The Results
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Friday October 30th, 2009
Crazy Horse Cafe - Pensacola, FL
- 944-3444
$3.25 ½ lb. Sirloin Burger Deluxe
Final Score: 7.39Map
You don’t know where the Crazy Horse Café is? Let me give you directions, they’re simple; do you know where Alabama is? Get on Lillian Hwy and head west until you reach the bridge crossing from Florida into Alabama. Before you cross the bridge - you’ll see a small building on the side of the road called the Crazy Horse Café. This place is home to some of the nicest folks in the state of Florida (or Alabama for that matter) and they’re busy 6 days a week serving up some of the best food around.
Granted, the place might not look like much- but we’ve received countless emails from our readers claiming that this place has the absolute best burger in all of Pensacola. So, today we put it to the test.
At the Crazy Horse- things are done right- homemade, all from scratch and just like you’d expect at home. The burgers start with a hand formed patty that’s made fresh every morning- never frozen. It’s topped with melted American cheese, fresh produce, and served on a soft Kaiser roll.
As our Panel Members received their burgers- they looked like little kids on Christmas morning. This is the type of Burger that you take one look at- and can’t wait to take the first bite. The ½ lb. patty is thick but juicy. It’s the type of burger you’d prepare for yourself at home, grilled in the backyard with some friends and family.
The patty was terrific- juicy and not over seasoned. Even the bun was surprisingly enjoyable. Most of our judges cringe at the sight of a Kaiser Roll- but this one was soft, fresh and soaked up the juice from the burger quite nicely. It was the produce that received the lowest marks- average store bought tomatoes and your typical onion slices, lettuce leaf and pickle chips.
The Burger finished with a final score of 7.39- and is currently one of our Top 10 burgers.
So, if you’re looking for a good burger, some great people- and you find yourself anywhere close the Florida/Alabama line- find the Crazy Horse Café and get something to eat. You’ll be glad you did.
If it’s NWFL’s best burger you’re in search
of- check back next week as the Tour. . . rolls on.
30.10.
Friday October 23rd, 2009
Madison's Diner - Pensacola, FL
- 433-7074
$8.95 Black Angus Cheeseburger
Final Score: 7.07Map
Madison’s Diner in the old Sacred Heart building is a self proclaimed “Southern Nouveau Restaurant.” What does that mean to those of us who don’t speak French? Simple, it means the menu at Madison’s features all of the traditional Southern Classics; Pork Chops, Southern Fried Steak, Macaroni and Cheese and Corn Fritters- all prepared with a fresh new twist.
In short, Madison’s serves upscale southern comfort food. If you thought there was no such thing as “upscale southern food”- imagine this: All of your favorite southern inspired dishes- but subtract the rebel flags and country music. Instead, replace these with linen table cloths and some smooth jazz- “boom” you’re at Madison’s.
Known for putting a spin on the classics, it came as no surprise when our Burger was served on a “French Grilled Loaf” (as described on the menu.) At first, our judges didn’t know what to make of this “French Loaf.” Some thought the loaf was too dry and almost hard (one Panel Member nearly punctured the roof of his mouth on the first bite) while others found the loaf to be quite nice.
The patty- although juicy and rich in flavor- had a strange- almost rubbery consistency. One Panel Member commented that if dropped on his plate- the patty itself might bounce. In spite of the rubbery consistency- when covered in two slices of melted American cheese- even a rubbery burger tastes great.
The produce at Madison’s was among the best we’ve enjoyed thus far on the Tour- delicious red tomatoes, nice red onion, and crisp dill pickle slices.
In all, the burger finished with a final score of 7.07- which currently qualifies the burger as one of our Top 10 Burgers.
So, if you’re driving through East Hill and you’re looking for some great southern inspired food (minus the NASCAR) try Madison’s Diner- you’ll like it.
If you’re searching for this area’s best burger-
check back with us next week- as the Burger Tour. . . rolls on.
23.10.
Friday October 16th, 2009
Quality Control
This Tour was established by the people, for the people. We take our responsibility very seriously. We consider ourselves public servants- and have committed to reporting the cold hard facts about both good and bad burgers.
That being said; we’re not too proud to admit when we’ve been “had.” Far be it from us to deny when someone’s “pulled a fast one” on us. But was that the case when it came to the burger we ate at The Fish House?
Recently we’ve been told by a handful of our fans that they’ve tried the Fish House burger based on our recommendation- and frankly- they weren’t impressed.
Two months ago, our Tour visited the Fish House on a Friday at lunch. Because seating is limited, and time was a factor- we contacted the Fish House 1 hour before our visit. We did this so that our group would be assured a table for 9 during the busy lunch hour. Otherwise our one hour lunch break would have easily become a 2.5 hour affair.
The Burger was decided to be (almost unanimously) the best burger we’d had on the Tour, and immediately captured the #1 spot. But was this because they’d prepared a “special burger” for our Tour with the prep time they had? Did we receive the same burger that’s offered to the public on a daily basis?
They say that hindsight’s 20/20, and they’re right. If we could turn back the hands of time- we would have never made that phone call to the Fish House. For doing so, we apologize to you, our readers. That one call has generated speculation as to whether or not we received the Fish House’s standard burger- or a custom burger.
Today (in order to be sure) we performed a little “Quality Control Evaluation.” We dropped in on the Fish House and ordered the burger that they’ve so kindly named after us; The “Burger Tour Burger.” But how would the burger rate this time with no knowledge of our coming
In order to keep from revealing our identity - we sent a spy into the Fish House who’d placed a to-go order. He collected the goods- and met the rest of our Panel Members at nearby “Burger Park.” Because we thought that ordering 9 “Burger Tour Burgers” to-go might look suspicious- we ordered only 4 burgers instead of the usual 9. The Burgers were cut in half, and distributed amongst the hungry Panel. Each Judge sat and ate their burger in complete silence.
Their verdict: The Fish House burger is still an amazing burger. The problem is consistency. It all comes down to consistency.
As a group, we’re continually amazed by the fact that for decades- the Blue Dot has been able to create the EXACT same amazing burger time after time after time. The Fish House has not yet mastered this process.
Of the 4 burgers our Panel devoured- 2 were agreed to be nearly the exact burger we’d enjoyed almost two months ago, the other 2 burgers were over seasoned and tasted much different. This is the problem that our fans have brought to our attention. Based on who’s working in the kitchen, who prepares your burger and the current atmospheric pressure- you might receive an amazing burger- or a disappointingly average burger.
Our final ruling is this: The Fish House burger (when done right) is amazing, it was proven to be worthy of the #1 spot. But our advice to the Fish House is as follows; sharpen up some, will you? For Pete’s sake- find a way to standardize that burger, please. When done right it’s amazing- when done wrong- it’s very disappointing.
The truth is, for every email we get expressing disappointment in the Fish House burger- we receive an equal number of emails raving about the Fish House Burger. It’s all just a matter of consistency.
Let me close this week’s QC Evaluation by reminding you of this: Our Burger Tour is not about one man’s perspective. It’s not about one pompous food critics take on Burger. It’s about the collective thoughts of 9 very different burger fans. We have in our midst one “Plain Guy” who refuses to eat vegetables on his burger. We have a “No Tomato” guy, a “No Onion” guy, and two “No Mayo” guys. Our Panel truly is a wonderful cross-section of the male population- and this Tour is about their evaluation of a burger as a whole.
Thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you in this capacity. We count you as friends, family, and fellow burger lovers.
Check back with us next week. There are only a
handful of stops left before our Burger Tour Finale in December. Who
knows, one of those stops just may be The Best Burger in Greater
Pensacola. Until next week my friends, when the NWFL Burger Tour….rolls
on.
16.10.
Friday October 9th, 2009
Georgio’s Pizza -
Pensacola, FL
- 432-5996
$14.99 Kobe Beef Cheeseburger
Final Score: 7.0Map
Certain things in life are considered “No Brainers.” Don’t stick your finger in a light socket. Don’t leave your car window down if it looks like rain. If your wife asks you “Does this make me look fat?” the answer is undoubtedly “NO!” Perhaps life’s most important “No Brainer” is this: When dining at a Pizzeria- make sure you order the pizza, not a burger!
I’m not saying that because the burger at Georgio’s was horrible- it wasn’t. It’s just that when compared to their World Famous pizza- the burger pales a bit in comparison. Know what I mean?
The Burger at Georgio’s was agreed to be one of the juiciest we’ve had on the Tour. Unfortunately it was labeled by some as “meatloafish.” If that wasn’t a word before- it is now. Just ask our Carpenter. The actual definition of “meatloafish” is: tasting of meatloaf. So, you get the idea.
The burger did contain bits of chopped onion throughout the patty- but it was still missing something in the flavor department. Some said that a char on the burger would have been nice- maybe the kiss of a flame would have added something.
There were no complaints when it came to the bun- it was perfect! Soft, buttered and grilled nicely- this was one of the nicest buns we’ve had yet on the Tour. The produce was average, and the cheddar cheese was nice- but as you sit at Georgio’s surrounded by people feasting on the amazing pizza- you ask yourself “What was I thinking ordering a burger!?”
In all- the Burger finished with a final score of 7.0- which is respectable- but doesn’t exactly top the charts.
Georgio’s is home to amazing pizza, great people- and a decent burger. Give it a shot sometime- I’m sure you’ll like it. But I’ll make you this promise- order their Pizza- and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
Check us out next week Burger lovers- as the NWFL
Burger Tour. . . rolls on.
09.10.
Friday October 2nd, 2009
ZEA Restaurant -
Pensacola, FL
- 433-2159
$14.99 Kobe Beef Cheeseburger
Final Score: 5.81Map
For those of you who thought the Burger Tour could be bought with a fancy table setting and free round of munchies- think again. For those who imagined that a 15 dollar burger would be sheer burger ecstasy- you were wrong. Yes, I just used the words “burger” and “ecstasy” in the same sentence- sorry.
Today the Burger Tour anxiously filed into the ZEA Restaurant in Downtown Pensacola. Although not particularly charged up about the thought of spending 15 dollars on a hamburger- we were excited to sample the much anticipated ZEA Kobe Beef Cheeseburger. Sadly, all of the excitement came to a screeching halt after the first bite.
On each plate- placed between two halves of a soft buttery hamburger bun, topped with average produce- sat a small, ordinary patty that almost seemed to be of the frozen variety. Thin, rubbery, and tasting of Liquid Smoke- this patty seemed much like those available by the case at Sam’s Club.
Within a few bites, the Panel Members began wondering. Maybe we had mistakenly been served the wrong burger? ZEA does offer an 8 dollar ground chuck burger in addition to their 15 dollar Kobe Beef Burger. Some Panel Members insisted that we had been inadvertently served the lesser of two patties. Sadly, this was not the case. We had indeed received the highly touted, high priced patty.
Imagine that you’re at an Amusement Park- you’d expect to pay $15 for a Burger, right? The same is true when dining in an Airport, or a Movie Theatre. But to pay $15 for a “Kobe Beef Burger” at a well known fine dining establishment and receive a thin rubbery patty with average produce was surprising.
Sadly, of our 22 stops this year- this burger was the most expensive (by nearly double) and is currently third- from the bottom! With a final score of 5.80- it just goes to show you that you don’t always “get what you pay for.”
Now, having been completely disappointed with the Burger at ZEA- I will say this: ZEA does have some of the best ribs and corn grits in town- no doubt. When the NWFL Rib Tour begins- this will surely be the place to start, but their burger? Our advice is to skip it.
Hope is still out there. Sheer Burger Ecstasy could
be just around the corner, unsuspecting and unprepared- just waiting
for the NWFL Burger Tour to waltz in and order it. It could be next
week. Who knows? Check back with us then as we continue our quest, and
the Burger Tour…..rolls on.
02.10.
