.

Westwood Restaurant and Pub
94 North Elm Street
Westfield, MA 01085
(413) 564-6963

Coffee Parisien

2008-04-20T22:24:00.012-04:00

Our Adventurous niece is an au pair in Paris for the year. She was kind enough to send this special report, the first of its kind outside of Berkshire County... as a matter of fact, outside of the U.S.! So, without further ado, live and on the ground, straight from the trenches of Paris, France:

Coffee Parisien
46, Rue de Sablonville, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
"BACONCHEESEBURGER"
14 euros (roughly $21.70 American)

As a fairly picky American living in Paris, I found out, very quickly, where to find the best burger Paris has to offer. It's a joke among the French that American food is fast food. I can't help but object, but must acknowledge, at the same time, that the Frogs are half right. We invented Hungry Man dinners (ask the proprietor of this blog for scary sodium information about my favorite frozen turkey meal), McDonald's, airplane food... need I go on? The burger, I believe, technically wasn't one of our own inventions. We just figured out how to mass produce and effectively market the (soy) cow, if you will.

So because canard and frites or jambon and something scary can't be eaten every night of the week, we must, as humans, resort to something more familiar and basic. And what is more pleasant or comforting than a big slab of ground beef surrounded by bread and hopefully cheese, ketchup, and spicy mustard.

Coffee Parisien provides just that. I've eaten there multiple times and I believe I almost always order the BACONCHEESEBURGER. It's delicious. I order it "à point" (pronounced a pwan) which is medium rare. I think it's generally been a technically good medium rare, by most American restaurant standards. The restaurant itself stands testament to the sort of "Camelot" image of America. JFK owns the place; his and Jackie's photos differentiate the men's and women's bathrooms. You can order milkshakes (which frankly, aren't worth the 7 euros). The placemat of the restaurant is a photo diagram of all of the American Presidents.

Trendy is really the best word to describe the place. It's always full on the weekends and Mr. Jean Sarkozy has been spotted there. The Coffee Parisien in the 6th arrondissement is frequented by Hollywood types. Well, kind of Euro-Hollywood types. Read: Diane Kruger. But the best way to describe Coffee Parisien is simply as a French diner that's trying to be American-ish. "Quelconque." (Plain, ordinary)

My BACONCHEESEBURGER arrived on a lightly toasted sesame-seed bun with lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. The bacon used at Coffee Parisien is more like ham-con, which suits a burger well. The cheese is cheddar. It was accompanied by the lovely "hashbrown" that you see above.

The specific time in question, ie, when this photo was taken, I had forced my visiting mother and sister to travel to Neuilly for a cheeseburger, because I knew they would be disappointed in one they acquired anywhere else. Unfortunately, because my mother and sister are pains in the ass, they both asked for modifications to their meals: they wanted mashed potatoes. If I've learned one thing about France, it's this: never ask for anything that's not on the menu. Never try to change anything. If you really want the salad, but are allergic to pickles, choose something else. If you make them accommodate you, they will usually do so happily. But in making a change, something will likely go terribly wrong. Equilibrium is lost. The world becomes a spinning vortex and before you know it, you've woken up in Prince's (or the Artist Formerly Known as Prince's??) bed and it's the year 2037. He is no longer hot. He is no longer human. Anyway, those are the consequences you face if you want to shake things up... so go ahead, as you like. Anyway, my little sister got a bacon cheeseburger with no bacon and the hamburger itself was completely rare (she had ordered it a little past medium). I ate it happily, but I'm also disgusting in my love of raw meat. My hamburger was overcooked, but everything on my plate was otherwise normal. I think my mother got the California Chicken Burger, which was also delicious.

Because now that I've done the conversion and am forced to remember how expensive everything here is, I want to give the cheeseburger two hamburgers. But due to lack of other options and just it's inherent goodness, I'm giving it three. If we were in the Berkshires, though, you'd be sure that I'd get a hell of a lot more than a BACONCHEESEBURGER for twenty-bucks....

Proud to report it is a Coca-Cola establishment and they also serve Ben and Jerry's and Stewart's sodas. Hell yes, America.

Coffee Parisien
46, Rue de Sablonville, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Tel : 01 46 37 13 13

The Mill Town Tavern

2008-04-18T22:07:00.006-04:00

So close and yet...

As you know, we have had a number of places recommended for a burger. The establishment that we visited today was The Mill Town Tavern located in Dalton. Their menu boasts "Burgers Are Our Specialty." We were excited about the fact that this seemed to be the first place where the burger was their "tour de force" so to speak.

Straight from the menu, the Milltown Burger at $ 8.99 is "Our signature Burger!!!! Half pound Angus burger with Havarti cheese (horseradish & chive) topped with bacon and caramelized onions. Outstanding!!!" Please note that all exclamation points were copied exactly as it reads on the menu. Just by the punctuation we were cranked for the experience! ... or would that be !!!? All their burgers are served with a pickle and their "delicious" french fries.

The burger arrived as you see it above. The cornmeal dusted kaiser roll was grilled and came with a small to medium slice of tomato on one green leaf lettuce. The burger appeared to have a great sear with nice grill marks. The french fries were skin on and appeared to be crispy.

Now to the eating of the hamburger. *SIGH* The first bite was absolutely delicious. The burger was a lovely medium pink and Beef Boy and I were delighted. However, once again, tragedy struck for the Wench here... My second bite into the burger encountered some lovely caramelized onions, but *SOB* also some sadly undercooked bacon. Ack! Undercooked bacon!

As we decided in a previous post about our guidelines, if the eatery has a signature burger with a number of components, all the components must equal the quality of the burger. Alas, that was not to be! Of course, once again the Burger Gods were kind to Beef Boy and his bacon was cooked fine.

He thought the burger rated easily 4 1/2 burgers, where I was only willing to give it a 4. If you are wondering why I thought the undercooked bacon should cause a docking of 1/2 a burger, then you don't know me. Bacon is my #1 stranded on the island food. I absolutely adore bacon. If Arthur Guinness would be my first husband, Oscar Mayer would be my second. So this is quite an effrontery to me.

Well, maybe next time the bacon will be done better. We will go back.

The french fries were excellent. They tasted spicy and we asked the waitress to ask the Chef what spices were used, but the waitress came back and stated she was told that there were no spices used. She did, however say, much to our amusement, that the Chef could easily be lying. What a hoot! If they weren't spiced then that cook has some great seasoning mojo.

After much discussion, negotiation, and Beef Boy's adamant stance, we agreed on 4 1/4 burgers as the final rating.

Unfortunately, it is not a Coca-Cola establishment.

The Mill Town Tavern
16 Depot Street
Dalton, MA 01226
(413) 684-0900

Rouge Restaurant & Bistro

2008-04-17T22:13:00.012-04:00

Rouge Restaurant & Bistro was one of the most recommended burger locations in our query amongst our friends and co-workers. People absolutely raved about this place, so with this in mind I decided to not let the expectations get the better of us. I find that sometimes when an event, movie, restaurant, etc. is puffed up by massive recommendations that I am always disappointed.

We went down in the evening and were quickly greeted and were led to the dining room. Beef Boy and I perused the menu and saw that no burger was listed. This is when we realized that the bar and the dining area had different menus. Oops! We let the wait staff know we were there to try the burger and since it wasn't as yet busy, they were happy to accommodate us.

We ordered the "Rouge Burger with Fontina & Tomato & Field Greens" that is listed at a cost of $8.

The burger arrived as you see it above. The ciabatta bun was nicely grilled as was the hand formed beef patty. The patty had a lovely crusty sear with grill marks. As you can see, the fontina cheese was nicely melted. There were two slices of tomatoes and a slice of red onion that was about the thickness of one of the tomatoes. There were field greens used for lettuce on the bun. The watercress salad was extremely fresh. The french fries were made on premises, lightly salted, skin on, and tasted good. The plate was finished off with two tiny gherkin pickles.

Now about the donnybrook that Beef Boy and I almost had... He thought it was outstanding and it appeared to have been cooked beautifully medium to an angelic light pink and had an excellent juicy bite. Unfortunately, we did not receive the same burger. My burger arrived just past medium and was moist with a nice flavor. The inconsistency was proven after I made him switch burgers, so that he could experience my patty. I actually think he thought I was over reacting, but he agreed with my assessment after his bite, but was still quite happy with his burger. Taking into account our criteria and after much discussion, his 4 1/2 rating and my 3 3/4 rating was averaged to a 4.

The atmosphere was excellent and we will definitely go back to try something off the dinner menu. All in all, we had a very nice experience. This is just the way the burger flipped!

We are happy to report it is a Coca-Cola establishment.

Rouge Restaurant & Bistro
3 Center Street
West Stockbridge, MA 01266
(413) 232-4111

Pedrin's Dairy Bar

2008-04-17T17:02:00.011-04:00

Pedrin's Dairy Bar has been around for as long as I can remember. It opens on Good Friday and closes sometime in the fall. Growing up, we all knew it was basically a fried food haven. This was a place that was recommended. As I was thinking about it, I can't believe in that in all the years, I haven't had a burger there, but I indeed haven't.

Beef Boy and I ordered the cheeseburger special at $2.75. According to the person who waited on us at the window, what made this "special" as opposed to just a cheeseburger was that it came with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. This is not a cooked to order burger, so what we got was what we got. We ordered french fries at $1.90.

The burger and fries arrived as you see it above. The bun was a typical hamburger bun that fit the standard patty. We believe that both the patties and the french fries were purchased off site and then cooked there. The fries seemed to be typical frozen fries that you can get at the supermarket. They were also unsalted. The burger was fry cooked on a griddle and was well done. The outside did have a griddle sear on it.

This was basically a fast food burger you eat while sitting at a picnic table. It was nice eating outside, but the burger and fries were ordinary, similar to a McDonald's. In fairness, it was fine for that type of burger and the price was cheap. Also, Pedrin's does not advertise themselves as a burger joint. They state they are "The Home of the Fish Fry", so that may be where they excel.

Keeping our criteria in mind, we decided that it receives a rating of 2 burgers. Unfortunately, it is not a Coca-Cola establishment.

Pedrin's Dairy Bar
1360 Curran Highway
North Adams, MA 01247
(413) 664-9540

The Lion's Den at The Red Lion Inn

2008-04-15T23:55:00.005-04:00

My birthday is April 16th, so I thought it would be nice if we had an evening out the night before. The Lion's Den at The Red Lion Inn has live entertainment every night (never a cover charge) and I thought it would be fun to go. I was happy to see they offered a signature burger, so that basically settled the matter. Little did I know that this little den of iniquity would be the hardest rating yet.

The atmosphere is cozy, dark and romantic. I kept on saying... it's about the burger. I saw that they have Guinness on tap *GULP* and they have Harney & Son's Earl Grey tea for Beef boy. This is where the trouble started. Unless you know us, you wouldn't realize that Beef Boy is an Earl Grey freak and if Guinness were a man, he and I would be celebrating our zillionth wedding anniversary. Of course Arthur was a man, but that is a different blog. Focus... stay focused... We started out with the above beverages. I was presented with a perfectly pulled Guinness that looked like this (pic doesn't do the beauty justice):

Utto. Note the gorgeous shamrock on the top indicating a bartender who lovingly pulls with devotion and expertise. Beef Boy was presented with a perfect English tea set up of his beloved Earl Grey. We both took a sip and looked at each other. Both of our eyes glazed over in rapture. Cripes! They were trying to seduce us! Somehow I was convinced that they had learned of our mission. We shook off the ecstasy and gathered our selves together ready to fight the forces trying to come between us and a fair rating.

We ordered the Lion's Den Beef Burger at a cost of $8.50 plus .50 for the added American cheese. If we wanted bacon, it would have also been .50 extra. According to the server, it is a 6 oz. burger.

The burger arrived as you see it above. It arrived on a warm multi-grain roll with 1 leaf of green leaf lettuce and 1 slice of tomato. The burger was griddle cooked with a light crispy sear and was a handformed patty of a medium thickness. Upon biting into it, it appeared to be just past medium. Very close, but just past medium. Nice and moist and tasted good.

There was a small tricolored rotini pasta that was lightly seasoned. The potato chips were mandoline cut thick with ridges and skin on and were cooked on the premises. A pickle was also included.

The waitress was delightful and humored all our questions, making a special effort to ask the chef about the chips, the size of the burger, and the bun.

Adhering to our strict guidelines, we decided that it receives a rating of 3 1/2 burgers. Unfortunately, it is not a Coca-Cola establishment.

The Lion's Den at The Red Lion Inn
30 Main Street
Stockbridge, MA 01262
(413) 298-5545

Addendum: After we ate and rated the burger with a clean palate, we did order their chili which was mild and delicious and finished with their brownie sundae with was heavenly. I also had a raspberry white chocolate martini that was deadly and could have caused quite a problem for me if it wasn't for JC's intervention.

Burger

2008-04-14T18:24:00.007-04:00

Burger is a place that has been recommended to us by a couple of people. For informational purposes only do I state that the inside decor is 1950s retro, but the type of retro a "shi shi" restaurant thinks the 50s should have been as opposed to what it really was. Not the genuine burger joint a la Arnold's on Happy Days or Mel's in American Graffiti. But, I transgress... it's all about the burger.

The Burger menu states "Our 100% all American beef burgers and sandwiches are served on a toasted pressed bun with lettuce and tomato on the side.". After being told that it was their signature burger, we ordered the classic 1/4 lb. with onions at a cost of $3.99. We were not asked how we wanted it cooked, so what we got was what we got. Available toppings were Sauerkraut, Chili, Raw Onion, Onion Jam, Mayo, Cranberry Mayo, Tomato-Garlic Mayo, Barbeque Sauce, Tomato Dip, Cucumber Yogurt & Tahini.

I ordered a side of combo fries, which consist of "dirty" (their spice mix) fries, sweet potato fries, and eggplant fries that were cut in the typical string fry way. Beef Boy ordered dirty fries.

Beef Boy wanted to point out that they offered an American Kobe Beef burger at $14.99 that was 1/2 pound wagyu beef. If you wanted double meat add $7.99. He was adamant that at some point in the future he MUST try one. My opinion is that if it isn't hand delivered to him by at least three dancing girls and he needs a cigarette afterward, it isn't worth it!

The burger and fries arrived as you see it above. The roll was huge and was like a potato bun, if you know what I mean. It was not toasted or grilled, but the outside of both sides of the bun appeared to have pressed marks, like it was put whole in a panini press that had a plate with grill marks close together. We determined that these marks were for show as opposed to having a grilling purpose. There were 5 leaves of iceberg lettuce with 2 slices of tomato (1 thin, 1 medium thickness) and a slice of red onion. The burger itself was cooked on a griddle, showing the dark edges fried. The center surface of the burger was lighter in the center with no sear. Biting into the burger showed it to be cooked well. Not a hint of pink. If they were going for a drive-in burger, then they succeeded. It was tasty, but not what our criteria demands.

Once again, the real star of the show were the fries. They came with some skin on, lightly salted with kosher salt and a lovely crisp. Absolutely a yummy. The tomato garlic mayo was a great change of dip from ketchup and really was delightful.

All in all, we decided that it receives a rating of 3 burgers for it's value and us being a bit kind about it being a drive-in style burger, which was what they purported to be. Also, I did feel a bit guilty about being so pissed off at the atmosphere that seemed so phony to me. *SIGH* We are happy to report it is a Coca-Cola establishment.

Burger
297 North Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 997-9797

An addendum to our criteria...

2008-04-14T08:52:00.000-04:00

Beef Boy and I were thinking... If a place has a signature burger, this is going to be the burger we order. I reviewed the menus of the two places we already rated and the burgers we ordered do fall within this criteria, so we haven't gone totally off the reservation.

Our thinking is that, if an establishment touts a signature hamburger, they believe it is their ultimate burger offering. With this in mind, this is how we will proceed.

I heard throught the grapevine that "The Wild Rover" was complaining that he couldn't post a comment without having a blogspot account. So, I have opened up commenting to everyone, no matter if they have an account.

If it gets out of hand, where I am deleting inappropriate posts, it may go back to a tighter posting.

Of course... maybe no one will even care to post! Putting back on the humble hat...

The '6 House Pub

2008-04-13T21:27:00.013-04:00

The '6 House Pub is another of our favorite places. Again, Beef Boy traditionally gets a burger when we go, but not me. I usually get one of their gourmet salads. Their salad selection is excellent and the rest of their menu is filled with pastas, sandwiches, and simple and sophisticated appetizers. We have never had a bad meal and it is one of the places we go to most often.

We ordered the burger called "The Guernsey" and is listed under the section of their menu titled "'Six' House Bovine Burger Bazaar". You can get a 5 oz. version for $6.46, but we went for the 8 oz. version at $7.96. The Guernsey is described as their "basic no frills burger". All burgers are served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, and pepperoncini. "Choose pub fries, signature coleslaw, or vegetable." You can substitute sweet potato fries for .96. The cheeses available to top your burger are: American, Cheddar, Feta, Chevre (Goat Cheese),
Gorgonzola, Pepper Jack, Provolone, Swiss.

The burger arrived as you see it above. The sourdough roll was huge and lightly toasted, the leaf of green lettuce was crisp, the tomato was very thinly sliced, and the red onion was sliced thicker than the tomato. Note that no pepperoncini arrived on the plate as advertised. No big deal to me, but I wanted to point it out. Onto the main event.

The burger was large in circumference and a nicely seared, pressed burger and fit the roll perfectly in quite an impressive way. Upon biting into it, I realized that it arrived medium well with no pink. It was moist rather than juicy. If I had ordered it medium well I would of been pleased, but that was not the case.

The star of the show actually ended up being the pub fries. They were to die for and completely overwhelmed the burger experience. They were skin on seasoned fries that we could not get enough of. Truly, one of the best fries I have EVER had. WOW!

Taking our criteria into account and it arriving medium well, it receives a rating of 3 burgers. We are happy to report it is a Coca-Cola establishment.

The '6 House Pub
910 Cold Spring Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
(413) 458-1896

Olde Forge Restaurant

2008-04-12T20:33:00.004-04:00

The Olde Forge Restaurant is one of our favorite places. Beef Boy always gets a burger when we go, but I actually have never tasted their offering. They have a fabulous tavern and dining menu of such things as their signature wings (which are too die for), Mexican pizza, mushroom ravioli, rosemary chicken, onion chips, etc. You get the picture. They have an awesome beer selection and one can actually join their beer card club, which is fun. I am almost finished with my second card.

Anyhoo... we love this place and wanted to start our rating in a positive way. It is interesting ordering with the intent of judging the product as opposed to just mindless eating. It really makes one aware of what is actually being consumed.

We ordered the 1/2 lb. Forge Burger, that has a description of "The Famous and Delicious Charbroiled Burger. Cooked to order and served on a hard roll with lettuce, tomato, french fries and pickle." It is $8.50. If you want to add any of the following it is an additional .75: American Cheese, Swiss Cheese, Provolone Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Fried Peppers and Onions, Sauteed Mushrooms, and Bacon.

The burger arrived as you see it above. The hard roll was nicely grilled, the leaf of green lettuce was crisp and the tomato was sliced to an medium thickness. The fries were nice and crispy with skin on and unsalted. Believe me, they don't need any salt and tasted great.

Now to the burger. Lovely. It had a great crusty sear with an excellent grilled texture. It came pink and was juicy. The size was plump and we do not think that a grill press or spatula was implemented. The circumference was a bit smaller than the roll, but it was the right fit.

An excellent traditional pub burger. It receives a rating of 4 burgers. We are happy to report it is a Coca-Cola establishment.

Olde Forge Restaurant
152 North Main Street
Lanesboro, MA 01237
(413) 442-6797

A New Adventure!

2008-04-11T22:30:00.011-04:00

My husband and I were looking for a new mode of entertainment and we came up with the idea of finding the best burger in the Berkshires where we live. We thought it would be fun and give us a night out a couple of times a month. Also, we both love good food. I cook and he has the nickname of "Beef Boy". Perfect fit, huh?

We decided to ask people we knew and worked with where they thought the best burger was and basically compile a list of places to visit. Boy, did we touch on something. We received so much feedback, that we literally have enough places to eat at for a year. Our question actually caused a bit of a sensation! Everybody seems to worship their burger!

Our basic criteria is that we are going to order their basic hamburger with American cheese. Also, we are ordering them medium with the thought that a bit pink and juicy with an excellent sear on the outside is the epitome of the classic burger.

We don't really care about presentation or atmosphere. Some of the best eateries we have been to have been holes in the wall, but the food has been like nectar from the Gods. It is all about the burger, freshness, and being cooked to our request of medium.

The rating will be 1 to 5 burgers. We believe that a 5 is going to be rare... no pun intended. Our premise is that a 5 is a beyond belief burger and that the angels will sing when we bite into it.

Since Beef Boy is a Coca-Cola freak, it will be noted if it is a Coke or Pepsi establishment.

We hope to have some guest reviewers like the Nebraskan Nymph, the person we know who is the most knowledgeable about beef and who has been dreamily enthusiastic in her support of this project. Possibly the fabulous couple from "The Maples" in Northern Berkshire, who give divine dinner parties, for which Mr. Maples cooks like a God. Maybe the lovely Leaf Lovin' Lady, or the stellar Carleigh Drama, or the delicious Cigarhead, upon her return from France.

So, here we go! Hopefully people will stop by and read our entries.