Where: The Thurman Cafe, Columbus, OH
What: The Thurmanator
Build: mayo, tomato, lettuce, pickles, banana peppers, a 12-ounce burger, bacon, cheddar, another 12-ounce burger, sauteed mushrooms and onions, ham, mozzarella & American cheese
Comment: My son and I visited the Thurman Cafe which was on the list of burger joints we intended to visit on our Burger Cruise where we headed across America in search of burger greatness. We definitely found it at the Thurman. The joint was so packed the day we got there, that we had to illegally park the car. My son stayed with the car just in case he had to move it and I went in to order my Thurman burger. I bellied up to the bar to place my order and noticed the gentleman sitting next to me was eating one. I was floored - it looked awesome. The barmaid asked what I wanted to eat and I gave her my order. She looked at me as if I had scared her and disappeared into the back room. A moment later, a thin older man came out and asked me if I was sure I wanted the Thurmanator - I said I'd come a long way for this burger and YES, I wanted it, still not realizing I had ordered the "Thurmanator" instead of the Thurman Burger. He said it would be a good 20min or so, so I made myself at home on the bar stool and wondered why it would take so long, but after all, they were very busy so I didn't give it another thought. When he re-emerged from the kitchen he was carrying two large take-out containers and heaved them up onto the bar in front of me. I asked: "what's all this?" he said: "It's your burger" and for a moment I saw in his face that he was as proud as the father of a new baby boy. That's when I realized I ordered the wrong burger. I came for the Thurman Burger which is a normal size burger with all the toppings listed above but in all the commotion of the busy bar room, I had ordered the "Thurmanator" which was the $17.00 colossal beast which was now in sitting in front of me. I paid the man and quickly exited the bar to my son waiting in the car. We opened the packages and "assembled" the two-piece monster on the hood of the rental car. What came next was hard to describe - the size and aroma of this burger was incredible. I am not one to go for really big burgers, in fact, I kinda shy away from them as they are rarely any good. HOWEVER, despite it's huge size, this was one of the best burgers I've ever tasted. I am at a loss to name the seasonings in the meat, but they were perfect, not overdone at all. I have never tasted better. The doneness, the appearance, the aroma, the way the flavors of the toppings all blended so very well just blew me away. I can't wait to get back there, makes me wish I didn't live in NJ. Yes, this is one of the very best burgers you will ever eat. The eat-ability was difficult, but I'm waiving any negatives here because of the incredible flavors. A firm 10/10.
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