At this point, you know the Burger Tour isn’t about fast food or politics- it’s about searching Pensacola for the hole in the wall, Mom and Pop joints serving a diamond in the rough.  It’s about finding that perfect burger no one knew was there.

This week the Tour did just that as we followed up on a tip from long-time friend, Banana Tom.

Tom said we had to try the burger at a little place on Garden Street called Porchettas.  So, we did.

Let me start by telling you- the burger at Porchetta’s is unlike any burger we’ve tried on the Tour.  It simply cannot be compared to any burger we’ve had thus far.  It’s incredibly unique.

Much of the burger’s originality has to do with it’s preparation.  The burger at Porchetta’s is prepared sous vide.  Yeah, that’s French.  We had to look it up.  We barely understand English:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide

The patty is a 9 ounce 80/20 piece of beef that’s cooked in a vaccum (not a Hoover) at a low temperature for a long period of time.  It’s cooked low and slow, dashed with spices and finished with a quick sear.  It is without a doubt- the most tender beef we’ve sampled on the Tour, ever.

If you’re impressed by kobe style beef- this burger will blow you away.

The burger is served on a Chicago style Italian bun that’s grilled and is honestly chewier than the beef.  It’s not the traditional hamburger bun we’ve come to expect, but it received very high marks.

The lettuce on this burger is crisp, the tomato adds a nice compliment, and so does the slice of red onion.  It’s topped with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese that’s melted perfectly across the patty.

The only negative comment that was made about this burger (and several agreed) is that the spicy brown mustard is applied quite liberally.  (Ask for it on the side.)

We should point out that because this burger requires a great deal of prep time- it’s recommended that you call ahead and place your order.  There are several steps that go into preparing a burger sous vide- and they can only turn out so many during the lunch hour.  So call ahead to make sure you get one.

At the end of the day, the burger finished with a very impressive final score of 8.3, which is good enough to land it in 2^nd place for right now.  This burger ranks just one tenth of a point ahead of the Oval Office.

We’re not ready to crown in “Best in Pensacola” just yet- but it’s a Top 3 for sure.

So, stop in at Porchetta’s for lunch.  Let us know what you think.

Don’t forget to call ahead and place your order.

Then, check back next week as the NWFL Burger Tour, rolls on.