OT: Steamed Cheeseburgers

[Waquoit]

I read somewhere that the proper toppings for a steamed cheeseburger was just onion and mustard. Didn't seem like my cup of tea but I tried it anyway and was very surprised by how well it worked. Having said that I still prefer normal burgers and our go-to place these days is Catsup and Mustard in Manchester.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Well, if you're saying that it can sometimes unfortunately serve as a showcase for the failures of mid-20th Century urban renewal in a country that has never adequately addressed institutional and structural racism, you might be onto something. Otherwise, I don't agree, and I'd be interested in your list of America's 10 best cities to live in.

Exactly. There were some 20th century urban renewal projects that absolute gutted communities and neighborhoods (Rt. 34 to a mall, for instance). But, New Haven has taken great steps to remedy those failures and is stitching together a vibrant downtown that is now extending into the Hill neighborhood to the Train Station with the closure of Rt. 34 and the Downtown Crossing Project. I would say that from the junction of State St. & Mechanic Serah Williams all the way down to Gateway and north to the Yale Shoppes is probably the best place to live in the state. Tons of great restaurants, bars, theater, museums, transit and some really nice housing options.

So yea, I would also like to see his list.

 

[nomar]

McDowell's on Queens Boulevard.

 

[junglehusky]

Red Robin is the first place I ever tried a burger topped with a fried egg.

Life altering experience. Not saying it was the best burger ever, but it opened my eyes. We go there about once every three or four months because it's in the mall and the kids like the grilled cheese there.

Five Guys burgers are my favorite. The fries are only good if you eat them within the first 2-3 minutes after they come out of the frier. Otherwise they get soggy and greasy.

For chain burgers, I go with Wendy's or Steak and Shake.

Well then, you've got to try the cowboy burger at Prime 16. Fried egg, and I think salsa and chipotle mayo.

Jake's, I don't care for too much. I like Five guys better than Jake's. Haven't tried shake shack yet. Ted's in Meriden is about the cheese, not the burger. If you're not a fan of melty gobs of cheddar then you're not going to care for Ted's.

I haven't been to shake shack yet, maybe I'll check it out soon...

 

[Deepster]

When I worked in Simsbury, a few of us went to every place we could get to for lunch, within reason, to see who had the best burger.

Plan B won in a landslide.
Joe Pizza in Canton was actually second.
Five Guys made me feel sick and I hated the fries. I actually rank Chili's ahead of them.

Max Burger is solid (and pricy). Jake's is 'meh'. Nothing really stood out for me. Same for Mooyah, I thought that was no better or worse than Wendys.

 

[Lefty2one]

Ted's is good but nothing I'd go out of my way for. Haven't been there in probably a decade. Same for Louie's Lunch. I'd prefer to walk a few blocks down and go to Prime 16.

I waited years to try Five Guys, finally went two years ago and was not impressed at all. Never been back. Plan B in Milford is pretty good. I need to try Jake's Wayback Burger, heard good things.

The Shake Shack that opened in New Haven is dreadful, do not go bother going. The quality is a steep decline from the Westport one, can't even tell it's the same chain. I love Shake Shack, lives up to the hype IMO....besides the NH one of course.

 

[TyroneShoo]

the Counter in West Hartford is good

 

[8893]

When I worked in Simsbury, a few of us went to every place we could get to for lunch, within reason, to see who had the best burger.

Plan B won in a landslide.
Joe Pizza in Canton was actually second.
Five Guys made me feel sick and I hated the fries. I actually rank Chili's ahead of them.

Max Burger is solid (and pricy). Jake's is 'meh'. Nothing really stood out for me. Same for Mooyah, I thought that was no better or worse than Wendys.

Plan B has the best meat of the gourmet burger places imo. Prime 16 is close, and I think they have better/more interesting combinations. Haywire Burger Bar in Westbrook is also decent for these types of places.

I consider Five Guys and Shake Shack to be in a different category: greasy fast-food burgers. If you are not up for the grease, it could make you feel sick. If you are a fan of the grease, it is mighty tasty. Dutch Tavern in New London makes great grilled burgers, handmade from scratch. Still a little on the greasy side, and definitely not gourmet, but a good balance for a basic burger.

 

[pepband99]

A good choice for a "chain" is Capital Grille. Their Truffle Fries alone are awesome, if not polarizing. That burger is gynormous, though, and very very good. Bonus that they're national enough, but small enough, to not suck.

The Brewhouse in SoNo used to make a great burger, but they dumbed it down (memory tells me it used to have fontina cheese and something else).

I'm also a Shake Shack disciple, especially at Citi Field.

 

[Jax Husky]

Plan B is damn good. The fact that not one person has mentioned Educated Burgher in New Haven has me wondering if they are still open. When I was in school there (97-00), we went crazy for that place.

Now, we really only went there when supremely hungover, so that tends to make things better than they may really be.

 

[Gurleyman]

Exactly. There were some 20th century urban renewal projects that absolute gutted communities and neighborhoods (Rt. 34 to a mall, for instance). But, New Haven has taken great steps to remedy those failures and is stitching together a vibrant downtown that is now extending into the Hill neighborhood to the Train Station with the closure of Rt. 34 and the Downtown Crossing Project. I would say that from the junction of State St. & Mechanic Serah Williams all the way down to Gateway and north to the Yale Shoppes is probably the best place to live in the state. Tons of great restaurants, bars, theater, museums, transit and some really nice housing options.

So yea, I would also like to see his list.

Was actually an old list from a popular magazine - maybe 20 years ago. Connecticut had 3 of the top 10 (Hartford and Bridgeport joining the list). New Haven might have been 2 behind Gary, Indiana - but I might be mis-remembering which city was 2.

 

[LeeOtisWilson]

Green Iguana in Tampa, Florida or
Cafe 640 in ATL in the Highlands area
Best I have ever had

 

[Lefty2one]

Lived in New Haven for 7 years after college - Wooster Square and East Rock. It's not nearly as bad as many make it out to be but it's also not the best city in the world obviously. I look back at my time in East Rock fondly, great little neighborhood. I think I was dining out/getting take out 4-5 days a week. Pizza, burgers, sushi, thai....I showed no self control lol.

Living there and interacting with so many non-CT natives was interesting, probably 8 of 10 had the attitude of "I can't wait to leave this place and never come back". Mostly Midwesterners or Cali natives, and quite frankly, you can't blame the Cali natives for having that opinion!

 

[Catsailor]

Speaking of burgers though greasy. Anyone remember Lou's? Bluto their humongous St Bernard? who slept most of the time with the occasional one eye (open) grab of a flying hamburger patty, launched Frisbee style, by whoever shift on the grill. Several basketball players worked there in late 60's early 70's ... Penders, Staak and others.

Rumor was AllieJohn said to Lou: "Marry me and your name will be up in lights" He was a visionary

Edit: Memory fuzzy it was Lou's

 

[huskymedic]

Plan B is damn good. The fact that not one person has mentioned Educated Burgher in New Haven has me wondering if they are still open. When I was in school there (97-00), we went crazy for that place.

Now, we really only went there when supremely hungover, so that tends to make things better than they may really be.

EB still there... used to eat there morning, noon, and night when working the ambulance. Solid burger... same w/ Yankee Doodle across the way. Louis' is Louis. Worth a try to say you've been there, ate the burger (good but not outstanding), got the t-shirt.

 

[ffg53]

The VFW at the Durham Fair actually has excellent steamed cheeseburgers. You get a slab of cheddar at least as thick as the burger itself on a good kaiser roll.

The best grilled burgers I've ever had are at Orbaker's in Sodus, NY on Rt. 104. Good milkshakes, too. Unfortunately you have to pass dangerously close to Syracuse to get there.

 

[Doggie Style]

New Haven is the home of pizza, hamburgers and Yale, and yet is one of the 10 worst cities in America to live in.

Someone sure ed things up down there.

It was the Eisenhower Interstate Program that destroyed New Haven. I95 cut the city off from the water and virtually destroyed it culturally. Yale has a Socio Economic paper on the timelines and decline of New Haven. I saw the display a few years ago it was quite interesting.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

K LaMays in Meriden. Best Steamed Cheeseburger you are going to get(yes better than Ted's).

 

[Northbound]

Get to Melons in NYC. That burger with their cottage fries is pretty damn good. Burger Joint is pretty good too. I wi never get the fuss about Shake Shack, nothing remotely special about them.

 

[8893]

I95 cut the city off from the water and virtually destroyed it culturally.

This was and remains the biggest impediment for New Haven to get to the next level imo.

I still love it. It works for me. Ninth Square's sustained re-emergence over the past two decades and Yale's gentrification of key spots have helped tremendously.

 

[Hoophound]

Capitol Lunch in new Britain is famous for hot dogs with some sort of sauce, anyone been there? Never tried it.

Which reminds me--NY System Hot Weiners in Providence are out of this world. (Haven't been in 10 years or so)

 

[Deepster]

Capitol Lunch in new Britain is famous for hot dogs with some sort of sauce, anyone been there? Never tried it.

Which reminds me--NY System Hot Weiners in Providence are out of this world. (Haven't been in 10 years or so)

I went to CCSU and ate many a Cappy dog. There's cinnamon in the hot dog sauce (which isn't really chili, it's more a meat sauce). There's some comfort in the Cappy dog, but I'm not sure it's for everyone. I'll go into Little Poland to get fixins for Christmas Eve and stop by for a couple, but I wouldn't make a separate trip.

 

[Hoophound]

I went to CCSU and ate many a Cappy dog. There's cinnamon in the hot dog sauce (which isn't really chili, it's more a meat sauce). There's some comfort in the Cappy dog, but I'm not sure it's for everyone. I'll go into Little Poland to get fixins for Christmas Eve and stop by for a couple, but I wouldn't make a separate trip.

Sounds like Skyline Chile.

 

[WingU]

Would highly recommend Willimantic Brewery. One of the best burgers I've ever had. Great beer selection as well.

 

[Revrat]

McDowell's on Queens Boulevard.

Just because all good movie references deserve acknowledgement. I will have to mention "They have the golden arches and mine is the golden arcs and the big Mic".

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