Tag: cheeseburger

Best Cheeseburger in Davis: Redrum Burger

best burger in Davis Redrum
Redrum Burger’s 1/3 pound Cheeseburger

Here we are for the second burger review in Davis. If you’re confused as to what all this is I recommend you read this post about why I’m eating all these cheeseburgers and then this one that breaks down how I am doing the ranking, that should get you all caught up. This week we went down to one of the oldest burger joints in Davis, Redrum Burger, though people in town still call it by its original name, Murder Burger. Redrum is a tiny little grill shack right off of the 80 that definitely qualifies a-hole-in-the-wall location.

Anyway, to the burger! This is Redrum’s 1/3 pound cheeseburger. I ordered it with a side of regular fries and a chocolate milkshake. The burger itself was $6.59, the fries were $2.49 and the milkshake was $4.99. Let’s break it all down:

best burger in Davis Redrum

The Review

Patty (25/35) – I ordered the patty medium rare. The clerk told me it might come out medium, despite his warning the burger came out medium rare. The meat was high quality, not too greasy, seasoned well.

Cheese (17/25) – Good cheddar. Medium or sharper flavor. Melts well.

Bun (12/15) – Bun was ungrilled. Fresh. Not greasy. Held up throughout the meal.

Toppings (14/15) – Crisp, fresh lettuce. Big tomato slices. Bright red onions that bite back. Strong pickles.

Condiments (10/10) – Mustard and mayonnaise on the burger. No Ketchup? Yes! Not drowning the toppings and burger.

Ambiance (5/*) – This is still one of those old school roadside diners. It comes with “grit.” Slow service. The tiny space was full and there was only one person on the grill

Total (85/100) – Much better than the last burger. This is how I wanted this project to start, this is a great, cheap, roadside burger. Not a big fan of the fries though, too soft, not salty enough. Milkshake was great! Also, I ate it all (unlike the last one.)

best burger in Davis Redrum
Redrum Burger’s fries

Best Cheeseburger in Davis: Sudwerk

Sudwerk
Sudwerk’s Gourmet Cheeseburger

Welcome to the inaugural cheeseburger review in my pursuit of the best cheeseburger in Davis, CA. We’re starting with Sudwerk’s Gourmet Cheeseburger ($10.75) for our inaugural review. First, a quick apology for the silence on the blog front I have been busy organizing an event at the state Capitol. (It went very well. Thank you for asking.) That’s over now though and I hope to return to a regular posting schedule.

Being the first comes with both positives and negatives. The first to be judged is able to set expectations but they’re also examined in a vacuum without any context. I didn’t know where to begin on my list of burger joints. I couldn’t simply start from the beginning and go down as some of these restaurants have odd hours. Instead of trying to randomly select a place or dither on which I wanted to try I kicked the responsibility to picking a place to my friends on Facebook. The “winner” was Sudwerk, a combined craft brewery and restaurant that has been in Davis since 1989.

If you need help recalling how I rate cheeseburgers you will find the criteria here. And without further ado let’s dig in:

Sudwerk
Sudwerk’s string fries

The Review

Patty (10/35) – I ordered a medium rare patty. The one I got was medium well to well done. The patty was heavily seasoned. Lots of pepper and salt. It was difficult to taste anything but the spice. Salty, greasy.

Cheese (8/25) – A thing single slice on the patty. Actual cheddar as I requested. Tasteless. Probably mild or medium cheddar.

Bun (10/15) – The bun was grilled. The top was too dry and the bottom was soaked in grease from the patty and/or water from the lettuce.

Toppings (5/15) – Lettuce was iceberg and pre-shredded. Unable to tell if fresh but I suspect not. Three pickle slices, two tomato slices, and a single slice of red onion. The pickles were bland as was the onion

Condiments (0/10) – No condiments on the burger. No condiments on the table.

Ambiance (2/*) – The space is fine. It did not detract from the meal but nor did it add to the meal. The servers and waiters were hustling and working hard.

Total (35/100) – Not a good start to the project… I am hopeful that it is all up from here! This burger was so bad that I did not finish eating it. Continue reading “Best Cheeseburger in Davis: Sudwerk”

Best Cheeseburger in Davis: the Competition

competition

This is the list of all the restaurants in Davis, CA that have a cheeseburger on their menu. This is the competition. I’m not looking at fancy burgers with arugula and gorgonzola cheese or some sort of fancy aiola on them. Those are good burgers but I’m focusing on fundamentals for this project. I’m out to determine the best basic cheeseburger in town. If you know of a restaurant not listed here please contact me so I can add it.

The List

That’s a lot of burgers… A lot of competition. Maybe the best burger win and may I not gain 30 extra pounds. I better get running now!

Best Cheeseburger in Davis: The Criteria

best cheeseburger

If I’m going to rate the best cheeseburger in Davis I should probably come up with a consistent criteria for the burger. Food is serious business. Well, not really, it’s important business especially when friends and family are involved but as with many things in life taking it seriously is a sure way to ruin it.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this. Mostly while doing laps in the pool. What are the key components of a cheeseburger? How important are those components to the overall experience of a cheeseburger? What am I looking for in the components of a cheeseburger? When can I eat another cheeseburger? Can I eat more than one of them? Do I want a order of fries and a large soda to go with my cheeseburger? What? Wait! No, not those last couple of questions. I’m just hungry. Must be all the swimming…

I think I’ve broken it down to six criterion when rating these cheeseburgers:

  1. Patty – By far the most important part of any burger the patty must be high quality beef. I don’t want any chicken, fish, or pork in these burgers! It beef should have a grade, at a minimum, of select. But, if you’re starting down here you got a long way to go. It should also be a good cut, no lips and anuses! There should be a good amount of fat, not too much spice, and the burger should be juicy. Bonus points will go for burgers that are medium to medium rare.  (35 points)
  2. Cheese – The second most important component to a cheeseburger. The cheese should be robust enough to not be overwhelmed by the meat but doesn’t clash with the meat or other toppings. I want a cheese that is going to wrap everything in the burger together. I mean this literally in a way, melting cheese should help keep the bun, patty, and toppings all sticking to each other! (25 points)
  3. Bun – Some people think the bun is an integral component of the burger others feel that it’s just there so your hands don’t get to messy. I’m somewhere in the middle. The bun shouldn’t take anything away from the patty and toppings but it should be more than an edible napkin. I’m going to be looking for quality, fresh bread that is airy but not vapid and has a subtle flavor that complements the patty and toppings.  Being able to maintain its form is also a must! (15 points)
  4. Toppings – Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles these should all be fresh and juicy. I don’t mind if it’s iceberg lettuce and roma tomatoes but I want them not to be dried out or wilted. Toppings add texture, variety, and sometime a little surprise to a burger. I’m looking for the very best supporting actors here.  (15 points)
  5. Condiments – Please don’t drown my cheeseburger in ketchup or mayo. Please do use mustard. Please don’t turn the bun into a condiment sponge. Relish is not a cheeseburger condiment. (10 points)
  6. Ambiance – I’m in this to find the best cheeseburger in Davis not for the nicest restaurant. That being said it is hard to enjoy the best cheeseburger if you’re in a dingy, dirty slump and the help is treating you more like a cockroach and lest like a customer. Creating a pleasant environment and making me feel welcome will help me enjoy your burger. (bonus points)

That’s it. That’s what I’m going to be looking for. I have to admit all this cheeseburger thinking has me hungrier than when I started this post! Despite that fact I can’t tuck in just yet. I still got to list out all the places all by visiting. That list next time. Please look forward to it!

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