The Results
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Friday November 13th, 2009
Big Easy Tavern & Cajun Cafe - Pensacola, FL
- 429-0045
$6.95 ½ lb. Cheeseburger
Final Score: 6.58Map
As we approach our 30th stop of the Tour- it seems like we’re running out of great Mom and Pop style, hole in the wall, non-chain restaurants. That was, until we received a handful of emails recommending the Big Easy Tavern on the corner of Palafox and Cervantes. Never heard of it? Don’t feel bad. Neither had we.
You probably never noticed the Big Easy Tavern because it’s located inside of the Day’s Inn Lobby. I know what you’re thinking- no way you’re going to eat at a pub located inside a hotel- but the Big Easy Tavern isn’t what you’re expecting. Sure the atmosphere isn’t much; if you didn’t know any better, you’d think you were standing inside an old, run down Day’s Inn. Wait a second, you are. Scratch that. It’s the burger we’re concerned about anyway, not the atmosphere.
The burger begins with a generous ½ lb. hand formed patty that’s cooked perfectly and served with a melted slice of American cheese on top. It comes with lettuce, tomato and sliced onion, served on a nice soft bun. In all, our panel found the burger to be good- but nothing to write home about. Each of the Panel members agreed that it was a good tasting burger, but not a great burger. Each element of the burger (the patty, the produce, the bun) was found to be very average. This made for an average score of 6.58.
Even though the burger at the Big Easy might not be a 10, there are plenty of things on the menu at the Big Easy Tavern that are great; the Boudin balls with the home made Creole mustard for one, and the smoked tuna dip were very good.
So, next time you’re in the mood for some
traditional ‘Nawlins style fare- visit the Big Easy Tavern &
Cajun Café in Pensacola, you can snag the burger w/fries on Thursday
as the lunch special for $4.95. If it’s Pensacola’s best burger you’re
after- stick around- we’re about to wrap this Tour up and crown
ourselves a winner real soon.
11.12.
Friday November 13th, 2009
Slips - Pensacola, FL
- 432-1119
$3.99 Slips Burger
Final Score: 5.50Map
With time running out on the 2009 Burger Tour, we received a suggestion to try the Slips burger. Yes, Slips, the place you pass on the way to the west-side boat launches or while headed to or from work at NAS Pensacola. Slips, the place where the serving line often extends out the front door during lunch and where the deep fat fryers’ aroma woo patrons from miles away every weekday. Yes, that Slips.
We rolled into Slips to try their ¼lb cheeseburger. It is served on a hoagie roll with shredded lettuce, mayo and mustard, topped with a pickle spear and parmesan cheese. Ketchup is available on the condiment bar. The burger is served in halves.
With as much lunch traffic as Slips receives, we were not shocked that the hoagie roll was fresh and soft. What we were shocked by was that we liked the parmesan cheese on top of the burger. (Can you really have too much cheese?) The Slips burger did not come with tomatoes, which displeased a few members. We have yet to see a round patty positioned on a rectangular hoagie roll successfully. The result is the first bite being mostly bread and the last bite being left on the basket.
After consuming the burger and viewing all the seafood on other patron’s plates, which we know from past experience is worth the visit, we felt like we traveled to Alaska and passed on the King crab legs or Memphis and snubbed the barbeque.
The Slips burger finished with a score of 5.5, which places it second to last on our Tour. However, the fries may be some of the best we have had on the tour.
So, if you in Pensacola
and want excellent,
basket served seafood
and/or chicken, visit Slips. If you want to discover the absolute best
burger in Pensacola, check us out next week as the Tour rolls on!
13.11.
Friday November 6th, 2009
Kooter Brown's - Pensacola, FL
- 484-3100
$7.99 ½ lb. Kooter Burger
Final Score: 7.33Map
Today we visited Kooter Browns on 9th Ave. in Pensacola. Kooter Browns is the type of place you bring your buddies after a Softball game. It’s the type of place you go to because you know they’ll broadcast every sporting event imaginable on one of their big screen TVs. When you walk in the door you’re met with the smell of Buffalo wings and sports memorabilia.
Today we rolled into Kooter Browns to sample their ½ lb. Kooter Burger. Served on a soft bulkie roll- the ½ lb. patty is handmade and cooked to order. Truthfully it’s one of the best patties we’ve had on the Tour in recent weeks. The produce was average, and the bun could have been a bit smaller- but in all, it was a pretty darn good burger.
The best thing this burger has going for it is an attribute we’ve described as “cheese coverage.” The melted American cheese on top of the Kooter burger covers every square inch of the patty. It’s quite literally, perfect “cheese coverage.” Unfortunately the terrific cheese coverage was not enough to make up for the fact that this burger received a bit too much mustard back in the Kitchen, and the produce was disappointing.
At one point in the meal, the question was raised; why do burger joints like this apply condiments to the burgers themselves? What is there to possibly gain by doing so? Why not let your patrons apply the ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise in whichever amounts they’d like. That would be our advice to Kooter Browns (and Hub Stacey’s for that matter.)
In all, the Burger finished with a final score of 7.33 and qualified as a Top 10 Burger (as of today.)
So, if you’re in Pensacola
and you want to
watch the game, have some wings, meet some friends and grab a burger-
hit Kooter Browns. If you want to discover the absolute best burger in
Pensacola; check us out next week as the Burger Tour. . . rolls on.
06.11.
