Whiskey Dicks - Black n' Bleu Burger

Driving downtown Orlando a few weeks ago I saw a place called Whiskey Dicks. Obviously a name like that will get your attention, but I just assumed that it was another Dive Bar like all of the others in the area. Then when I saw that they were offering a “Food or Drink Groupon” for $20 (that only cost $10) on the internet I looked them up. I couldn’t find a good website, and their Urbanspoon reviews were anything but stellar, but the price was so good I figured that even if it was terrible I wouldn’t be at much of a loss.

The ATMOSPHERE… A typical “Downtown” bar feel, nothing more, nothing less.

The SERVICE… It was not busy when we went for lunch, however the bartender/server was attentive and friendly and made us feel very welcome.

The FOOD… Bar Food, with an emphasis on Appetizers, Burgers and Sandwiches

When I asked which Burger I should get I was told that the “Black n’ Bleu”(Bleu cheese encrusted blackened Burger topped with onion straws) was great if you liked Bleu cheese – Cause there is a lot on there. OK Sold!

He was correct; It was covered with a generous amount of chunky Bleu Cheese. The Burger patty was made fresh. The waffle fries were good. All in all – A very Good Burger! I left pleasantly surprised, I only hope that they will get a better website of at least a better, updated Facebook page.

McDonald's - Burger King - Wendy's

For quite sometime when it comes to fast food burgers you always think about “THE BIG THREE” McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s. They have all been around for many years and are quite competitive, and everyone has their favorite. I don’t normally write burger reviews about these big chain restaurants, however I am in search of the “Best Burger” and feel that they should not be overlooked. In the past couple of years I have noticed that all three of these restaurants are constantly coming up with new marketing promotions, new menu items, and new business strategies. They all have their “Classic” Burger that has been their staple such as the Big Mac and the Whopper, they all have their Dollar or Value Menu to attract people that are on a budget, and now they each have an upgraded or premium Burger offering better or higher quality ingredients.

I have always thought that my favorite of “The Big Three” was Wendy’s, followed by McDonald’s, and then Burger king would be last. I decided to make a challenge for myself and try the latest “Premium” combo and see if I still rate them in the same order.

Wendy’s new premium Burgers are called HOT ‘N JUICY. They comes in single ¼ lb, double ½ lb, or triple ¾ lb. I decided to try the single combo for $5.79. The Burger has 580 Calories and 1240 mg sodium. I enjoy the packaging. It comes in a stand up box and it is obvious that these Burgers come with higher quality ingredients. The Pickles were crisp, the Bun was toasted and the Beef Patty was really flavorful and delicious. The Natural Cut Fries are pretty good too!

McDonald’s premium Burger is the Angus line. I chose the Angus Bacon and Cheese combo for $7.04. After looking at their website I see that this Burger alone has 790 calories and over 2000mg of sodium. I wanted to like it and thought that I would, however when I left there I was miserable and felt sick to my stomach. The fries were greasy and I didn’t eat all of them, nor did I finish my Burger.

And finally Burger King’s premium Burger is the BK Chef’s Choice Burger A flame-broiled 5.5 oz burger patty, made with USDA certified ground chuck seasoned with salt and pepper, a thick slice American cheese, Naturally-smoked thick cut bacon, Fresh cut romaine lettuce, red onions and ripe tomatoes, our original grill sauce on an artisan bun. This Burger has 650 Calories and 1330 mg sodium and with the combo it came to $6.99. Now I will say I had the lowest expectations for this Burger, because I had the pre-conceived notion the Burger King was my least favorite. However this Chef’s Choice Burger changed my mind, it was totally delicious! It is the sauce that makes it, it’s hard to describe but it is smoky, creamy and peppery and it makes the Burger a stand out!

This experiment has changed my mind about a lot of things.

Winner of “BEST TASTING BEEF” goes to Wendy’s

Winner of “MOST APPEALING BURGER” goes to Burger King

Winner of “HEALTHIEST BURGER” goes to Wendy’s

Winner of “MOST AFFORDABLE” goes to Wendy’s

And the “MOST HORRIBLE” award goes to McDonald’s

I will try not to eat any of these Drive Thru/Fast Food Burgers, however if I do I will go to Wendy’s most often, Burger King if I want a different flavor of Burger, and I will most likely NOT go to McDonald’s any more.

Mission Acomplished!

Saffran - Kebab Burger

Saffran is located in a plaza across the street from the Florida Mall. It has an Indian or Middle Eastern flare and is focused on being Healthy and Inexpensive. Their Facebook page states “SAFFRAN offers healthy, fresh, exotic, robust, flavorful and inexpensively priced food to “spice your soul and body”. We choose only quality ingredients, preferably from local producers, and all bread is baked using only barley, spelt and whole wheat. We use practically no sugar (only very limited in the desserts), no white flour, no frying and no MSG”.

The ATMOSPHERE…Clean and spacious, tastefully decorated, some outdoor seating is available.

The SERVICE… Order at the counter and they bring it to you. The staff is very friendly and will be more then happy to help you decide what to order. (As I was there I noticed they were helping most of the customers, probably because there are no other restaurants that offer this style of food).

The FOOD… Safflats (similar to a pizza), Tandoori, Naanwiches, Salads and Burgers.

Being the Burger Lover that I am I decided to go with the Kebab Burger (Beef and Lamb, Frisee salad, Tomatoes, Parmesan, Yogurt sauce and Chili sambal - $5.95) I also had a Fresh salad (Shiraz Salad, Pumpkin Seeds and Emperor’s dressing - $1.75) and a Wildberry Skyr Mousse (Icelandic traditional Skyr in great companionship with fried almonds - $1.55)

The burger came out and I was delighted by the presentation. It was served open faced on their bun, which was baked fresh and reminded me of a cross between Pita and Naan. The flavors of the toppings mixed beautifully and made for a really interesting and delicious Burger. Combined with the salad and the dessert I spent less then $10, and I was very fulfilled. I highly recommend checking this place out.

Eastside Bistro - Black & Blue Burger

At a recent visit to Panera Bread at the Fashion Square Mall I saw that Red Star Tavern had closed (Thank God, I would never go there again) and that Eastside Bistro was in its old space. They had a menu posted and I checked it out and it looked decent, so a couple of weeks later when I was in the area I decided to give it a try.

The ATMOSPHERE… The inside hasn’t changed much from when it was Red Star, there is a large bar in the middle and different seating options around the bar or an outside patio.

The SERVICE… Standard and Friendly

The FOOD… Appetizers, Salads, Paninis, Sandwiches, Wraps, Burgers, Flatbreads and Entrees. The highest price thing on the menu is $17.99 (Baked Seafood Sampler), and overall their prices seem to be a couple of dollars less then similar items at comparable restaurants. They also seem to have some pretty good daily drink specials.

Since I had previously looked at the menu I knew that I would probably be getting the Black & Blue Burger (Blackened Burger topped with crumbled Blue Cheese). They had a couple of other Burgers to choose from on the menu or you could build your own. (All burgers served on a toasted bun with your choice of coleslaw, potato salad, chips, french fries or fruit - $7.99)

When we were there it was a Tuesday, and as we walked in the place we saw a sign that said $5 Burgers! Our server told us that the Tuesday special is Any Burger for $5 and $3 Pinnacle Vodka drinks. I was going to save $3 on my meal- this was a bonus! The Burger arrived and I was quite pleased with the presentation, it was loaded with Blue Cheese and the Blackening Seasoning was sprinkled on top. Overall it was a really good Burger, my only small complaint was that I thought the “Made in house” Potato Chips were slightly undercooked – another minute in the fryer and they would have been perfect! However, I was so pleased with the price that it made up for the chips. Next time I’ll just order them “Extra Crispy”! Something else I would like to point out is that I recently drove thru Burger King and my Burger and Fries were about $8, here at Eastside Bistro with the Tuesday special I got a delicious Burger, Potato Chips, the pleasure of being waited on and my car didn’t smell like grease for $5. You do the math.

Back Yard Burger - Bacon Cheddar Burger

I have often driven by Back Yard Burgers and wondered what they were like. Some of the people that I know of who have been there give it rave reviews, but others told me not to bother because it is not that great. I was in the area one evening and decided to give it a try.

The ATMOSPHERE/SERVICE… It is very similar to a Checkers. You can walk up and order your food and then eat it on a picnic bench, which is what we did, but most people seem to just drive thru!

The FOOD…A Black Angus Burger Combo is the popular thing to order, but they do also offer a variety of Chicken Sandwiches, Turkey Burgers, Hot Dogs and Root Beer Floats.

My friend and I each ordered the Bacon Cheddar Burger Combo (Angus Patty, Bacon, Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickle, Ketchup, and Mustard) with Waffle Fries and a Drink. It came to about $8 each with tax. The Burger itself was fine. The toppings were fresh and it tasted pretty good for a Fast Food Burger. The Waffle Fries were soggy and not worth mentioning. They do offer a punch card so once you have purchased 9 combo meals your 10^th is free, however I just threw mine away because with so many better Burgers out there (even better Drive Thru Burgers) I know for a fact that I will not be going there enough times in the future to fill it up.

Not a bad place, just not good enough for me to go back.

Graffiti Junktion - Beef Burger (add Bleu Cheese)

Since they first opened up in Thornton Park a few years ago I have been going back time and time again to Graffiti Junktion. I cannot say enough good things about them, nor can I give it a “one time visit” review like I normally do because I have been there so often and have always been very satisfied!

The ATMOSPHERE… It is called Graffiti Junktion for a reason; there is Graffiti on all of the walls and tables. Play Ski Ball, have a drink at the bar, or just enjoy the scenery with a group of friends. There is usually something each night like Trivia or Live Music.

The SERVICE… I have always had great service with their friendly staff.

The FOOD… They have delicious appetizers and salads and a Full Bar with great drink prices, however what I go for is their Burgers! They have several “Specialty” Burgers that are definite crowd pleasers, but I usually just build my own! You can choose Beef, Turkey, Veggie, Chicken, Hot Dog. (served with Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles & Fries) On a side note their Fries are really awesome – Hot, Fresh, and Crispy – and served in heaping portions. I always get the Beef and add Bleu Cheese Crumbles ($8.75) and always leave Full and Happy!

If you have not yet been there, do yourself a favor and go try Graffiti Junktion!

Graffiti Junktion opened up a second location in College Park. (I hear that a third location will be opening up soon) This location has the same great food as the one in Thornton Park. There are several other restaurants that have opened up in the same area recently, but Graffiti Junktion is absolutely my favorite!

They have nightly specials that are geared towards the area, and have one of the best tasting Burgers in Orlando.

Junior Colombian Burger - Single

I recently dropped a friend off at Universal Studios for a job interview that would take an hour or so, and since I had time to kill I decided to go and get something to eat. I had read several reviews of Junior Colombian Burger, and when I realized that it was located right there on Kirkman Drive I decided to give it a try to see what all the hype was about.

The ATMOSPHERE… It is a small storefront in a strip mall, with a counter that probably seats about 15.

The SERVICE… Order at the counter, in about five minutes your food will be ready. You can either eat it there or take it to go. They are open from 11am until at least 3:30am.

The FOOD… Burgers, Hot Dogs, Corncakes, Quesadillas, Skewers, A simple menu with simple prices, no nonsense.

The Cheeseburgers come in Single $5.75, Double $6.75 or Triple $7.75 and all come with Tomatoes, Lettuce, Onions, Cheese, Potato Chips, and the following Sauces: Garlic, Mayonnaise, Ketchup, Pink and Pineapple. I decided that since it was my first time that I would just get the Single, and I must tell you that it was well worth the $5.75!

I can tell you that what makes this Burger special and delicious is both the generous amount of crushed Potato Chips that top the Burger and the Sweet Sauces that give it an unusual, non-American flavor! It was like nothing that I had ever had before, but I really enjoyed it and I look forward to going back. (Next time I will get the Double) If you are looking for a Burger that has a really unique taste then give it a try!