Every now and then, I regret taking food out. Especially when Bottomless Fries are at stake. My second trip to Red Robin Gourmet Burgers happened to land on Father's Day... not the best day to find an empty seat in a casual restaurant (on a Sunday, no less.) My "spider senses" began tingling, and I asked for a take away order instead of waiting for a table. Big mistake.
Red Robin screams fun. Hosts and servers buzz around with equal enthusiasm; and the bartender who took my order couldn't have been nicer. TVs are everywhere (Nats v Indians... hope you like baseball) and the full house of customers appeared to be in a state of "burger bliss." And why not? Red Robin is a Zagat winner for Best Full-Service Burger Chain, and it's easy to see why. A- for service.
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| Nice transport! |
Unfortunately for me, my order was to go. RR packs their burgers well, in foil inside an attractive "picnic box." Toppings are wrapped separately; but fries (not bottomless) are left to fend for themselves (and I'm assuming, steam.) You can tell they were once delicious, but not after 15 minutes of driving.
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| Simple Burger |
My burger survived the journey in good order, and was only slightly overdone from my requested MEDIUM (through no fault of RR... that's a long time to leave a burger sitting.) It was juicy and zippy with natural flavor. I can only imagine what it would have tasted like, straight from the kitchen.
Atmosphere: B (Too busy for me, but a great energy nonetheless.)
Burger: B (Genuine half-pounder with great flavor.)
Fries: C- (I love steak fries, but you simply have to eat them hot.)
Service: A-
Value: B+ ($7.99 + tax & tip = a great deal.)
Overall: B (I feel guilty for cheating RR by not dining in. Put me down for a return visit A.S.A.P.)
