Random Encounter - Burgers Plus

The quest for burgers is a bit like photography. There are times when you plan and prepare, you do your research, work out the best location and time, prepare your gear and then take your photo. But there are other times when you just happen to be in the right place at the right time and you just take a snap.

Finding this at the factory outlets at Castle Rock in Denver was a bit like that.

'Our customers say we have the best burgers in town'...that's a pretty big claim and something I needed to put to the test.

So I put in my order for a cheeseburger which was on the pricier side for a no-name food court vendor at $6. But they made if fresh on the spot and here is the result.

It was frankly a bit underwhelming. It was OK. But the best burger in town? I don't think so.

It would need a bit more of everything to achieve that.

But still a solid burger and not a bad choice if you just happen to be shopping.

Taste - 3.0

Value - 2.5

Messiness - 4.5

Five Guys again

After the revelation that was the Smoke Shack I thought I'd have to give Five Guys another chance. The last time I had one I thought it was pretty good, and definitely above average for a chain store.

So back I went during a break from the Museum of Modern Art.

I also thought that this time I would order the bacon cheeseburger, thinking that the addition of bacon might give it a better chance against the mighty Smoke Shack.

So how did it go?

It was good. It was also big, almost too big. But in the end there was too much going on.

Maybe I added too many extra toppings (I asked for everything bar the mushrooms).

Maybe I should have asked for the little cheeseburger with just one pattie.

But while it's a good burger, it's not a great burger.

Taste - 4.0. Still meaty and above average.

Value - Going to lower this to 4.0. Given how much In-N-Out charges I think my previous assessment of 4.5 was a bit generous.

Messiness - 3.0. With all those toppings it really is a handful.

All Hail the King!

What do you think of when you think of New York?

Hot Dogs? Pizza? The Empire State Building?

I had a couple of hot dogs.

On the first day I arrived I went to the famous Gray's Papaya, and the dogs were cheap and above average - $4.95 for two dogs with a drink.

The other from Shake Shack...the Shack-cago dog, which was kind of disappointing.

But the burger I had from Shake Shack...was one of the best in my life.

And here it is in all its glory...

The SmokeShack.

What is it?

It's a cheeseburger topped with all-natural applewood smoked bacon, chopped cherry pepper and Shack sauce.

The first bite was like a flavour-bomb. The bacon was crunchy and salty and smokey. The meat was full of flavour. The bun was soft. After the first bite I knew that this was something special. And that was true for the second, third and fourth bite as well.

It was one of the those moments when you knew that you were experiencing something special, and I was...for 6.45.

I'll definitely try to have another before I go back to Denver.

The details are here.

Taste 5.0 - I couldn't imagine wanting any more flavour.

Value - 5.0 - It's at the premium end, but worth every cent.

Messiness - 4.0 - the single is no way near as messy as the double I had last time.

Smashburger

After some time in Vancouver and Minneapolis, we finally arrived at the place we'd be spending the most time in - Denver.

And one of the most famous tourist destinations in Denver is the 16th Street Mall.

It's basically one big long mall with buses running up and down it's 2 kilometre length.

But not only does it have shops, it has eateries as well and we decided to stop off at Smashburger.

What is Smashburger?

It's yet another hamburger chain and its specialty is burgers made with never frozen 100% certified Angus beef.

Here's a video showing how they're made - click here.

So what are they like?

I ordered the Regular Classic smash, even though it was only an extra dollar for the Big and it came out looking like this.

All the ingredients were very fresh and it was a reasonable size.

But what does it taste like?

The meat has a good flavour, but when you put it together it's nothing special.

Better than average, but nowhere near as good as a Five Guys or an In 'N Out.

Might have to try one again, maybe their Truffle Mushroom Swiss, but I won't go out of my way to try one again.

Taste - 3.0. Nothing special.

Value - 3.5 - $4.99 for a Regular, $5.99 for a Big.

Messiness - 4.5 - Not the least bit messy at all.

Burger Quest 2014!

It's Burger Quest time again as the Koo's head back to the US!

First stop is Vancouver, but we need to go through LA first and what could be better than to make my first meal in the US a burger?

So here we are, at The Counter.

I've had a Counter burger before in Utah, and it was pretty good. But after a long flight I thought I'd go for something different.

So I ordered the Buffalo Blue.

The Buffalo Blue is a burger with 100% chicken breast, danish blue cheese, lettuce blend, ripened red tomatoes, scallions, hot wing sauce on an English Muffin.

The first bite was great. The grilled chicken was full of flavour. The ingredients were fresh. But as I went on, as much as I wanted to like it, it just didn't work.

All the elements were pretty good on their own, but they didn't quite gel.

You can find the menu here.

Taste - 3

Value - 3 - Not great at 11.50, but compared to Sydney Airport, a bargain.

Messiness - 3 Pretty messy