Thai Chile Burger |
Burgers and baseball: Is there a more perfect marriage of food and sport? Hot dogs? Gimme a break. Sure, they're traditional; but for nine bucks, I'll take great taste over a time-honored classic any day of the week. The problem with ballpark burgers is that they normally suck. Nothing's worse than an angry griller, hastily flipping and squashing burgers; which makes my experience at Anacostia Station all the better.
After the fifth inning (and an earlier order of Box Frites fries) those familiar pangs of hunger struck again, prompting me to leave the comfortable confines of my seat and venture into the air-conditioned Stars & Stripes Club in search of nourishment. Lucky for me, I only had to walk a few steps to the aforementioned Anacostia Station for a Thai Chile Burger ($9.) The burger sports a blend of pork and beef with a cool, crisp topping of Asian slaw. I had to wait a while (they forgot my order at first... I actually missed more than half an inning, which was disappointing) but the finished product proved worth the wait.
Despite eating a lion's share of hamburgers in my time, I don't think I've ever had one with Asian slaw on top: Who says you have to have lettuce, tomatoes and onion to round out a good burger? Unfortunately, you do need either a large bun or one that doesn't fall apart so easily. That said, I had no problem picking up every dropped piece... devouring it with the same enthusiasm that accompanied my first bite. The combination of pork and beef works well with meatballs, and even better with burgers. Piping hot, each mouthful rained with flavor. And to think I was going to order the Fried Shrimp and Fries for a dollar more: Shame on me.
Atmosphere: B (One of the best club areas, in any sporting venue across the country)
Burger: B+ (Nice & juicy, perfectly cooked.)
Service: C- (Polite, but they forgot my order... even though it wasn't busy)
Value: B- (The burger was so good, I didn't even notice there were no fries. Savings? $6)
Overall: B (Burgers this good are a rarity anywhere, yet alone at a baseball game.)