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| Burger a la 23rd |
What drives a man to try every burger in town? Civic duty? Curiosity? Hunger? My J. Wellington Wimpy pilgrimage took me to Orange Spoon in the West End (across from West End Cinema) for their aptly named Burger a la 23rd... Angus beef with bacon, sautéed green peppers, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato on a Kaiser roll. Sounds great (in theory) but frozen, unseasoned patties do not a great burger make.
First impressions upon my first visit to Orange Spoon? Very favorable. The staff is friendly and (best of all) engaging. No need to chase anyone down, even on a late Saturday afternoon. I placed an order for the aforementioned Burger a la 23rd with the line cook; and requested no green peppers or mushrooms. $7.25 for a burger with bacon is pretty good; until you realize it doesn't come with french fries. Make sure to order them separately, if you're so inclined. I had to do without.
Orange Spoon uses frozen patties; and while they're nicely-sized, they're still frozen. I had to wait almost 15 minutes for my order, and couldn't help but feel disappointed after unwrapping it. For starters, it's cut in half (convenient perhaps, but a big no-no in my book) with two thin slices of flavorless bacon underneath an impressive, grilled bun. Sadly, the bun represented the best part of my burger. Lettuce was fresh, but there was too much of it. One slice of tomato and no fries = the final blow. Bacon has to be salty (it wasn't) and there's no excuse for a burger without salt & pepper.
The atmosphere here is wonderful. It's very clean throughout; and music is varied (Little River Band, etc.) and played at a perfect volume. The buffet bar is a bit pricey ($7.79/lb.) and still had breakfast offerings after 3:00 PM (just how long can you keep scrambled eggs warming in a tray?) By the looks of things, hours. Hardly appetizing. I couldn't help but try a couple of pork sausage links (I was hungry... sue me) while I waited, and they were pretty tasty (although cold.)
A few people strolled in, while I ate; and each customer was warmly greeted. I felt very comfortable inside; and look forward to trying their hot breakfast buffet (6:30-10:30 AM daily) soon. As for another burger, I'll have to pass; but thanks for trying.
