O-H-I...Oh!

Venue: Local Roots

Location: 15 E. Olentangy St., Powell, OH

Date of Visit: Thursday, May 10, 2012

Burger: The Buckeye Burger

Average Score: 7.1
Price Range: $$$$$

Mike: A few weeks ago, I found myself back in the Buckeye State.  I was in Columbus, Ohio and figured this would be the perfect opportunity to sample some Midwest offerings and kick off the Burgerler's new page "The Burgerler on the Lam."  What better way to do this than by trying "The Buckeye Burger" down at Local Roots, which takes pride in the fact that they serve all-natural, hormone-free meats.  Or so it appears; from the amount of times they mention it on the menu.

The Buckeye Burger, again, is an all-natural, hormone-free beef burger served on a brioche bun with shredded romaine, red onion, tomato, and the cheese of your liking.  You also have the option of a six or eight ounce patty.  I went for gusto and opted for the eight ounce with blue cheese, medium rare please!  The burger arrived open-faced, so I could see there was a decent amount of blue cheese resting on top of the patty.  Not too much to be overwhelming, and not too little to get lost among the other flavors.  The patty pretty much the perfect size for the bun; no meat overhang and no visible bun around its circumference.  After my first bite, I realized it was a bit overcooked; which is a problem in most cases, especially will good beef.  I was relieved to find that the meat was still moist and flavorful, though it could have had a touch more seasoning.  As I continued eating, it seemed as though the meat was getting greasier and greasier.  The bun was doing a good job at absorbing most of it; but by the end, my plate and hands were covered in it.  The toppings were relatively fresh, so there was a mild crunch throughout.  The blue cheese brought a bold, sharp flavor that punctuated each bite.  I ordered my burger with sweet potato fries, so the flavor combination was near perfect.

Overall, “The Buckeye Burger” was a pretty decent burger.  Having been the only burger from Ohio that I’ve officially ranked, I can’t say whether or not it deserves to bear the state’s name.  But, it was a good place to start; and I look forward to trying more of what the Midwest has to bring.

Nice Buns

Venue: Kraze Burgers

Location: 4733 Elm St, Bethesda, MD 20814

Score: 6.8

Price Range: $$$$$

Tom:  A brief family visit back East landed me in the national capital, and while on vacation, what better activity than sampling some of DC’s finest burgers?  After a bit of sleuthing I was directed to Kraze Burgers in Bethesda.  My first impression of this burger-slinging joint was a high-end fast food chain.  But then I noticed the “5 principles”: use the best beef (hand formed and hormone free), make the bread from scratch, flavor is king (patented “Kraze Sauce”), fresh ingredients (locally grown when possible… hmmmm) and provide healthy alternatives (tofu and salads).  I liked most of their mission statement but the bit about being healthy and local is a bit of a stretch.  Just admit you make delicious burgers and don’t try to trick people into thinking they are eating healthy food.  Fried tofu or a ranch-soaked salad is still not “healthy.”  That said, I was pretty happy with my burger.  I sampled the KB++ which included all the standard burger fair with American cheese, bacon, and a fried egg.  The bun was absolutely delicious and they rightfully made it a bit on the large side to compensate for poor integrity.  The special patented Kraze Sauce was no more than a blend of ketchup and mayo with some secret spice blend.  Not very original but the patty was juicy and overall the burger was rather tasty.  I would rank it above average but below exquisite.