Tippy’s Tavern is just that, a Tavern; a dimly lit, smoke filled room where sailors exchange stories over a cold round of drinks (and burgers.) Located across the street from a tattoo parlor and a plasma donation center- it’s the perfect place to order a burger, enjoy a cold drink and talk yourself into a lower back tattoo- or donating plasma, or both.

The menu at Tippy’s boasts “the best cheeseburger in town” and our friend Troy Moon recommended this joint- so we decided to step inside, light up a secondhand cigarette, and order a round of burgers.

The patty is a handmade (not frozen) 6 oz. 80/20 chuck. It’s pressed to be thin, and measures almost 5 inches in diameter. The patty is so wide that ¼ inch spills over the sides of the bun- guaranteeing that every first bite is mostly beef with American cheese nicely melted on top- a quality that many judges raved about.

Panel Members were also excited with the terrific “cheese coverage” on this burger. The American cheese is applied in generous amounts to each burger and melted perfectly.

Sadly, the dining room at Tippy’s has a nice smokey flavor- but the burger does not. The patty doesn’t appear to be grilled, has no signs of char- but instead tastes of a flattop; simply a matter of personal preference.

The bun was thought by many to be a touch heavy- especially in contrast to the thin patty. It made for a meat to bun ratio that was: advantage bun. That said, the bun is most definitely fresh and soft- just a touch large for some critics. Perhaps a buttered, grilled preparation would help the bun go down easier.

The tomatoes received high marks from several panel members, but the lettuce fell a bit limp short. Also, the phrase “excessive mayo” was used more than once- and that’s never good. They may need to dial back the Hellman’s.

One panel member said this burger tastes like a “Homemade Whataburger” only better. It’s similar to the Whataburger in style, patty thickness, condiment preparation, but significantly better than the Whatachain Restaurant.

In all, this burger finished with a very respectable score of 6.86
We can see where many sailors, after a long day of fishing and after a few cold drinks- would vote this the best burger in town. However, we’re not ready to make that claim yet.

Check out Tippy’s for yourself and let us know what you think.

Wear a peg leg and flame retardant clothes. Order the Gritter Tots (they’re amazing) and contemplate your next (or first) tattoo. Then check back with us as the Northwest Florida Burger Tour rolls on.