Burger-nirvana

OrderUp!
Originally uploaded by The Put-Man.

This place is fast becoming a favorite. Not so basic that you throw your own trash away, but not so fancy that you get a waiter. You order from the counter, a classic white tile and slate countertop affair. With classic lines somehow evocative of a 1950's burger joint, the bamboo hardwood floor and multicolored wall menu keep things contemporary. The main interior wall is a split personality - half over scaled B&W winter portrait of an ash forest, half mirrored wall reflecting the three exterior window walls - looking out under a cheerful red awning that shades sprightly little tables with red market umbrellas tucked between boxwoods.

Nearly idyllic.

The only discordant note is the presentation of the food - paper wrapped burgers, plastic soup bowls, and disposable plastic utensils make an elegant and clean setting feel vaguely like a trailer park picnic. Taste the soup though - and you'll change your mind. The chicken tortilla has some kick (this is after all San Antonio - home of kick-ass Tex-Mex). But it's an understated heat that keeps it's distance and doesn't overwhelm the fresh avocado topping, nor does it leave your taste buds numb to the real treat.

The burger.

Oh yes. This is a BURGER...ia...

Get rid of the paper. It just gets in the way. Pick it up, and you notice two things right away - the heft, and the bun. This burger clearly has REAL BEEF in it, lovingly ensconced in the perfect burger bun. The baker who made this bun clearly loves his beef. This isn't some undersized supermarket bun, this is sized correctly, sized BIG, and it’s FRESH.

You can feel the softness, allowing the proper degree of bun flexibility so that the burger construction flexes, doesn't fall apart and crumble in your hands. The insides of the bun are toasted for a light, fresh crunch. The lettuce and tomato are a crisp counterpoint to the melted blue cheese and thin-sliced bacon.

Normally I'm not a fan of thin sliced bacon, but this is done right, and achieves a consistent crispness that crunches "just right". The burger is meaty without being too fatty, or in your face with HOW MUCH of it there is. The flavor of the beef is excellent, and coalesces with the bacon, blue cheese, and bun to recombine into something greater than the sum of it's pieces.

Burger-nirvana.

All too quickly the experience is done, leaving you with some greasy paper, and thoughts about when you can next make an excuse to come visit.