Beef between two slices of bread — on every menu, the hamburger has the potential to be boring and bland or exciting and tasty. No two are created equal, and these three are in a category all their own. And all are less than $10 (side included — cha-ching!). Edited by Beth Stallings; by Chuck Bowen, Jennifer Bowen, Katie Dragga, Christina Ipavec, Jason Lloyd, Brittany Moffat, Andy Netzel, Kim Schneider, Colleen Smitek, Beth Stallings, Erick Trickey, Michelle Venorsky and Jim Vickers
Bar Symon Bar Symon Burger 32858 Walker Road, Avon Lake, (440) 933-5652, barsymon.com
Overflowing from the borders of a
toasted English muffin, the Bar Symon Burger ($9) looks a little snug
sitting inside its black plastic basket with a pile of shoestring fries
riding shotgun. Topped with fried egg and huge slices of cheddar and
bacon, it’s got a greasy diner attitude and gourmet taste. Fight the
urge to pick off the house-pickled onions because they’re not the
boring raw red onion you’re used to — their vinegary zest is a welcome
surprise.
56 West Friend with Benefits 16300 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, (216) 226-0056, fiftysixwest.com
Order this burger for two reasons:
First, the onion rings stacked on top offer a sweet twist to this
mighty, half-pound bacon cheeseburger. Secondly, it’s just plain fun to
say, “I’ll take the Friend with Benefits.” At $7.56 ($1.56 more to add
fries), there’s no long-term commitment required. Grumpy's Café Rhino Burger 2621 W. 14th St., Cleveland, (216) 241-5025, grumpys-cafe.com
Don’t expect the Rhino Burger
($9.99) to show your taste buds any mercy. If it’s not the pepper jack
cheese, then the salsa packed with huge chunks of jalapeño will
certainly start a spicy tingle on your tongue. Then you hit the center
of the sandwich. Chorizo and beef play nice with each other in this
half-pound patty — the beef offering a bit of a sweet and juicy relief,
and the chorizo swooping in for a tangy kick. There’s no escaping the
heat, especially if you add the house specialty Cajun home fries as
your side.
Comments:
Friday, October 30, 2009 4:28:59 PM by Anonymous
56West is Wonderful. Superb food, comfortable atmosphere all at reasonable prices. What a gem. I love "Friends With Benefits."