Baton Rouge Burger Recommendations... (Forest: homes, restaurant, stores)

[mdmagana]

I'll be visiting Baton Rouge for the first time next week. I have a channel on YouTube where I review fast food and popular food joints. It's kind of like a third rate version of that show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

I was hoping some locals could recommend some good places to grab a burger or sandwich?

-Mark

[Rosinante]

Of course YMMV, but really the two best burgers I've been able to find in the city are at Five Guys and Back Yard Burgers. Come to think about it nearly all of the burger joints in town are National Chain franchises, and thinking about local places, the only one to come to mind with a decent burger is Frank's on Airline Highway. They cook them too long there if you don't order it medium or medium-rare. Dearman's isn't even a contender anymore.

The best French Fries in town are at South Of Philly on Sherwood Forest; their cheesesteak sandwiches are pretty good, too, but like Frank's, they burn the burgers until they are as dry as a bone. Five Guys' Fries are pretty good, but without quite as much crispness as SOP's. After that, the French Fries in town are pretty much chain food average/boring.

[trafficsucks]

Hands down it is Rauls on Highland Rd across from LSU. It's not a chain and their motto is "juicy juicy". Its basically a hole in the wall hamburger joint and doesnt try to be anything else. It's a gameday tradition for a lot of LSU tailgaters.

[annie_himself]

Do not go to Five Guys, you can make better burgers yourself.

[Rosinante]

The OP wasn't asking who made the best burger at home, annie, he was asking about the best burger you can get in a public restaurant. But honestly, I haven't been able to find really good ground meat to make a world class burger at home because the grocery stores extract all of the fat out of the meat AND these stores aren't always selling the best grade of meat either. I've had to drown burgers I've had at peoples' homes in ketchup, mayo and mustard just to disguise the fact that their burgers are all way overcooked too.

I haven't heard of Rauls, but I'm willing to give it a try; maybe it'll replace one of my two current favorites.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Rosinante

The OP wasn't asking who made the best burger at home, annie, he was asking about the best burger you can get in a public restaurant. But honestly, I haven't been able to find really good ground meat to make a world class burger at home because the grocery stores extract all of the fat out of the meat AND these stores aren't always selling the best grade of meat either. I've had to drown burgers I've had at peoples' homes in ketchup, mayo and mustard just to disguise the fact that their burgers are all way overcooked too.

I haven't heard of Rauls, but I'm willing to give it a try; maybe it'll replace one of my two current favorites.

The OP was asking which burgers were good, I steered him away from a mediocre burger. Don't see the need to bring up my name. Grocery stores don't extract all the fat out of ground beef, they are at different content levels (93/7) on the labeling. If you want good fresh meat go to a local butcher or slaughterhouse.

[Rosinante]

[trafficsucks]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

The OP was asking which burgers were good, I steered him away from a mediocre burger. Don't see the need to bring up my name.

Someones a little uptight.

[Rosinante]

Originally Posted by Rosinante

I haven't heard of Rauls, but I'm willing to give it a try; maybe it'll replace one of my two current favorites.

Well, there's nothing I like better than a good burger, so I'm always anxious to try a new recommendation. In this case, well, let's just say I must've caught them on an off day.

You know you're in trouble when you watch the cook squeeze the last bit of juice out of your burger by flattening it out on the grill with her spatula, so I guess it means you're in double trouble when she turns it over and adds another 150 pounds of pressure to it to make sure that some of that juice wasn't hiding on the other side. To add to the indignation heaped upon this bit of ground beef, Roul's, not Rauls, has doused it with a good bit of dried peppery seasoning that prompted me to reach for the Alka Seltzer pronto to quell the looming unrest in my stomach. The French Fries were rather je ne sais quoi too; coming out of a big paper bag in their freezer, I really wasn't expecting much.

But for those who putter around the LSU North Gate, there is cause for much glee and rejoicing, as the second Five Guys in town will be opening right across the street from Roul's next Thursday the 28th. My wife and I both prefer the BackYard burger still, but it's a healthy jaunt from LSU.

[trafficsucks]

Originally Posted by Rosinante

But for those who putter around the LSU North Gate, there is cause for much glee and rejoicing, as the second Five Guys in town will be opening right across the street

lol at you for being excited for chain hamburgers.