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| Brunch Burger |
What's New Pussycat?
People often ask me, "What's the best thing about being a food critic?" The answer is simple... Days like
today.
Bobby's Burger Palace (home to
DC Outlook's #2 burger in the area) unveiled a slew of new menu items... four burgers, a couple of shakes, a new sandwich (oops, I knew I forgot something) and the long overdue "Half and Half." If you're keeping score at home, that's Bobby's Burger Palace 100, the Competition
zero.
With the exception of one item (and that was only a
partial disappointment) BBP knocked the ball out of the park with their new assortment of goodies. Our press preview opened with dessert (my choice) and set the tone for deliciousness. BBP already holds the #2 spot on
our list of Top 5 milkshakes; but now they seem to be just showing off. The
Mint Chocolate Chip shake doesn't
look minty (no green, just brown) but one sip "out-
mints" the Girl Scout Cookies' famous Thin Mints. It's absolutely delicious. It's also pretty sweet: I'd recommend passing on the real whipped cream topping.
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| Carolina Burger |
From there, it was on to the burgers; and I wasted no time in choosing my favorite meal of the day...
Brunch. The
Brunch Burger is bound to become a new favorite for
everyone, based on its combination of fried egg (peppered...
genius) smoked bacon and BBP's perfectly-cooked & seasoned burgers. If you're looking for an explosion of flavor and messiness (I had to wash my hands
twice, during & after) then go no further. The bacon is crunchy (better than crispy) and salty... and the overall burger looks gorgeous. Once that egg pops though, it gets messy; but you simply
have to get your hands dirty when having
this much fun, right?
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| New Mexico Burger |
Next up, the
New Mexico Burger... an update on the (now discontinued) Santa Fe Burger. New beats old
handily, as the New Mexico amps up the flavor profile demonstrably... swapping pickled red onions for jalapeños, and roasted green chilies for blue corn chips. Queso sauce is still an option, if you like cheese. I'm not a huge fan of
crunch anyhow (adios corn chips) and this new southwestern option rivals Bobby's Brunch Burger for most flavor on the entire menu.
From there, it was time to travel cross-country... back East for the
Carolina Burger, and our first (and only) protein swap. All BBP burgers are available with certified Angus beef, ground turkey or whole chicken breast; so I opted for the latter with green onion slaw and an addictive mustard BBQ sauce + smoked American cheese (yes, every now & then.) My colleagues and I debated long & hard over which ingredient was most responsible for the collective smiles on our faces. For the record, it was the mustard BBQ sauce... overwhelming, but tremendously tasty. BBP's grill masters make a mean chicken breast... extra juicy, and once again well-cooked & seasoned. Lose the cheese, and they could have the best chicken sandwich in town.
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| Vegas Burger |
Moments later, we were back in the air (so to speak) traveling 2,000 miles to Sin City for the Vegas Burger. Mention Las Vegas, and the words debauchery and indulgence leap to mind. Unfortunately, there's nothing terribly sinful about this burger. BBQ chips? Yawn. Fresno Red Chiles are a nice touch, but this burger needs more heat... some kind of WOW factor. The meat was perfect (no surprise) but was begging for something else. Don't be surprised to see something added in the near future. Bobby Flay likes things perfect, and the current Vegas Burger just isn't.
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| Half & Half |
Four burgers in (and a big stack of sweet potato fries... who can resist?) and I was starting to slow down considerably. Time for a break? Fat chance. Bring on the onion rings, part of BBP's new Half & Half, a combination of any two sides (Beer Battered Onion Rings, French Fries or the aforementioned Sweet Potato Fries with Honey Mustard Horseradish Sauce.) BBP isn't the first to come up with this idea; but it makes perfect sense, although individual orders are so inexpensive you could easily order two without breaking the bank. As for taste, the onion rings are killer good... big, thick slices of onion surrounded by decadent beer batter. What's not to love? Regular fries are great too, especially when teamed with one of Bobby's numerous trademark sauces.
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| Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake |
It's only fitting to end with dessert (especially since that's how I
started this meal) and BBP's
other new shake... the
Mocha Caramel. I'm not a big fan of mocha, which tends to dominate over the caramel and whipped cream; and this shake comes closer to a fancy coffee, than a traditional milkshake (at least for me.) My table couldn't say enough good things about it however; so I'll defer to my coffee-loving cohorts on this one. To be honest, I was tempted to sneak in an order for the Pistachio, BBP's best (still.) Nobody in town has a better
variety of outstanding shakes... Nobody!
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| Mocha Caramel Milkshake with Real Whipped Cream |
Final impressions? Bobby's Burger Palace has managed to
improve upon near-perfection. Amazing. And that's not even taking into account the
flexibility BBP provides with the menu. Substitutions are encouraged... Crunchify? Why not? Grilled onions on any burger? Just ask. The fries still take
two days to make, and the burgers are cooked perfectly
every time. All this in a fast casual eatery, where the average bill costs barely more than a tenner. Bravo Bobby!
