A trip to the US to attend various meetings. When I arrived at my very expensive hotel in Orlando (truly a good destination for a meeting or convention), I did not want to eat big time in the hotel restaurant or pay big hotel prices. So a wander down the street (not a lot of foot soldiers on International Drive) brought me to the Pointe, where there is a big choice of restaurants. I wish I had taken my camera with me. I chose Johnny Rockets for a carry out Burger and fries. Very basic. Fairly cheap.
I had not used this chain before, and it looks like one things a 50's style American Hamburger joint should look. It caters for both take out and eat in. You can look at the menu at
http://www.johnnyrockets.com/menu.html
I chose a Route 66 burger with Swiss cheese and mushrooms for $7.99 plus tax.. I see that on the menu it says that it would be served with unlimited fries or side salad. This is clearly an untenable offer, but the quantities were more than adequate. There was also a coffee.
Even after taking it back to my room in the hotel (sounds a bit disgusting, but at least I was in my own comfort zone), it was still hot. The thing about American burgers is the beef. It is so much better than European beef - juicier and tenderer. This burger was one of the best I had had in many years. Soft, juicy, cooked but not over-cooked. It tasted like you would want an American burger to taste. There were probably too many fries and maybe a little on the over-greasy side, but on the other hand they were not like the dried out over-stored ones that you might get in the UK except from a genuine fish and chip shop.
The picture of this partially eaten repast cannot do it justice, and whilst the maker's picture is excessively optimistic about what you actually get from the bag, all I can say is that if you get the chance, do not be put off by what seems to be a bit down market. The food was excellent and good value. Scored an 8 on the CHOF scale.
A second experience of burgers, a week later in Jersey City was at Five Guys. I wish I had take pictures here as well. They are in a functional black and white mostly take-away outlet. They are a franchise, as are Johnny Rocket, and have a look at their Web site: http://www.fiveguys.com/
I thought this was just boasting, but my colleagues in the US who do know better said it was definitely a good choice. Their web site makes some pretty steep claims.On ordering you get a choice of basic burgers, and you can add various toppings within the price. The fries are extra, but you get a huge portion. They boast using local produce, and one of the claimed branding points is that they offer free peanuts in their shells whilst waiting. I did not realise this at the time as there is no clear indication in the store what the peanuts are for, and no one else was eating them. One thing they did not serve was hot drinks, and the choice was limited to fizzy drinks. Burgers are freshly cooked and therefore get a 9 on the CHOF scale. Again even after carry out, it stayed pretty hot. The web site claims they are all well cooked: medium is not an option. At the time of writing there is a paranoia in the US about food poisoning from under-cooked food. The cheeseburger I sampled was well cooked but not overcooked. It was juicy with a crispness on the outside. There was a good portion of Swiss cheese (not like the nasty Kraft Cheddar Slices you get in the UK) which ran out of the bun. The bun was soft, not too thick, and fresh. The fries were well cooked, a good portions size, but a little greasy. The whole meal came to about $10. Strangely enough, when I was looking up the web references today, I found this news item, and it may be that five guys is coming to the UK.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/282085/US-burger-chain-eyes-UK
I don't know if they can keep the same quality, because, in my opinion, the USDA beef is the critical ingredient..Maybe they will become one of the overpriced gourmet burger joints, which will defeat part of the object.
Very impressed, and would use them again. Apparently GQ magazine says the food is unhealthy. What do they expect?
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