After completing a taste test to determine which Coronado restaurant served the best pizza, I decided to switch my focus to burgers. I don’t know about you, but every once in a while I could really go for a nice, juicy burger; I’m not talking a fast food burger like the kind you can get at McDonald’s or Burger King, but rather a high quality burger that’s prepared to my liking, where they ask me how I would like it cooked.
Along with three other taste testers, I serves the best burger. (On a side note, if I continue to do these taste testing pieces, I’m going to eventually have to evaluate which “island” gym can help me rediscover my girlish figure.)
We went to seven popular eateries where people typically go when they are craving a burger, and at each establishment ordered a burger cooked to medium doneness. At each restaurant, we cut our burger in half, looking for a warm, pink center.
To determine each burger’s height, we used a tape measure, and we used a food scale to weigh just the burger without the fries. Knowing each restaurant uses its own style of plates, I even brought my own dish from home with me so when I weighed each burger, I was getting a truly accurate reading as I zeroed the scale with the plate already on it. (If you’re thinking my friends and I got some inquisitive, sideways glances from other customers as we whipped out the tape measure and food scale, then you’re right!) After measuring and weighing the burger, we split the burger into fourths so that each judge could try it.
In the same mindset that I did my pizza research, I decided that none of the judges will be named because Coronado is a small town, and I don’t want any of our respective judges feeling like a bit of honest criticism might make them feel unwelcome the next time they go to certain restaurants. From this point on, the judges shall be known as 1, 2, 3, and 4. None of us disliked any of the burgers we shared, but there were definitely specific burgers that stood out as our favorites!
We evaluated the burgers on the following criteria: appearance/presentation, meat to bun ratio, whether it was cooked to the desired doneness, the quality and quantity of the toppings, whether the burger was too dry or too greasy, ease of eating, bun quality, and the taste and quality of the condiments already added to the burger by the chef. Judges rated each burger’s components on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being awful and 5 being exceptional. (None of the burgers that were tasted received any awful ratings.)
Below is a comprehensive evaluation of the burger we ordered from each of the seven restaurants, which are listed below in alphabetical order:
Burger Lounge
The Classic – ($7.95) “100% Fresh, Single Source, American Grass-Fed Beef. Lounge Bun, Organic American Cheese, Organic Ketchup, Mustard, Pickles, Chopped Onion”
*Side items are sold separately.
Height: 2.5″, Weight: 9.2 oz.
- Judge 1 noted that even though the burger’s appeance was just okay, it was easy to eat, and it tasted exceptional because it was so juicy. She said the bun, which was lightly toasted, tasted fresh and soft, and said the onion, pickles, and melted cheese all had good flavor. She also said the ketchup and mustard mixed well with the onion and pickles.
- Judge 2 said it was a “great tasting burger,” but also noted that it “looked a little sad on the plate without sides or dressing.” He appreciated not only how the cheese was melted, but also how its flavor wasn’t “overpowering.”
- Judge 3 liked how the onions were chopped rather than placed on the burger in slices. He said, “It’s simple, but it has loads of flavor.” He gave the burger exceptional ratings in all categories except appearance/presentation.
- Judge 4 thought this was the perfect comfort food burger, and said she will definitely return to try their Lounge Burger next. She liked how the burger was a reasonable size; filling without making her feel bloated. Another aspect that she liked was that Burger Lounge uses grass-fed beef.
Coronado Brewing Company
CBC Stout Burger – ($12.50) “Charbroiled half pound angus beef burger with lettuce, tomato, onion & pickle”
*We chose French fries as our side item, but other options included coleslaw, small salad, potato tots, or onion rings (+ $1).
Height: 4″, Weight: 13.8 oz.
- Judge 1 noted that the CBC Stout Burger doesn’t automatically come with cheese, and that because it also did not come with any condiments on it, she needed to dip it in ketchup and mustard for added flavor. She gave the burger exceptional ratings in appearance/presentation, quality and quantity of toppings, and bun quality. She noted that the bun was very soft, and it was a pretty easy burger to eat without making a mess.
- Judge 2 initially thought the bun looked too big when the burger was presented, but said it “squished down easily.” He liked the “sweet taste” of the bun, and noted that the toppings were crisp. He liked the appearance of the burger as well as its meat to bun ratio.
- Judge 3 said he could taste the pickles and red onion more than anything else, including the patty. He thought the burger was a little of the dry side, and said it definitely needed condiments even though the toppings tasted nice and fresh.
- Judge 4 liked how the pickles were sliced so that they didn’t slide out of the burger, but she thought the raw onion was too overpowering. She would have preferred the burger to be a bit pinker in the center. She said, “I love CBC, but this wasn’t my favorite item on their menu. Next time I’d rather try another one of their burgers. Their Boardwalk Burger (Cajun spiced burger, bacon, roasted red peppers, caramelized onion and blue cheese) sounds really good!”
Danny’s Palm Bar & Grill
Original Slam Burger – ($7.95) “All burgers are served with American cheese and lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and pepperoncinis on the side.”
*Side items are sold separately.
Height: 3.25″, Weight: 9.3 oz.
- Judge 1 tried the burger without any condiments, but said it needed ketchup. She thought the meat to bun ratio was off with the bun being a bit too big for the burger. Even though she felt the burger was cooked “a little well done,” she liked both the quality and quantity of the fresh toppings.
- Judge 2, who said, “I hate burgers in baskets,” did not care for the presentation of Danny’s Palm Bar and Grill’s burger. He thought the burger was greasy, and said it needed condiments. He noted that there was only one slice of cheese, and, like Judge 1, thought the burger didn’t have enough pink in the center.
- Judge 3 agreed that this burger was on the greasy side and was a little overcooked. He felt a little disappointed because, after hearing other so many people praise Danny’s burgers, he didn’t think the burger was as good as he imagined it would taste. “It wasn’t a bad burger, but it also wasn’t anything incredible.” He called it “your average bar burger.”
- Judge 4 called it a “very basic burger.” The kitchen at Danny’s only stays open until 6:00 pm, which she and Judge 2 felt was unfortunate because the Original Slam Burger would hit the spot after a long night of enjoying a few pints at Danny’s.
Leroy’s Kitchen and Lounge
Leroy’s Burger – ($17.65) “Holey Cow, Bacon Jam, House Pickles, Truffled Fries”
*This is currently the only burger featured on the menu.
Height: 4.5″, Weight: 14.1 oz.
- Judge 1 really liked the quality of the beef, but thought that the cheese, which was broiled on top, didn’t have as much flavor as she hoped. Additionally she felt that even though the red onion gave the burger a crunch and fresh flavor, there were simply too many red onions on it.
- Judge 2 gave the burger’s appearance/presentation, meat to bun ratio, and bun quality the highest marks, but said, “Even though it was a very good burger, I personally wouldn’t order it again because it was too big and messy for my preference.” Because “there are way too many other options at Leroy’s,” he said he would have chosen something else if we weren’t out taste testing burgers.
- Judge 3 thought the burger was just a tad overcooked, which made it taste a little dry. He was slightly disappointed that he couldn’t taste the bacon jam as much as he hoped.
- Judge 4 liked the burger overall, but didn’t like how the toppings were underneath the burger, making them all slide out as she tried to eat it. The cheese was very mild, and she would have preferred a more flavorful cheese on it to enhance the bacon jam. The house pickles didn’t come on the burger she noted, and because of the burger’s height, she didn’t add the pickles to it, but instead ate them on their own.
While this review is focused on burgers rather than fries, I would be remiss if I did not include that all four judges raved about the Truffled Fries (“Parmigiano-Reggiano, Herb Aioli, Pomegranate Ketchup), which were absolutely delicious! Wow!
Bonus video: The making of Leroy’s burger…
McP’s Irish Pub
Cheeseburger – ($10.95) “lettuce, tomato, onion, choice: fries or potato salad”
*We chose French fries as our side item.
Height: 4.5″, Weight: 15.6 oz.
- Judge 1 thought the cheeseburger was so good on its own that it didn’t even need any condiments, which don’t automatically come on the burger. She noted that the burger had not one, but two slices of melted cheese, and liked the bun, which had hints of onion.
- Judge 2 also liked the taste of the cheeseburger without any condiments, but said next time he would add ketchup and mustard to it. He appreciated that the toppings were very fresh and were crispy without being too cold.
- Judge 3 echoed the first two judges’ sentiments about the burger holding its own even without any condiments. He especially loved the thinly sliced pickles, and gave it good marks across the board.
- Judge 4 liked the cheeseburger, and noted that she preferred the way McP’s puts pieces of lettuce on their burgers rather than shredded lettuce like some of the other restaurants do. In her opinion, the lettuce slides off the burger too easily when it’s shredded. She noted that the bun was unevenly sliced with the top half being much thicker than the bottom half, but that didn’t interfere with the ease of eating it.
Nicky Rottens Bar & Burger Joint
Famous Burger – ($11.00) “Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Choice of Cheese, and Rotten Sauce. Add Bacon, Avocado, Mushrooms and Grilled Onions for extra”
*We chose French fries, but other side options included tator tots or an upgrade to onion rings, fried zucchini slices, garlic fries, sweet potato fries, or a salad for $3 more.
Height: 5″, Weight: 1 lb., 2.2 oz.
- Judge 1 thought the burger was kind of bland except for the dressing, which was a flavorful Thousand Island sauce. She gave the burger good ratings overall, but thought the burger was too messy to eat, especially with the shredded lettuce.
- Judge 2 thought the taste and quality of the condiments were exceptional, but said that there was too much lettuce on the burger, resulting in one bite that was just lettuce. He said the lettuce was noticeably colder than the rest of the components of the burger.
- Judge 3 also said there was too much lettuce, and shared that the burger was initially too tall to eat. He wasn’t able to get a bite with all of the layers in it, which meant he couldn’t taste all of the elements together.
- Judge 4 thought the burger was too tall and way too messy even though it had good flavor. The toppings kept sliding out of the bun, which defeated the point of the toppings. She noted that the raw onion added a nice crispness to it, and liked that the bun was toasted.
Tavern
Grilled Bacon and Blistered Shishito Pepper Burger – ($15.00) “Aged white cheddar, firestone dba grain mustard dressing, bread & cie brioche bun, hand cut fries”
*This is currently the only burger featured on the menu.
Height: 3.75″, Weight: 9.0 oz.
- Judge 1 complimented the “nice melt” on this burger. She noted that the bun was “big and fluffy” and that it was “perfectly toasted.” “Good flavor,” is what she had to say about the shishito peppers and mustard dressing. Judge 1 gave Tavern’s burger the highest marks in appearance/presentation, cooked to desired doneness, quality and quantity of toppings, and taste and quality of condiments. She noted that the burger was cooked just right.
- Judge 2 liked the burger with its “nicely melted white cheese” and “well-toasted and tasty” bun. He noted that the blistered shishito peppers were good, but spicy. He liked how this burger wasn’t overloaded with toppings, and said that it didn’t need anything else. He liked the “charbroiled taste” of the patty.
- Judge 3 gave the burger “exceptional” in every single category except moisture, noting that the burger was a “little bit greasy.” He especially liked the artful presentation, and liked the heat from the shishito peppers and mustard combination. He said mixing grilled bacon right into the ground beef was “pure genius!”
- Judge 4 appreciated how unique this burger tasted. She said there was nothing typical about this burger, and felt like it tasted like “a decadent treat.” She added that people who don’t like a little bit of spiciness might not appreciate this burger as much as she did. “Worth every single, glorious calorie,” is how she summarized this burger.
Summary
Conclusion
What our unofficial taste testing showed is that Coronado has an abundance of quality burger options. The next time you’re craving a burger, whether you’re looking for a good, old-fashioned burger or more of specialty burger, there are plenty of choices here in the Crown City to satisfy you! What’s your favorite burger?
