Pittsburgher Burger Battle (Bridgeville: price, gardens, pub)

[sskink]

I don't have nearly as strong opinions on burgers as I do on pizza. Even Outback made an acceptable burger until a couple years ago. But since we're on the subject:

Tessaro's - I've had two. They're good. But I've had much better outside Pgh. In fact, before I leave CT on Friday I might have to stop by The Chelsea.

Winghart's - Love the burger. Hate the bun. They're a bad match. The burgers here are among the loosest I've ever seen served commercially. The bun just disintegrates in the face of all that juiciness. This place desperately needs an introduction to the HARD ROLL! :-)

BRGR - underwhelmed. I'd take Five Guys every day over BRGR.

Burgatory - slightly less underwhelmed than at BRGR, but underwhelmed nonetheless

Sauce - not mentioned yet in this thread. Nor should it be, although burgers are supposed to be a specialty.

Sharp Edge - this is where I learned that Kobe burgers are almost always frozen solid before cooking and cannot actually be cooked rare. Which defeats the point of order a Kobe burger.

Atria's - haven't been there in years, but I recall the burgers being pretty darned good.

This is going to sound crazy, but as I used to work very close to KousKous, I've had most everything on the menu. And Abdel's burger was crazy good, so that would be my vote.

Anyway, I just grilled some burgers again... one of the bennies of staying at my late brother's house is that he had a subscription to Omaha Steaks. So I've been going thru the freezer a little at a time.

So I'm not that hungry for more burgers, but I have to come back here next weekend and there are too many to choose from. (I've had the burger from Dinosaur BBQ and it was terrific - and there are supposedly 4 better than that around here.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

I forgot Sharp Edge, I'd rate rate them fairly highly as well. I like their basic Belgian Burger. They probably belong on the list.

[Copanut]

I make the best burgers period. Buy lean ground beef, fire up the grill, and ONLY FLIP THEM ONCE. That's the secret.

[madg0at]

BRGR to me is very overrated, I was not in the least impressed.

Tessaro's makes a good reliable burger, better than most.

Fat Heads I was at last week and their burgers were all pretty pedestrian. I remember them being better, but hadn't been in a while.

Winghart's makes one of the best burgers in town. I've eaten at the downtown location more than the south side and prefer it as well.

Five Guys is a decent chain, but still a chain.

The rest I've not had.

Not listed:

I'll second (or third, fourth or fifth, I lost count) Butterjoint. Easily top 3 in the city, plus their appetizers and cocktails are amazing.

Meat and Potatoes makes a mean burger as well, I was very impressed.

Squirrel Cage. IMO best $4 burger in tahn.

Industry was meh to me, plus I picked something up there, not sure from what, and hugged my toilet all night.

[SteelCityRising]

Well, I just thought I'd stop by to update everyone on how Sunday turned out. In the end we decided against Rivertowne on the North Shore. They were packed because they were the "staging area" for the Pittsburgh Challenge scavenger hunt/race (we didn't know that in advance), and after being ignored by the hostesses and cut in line in the process we were irked and decided we'd just try them at a better time in the future.

Ironically enough I didn't eat a burger in the end. We decided to try Max's Allegheny Tavern in East Allegheny. We had a fantastic time! We loved the decor, including the old tapestries on the wall, the newspaper-like menus, and the unique urinals in the restroom. We were initially disappointed that the appetizer we wanted to try, the deep-fried soft pretzels stuffed with cheese, was unavailable, but we settled for the non-cheese-filled ones, which were perfectly complemented by honey mustard. I ordered a fried fish sandwich with a side of potato pancakes and applesauce. My dining partner chose a grilled chicken sandwich, along with the same side I chose. My fish sandwich was GIGANTIC, and it was delicious! I had to pick a couple of small fish bones out of my mouth, but at least I knew it was fresh. I had to take some home with me. I reheated it last night in the oven and also melted some cheese on it. Divine! The potato pancakes were surprisingly thick and tasty, too.

The best part? Our check was only $22 ($30 when including a generous tip for our very attentive waitress who was constantly filling our water glasses). We can't wait to go back.

[CaptainPittsburgh]

Oh man, Max's is the best! Good choice. I love the atmosphere in there.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by CaptainPittsburgh

Oh man, Max's is the best! Good choice. I love the atmosphere in there.

Agree with that, another great Northside institution. Honestly, I've largely been underwhelmed by their food (just my preference, many rave) but the bar room itself is one of the best in the City. It has a great feel, solid selections and knows exactly what it's trying to be.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by CaptainPittsburgh

Oh man, Max's is the best! Good choice. I love the atmosphere in there.

The ambiance, aura, and atmosphere really made the experience all the more special for us. It was so cozy and intimate in the smaller back room we were seated in, where we were able to admire old tapestries hanging from the walls. The old urinals and cigarette vending machine in the men's room were great "nostalgic" touches as well! Max's was very unpretentious, which we liked, and it was also very unique.

Originally Posted by Lobick

Agree with that, another great Northside institution. Honestly, I've largely been underwhelmed by their food (just my preference, many rave) but the bar room itself is one of the best in the City. It has a great feel, solid selections and knows exactly what it's trying to be.

I was impressed enough by the potato pancakes, fried soft pretzels, and fish sandwich to actually give them a positive Yelp! review (I've been in Yelp! remission as of late). I was most impressed by the prices, though, which were extremely reasonable. If we had instead gone to a comparable chain restaurant (i.e. Hofbrauhaus) we would have paid at least $35 for two entrees and an appetizer. We only paid $22 for two entrees and an appetizer at Max's. Wonderful. I just really regret not buying that home on Blossom Way now because we would have been a three-minute walk away!

[robrobrob]

Sort of surprised by the places that have been suggested. It seems as if most of them are relatively new "burger" joints or nicer established places. Hard to believe that there isn't a dive bar someplace that has a decent burger.

Five Guys is my favorite. The family also likes Max and Erma's. The burger's there are pretty good. I like it that they come in two sizes.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

Hard to believe that there isn't a dive bar someplace that has a decent burger.

Squirrel Cage does very good burgers.