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| Prime Angus Beef Burger (with Bacon) |
This review makes four total for Bolt Burgers. That ties Noodles & Company for top honors (in terms of frequency) which bodes well for a restaurant that relies on return business. My last visit produced some rare disappointment; so I was eager to make sure that things were "back to snuff" at one of my favorite burger joints. After yesterday's trip, I'm happy to report... The bolt is back in Bolt Burgers.
Service was back to normal (Tasha, you're amazing) and I even managed to secure the same booth (#28) as last time. Thankfully, the condiments were arranged perfectly this go around; and the rest of my booth was spotless. Majic 102.3 continued to boom out great music (Michael Jackson's Liberian Girl, etc.) and everyone appeared to have a smile on their faces (employees and customers.) Give Bolt an A for atmosphere.
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| Bolt Signature Fries |
On to my order, which was done in person (didn't bother with the kiosk) and followed to the letter. I understood the beef was different; so I just had to order a Prime Angus Beef Burger (prepared medium-well, by default) with applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and onions. Of course, it wouldn't be Bolt without some extra spice; so I added fiery chili, cumin and paprika to the mix... plus an order of Signature Fries, and a Peach Sprite (via Bolt's Coca-Cola Freestyle machine.) I slipped back into my booth, whipped out my iPhone (free Wi-Fi) and waited for lunch.
As usual, waits are minimal (about 10 minutes) and well-worth it. Fries (advertised as 10 ounces, looks like more) still come served in a mini frying basket; but that now sits inside a convenient serving plate, which is perfect for sauces, stray fries, etc. The fries were perfectly cooked (Bolt uses potatoes that don't suck up excess oil) and golden yellow. Scrumptious leaps to mind; but I trust you'll arrive at a similar opinion, once you try 'em for yourself.
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| Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie |
The burger more than held its own, nestled inside an incredibly flaky brioche bun with an avalanche of fresh toppings (and two thick strips of bacon!) The meat was a tad overdone, but still nice & juicy. So juicy in fact, I never had a chance to slip in Bolt's famous Killer Ketchup to the mix. No worries: That only meant more ketchup for the fries.
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| Peach Shake (test) |
Don't ask how; but I still had room for dessert, which meant time for a Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie. It's a bit pricey at $2.99, but it's definitely Giant in size, and baked fresh on the premises every day. Thick chunks of rich chocolate are literally everywhere, and the cookie itself is chewy and soft. Yum. Don't like cookies? No worries: Bolt sells Double Chocolate Brownies ($2.99) too, as well as assorted NY-style Cheesecakes.
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| Chocolate Shake (test) |
One of the benefits of visiting one restaurant a lot, is getting to know the employees (and sometimes, if you're lucky) one of the owners. Turns out, Mike Davidson was testing milkshakes for their upcoming menu debut, and needed a "test dummy." Well, only a dummy would refuse two 16 oz. shakes made from frozen custard, whole milk and top-quality flavorings. First up, Peach, which appears destined to crack our Top 5, once it's officially added to the menu. The consistency was perfect (for me, not thick) and not too peachy. Reason being, it's not showered in cheap peach syrup like most other places. After that, it was time for Chocolate, decidedly thicker than the first offering (no ice cream headaches) but substantially stronger in flavor. If you like chocolate, you're gonna love this. Whether or not the formulas stay "as is," remains to be seen; but I strongly recommend they do. One thing's for sure: Bolt Burgers never stops testing (no resting on laurels here) so odds are, it could actually get better.
Speaking of, this latest visit was miles better than the last. Previous mistakes were avoided, and I managed to devour both plates (and by some miracle) both shakes. I won't rule out a fifth review; but at least I'm comfortable knowing that Bolt Burgers is back on top, where they belong.
