OT: Best Gourmet Chain Burger

[HuskyHawk]

The beer is the extra incentive...and those are the beers you like (pine cone covered in grapefruit bits...or whatever).

I meant...don't like

 

[ctchamps]

Farm Burger. Add in Hi-Wire's Bed of Nails Brown Ale and enjoy!!

 

[Dove]

Wow...no way I thought this thread had more than 2 pages in it.

 

[alfonse]

In N Out is not "gourmet". It's just a slightly better fast food burger. 5 guys burgers aren't even grilled. Not as good as what you'd get at a Chilis even.

Best I have had...Worthy Burger, South Royalton, Vermont. Local grass fed beef grilled over a maple wood fire. They don't overcook them either (I'm looking at you 5 guys). But they also have Hill Farmstead on tap...ahhh...perfection.

I live 20 minutes from both Worthy Burger and Kitchen. Both outstanding. My favorite is the Worthy Bomb at Worthy Kitchen, Bun, Burger, Fried Chicken Patty, Burger Bun. You can literally watch hair grow on your chest as you eat it. Does not hurt to wash it down with a sip o sunshine or Hill Farmstead Susan

 

[August_West]

I live 20 minutes from both Worthy Burger and Kitchen. Both outstanding. My favorite is the Worthy Bomb at Worthy Kitchen, Bun, Burger, Fried Chicken Patty, Burger Bun. You can literally watch hair grow on your chest as you eat it. Does not hurt to wash it down with a sip o sunshine or Hill Farmstead Susan

You kinda sound like the man to be honest. Kudos.

 

[4in16]

The Buckland Hills mall area is all of a sudden over-run with burger joints. A place called Artisinal Burger Company opened maybe a year ago. About 50 feet from it a Five Guys is being built. Burger Fi came in about 2 years ago. There is a Red Robin and a Friendly's. Those places both suck and I eat at them often because 6-8 year olds have no idea what good food should taste like. I would have to rate Burger Fi as the best among those choices.

Of all the places mentioned that I've had a burger I'd go with Plan B, though half the time I get sucked into eating the Mac and Cheese with pulled pork.

Artisinal Burger Company sucks and a Smashburger just opened in the best buy Plaza.

 

[SWHuskyFan]

Yeah, agreed on Artisinal Burger Company, only went once but I was far from impressed.

 

[A10 fan]

The Buckland Hills mall area is all of a sudden over-run with burger joints. A place called Artisinal Burger Company opened maybe a year ago. About 50 feet from it a Five Guys is being built. Burger Fi came in about 2 years ago. There is a Red Robin and a Friendly's. Those places both suck and I eat at them often because 6-8 year olds have no idea what good food should taste like. I would have to rate Burger Fi as the best among those choices.

Of all the places mentioned that I've had a burger I'd go with Plan B, though half the time I get sucked into eating the Mac and Cheese with pulled pork.

Red Robin disappointed me. I figured they'd be on the same level as Fudd's, but they weren't close. Fudd's can't be beat by any national chain.

 

[mauconnfan]

Never been to Max Burger but I did have a great burger at Max Downtown after the Georgetown game a few weeks ago. The only thing bad about it was that the driving conditions for my ride home turned from dangerous to barely passable while I was there...

Was it the weather or beverages with the burger?

 

[8893]

Was it the weather or beverages with the burger?

The weather. In a fleeting moment of maturity, I decided not to have any booze after the game. Had a Flower Power beforehand and a Lil' Heaven inside, and that was it for me. Thank God, because it was really a brutal, white-knuckled ride in whiteout conditions all the way from Route 9 to my house. Even though the weather was relatively mild with no real accumulation in Hartford, while looking out the window of the restaurant I had that sinking feeling like I was in the eye of the storm en route from a great haul in the Flemish Cap.

 

[August_West]

The weather. In a fleeting moment of maturity, I decided not to have any booze after the game. Had a Flower Power beforehand and a Lil' Heaven inside, and that was it for me. Thank God, because it was really a brutal, white-knuckled ride in whiteout conditions all the way from Route 9 to my house. Even though the weather was relatively mild with no real accumulation in Hartford, while looking out the window of the restaurant I had that sinking feeling like I was in the eye of the storm en route from a great haul in the Flemish Cap.

The CT equivalent of the Flemish cap is route 9 from just south of Middletown to route 80.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

Probably unfair because out of all these places the closest to their original location that I've ever been to was an In n Out in San Fran, but that definitely takes the cake for me.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

The CT equivalent of the Flemish cap is route 9 from just south of Middletown to route 80.

Used to ride 9 from Middletown to Old Saybrook and went through a few hillacious storms over the last 5-6 years. Nothing like taking that trip at 30 mph in the midst of a blizzard!

 

[Northbound]

Do any of you guys actually like these chain places more than a good pub or restaurant burger? Maybe I'm just spoiled living in Chicago but I could name a bunch of places that are way better than any of these chains and the price is only a little bit more

Good god absolutely not. If anyone would choose these over real burger joint they need their head examined. The only time I'd eat at one of these is if I'm in some town out in the pucker brush and that's all they had.

 

[B1GEast]

Red Robin

 

[ConnEd]

Shake Shack is fine, but really no better than Wendy's in terms of burgers. I'd take Wendy's over 5 Guys as well.
Had BareBurger for the first time last weekend and it was excellent.
Little Pub in Ridgefield, Wilton and Cos Cob has great burgers as well.
Plan B is solid.

I second the vote for Little Pub. Really good burgers. I like most of what I've had there.

I do not get the In & Out craze. I flew out west for work many years ago. A friend I was also visiting picked me up at SFO and immediately took me to In & Out raving about it the whole way there. OK. I was game. It was mid-afternoon, so my friend tells me how lucky we are that there are no lines around the block. Expectations are way high now. The burger was fine. I just didn't see the huge difference with most chains. It was less greasy.

5 Guys is another I don't get. The burger is good, but just too greasy for me. I like a "juicy" burger, but greasy is not the same thing.

 

[joober jones]

Yeah, agreed on Artisinal Burger Company, only went once but I was far from impressed.

I tried a waffle burger there and was very disappointed. When it comes to burgers, a basic approach just works better. They aren't really in a gourmet restaurant's domain. I could eat at Whataburger every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Red Robin disappointed me. I figured they'd be on the same level as Fudd's, but they weren't close. Fudd's can't be beat by any national chain.

Funny you are the only one mentioning fuddruckers so far. Parents used to take us there when I was a kid growing up in jersey. Never saw one when I lived in CT. Do they go up that far north?

Last time I had it, I was visiting in naperville, IL...must be almost 10 years ago. Still think they're my favorite with 5 guys. Out here in denver smash burger is all over, but I haven't tried it yet

 

[joober jones]

Funny you are the only one mentioning fuddruckers so far. Parents used to take us there when I was a kid growing up in jersey. Never saw one when I lived in CT. Do they go up that far north?

Last time I had it, I was visiting in naperville, IL...must be almost 10 years ago. Still think they're my favorite with 5 guys. Out here in denver smash burger is all over, but I haven't tried it yet

They've opened one up in Foxwoods.

 

[ct06111]

Try BRGR BAR. I went to one in Portsmouth, NH on my way to seeing the amazing comeback sweep of UNH ice hockey by the UConn hockey team.
Best of 3 series Hockey East playoff this fri-sun @ XL vs UVM.

Food was good. Maine cows. Decent Maine/NH beer selection

 

[gtcam]

Sorry - not a burger joint but.....
Took a friend to the Buffalo Wings in Waterbury who lives in that area and suffered a horrible setback last year that caused his eyesight to become to the point of being legally blind. He's a UConn alum and a longtime fan - we have been attending games since 1972.
He needs to watch on the largest sets possible.
That place is a PIT.
I know what can you expect from Waterbury

 

[August_West]

Sorry - not a burger joint but.....
Took a friend to the Buffalo Wings in Waterbury who lives in that area and suffered a horrible setback last year that caused his eyesight to become to the point of being legally blind. He's a UConn alum and a longtime fan - we have been attending games since 1972.
He needs to watch on the largest sets possible.
That place is a PIT.
I know what can you expect from Waterbury

It's not just Waterbury . Buffalo Wild Wings is just overall horrible. Horrible to the point I won't even redeem free wing ticket stubs.

 

[sledog]

Where does Randy get his burgers???? ie, when he doesn't grill them himself at Mr Leahy's trailer.

 

[Mano]

Just had Smashburger for the first time. Not bad, tasty, but nothing exceptional. About on par with 5Guys and Mooyah and a step below from PlanB and MaxBurger. I shoulda gone to Shady Glen instead.

 

[Matrim55]

Far and away, BareBurger does it for me.

Just tried this place on your recommendation. Elk burger with country bacon, aged cheddar, dill pickles, pickled jalapenos & special sauce.

Absolutely delicious. 4x what I'd pay for an In-n-Out burger when I'm home in California, but still simply outstanding.