Burger 21: Still Underage

The strip mall that once contained Underground Bluz, Lazy Moon, Fubar and Knights Library, all very popular late night hangouts for UCF students, has been torn down, and with it some of our favorite foods (who doesn't love Lazy Moon pizza, honestly). What is going there? I am not terribly certain, but don't fret, Lazy Moon and Knights Library have returned, and with it some new additions to the UCF student's freshman 15 menu.

I stumbled upon Burger 21 completely on accident. I had parked at the miniature plaza with the intention of snagging some Tijuana Flats and then sitting at the neighboring World of Beer for a few hours, but was pulled away from this when a friend of mine shouted, "What!? They opened a burger place here?" Naturally, this caught my attention, and checking the place out quickly turned into ordering from the menu and finding a seat. I was excited.  I no longer live on the east side, but I frequent it for work, school and friends. It was nice to think I would not have to hit up a TGI Fridays or Smokey Bones for a burger anymore.

The place looks fancy. There's another Burger 21 in the Millenia area, and I can only imagine that it looks similar to its UCF location because the decor was much different than most places in the area. Truthfully, it was a nice change from the dingy dark places that every UCF area restaurant seems to fancy, save for, perhaps, IHOP and Steak and Shake. It's almost welcoming.

And what better location than next to a bar, that allows outside food? Good call on your part, Burger 21.

The menu is excellent, many choices, from veggie burgers, to fish burgers and even a healthier bun less option for their more health conscious clientele (they lay it over a salad; its not rocket science, but its a wonder more places don't do it). They also have a Shake Bar, where they "specialize" in, yes, you guessed it, milkshakes. An interesting concept, especially for the area. 

The restaurant also has a small sauce bar. They have their typical choices of ketchup, mustard and mayo, but also a few more interesting sauces to pick from. How would you like to try Apple Cider sauce on your burger? How about Toasted Marshmallow? No? Yeah, well, me neither, but the effort and the ingenuity was duly noted.

And so my poison at Burger 21? I ordered the Tex-Mex Haystack: guacamole, bacon, onion straws, lettuce, tomatoes, Gouda and chipotle-jalapeno sauce.  Guacamole on a burger is probably one of my favorite things. 

But the burger fell short for me. Actually, it fell far shorter than I ever expected or even imagined for a place that has such a high rating with others. Was it juicy? Yes. Absolutely. Very, actually. But despite all of this, the meat itself was bland, didn't taste good or hold together as if it was cooked on a grill. It was almost as if it was microwaved (gross, I know, but it's the truth). The plethora of ingredients that I was sure would make my burger unstoppable once I started, took over and beat out the taste of the meat, leaving me wondering if the ground beef was actually a figment of my imagination. Surely, with how it tasted, I was only eating a guacamole sandwich. And on top of all of this, my burger fell apart. Literally, from the first bite, pieces of my meat, of the cheese, the onion strings, the lettuce, began falling out until halfway through, I was picking up pieces with my fingers like I was eating curry.

The fries I chose, they were of the shoestring variety, were their famous Cheese and Ale fries. 

Cheese and Ale fries are nothing than white cheese sauce that is just as tasteless as their burgers. I actually mixed mine with BBQ sauce in an effort to get some sort of flavor from something.

I am fairly certain that my only enjoyable portion of that meal was my Sprite.

My final ruling for Burger 21? Would I go there with friends again? Would I take my mother there for lunch or stop by there after class? Probably not. The jazzy idea of the gourmet burger is definitely not lost on Burger 21, but Burger 21 offers very little aside from a very well lit place to read a book while finishing your fountain drink (they are delicious).

Beth's Burger Bar: Finally?

If you ask me, Orlando’s downtown scene isn’t anything to write home about. Lots of people, lots of cops, and lots of clubs. Most downtown areas in most cities can sing the same tune.  But once the bars, pubs and clubs close, the food choices are most certainly not in abundance. In fact, after midnight, basically the only food you can get downtown is either a hotdog from a sketchy vendor, delicious Gringos Locos (too bad I’m not doing a taco blog) or pizza.

While these choices are great (some more than others, depending on your level of inebriation), I’m certain I am not the only person in Orlando that has stumbled down Church Street at 2:30 AM wishing I had a big, juicy/greasy/ fully loaded burger at that moment.

And alas, an answer to mine, and other drunken Orlando residents (I’m certain), prayers came in the form of a small, almost hidden restaurant just behind Gringos Locos on Washington Street.  The place itself is full of surprises and opens up into the quite the restaurant, with booths lining the wall and a rather large (albeit un-utilized) jukebox in the back. Advertisements for cheap beer line most of the walls and promise $2 PBRs. The menu boasts the average choices for a burger, giving patrons the choice between a single patty or a double. They also have the courtesy of offering a veggie burger as well as a chicken. Big whoop, huh? Well, how about their choice of peanut butter as a sauce? Take that Five Guys.

But how does it taste, you might be asking? I wasn’t daring enough to order a PB burger, but I had the great honor of taking a bite of one, while also enjoying my own (the typical: single patty, bleu cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and mayo). My burger, while simple was flavorful and quite delicious. The burger was juicy and kept together quite well. It had that right off the grill taste that I very much enjoy in a good burger and was cooked to perfection. The fries also compliment the burger perfectly; delightfully crispy and given in a cup that almost never seems to end.

Unlike the rest of Orlando’s interest in the gourmet burger (best lettuce, best ingredients, fancy schmansy this and that), Beth’s seems to have adopted the motto I learned in my middle school math classes: KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid. And that’s exactly what they do. In most cases, I would say that this isn’t wise. Especially in a place that has recently opened, first impressions are everything, after all. But despite all this, the cook behind the “bar” has done a wonderful job at packing such flavor into such a simple looking meal. Kudos to you, Mystery Cook.

So what rating do I give to Beth’s Burger Bar? A good, almost a great. An excellent cheap meal with the bonus of cheap beer and a good time (somebody please pick a song on that damn jukebox). To me, Beth’s has definitely gotten it right. What do downtown patrons want after a night of heavy drinking, schmoozing, smoking and dancing? Cheap burgers that taste just as good when you’re sober, as they do when you’re drunk.

Oh, and what of the peanut butter on the burger? I suggest giving it a try. The subtle sweetness of the PB is a pleasant surprise when matched against the salty, greasy challenge of the beef. I think, next time, I will order my usual and, perhaps, I’ll have a little peanut butter on it