Jay's is stuffed

Jay's Stuffed Burgers in Northville for a summer visit from the burger boys this summer. We tried to get together semi-regularly, but only managed to go out twice. I'm afraid Jay's might have been the reason. No beer. Walk up and order. Wait. I don't have problem with waiting if the burger is worth it, but this burger wasn't. It was; big, stuffed, greedy and overpriced. Crazy greasy. It wasn't; tasty or enjoyable. If you want an expensive  burger that had the kitchen sink inside it that gives you heartburn, all while sitting on wet plastic l lawn furniture, this is your place

Burger Heaven R.I.P.?

The horrible news began to flow across the inter webs on Saturday. Howell's was in fire and it was considered a total loss. No word on whether it will be rebuilt or if this is the end of a local bar that opened the day after prohibition ended and changed it's name to Howell's in 1941. The bar was home to the best jukebox in any bar I have ever been in and if course Jimmy. Grumpy looking, but friendly master of the grill. Sliced the tomatoes and onions and hand packed those inch plus thick patties and slow cooked them to perfection. I surely hope he has patties to make in the future and hasn't taken this as a chance to retire. 

Attempts to contact Free Press reporters for further information have proved futile. Until then, I look to Sandy's to cure my bar burger needs.

Alive! Or Is Orchard Lake Road Cheeseburger Boulevard?

I'm baaaaack!

On just a two mile stretch of Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills there appears to be a developing Cheeseburger Nirvana building.  It all started with Jaws Burger which made the Detroit News best Cheeseburger years ago (4 of 6), then the chains moved in, Five Guys (5 of 6) and Smash Burger (4 of 6), then an old favorite added a hip looking new location, Red Coat Tavern (5 of 6) and now a new joint from the Flint area has put their second location just two doors down from Jaws in an old Burger King.  Freakin Unbelievable Burger, welcome to Cheeseburger Boulevard.   

It is going to be tough to come into this run and make a name for yourself; the competition is fierce. The Burger Joint added their second location in the shell of an old Fatburger that didn't survive in Southfield.  Cheeseburger Boulevard is no joke, you best be ready.

I have been twice and ordered my standard review burger (American cheese, ketchup, mayo, lettuce and tomato), as well as the house special, The Freakin' Unbelievable Burger.  First time in I got the Freakin'. It is an upscale Big Mac, two patties, pickles, cheese and their Freakin' sauce which is a slightly more zippy take on "special sauce". Their meat is guaranteed Angus and their own special grind. It does have a good flavor, however the usual problems kick in when a burger joint tries to get fancy with the beef. It has a weird texture. It is a little chewy and it kind of snaps off in your mouth when you bite through it.  Unfortunately there is a second problem, the grill is too hot. Every burger my guests or I have ordered is pink in the middle and dark on the outside with the odd texture.  Turn down the grill, slow down the process and maybe the texture will improve.  Let's get to the bun. It is Brioche. I will admit it is not my favorite to begin with, but I have had many that were a nice flavor. This one isn't. It is heavy and dense and has a bitterness to it that I could not identify or understand. The taste was there at both visits, so I cannot blame a bad batch or anything.  Toppings were plentiful and varied. Unfortunately much of it cost extra.  Cost was a problem all around. A burger, fries and a pop cost a few pennies under $10!  The decor is very cool, but I don't care to pay for it on my first visit.  I want like this place more, but...these burgers are Completly Freakin' Believable.

Stella's in GR. is GQ right?

NO. GQ claims that Stella's in the best burger in America. That being said, Stella's is a great bar with grade food. There are 5 or 6 pinball machines and about a dozen 80's era video games. I will go again for sure. The burgers are "Juicy Lucys" or stuffed burgers. They make two thinner patties and fill the middle with cheese before grilling. Great messy burgers. I ordered a "Gov't cheese" burger stuffed with aged white cheddar. I ordered medium as I usually do, and mine came out medium rare if not rare. Yuck. Nice soft bun. Lettuce, tomato, pickles sliced the long way and a single onion ring on top. Difficult to tell the flavor of the meat as the cheese is the overwhelming factor of this burger. There needed to be more meat. Or less cheese. A better balance was needed. The cheese is vital, but needs be the best supporting actor, not the leading man. The menu looks great: we tried a few things, but I could work the appetizer menu for a month. Bacon fat drizzled popcorn. Huge bacon and cheddar tots, BLT nachos. Wow! We tried the jumbo tots. They were good, not awesome. You think tots, you think Napoleon Dynamite...I mean, you think crunch. This was more like a fancy potato cake from Arby's. Good, but you are not proud you ate it. The fries have a jalapeño kick, but not too much to be the dominant flavor. They were over cooked, and if not for the spicy ranch dip that came with it, I would have passed. The crowd is GR friendly. I was asked about my Warrior Dash medal and shared a laugh or two about arcade games. While I was looking at the games deciding which one to play, I heard, "Which game are you going to choose to play?" from a gosh, oh gee polite GR patron. I say this not to mock, because it is refreshing, but to inform. If you bring your gruff Detroit attitude, you are going to stick out in a bad way. The area around Stella's is full of young people living in a very cool urban setting trying to be hip. That being said, if I was in my twenties, I would be looking for loft space within a few blocks of The place. Try Stella's. It's no Howell's, but it's not trying to be.

The Burger Joint in Milford

We have family in Milford and don't often go out to eat there. Milford has several excellent restaurants, but we just don't get to them much. On a side note, can Farmington get their act together? I know there are issues with liquor licenses, but three restuarants that serve liquor in the downtown and one is awful, one is tiny and the other one thinks that Irish stew is is worth $16.99? Really? We can do better, and we would definitely support it. I prefer Redford for drinks and grub. Sorry, I'm back. We happened to have time to kill between kid stuff and family stuff, so we went searching for a burger. We saw a couple of bars that looked plausible, but then we saw the obvious choice. On the south end of the Main Street was "the Burger Joint". Not sure if we are supposed to pronounce it with the Midwestern "thuh" or the Elizabethian "thee", but more on that in a minute. simple set up: queue up,read the sign boards for your choice of meat, order up and then be patient, because quality takes time. Similar to the Five Guys model, you have plenty of free toppings. First off you choose from Ground Chuck, Turkey or Prime beef. Got the Chuck. No time for playing around. Wife tried burnt onions, banana peppers and garlic aeoli... 'nuff said. Smart member of the party ordered the kids meal and got a 1/4 pound burger, a small frie and a small drink. That is the way to go, $3.99 for that plan. That is McDonald's cheap. Unnamed member of the party ordered a chicken club......... You try to pass on your years of knowledge and... Sometimes experience is a better teacher. The review; the burger was a heavy medium well, could have used more juice. The wife's had a better color and was full of juice. Toppings were spot on. I even liked the foo-foo aeoli. Wouldnt put it on my burger, but it was good. Let's talk buns. Often overlooked, the simple round bun, can make or break or good burger(Yes, burger. Andy stay focused). This one was the best I have ever had. Seriously. The bun(Andy!). It alone elevated this experience to something bigger that just a burger. It was a simple looking thing. No sesame seeds, no multi grain, just a simple bakery fresh bun that they smothered in butter and dropped it on the grill for a golden brown tan that gave the burger a crunch that outcrunched the onion. I want to have that bun on every sandwich I eat for the rest of my choppers existence. It was that good. Compare this to Woodstock's(out of business) oversized and half stale bun that ruined the experience, if not the business. The fries were solid, on par with Five Guys. Rings were average, too much crunch. Go figure. My daughter recommeds the IBC float. Two scoops and a bottle of IBC. I give it 4 1/2 napkins and the title of "thee" burger joint of Milford. Now just have to figure out how to sneak off to Milford without having to visit the family. Just kidding, dear.

The Fat Prince of The D?

The Prince Returns to His Boyhood Home. Striaght out of nowhere we get this blast. Great news. It may lead to some good questions, but they are good questions to have to ask. If you aren't familiar with his batting record, here it is: .282 BP, .340 OBP, .540 Slugging and a .929 OPS. Add to that 100 walks and at least 32 HR a year for the last 5 seasons. With him protecting Miggy (or hell, vice versa) it just makes them better. We will deal with the issues of who plays where and how good they will be defensively later. I felt like a little kid with the news. When does spring training start again?

Poole's retap or Scoring in the Back Bar

Retap at Poole's I was so good the first time I had to hit it again. I took a buddy with me just like last time. We tried to get in the front door, but were blocked and told we needed to go for the back door. We both nodded, slightly confused, but eager to score, we followed directions. Once around back we got what we wanted. I have to say it wasn't as good this time. My buddy enjoyed it, but he is on a cold streak and just happy to get anything. I am better fed, so I can be fussy. I think I enjoy it more on the front side. It is warmer and a little bit friendlier. Some people like it to be cold and difficult to find, but me I like it easy... The Back Bar is just what it sounds like a bar on the back side of Poole's. It has a seperate entrance, a different atmosphere, but the same menu. Anything you can get at Poole's you can get at the back bar. I like the home town bar feel of Poole's. It is just the way I want a bar to be. Raucous, busy, full of TV's and people. The burger was different this time and I just can't put my finger on why. Maybe it is because last time I got a three cheese cheeseburger, I dont know. The meat didnt seem to have the seasoning that it did last time. Still an excellent burger, but only 3 out of 5 this time. It was a little under done. That might be it. I also went back to Mason's. Nothing to add. Great burger in a simple place. I went aroun 4:00pm and was the only person in the bar. Seems like there isn't more than 3-4 tables busy any time that I have been there. It must be full of after work drinkers to keep the place open. It is fairly close to an industrial section, maybe it is hopping at lunch too... I desperately need a burger place in the Canton or Belleville area. I am there often and have had no luck with burgers. Please don't say Culver's. Give me some ideas. I have about a dozen places to try on the East side, thanks