Columbus Monthly / October 2012 / Under the Bun, 20 Must-Try burgers

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Under the Bun, 20 Must-Try burgers

We’ve long been a burger town. Fast food giants Wendy’s and White Castle both have roots in Columbus and, indeed, our culinary scene is still best known for the outrageously tall Thurmanator.

But we’re going through a burger renaissance. From serious chefs adding burgers to fine-dining menus, to restaurants centered on grass-fed ground beef, the sometimes-boring sandwich is getting a well-deserved makeover.

Chefs are replacing ground chuck with custom sirloin blends, Kobe beef and yak. They’re swapping American cheese slices for smoked gouda and upgrading buns to brioche rolls. And they’re topping their creations with everything from roasted red peppers to fresh cheese curds.

Believe me, this list was thoroughly, artery-cloggingly, cholesterol-raisingly researched. But I did it all for you. Here are 15 new and original burgers you must eat now, plus five local favorites that are always worth cheering about.

 

Cheap but Awesome

Little Palace’s Palace Burger

Put down the White Castle. There are better burgers out there priced nearly as cheap. Start with the Palace Burgers at mid-century-chic Little Palace. At just $3 a pop (or $4 for a double stack), these sliders are a fantastic deal. Thick beef patties are cooked to medium-well and served on soft potato rolls with pickles, grilled onions and a slice of American cheese.

240 S. Fourth St., Downtown,
614-460-8888, littlepalacerestaurant.com

 

Lamb Burger, Till

If I had any clue about the magic touch Magdiale Wolmark has with meat, I’d have been rooting for him to give his landmark vegan spot an omnivorous makeover years ago. Wolmark first delighted Till’s diners with biodynamic beef burgers made of meat from a cow he transported from New York to Ohio himself. Lately—until he makes another cow rescue mission?—he’s been focusing on lamb burgers ($14), an under-represented specialty. These are thick patties cooked medium-rare to let the flavor of the Bluescreek lamb shine, topped with chevre and roasted bell peppers on a soft, floured bun.

247 King Ave., Victorian Village,
614-298-9986, tillfare.com

 

Skillet Burger, Skillet

Tomato marmalade, as it turns out, is not just a fancy way of saying ketchup. Skillet’s house-made marmalade is actually a magical ingredient imparting its Skillet Burger ($12) with a sweet note that elevates it to greatness. Every component of this burger is sustainably sourced and tastes fantastic: a special grass-fed beef blend of bottom round, brisket, short rib and deckle; brioche rolls from Omega Bakery; Laurel Valley Harvester cheese; and a fried local egg. The Skillet Burger is most always on the ever-changing menu, but other burger variations are well worth trying, too, such as lamb chorizo burgers, bison burgers and kimchi burgers.

410 E. Whittier St., Merion Village,
614-443-2266, skilletruf.com

 

Yak Burger, The Coop

Occasionally, a place with a constantly changing menu stumbles upon something so beloved, they’re forced to keep it around. That’s the story with the Yak Burger ($9) from The Coop, a chef-driven chicken-and-egg-themed food truck. Yak has a slightly gamey flavor (kinda similar to buffalo but juicier) that plays well with the other components of this standout sandwich: bacon, American cheese, mixed greens, housemade mayo and (natch) a fried egg. Pro tip: The juices from the burger will combine with the cracked egg yolk to make an impromptu dipping sauce, and you’ll want to sop up every last bit of it with your Auddino’s Kaiser roll.

2701 Indianola Ave., Clintonville,
614-581-9353, coopontherun.com

 

Knead A Burger, Knead

What’s most notable about the burgers at Knead, an otherwise local-leaning urban diner, is their patties—they’re imported from New York’s famed Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors. Each eight-ounce patty is a gloriously greasy, grilled-medium-rare blend of chuck, short rib and brisket. For the nice and messy Knead A Burger ($13), a Challah bun is crammed with an avalanche of stuff—pulled pork shoulder, Amish baby Swiss, a mayo-heavy carrot-and-cabbage slaw, house-smoked jalapeno sauce, pickles and aioli. Whoa.

505 N. High St., Short North,
614-228-6323, kneadonhigh.com

 

 

Trend-setter
The Rossi’s Rossi Burger

Rossi set the stage for a gourmet burger revolution with its Rossi Burger, an upscale twist on its blue-collar brother, the Club 185 cheeseburger. This version is made with top-quality, hand-pressed ground beef, infused with smoky goodness via a quick sear over a hot grill. It’s topped with the typical American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and mayonnaise, but served on a better-than-average flaky Kaiser roll.

895 N. High St., Short North,
614-299-2810, rossibarandkitchen.co

 

Commons Burger, MoJoe Lounge

When it comes to burgers, presentation is more important than you’d think. And unlike the sometimes deflated look of open-faced burgers, MoJoe Lounge’s fully assembled Commons Burger ($8) scores high on the appearance scale. Its all-beef burger, hand-pattied in the kitchen, is charmingly misshapen. It’s topped with smoked tomatoes and gets some neat texture from a sprinkling of smoked gouda crumbles. Sealing the deal, it’s garnished with a tiny sweet pickle that’s speared atop the rounded, glistening bun. And yes, it tastes just as good as it looks.

149 S. High St., Downtown,
614-732-4899, cupojoe.com

 

793 Burger, Hubbard Grille

Named for Hubbard Grille’s street address, this burger ($13) is most notable for its creamy blend of cheeses. Sweet, gooey baked brie is paired with soft herbed boursin, and the combo is a surprisingly nice alternative to the usual sharp cheddar or provolone. Also topping the half-pound Black Angus beef burger are avocado slices, which fit in well with the creamy theme. And you’ll definitely notice an interesting herbal note—it comes from onions that have been caramelized with fresh rosemary.

793 N. High St., Short North,
614-291-5000, hubbardgrille.com

 

Healthiest
Northstar Burger

Northstar Cafe has accomplished the near-impossible task of crafting a veggie burger that’s just as satisfying as its beef counterpart. The key, turns out, is size. Hefty patties made from beets, black beans and brown rice are topped with lots of melted white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion and served on thick house-made buns. Eat an entire burger and you’ll be rewarded with the pleasantly full belly you expect from comfort fare—without the unpleasant gut-bomb effect that comes from too much meat.

Locations in Clintonville, Easton and Short North, thenorthstarcafe.com

 

Mini Burgers, Latitude 41

What’s better than a really great hamburger? Three really great hamburgers! The mini burgers ($12) at Latitude 41 are adorable sliders topped with fresh cheddar cheese curds and Benton’s bacon. Benton’s has been spotted on several of Latitude’s burger iterations in the past, and if you’re not familiar with it you should be. Originating from a small-scale curing operation in Appalachian Tennessee, the dry-cured, long-smoked bacon took the foodie scene by storm a few years back and it’s still worthy of all the buzz.

50 N. Third St., Downtown,
614-233-7541, latitude41columbus.com

 

Ella Burger, Ella

The “El” in Ella stands for “eat local,” and the local add-ons are what I love most about the house burger at this new restaurant-slash-art gallery. The Ella Burger ($13.50) has 10 ounces of Ohio beef topped with thick strips of local Falter’s bacon and melted white cheddar from L.W. Randles in Coshocton, plus slices of avocado. The burger’s served on a toasted pretzel bun with a little cup of grainy mustard aioli, and I highly recommend a dunk before each bite.

266 E. Main St., New Albany,
614-855-4600, ella-restaurant.com

 

 

Downtown Knockout
Ringside’s Oscar de la Hoya

Did you know that, tucked away on a Downtown alley, a century-old tavern is serving up some pretty fantastic burgers? They’ve been around too long to qualify as buzz-worthy, but they’re still under-the-radar enough to deserve some love. All the burgers at Ringside Cafe are named after famous boxers, and they all feature half-pound Angus beef patties. Best is the Oscar De La Hoya, topped with roasted red pepper strips, provolone cheese and a roasted garlic aioli.

19 N. Pearl St., Downtown,
614-228-7464, ringsidecolumbus.com

 

Hollywood Burger, Third & Hollywood

The Hollywood Burger ($14) excels in the same way Hollywood’s most famous burger, the In-N-Out, does: It’s just a basic hamburger made fantastic with best-quality ingredients. A half-pound of juicy Niman Ranch beef is infused with backyard-style chargrilled flavor over an open flame. It’s topped simply with melted cheddar, shredded lettuce, a ripe tomato slice, pickle, chopped onions and ketchup and mustard. Just one example of how this Grandview spot elevates simple dishes with upscale touches.

1433 W. Third Ave., Grandview,
614-488-0303, thirdandhollywood.com

 

American Burger, DeepWood

For a while last winter, DeepWood was offering a life-changing little slider on their pub menu, a foie-gras-stuffed wonder topped with smoked gouda and date-ancho sauce. Sadly, it’s no longer on the regular menu (bring it back!), but the new American Burger ($10.50) is no slouch either. Offered on the lunch menu, it’s a half-pound of ground Angus topped with your choice of cheese (go for the broiled blue cheese crumbles), red onion, lettuce and a beefsteak tomato slice. What really sets this sandwich apart are the sauces: whole-grain mustard and a house-made tomato ketchup.

511 N. High St., Short North,
614-221-5602, deepwoodrestaurant.com

 

Kobe Chorizo Burger, De-Novo

The menu at Downtown’s newest hotspot changes with the season, but happily De-Novo chef Robert Harrison has kept this great burger around through multiple updates. The Kobe Chorizo Burger ($11) is made with a super-spicy meat blend, topped with melted Carr Valley Menage cheese—it’s an intense mix of cow, goat and sheep milk—roasted tomatoes, arugula and a chipotle aioli. It’s served on a sweet, buttery pretzel roll, offering a nice contrast to the spicy chorizo inside.

201 S. High St., Downtown,
614-222-8830, denovobistro.com

 

Biggest
Thurman Cafe’s Thurmanator

Thurman Cafe’s signature sandwich is a winner in many categories: tallest, beefiest, most famous. But it’s not the city’s tastiest burger, we’re sorry to report. With a whopping 24 ounces of ground beef, it’s impossible to get the proper balance of meat to cheese to toppings to bun—not to mention it’s so darn tall you’re forced to eat it with fork and knife. Not cool.

183 Thurman Ave., German Village,
614-443-1570, thethurmancafe.com

 

229 Burger, Milestone 229

I’ve never understood the novelty appeal of processed dreck like Cheez Whiz. And so I was as surprised as anyone to be enamored with a burger that boasts cheese sauce as its main condiment. See, this is Milestone 229’s house-made cheese sauce, a gooey concoction that pulls double-duty as both “special sauce” and cheese—pure white cheddar cheese, without a hint of chemical aftertaste. Rounding out the masterful 229 Burger ($10.25): roasted red peppers, bread and butter pickles and a thick tangle of crunchy onion straws. Served on a classic sesame-seeded bun, this one fires on all cylinders.

229 Civic Center Dr., Downtown,
614-427-0276, milestone229.com

 

One Red Door Burger, Flip Side

Most of the burgers on this list are the sole burger specimens on otherwise upscale menus. That’s why I especially love Flip Side, a whole restaurant centered on burgers made with local ingredients and topped with cheffy cheese-and-veggie combos. This Easton spot also has—oh yes—boozy milkshakes, craft beers and a cocktail list. All the burgers here start with seven ounces of Ohio-raised, grass-fed beef prepared medium and served on brioche buns. Start with the One Red Door Burger (One Red Door is Flip Side’s sister restaurant in Hudson) for $10. It’s topped with melted brie, crispy shallots (kinda like onion straws) and a date-applewood-bacon aioli.

3945 Easton Station, Easton,
614-472-3547, flipsideburger.com

 

 

Breakfast Burger, Jury Room

Before Jury Room, Elizabeth Lessner’s restaurants didn’t serve burgers. I’m glad she finally caved to customer demand when creating the menu for her revamped historic tavern. The Jury Burger ($9) is an all-beef patty topped with melted provolone, a spicy aioli and a veritable salad of arugula, tomato and red onion on a brioche sesame-seeded bun. And it’s even better at brunchtime, when all that gets topped with a fried egg and bacon. Others must dig this burger as much as I do—when Lessner and company open a new Dirty Frank’s location in Westgate, it’ll have burgers on the menu too.

22 E. Mound St., Downtown,
614-220-0964, juryroomcolumbus.com

 

Lights Out Burger, Worthington Inn

Let’s wrap up with this burger—not only because it was the last one I happened to eat, but because it lives up to its name. This behemoth doesn’t just pack a punch, it delivers a knock-down, lethal blow. But, you know, in a good way. Arriving fully assembled in all its towering glory, it’s got grass-fed Ohio beef, melted cheddar, a couple slices of thick-cut, applewood-smoked bacon, barbecue sauce plus a spicy-sweet secret sauce, arugula, tomatoes, pickles and tobacco onions (deep-fried onion strands spiced with cayenne). Eat all of the Lights Out Burger ($14) and you’ll be so full and happy you may never eat again. I surrender.

649 High St., Worthington,
614-885-2600, worthingtoninn.com