My Saturday didn’t start out very good.  Remember that little skydiving thing I told you about?  Didn’t happen…and not because I chickened out.  In fact, I even got on the plane, hooked up to my tandem instructor and ready to go.  But the plane had to be grounded due to mechanical issues.  That was the least of the problems with the whole skydiving attempt, but I shall save that until after I reschedule my second skydiving attempt.  Besides, this isn’t what the post is really about…it’s about what I did to console myself after such disappointment.  On our way back from Virginia, we all decided to stop at Ray’s Hellburger for a bite to eat.  This place was on my radar far before Obama and Biden’s lunchtime jaunt caused CNN to waste over 20 minutes of airtime discussing the merits of how the President orders his burgers.  Since starting this Great DC Burger hunt, I have heard time and time again, “You’ve gotta try Ray’s Hellburger”…I think even a few of you commented as such on previous Great DC Burger hunt posts.  However, after being disappointed by the overly hyped (in my opinion) Palena burger, I was hesitant to try another hyped up burger.  I am happy to report, however, that my hesitation was for not as Ray’s Hellburger KICKS ASS!

Let’s just start with the fact that there was quite a line waiting when we showed up on Saturday at around 6 pm.  A handwritten sign on the door explained that due to the recent media exposure, wait times for a table were much higher than normal.  After the day I had, I wasn’t looking forward to waiting outside for a long time to get a mediocre burger.  But we were told the wait was around 20 minutes and even provided menus while in line.  And the smell of grilling beef that wafted down the line every time the restaurant door opened made the wait seem worthwhile.  I looked over the menu, a simple white sheet of paper with the burger options typed up.  I was impressed with the number and variety of toppings available, giving customers the option of a simple, down home burger or fancying it up with everything from artisanal cheeses to foie gras (yes, you read that correctly…they offer foie gras on a burger).

In keeping in line with my Great DC Burger hunt rules, I chose a cheese (the Gouda) and the applewood smoked bacon to top my medium (the menu assured the customer the burger would be slightly pink), grilled burger.  Although we were told the wait would be around 20 minutes, we actually were allowed into the restaurant a mere 10 minutes after standing in line.  As I was ordering, I noticed the sides (which apparently change frequently) available were cheesy puffs, macaroni and cheese and something else that didn’t involve cheese (and therefore was immediately erased from my memory bank).  I ordered the cheesy puffs, while my friend Carmen ordered the macaroni and cheese.  The Boy opted against any sides after seeing the massive size of the burger itself while waiting in line.  Once seated, you wait for waiters to bring your food out to your table (and finding a table can be a bit hectic).  It didn’t take too long before our order came up and a burger the size of a small cow was placed in front of me.  Even though I was famished, I remembered to take the proper notes on all the elements I have been judging during my burger hunt.

Appearance: This had to be one of the biggest burgers I’d ever encountered in my life.  The patty is 10 ounces of top choice beef, made by hand right in front of the customers (there is no dividing wall between the kitchen and the customer area).  I noticed the bun looked very sturdy, especially considering the massive amount of beef it was supporting.  There was also no bun shininess, which I had grown used to seeing in the other burgers I’d encountered.  The bun looked like it was freshly baked, not something purchased from a restaurant supply store.  The Gouda was actually a Dutch mustard seed Gouda.  Tiny flecks dotted the cheese, making it look a bit like ants were invading my food.  The bacon looked perfectly cooked, free of any uncooked fat and yet not burned to a crisp.   I also noticed the tomato was thoughtfully set to the side of the burger.  I wasn’t really sure how I was going to get a grip on this gigantic thing, let alone take a bite.  But I was starving, so I grabbed the burger and unhooked my jaw to get a good first bite.

Bun:  The bun, even though sturdy, was actually soft to the touch and lightly toasted.  It tasted fresh, as if it had been made that very morning.  I usually go into more detail about the taste of the bun but I’ll be honest:  the bun was only the holder of the amazingly tasty patty.  Its taste in no way took away from the beef, which was obviously the main star of this burger.

Toppings:  The Gouda had a lovely bite to it without overpowering the beef itself.  The specks of mustard seed gave the usually soft taste of a Gouda cheese more depth.  And the cheese was evenly melted along the surface of the patty.  From the first to the last bite, I could taste a bit of Gouda with every morsel.  But as with the bun, the Gouda in no way took away from the taste of the patty.  The bacon was perfectly cooked, neither greasy nor salty, giving an added smokiness to the burger.  Uhmmm, but really who am I kidding?  The toppings could have all taken a hike and this burger would have still been amazing because of the patty itself.

Patty:  In all of my burger eating years, I have never understood how some people could eat just a plain burger.  I was always of the camp that a good burger needed at least one good topping (cheese…cheese…cheese).  I now understand the ways of the plain burger folks.  The patty was exceptional – pure ground aged prime beef allowed to shine on its own.  The beef was so flavorful and tender, it practically melted in my mouth.  It was heavenly and it made me almost regret disturbing it with the other toppings.  Even as I write this now, my mouth is watering remembering it.  There was no need for any seasonings because the quality of beef used to make the patty was so high, it spoke for itself.

Overall:  This, my friends, is what a burger should taste like.  Yes it’s big and messy (the natural juices from the grilled beef ooze out onto the plate), but it’s worth running the risk of staining your clothes.  I am not one to buy into a restaurant’s hype and generally find that when DCites rave about a place, it’s usually not all that good.  However, this is one time in which the food lived up to the DC hype.  This is the kind of burger other places like Good Stuff Eatery want to be but will never come close to achieving.  And after eating at Ray’s, I now understand that it’s much more than just the quality of the toppings when it comes to a burger.  It’s about the quality of the beef and allowing it to shine on its own.

I could go on and on about it, but that only makes me hungry and sad that Ray’s Hellburger isn’t closer to Columbia Heights.  Carmen’s already lamenting the fact that she doesn’t think she can eat a burger from anywhere else.  Simply put:  this is a damn fine burger and all other burgers must bow in its wake.  I’m not, however, ending my taste testing here.  Although I’m skeptical that another burger could come close to Ray’s, Central, Kemble Park Tavern, King Street Blues and Axis Bar and Grill are still on my list.  And keep the suggestions coming for other places to try!

Current Great DC Burger Hunt Standings:

1.    Ray’s Hellburger
2.    All the other crap…what, you don’t think that’s professional?  Okay fine!

2.    Stoney’s
3.    Trio
4.    DC Chophouse and Palena (I still think they both are equally boring burgers)

When I decided to go on the hunt for the best burger in DC, I promised myself I would be true and honest to the process.  I would, to the best of my abilities, remove all bias and provide my unvarnished opinions.  It is with this in mind that I decided I must provide an update on the burger that started it all at Trio.  Last night, after a very long and drawn out week, The Boy and I decided to pick up a couple of burgers from Trio (and dessert…but we’re not here to discuss my ever increasing sweet tooth).  I had already had Trio’s burgers twice (and obviously loved them…leading to this mad, wonderful, beef fueled quest), so I wasn’t thinking of this trek as a part of the Great DC Burger Hunt series.  Because I wasn’t planning on reviewing it, I decided to opt for their Mushroom Swiss Bacon burger.  When we got home, I happily sat down to this lovely looking burger…and was utterly disappointed.  Oh yes, you read that right…I was disappointed.

I will admit, I was floored…flumoxed…shaken to the very burger core.  Wait, okay…let me start from the beginning.  First off, I took these pictures of the burger with the intent of captioning them “The Lovely Burger That Started It All…”  But when I looked at the burger closer, I noticed the bun wasn’t shiny like Stoney’s or even DC Chophouse’s burger buns.  But I did notice the even toasting of the bread.  As you can see, the bacon was fully cooked and crisp, but the mushrooms (which you can’t really see) were rather dry looking.  In my previous mushroom and swiss burger experiences, the mushrooms are usually sauted in a light sauce before topping the burger.  These looked like reconstituted mushrooms or actually dried bits of shoe leather.  My heart was starting to sink a little.  I looked over at The Boy, who had already bitten into his burger.

“Is it as tasty as we remember?” I asked him, hopeful.

“Ehhh…it’s allright,” was his response.

It’s allright??? Seriously?  You mean I have proclaimed how amazing this burger was on my blog and you’re saying “It’s allright”????? Oh this was not good, I thought as I nervously bit into my burger.  And sadly, he was right…it was only “allright”.  I could barely taste the cheese.  Not that it wasn’t present in each bite, but the flavor was missing.  A good swiss cheese has a nice bite to it with a silken undertone of quality milk.  This swiss cheese had no flavor to it at all.  In fact, I may as well have been eating a plain hamburger for all the “flavor” the cheese added to it.  Then there was the patty…oh the humanity!  The patty had absolutely no seasoning to it at all.  Not even salt or pepper from the taste of it.  I could still tell that it was fresh ground beef and not a thawed out patty, but that was the only good thing about it.  In vein, I took several more bites, hoping the burger would improve.  But it didn’t…and that’s just sad.

I wondered, had I imagined the gloriousness of my two previous Trio burgers?  Well, no because then that would mean The Boy was also in on my delusions (and that’s just weird).  So what could it be?  Perhaps Trio was having a bad night…or maybe their carryout burgers aren’t as good?  I don’t know how to explain it but all I know is that Trio is in danger of losing it’s top spot.  I will try them one more time and if I get another disappointing burger, I will be forced to rate them on that experience and not my previous ones. Ohhh Trio, say it ain’t so!

If it turns out that my first few Trio experiences were an illusion, at least they started this wonderful, crazy almost Monty Pythonesque quest for the best burger in DC, right?  Tonight we dine at Kemble Park Tavern and if City Girl DC feels better next week, she’s accompanying me to Palena!  So stay tuned!

Before getting to the actual burger review, I wanted to give a bit of structure to my burger hunt.  Because I started this burger hunt with a bacon cheeseburger, all burgers I review will be bacon cheeseburgers.  This (at least in my mind) will provide a measure of uniformity to the critiques (and I just really happen to like bacon and cheese…on pretty much everything).  Also, the four elements I will be reviewing are appearance (visual appeal and presentation), bun (for taste and sturdiness), toppings (for taste and for their overall contribution to the burger) and patty (for freshness and taste).  The final portion of the review will be an overall summation of the burger and how the three elements work together.  Now on with the review!

So the hunt will definitely continue because this was not the best burger in DC…or in downtown DC for that matter. It wasn’t a bad burger, it just wasn’t a GREAT burger.  And honestly, I was expecting more from the Chophouse.   We went with friends I hadn’t really seen in a while, so I was really looking for the one-two punch of good food and good conversation.  I got the good conversation (great conversation actually) but the food…not so much.

Appearance: I will be honest, the burger looked like a creature from the deep legions of the sea.  The bacon crisscrossed over the patty in a manner resembling tentacles and the cheese…well, it kind of looked like snot.  Not a pretty picture I know, but imagine looking down at it, knowing you were about to eat it.  The patty itself looked fairly greasy but was thick.  To its credit, the DC Chophouse burger’s tentacles…I mean bacon, looked nice and crisp.  No fatty deposits left behind anywhere on this strip of bacon!  The bun was, yet again, shiny and proud.  Overall, the burger was a respectable size without making me feel like I had to have a mouth the size of Joan Rivers to eat it.

Bun: I am willing to bet the bun was either made in house or purchased from a local bakery.  It was a soft, yet sturdy bun with a lovely finish of onions.  Like the bun at Stoney‘s, this bun had a slight sweetness to it and the all important bun “shininess”.  The addition of the charred onion bits complemented the hint of honey present in the bread.  The bun, like at Stoney’s, was also lightly toasted, allowing it to hold up quite well to the assorted toppings of the burger.

Toppings:  Upon my first bite of the burger, I didn’t taste the cheddar cheese at all.  Considering it’s mucus-like appearance, I was hoping the cheese was at least tasty.  However, upon my second bite, I finally tasted the sharpness of the cheese.  Then I had the third bite…and guess what?  Didn’t taste the cheese at all.  This went on for the rest of the burger, meaning I didn’t get to enjoy the cheese consistently.  And for someone who loves her cheese, this was a let down.  Any good cheeseburger should have the taste of cheese throughout every bite (call me crazy but when it says CHEESEBURGER, I like to taste cheese every time).  But when I did get a taste of the cheese, it was robust and well aged, adding a punch to the entire burger.  A look back at the pictures I took show that the cheese wasn’t evenly melted, which could explain the inconsistency in the cheese taste.  The bacon was a hell of a lot better than the “bacon” at Stoney’s.  First, it was actually fully cooked, meaning I was eating bacon and not fat.  And it was a nice, thick bacon too, lending a smoky flavor to the burger.  Each bite had a uniform crispness and I detected a hint of hickory.  When the bite lacked cheese, there was always bacon to cheer me up.  When I got a taste of both the bacon and the cheese, the smokiness of the bacon added a level of complexity to the sharpness of the cheddar.  They worked very well together, making me miss it when the cheese wasn’t there.

Patty:  I won’t mince words; the patty had no flavor to it.  I could tell it was made from fresh ground beef, but apparently nothing else was added to it.  Some salt or pepper would have been nice, because all I tasted was the charred grill.  And charred grill doesn’t taste that good, no matter what you put on top of it.  And remember when I said it looked greasy?  Well, looks were not deceiving.  The burger had a slimy greasiness to it, taking something away from the hard working bacon and sometimes there cheese.

Overall: I was disappointed with the DC Chophouse burger, especially considering it is a steak house.  Sadly the highlights (the bacon, the bun and sometimes the cheese) were outweighed by the negatives (the flavorless, greasy patty and the case of the disappearing cheddar).  While it was better than anything I have ever had at Five Guys, it wasn’t up to the standards I would set for a restaurant known for its beef.

So the current standing on the Great DC Burger Hunt is:

1. Trio

2. Stoney’s

3. DC Chophouse

Up next for the great DC Burger Hunt?  Palena, Kemble Park Tavern and Ray’s Hellburger!  Stay tuned!

I will be honest, I had completely forgotten about Commonwealth, the new gastropub in Columbia Heights. I was invited to the soft opening back in the Summer and was delighted by its take on British food (read: making British food actually taste good). I also really liked the fact that Jamie Leeds and his partner Sandy Lewis vowed to use a lot of fresh, local and in season ingredients in their dishes. But somehow the restaurant fell out of my mind until I was racking my brain for a Sunday brunch option. It was cold outside and a bit gloomy, so what better back drop for brunch than a British inspired pub? The fact that Commonwealth was only two stops away on the Metro didn’t hurt either, so we headed out after dropping off my purchases from the Takoma Park Farmers Market (for more on my market visit, head on over to DC Foodies).

I was actually surprised when we entered the restaurant because the place looked a bit different from my last visit. Where there was once bare walls were now murals and royal crests. The space now had a much more pub type feeling and was very inviting. There wasn’t a wait for a table, so we were seated immediately near the window (hence the great light for the Blackberry photos you see here). Unlike some restaurants who offer brunch, Commonwealth offers you the option of ordering from their regular menu as well as the brunch menu. And like my first visit, our waiter was attentive right from the start…both of these things were good signs in my book. Looking at the menu, I saw there was classic British fare like the Butcher’s Breakfast and Egg in a Hole, as well as a twist on breakfast with a baked pancake served with apples, currants, syrup and creme fraiche. The Boy opted for the Egg in a Hole while I went for the baked pancake.

While waiting for our food to arrive, the waiter brought out a board of bread, butter and jam. I am still not 100% sure what type of jam it was, but it was delicious. The bread was thick cut and had a slightly nutty quality to it (almost as if it were a whole grain bread). Coupled with the fresh butter and jam, the bread was an excellent accompaniment to my tea ,in lovely cups might I add (and I shamelessly asked the waiter the name brand of them…some people collect stamps, I collect tea mugs).

When our food arrived, I was immediately struck by the shear portion sizes. This was a hearty, work horse breakfast being presented before us. The egg in a hole was accompanied by enough home fries to keep one potato farmer in business for a month. My baked pancake was the size of a large dinner plate and the side order of streaky bacon was enough to feed a family of four. This was a LOT of food. I tried the pancake without the syrup first to get a taste of the actual dish without any embellishments. It was a fluffy pancake with an echo of cinnamon, baked to a golden brown. I took another bite, adding a bit of the apple and creme fraiche to it. The creme fraiche was, like the name suggests, very fresh and had a slight hint of sweetness to it. The apples were carmelized, giving them a somewhat smoky flavor that worked well with the coolness of the creme fraiche. I made the unfortunate mistake of adding the syrup to the pancake, something that was completely unnecessary. The flavors of the pancake itself and the toppings are well matched to each other, rendering the syrup useless.

The bacon was unlike most bacon I’ve had in the U.S. but reminded me instantly of the breakfast meats of my childhood in Germany. Thick cut and largely devoid of any fat, the bacon was all business…and cooked to a smoky crispness. If you are used to the thinner cuts of bacon found in most American homes, this bacon will come as a chewy surprise to you. For my personal tastes, I prefer the thick slices of bacon over the thinner, more fat riddled slices that seem more common to the American breakfast.

Now about the egg in a hole…let me start by saying I am not a huge fan of breakfast egg dishes. I am very particular about how my eggs are cooked, thus making it very hard for me to enjoy any egg dish placed before me at a restaurant. Cooked wrong, the taste and texture of eggs instantly kick in my gag reflexes. But the bread looked quite good, all thick and toasty. So I asked for a piece not contaminated by the egg. It was a nicely toasted and buttered sourdough that tasted amazingly fresh. Had it not been for the egg, I would have definitely asked for another bite. I pinched a home fry and found it to be lightly (but not under) seasoned and fried to a nice golden brown. The accompanying ketchup, like most of the condiments on the table, were pointless due to the deft care taken in the kitchen with the spices.

The meal was an absolute hit all around and the attentive service of the wait staff only made it better. I never once felt rushed, yet the waiter always managed to show up right as one of us needed something. Commonwealth has managed to create a great neighborhood joint with a unique twist: excellent food.

It all started when the Boy and I aimlessly wandered into Trio on 17th Street in DC. I wasn’t really expecting much from the joint…it was just a compromise decision because we were both very hungry. I usually don’t eat a lot of red meat (or any meat for that matter…especially if you take a look at my new recipe index), but that night I really, really wanted a burger. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger (because everything tastes better with bacon…and uhmm we all know my unholy love for cheese), thinking I could at least get a burger better than McDonald’s at a local joint. What was placed before me, however, was ohhhhh soooo much more.

The burger was amazing…excellent flavor, perfectly cooked with wonderfully crisp bacon. We were both surprised at the lovely melding of beef, bacon and cheese and really loved the fact that the burger came with mayonnaise on the side (usually I have to ask for mayo when I order a burger…yes, I put mayo on my burger. Don’t judge). I could tell the burger was made from fresh ground beef and not a frozen patty dethawed and thrown on the grill. Lightly seasoned, the patties were thick without being too chewy and although I order my burgers well done, it didn’t have a charred taste to it. In other words, it was fucking fantastic

Since that fateful encounter, I have been mulling over in my mind if Trio could in fact have the best burger in DC. Because of my fierce integrity and loyalty to you the readers, I have opted to sacrifice myself on the alter of beef in search of the best burger in DC. My research has already begun with a New Year’s Day trip to Annie’s Paramount Steak and Seafood with our friends Carmen and Aster. Carmen loves their sliders and several other foodies have extolled the virtues of “Annie’s Famous Burgers”, so I was curious to see how they stacked up. While the burgers were good, they weren’t as good as Trio’s. Blasphemy to some, I know, but this is my search not yours. Like Trio, I could tell the patties were made fresh but there wasn’t as much flavor to them. Had I not had the burgers at Trio first, I would have loved Annie’s burgers. However, the damage had already been done and the bar had been raised.

Someone suggested I consult local food sites, the Post and the Washingtonian to get their advice on the best burgers in DC. But I have decided to pick places at random and on a whim to keep my opinion unbiased. And no, I’m not going to Fuddrucker’s…or any other chain for that matter (and that includes Five Guys…I lived in North Carolina for seven years and still don’t understand the hype surrounding that place). I’m sticking to local restaurants in and around the DC metro area. If you have any suggestions, let me know and I’ll give them a whirl! But next up? Stoney’s Bar and Grill in Logan Circle….stay tuned!

UPDATE:  Based on some suggestions, I am adding Clyde’s, District Chophouse and Palena to my list of burgers to try.  Keep the suggestions coming!  Remember, help me help you!