Charlie's Hamburgers, Folsom, PA
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About Me

No-Bull Burger Purist, born and raised in NJ, the heart of the tri-state area and home to the oldest (and best) burger joints in the country. I don't need all the frilly toppings, happy servers or trendy decor, just a good burger...

Monday, June 25, 2012

The Beach Haven Fishery: Maine Style Lobster Roll

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Where: Beach Haven Fishery, Long Beach Island, NJ
What: The Maine Style Lobster Roll
Build: Lobster meat, lobster meat and more lobster meat on a toasted potato roll with lots of melted butta (that's Jersey for butter).
Comment: As much as I hate to repeat myself... "My weekly visit to the BHF to see what weekly special Jude and the boys have concocted has again, blown my doors off"   Okay, I like keep things fresh and new and always post new places to eat so things don't get boring for my readers, but curiosity got the best of me and I caved. I just had to check the lunch special again this weekend, and when I did, WOW. What seemed like over a pound of very fresh lobster meat was blended in a hot pan with butter and seasoning and tossed onto a potato roll which was toasted to a perfect golden brown... um, um, um. 10/10 

You need to come here... 





Nuff said...

CLOSED! Capt. John's Mr. Breakfast: Bill's Breakfast Burger

CLOSED!

Where: 
Capt. John's Mr. Breakfast, LBI, NJ

What: 
Bill's Breakfast Burger

Build: 
1/3 lb. burger topped with American cheese, Taylor Ham ("pork roll" to out-of-staters), 2 eggs over easy on toasted/buttered kaiser roll.

Comments: 
There are two things I love about New Jersey diners - one is the size of the menu - gigantic, and two, the fact that if you feel like eating something off the menu, your request is always followed by your server saying: "no problem". That is the scenario I experienced this morning. Came for breakfast but couldn't resist an opportunity. I had Capt. John's cheeseburger topped with all the above, (thanks to Judy, the best waitress on the planet) who took my order with grace and poise and definitely delivered. The eggs were done perfectly, the Taylor Ham and toasted roll were a slice of Heaven. The burger was unfortunately cooked more than the med/rare I ordered but still and all, I will not forget this burger for a long time. 9/10 PS, I miss the old heavy white ceramic dishes.




































Saturday, June 23, 2012

Woodies Drive In: Cheeseburger

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Where: Woodies Drive In, Beach Haven, LBI, NJ
What: Cheeseburger
Build: 1/2lb (?) burger topped w/ ro and pickle.
Comments: Blah, Blah, Blah. Can't really say anything "bad" about the burger I just had, very fresh meat, fresh bun, cooked a perfect med/rare, the onion was fresh and the pickle crisp. But - I left feeling like I couldn't remember what the burger tasted like. If the meat had any seasoning on it, it didn't make it to my taste buds. A place that specializes in making BURGERS should at the very least, raise an eyebrow, no? I have said that I don't care about decor, or service and I don't, but as a precaution to my readers, if you don't like the atmosphere at Chuck E. Cheese or your neighborhood day care center, don't come here. 7/10 (I'm in a generous mood)


Looks all calm and serene doesn't it?  That's because you can't hear the  screaming kids....


LBI's best burgers.... NOT!


Looks good, no?


This is when I started to get excited.....


This is when I was let down....   : (

Smashburger: Cheeseburger

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**SECOND ATTEMPT**
Where: Smashburger, The Shops at Riverside aka, Riverside Square Mall, Hackensack, NJ
What: Cheeseburger
Build: 1/2lb burger topped w/ ro and pickle.
Comments: Loved my first Smashburger. With that said, after repeatedly eating overly salty and/or overly greasy burgers from SB on return visits, I finally  hit an excellent one at this Hackensack, NJ location. Not much to say, just a great burger. 8.5/10





My friends toppings included swiss cheese, sauteed onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle and sliced jalepeno's... nice....


CLOSED! Jersey Burgers: Double Cheeseburger

CLOSED!
**SECOND ATTEMPT**

Where: 
Jersey Burgers, Ramsey, NJ

What: 
Double Cheeseburger

Build: 
2 - 6oz burgers topped w/ ro and pickle.

Comments: 
No, I won't be back. This was unfortunately a failed second attempt at eating what is potentially a good burger. But no, the staff just does not give a damn about cooking or serving a good product. Our "cook" was obviously working for the sole purpose of gaining enough cash to buy another tattoo. I had high hopes as our meat was placed on the griddle and smashed. But alas, my med/rare request was met with a double raw mess. Raw, really? Not "just" raw, but cold inside. Okay, I have some friends who love this primal carnivore approach to a meal, but flat-out raw? Lastly, as I stated in my first review (April 2012) - " the very stale roll" was again, very stale. Who does that? Twice? Epic FAIL. PS, for those of you out-of-staters, this place is NOT a representation of burgers served in New Jersey.







My mailroom staff from the office....


Forgot to mention the bacon...


Almost looks edibile...


Commerical for Pink Slime? (if there is such a thing)

This has all the earmarks of a roll that's been frozen. Really, at a cost of about $1 per doz... ?

Arlene & Tom's: Meanyburger

Where: Arlene & Tom's, Port Jervis, NJ
What: Meanyburger
Build: 8oz burger stacked with four layers of cheese and a slice of raw onion, tomato and bacon on a toasted hard roll.
Comment:  I haven't been here yet, but I got this tip from a friend that reviewed this as being a very respectable burger... when in the Port Jervis area, I will def stop in!  Thanks Raemy!!





Saturday, June 16, 2012

The Beach Haven Fishery: Italian Po-Boy

Where:
2115 Long Beach Blvd, Spray Beach, 08008 
(609)-492-4388
http://www.beachhavenfishery.com/

What: 
The Italian Po-Boy

Build: 
Broccoli Rabe sauteed in garlic and olive oil with huge (16/20) shrimp and a touch of hot pepper and provolone cheese on out-of-the-oven Italian bread.

Comment: 
My weekly visit to the BHF to see what weekly special Jude and the boys have concocted has again, blown my doors off... This blend of Heaven-sent goodness is spread across a whole loaf of out-of-the-oven Italian bread with a layer of provolone cheese above and below. I was in the kitchen with my daughter's boyfriend, Gaetano, to witness this build - and believe me, they take their sandwiches seriously. I was told they don't make sandwiches... they "build" them, and this was a masterpiece of culinary construction. The sandwich was so juicy Guy and I had no choice but to eat over a garbage can to avoid a huge mess. If you appreciate really good flavors, fresh ingredients and new ideas, you need to come to the BHF. I'm already looking forward to next week. 10/10

Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge them.























Monday, June 11, 2012

Pompton Queen Diner: Cheeseburger

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Where: Pompton Queen Diner, Riverdale, NJ
What: Cheeseburger
Build: 1/2lb burger, cheddar cheese, bacon, sauteed onion and mushrooms on fresh baked roll.
Comment: Sorry about the crappy photos. Ordering a burger at a NJ diner can be risky business as you can get anything from a 1/2lb fresh ground burger to a 1/4lb frozen mystery meat burger. I went to PQ on a tip from my daughter Jackie... of course, she was right... the burger was great, fresh, cooked a perfect med/rare. Jamie our waitress was very pleasant and I was very glad we went. 8/10





Friday, June 8, 2012

The Beach Haven Fishery: "You're Not Scaring Me" Burger

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Where: Beach Haven Fishery, Long Beach Island, NJ
What: The "You're Not Scaring Me" burger.
Build: 1/2 pound 100% black Angus beef, American cheese, tartar sauce, a small squirt of K, sauteed white onion & portabello mushroom, deep fried pickles and French fries on pan fried (in clarified butter) Italian Panella bread, damn...
Comments: If you consider yourself even an amateur foodie, this place is everything you've been looking for. From the Disney-ish decor to the friendly staff, to the "never before have I tasted flavors like that" feeling you get with just about every menu item, you NEED to find your way here. This should be called the "where have you been all my life" burger. All these flavors were tempered in a foil wrap before being handed to me and the sheer weight of the burger told me I might be in trouble. I've been coming to the BHF since I'm a kid, the seafood is without question some of the best you will ever eat, but when I found out about the little known, weekly burger specials, I had to ask for one - It did not disappoint. Just click on these photos and take a High-res glance at what a perfect med/rare burger looks like. The toppings and bread along with a faint unidentifiable flavor actually made me forget my entire crappy work week. Simply put, I have not tasted a better burger to date. Don't miss this.



























And along with this Chef Jude creation, Chef Mike saw my interest (and camera) and asked if I'd like to try one of his specialty burgers... I was honored to reply, "HELL YES"... see below...




Where: Beach Haven Fishery, Long Beach Island, NJ

What: "The Old Man and The Sea" burger.

Build: 1/2 pound 100% black Angus beef - deep fried, yes, you heard right, deep fried with American cheese, sauteed white onion, huge Brazilian shrimp sauteed in a blue cheese & butter sauce and the whole thing was placed on a fresh made pan fried garlic ciabatta roll.
Comments: Okay, so every so often we get lucky enough to taste a burger that blows us away... after the Beach Haven Fishery's "You're Not Scaring Me" burger, I was lucky enough to sample another burger creation from Chef Mike... This was obviously not Chef Mike's first Rodeo, there was nothing greasy here, and the flavors were popping like crazy. Yes, lightning struck me twice today... You just can't make this stuff up and quite frankly I don't believe I've done this burger justice with mere words... 


No, those aren't scalloped potatoes on top, they are saute'd onion slices....