Bill Cianci's (Mostly) Burger Reviews: The Shore Fire Grille in Barnegat NJ, a great local family eatery...

Where:

Shore Fire Grille

34 S Main St

Barnegat, NJ 08005

(609) 488-5586

http://shorefiregrille.com/

What:
5-Star Burger

Build:
House mix of Angus, short rib and beef brisket, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and horseradish cheddar cheese on a brioche bun with au jus.

Comments: 
The Shore Fire Grille is a great local, informal family eatery. This is one review where the photos are self-evident enough that reading my descriptive ramblings are almost redundant. All I can do is interject a few of my own personal thoughts with a few added pros and cons and let you sort out the rest.

PROS:
I can absolutely recommend the SFG for lunch or dinner (they are also serving breakfast now on the weekends). Our food was fresh, the wait staff extremely friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was bright, cheery, and clean. On to the menu...

I was like a giddy child when I read the vast selection of rolls, buns, and breads to wrap around my burger. There are 10 bread choices to choose from (see menu below) including pretzel rolls, Texas toast, potato buns, English muffins etc. I was at odds with the menu as I couldn’t remember the last time I was so indecisive. With dozens of combinations of toppings and meat blends and buns darting through my head, I was about to have a mental breakdown when I finally conceded and ordered one of the specialty sandwiches which, thank heaven, absolved me of any further decision making. The 5-Star Burger it would be.

The burger was served a perfect medium rare, with the brioche bun acting as my napkin catching all the flowing juices before they had a chance to drop to my shirt. Awesome, just awesome. The bun was as soft as cotton and compressed nicely. The quantity of mushrooms and onions atop the horseradish cheddar was more than ample.

CONS:
The lines to follow are not meant to bash, but to simply point out things I believe had room for improvement. Keep in mind that these thoughts are my opinion based on my own personal tastes.

1 - The burger, albeit perfect in most every way, was served at a temperature closer to room temperature than I would have liked (I love a sizzling hot burger).

2 - The horseradish cheddar was disappointingly understated. I would either cut back on the quantity of onion/mushroom, or change the cheddar to a sharper, more nose-irritating brand for better contrast.

That's it. If it sounds nitpicky that's because it probably is, but again, this is meant to add positive feedback, not to bash.

And a final shout out to the homemade pickles. Anyone who takes the time to make their own pickles truly loves their vocation. I couldn't identify all the seasonings in the pickle brine, but they were different and new and an excellent contrast to the richness of the burger.

This burger gets a 9\10 on the BC rating scale. Thanks for a great burger, I'll be back.

My next trip to SFG will involve the foot-long hot dog...