Philadelphia's Best Burger

[Tim Dolan]

I revisited the London a few Sundays ago, and I think I found the perfect setting to eat their burger. It was pretty dreary and the crew I was with were all mildly hungover, and nobody could decide on anything (except me). I knew I had to give the burger another shot, and I'm glad I did. A burger on an English muffin is the perfect brunch item. I'm not a big fan of brunch menus at all, but finally this burger made perfect sense to me in this situation. Defintely hit the spot.

Coincedentally I've been to the Bishop's Collar a few times as well, and their burger has been subpar recently. The past few times I've had it it's been overcooked and topped with bone dry, crispy-to-the-edge-of-burnt bacon. I'm sure I'll be back to both places in the near future. The moral of the story; everyone deserves a second chance!

[Tim Dolan]

A Tale of Two Kobe Burgers: I stopped at a bar on the Main Line called Kelly's (an Irish bar called Kelly's? Get right out of town!) for some after work beers and noticed that they had a Kobe burger on their menu for $13. The place looked nice enough that their food should at the bare minimum be average, so I ordered one up. It came out medium rare as ordered and was a pretty good, very juicy burger, but it wasn't the knock-your-socks-off kind of thing that you would expect out of Kobe beef. I would recommend sticking with their normal burger and spending the $5 you'll save on another beer.

The other Kobe burger(s) were the sliders from Barclay Prime, which are phenomenal. OK so all in all it's not the most fair comparison, but hey they're both "Kobe" so it's warranted.

I'm guessing becaues of the nasty weather last night, Good Dog wasn't as crowded as it normally is. Me and the gf were able to walk in and grab two seats at the bar around 7:30, which are usually taken by then. I'm not positive, but I think they might have slightly changed their menu. I noticed a pulled pork sandwich on there that I don't think I noticed before. Doesn't really matter cause it will be a while before I get something other than their burger. It's still good, and they are currently offering Octoberfish by Flying Fish and Punkin' Ale by Dogfishhead on tap, along with their normal standbys.

Aside from that, I was out having some beers on Friday night at this tiny place around the corner from me called the Garage. It's in the same little courtyard as the Ugly Moose (who by the way have an awesome steak sandwich; not a cheesesteak, but thickly sliced filet on a bun). I was sitting next to a guy who ordered their burger, and it looked amazing. I had already eaten that night so I didn't order one, but that place is definitely next on the list.

My curiosity is starting to get to me, and I find myself extremely tempted to go to Ruby Tuesday's to try their new marketing fad of the month, the "triple prime burger". I'm well aware I could be stepping on a land mine with this one, but how bad could it be?

Edited October 18, 2006 by Tim Dolan (log)

[taoseno]

Tim I was at Good Dog today for lunch and had my first Good Dog burger, fantastic, cooked perfectly medium rare, oozing cheese. That being said, my go to burger right now is back at the Royal Tavern. I hadn't had a burger there since the cook from Vesuvio took over but I had one two weeks ago and than another and than a 3rd. they are putting bacon, some type of sauce (very descriptive i know, i drink while i am there as well) and roasted hot peppers and they have cooked it exactly medium rare all three times. so if you haven't been in a while, go check it out. is it wrong to have a burger for lunch and dinner?

[Jeff L]

is it wrong to have a burger for lunch and dinner?

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No

Edited October 18, 2006 by Jeff L (log)

[jmbrightman]

Tim I was at Good Dog today for lunch and had my first Good Dog burger, fantastic, cooked perfectly medium rare, oozing cheese.  That being said, my go to burger right now is back at the Royal Tavern.  I hadn't had a burger there since the cook from Vesuvio took over but I had one two weeks ago and than another and than a 3rd.  they are putting bacon, some type of sauce (very descriptive i know, i drink while i am there as well) and roasted hot peppers and they have cooked it exactly medium rare all three times.  so if you haven't been in a while, go check it out.  is it wrong to have a burger for lunch and dinner?

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I had the Good Dog burger at the bar today for lunch as well, perfectly medium rare, and it was fantastic. paired very nicely with the draught Stoudt's. The fries could have been hotter, but they did not detract from that amazing burger.

[serpentine]

Tim I was at Good Dog today for lunch and had my first Good Dog burger, fantastic, cooked perfectly medium rare, oozing cheese. That being said, my go to burger right now is back at the Royal Tavern. I hadn't had a burger there since the cook from Vesuvio took over but I had one two weeks ago and than another and than a 3rd. they are putting bacon, some type of sauce (very descriptive i know, i drink while i am there as well) and roasted hot peppers and they have cooked it exactly medium rare all three times. so if you haven't been in a while, go check it out. is it wrong to have a burger for lunch and dinner?

Seconded! It's smoked gouda, bacon, a pickled longhot, and that sauce, which is a mildly spicy/tangy thing. Consistant, too (for months now, so I'm confident in that assessment) and I always order med. rare.

FINALLY had Good Dog's burger last week. Excellent. Easily devourable. (Not in my neighborhood, though, so it'll only be an occasional treat.)

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

You gotta love Pig Daddy's "Ultimate Meateaters Burger" with a pair of half-pound black angus patties, cheese & bacon for $11.00. Ten bucks without cheese, but who eats a burger without cheese? Just tell them if you don't want the lettuce, tomato & caramelized onions.

[Jeff L]

So after all this hoopla about Good Dog, I decided that I'd go today. I'm in South Philly at Isgro's waiting with about 2,000 other people to get a canoli cake for our daughter's 21st birthday tomorrow and figure I'd head over around 1:30.

Wrong. I didn't realize it opens at 4:00 pm on Saturday. Oh well, I head to another place on my list, Abbaye and I'm glad I did.

One of the best burgers I've had in a very long time including the one last week at Standard Tap. I ordered mine medium rare with gruyere, bacon and carmelized onions and it came out exactly as ordered. This burger was really great, juicy, messy and delicious. Washed down with a few Stella Artois' and I am a happy camper.

Someone posted they like this burger better than Tap's and I am inclined to agree. I still want to try Good Dog's version though.

[Jim Charles]

I know this will probably result in my banishment and drummed off the BB, but I sometimes secretly stop at the White Castle on 73 and pig out on a bag of their grease burgers with fried onions. I don’t know if I should be in a twelve-step program or check myself into re-hab.

[guzzirider]

I know this will probably result in my banishment and drummed off the BB, but I sometimes secretly stop at the White Castle on 73 and pig out on a bag of their grease burgers with fried onions. I don’t know if I should be in a twelve-step program or check myself into re-hab.

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Two things:

1. Dont' feel too bad. After all, they did make an entire movie about getting to this White Castle in Cherry Hill. White Castle, although not "gourmet", do have a certain magic to them.

2. The White Castle you're referring to has been closed for while. I don't think there are any left in the metro Philly / South Jersey area, so your rehab may be mandatory at this point.

__Jason

Edited October 27, 2006 by guzzirider (log)

[Holly Moore]

I know this will probably result in my banishment and drummed off the BB, but I sometimes secretly stop at the White Castle on 73 and pig out on a bag of their grease burgers with fried onions. I don’t know if I should be in a twelve-step program or check myself into re-hab.

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That's grounds for promotion, not banishment.

I get to Nashville every couple of weeks where there is a White Castle way too close to my hotel. I usually head to the airport with a couple of double bacon cheese burgers, a bang of onion rings and a chocolate shake keeping me company. So far enterprise has been sufficiently tactful to not complain about the greasy steering wheel.

[Rich Pawlak]

Props on mentioning White Castle. Welcome aboard!

I still stack the burger at the Grey Lodge against any in Philly. Had one recently and it was better than ever.

[john b]

Props on mentioning White Castle.  Welcome aboard!

I still stack the burger at the Grey Lodge against any in Philly.  Had one recently and it was better than ever.

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I never get past the Lodge steak or the fish & chips. I'll have to go for the burger next time.

[Jim Charles]

2. The White Castle you're referring to has been closed for while. I don't think there are any left in the metro Philly / South Jersey area, so your rehab may be mandatory at this point.

__Jason

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The White Castle I'm referring to is on Rt 73 just over the Tacony Palmyra in Pennsauken. It's been open for years and still is. The White Castle your refering to was on on Admiral Wilson Blvd. (also Pennsauken not Cherry Hill) and that was closed about 35 or 40 years ago.

[mrbigjas]

The White Castle I'm referring to is on Rt 73 just over the Tacony Palmyra in Pennsauken. It's been open for years and still is. The White Castle your refering to was on on Admiral Wilson Blvd. (also Pennsauken not Cherry Hill) and that was closed about 35 or 40 years ago.

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wow, really? it doesn't show up on their website, so i thought the closest one was in tom's river.

anyway, i need to head to jersey this weekend in any case, so i'ma hit up that scene if i can.

[john b]

The White Castle I'm referring to is on Rt 73 just over the Tacony Palmyra in Pennsauken. It's been open for years and still is. The White Castle your refering to was on on Admiral Wilson Blvd. (also Pennsauken not Cherry Hill) and that was closed about 35 or 40 years ago.

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wow, really? it doesn't show up on their website, so i thought the closest one was in tom's river.

anyway, i need to head to jersey this weekend in any case, so i'ma hit up that scene if i can.

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The White Castle in Pennsauken (I'm thinking of the spot across from what was once the Woodbine) was knocked down a few years ago. A Super Wawa now occupies the spot.

[mrbigjas]

i filled up the tank at that very wawa today, after ascertaining that there was indeed no white castle in the area. toms river is still the closest, to my knowledge. fifty miles for some sliders... i gotta make them myself one of these days. as a friend of mine said today, it shouldn't be too bad--the only hard part is finding 60% ground beef...

[Rich Pawlak]

i filled up the tank at that very wawa today, after ascertaining that there was indeed no white castle in the area.  toms river is still the closest, to my knowledge.  fifty miles for some sliders... i gotta make them myself one of these days.  as a friend of mine said today, it shouldn't be too bad--the only hard part is finding 60% ground beef...

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The other nearest White Castle is in Edison Nj on southbound Route 1, just south of the Garden State Parkway.

[herbacidal]

So based on googlemaps, it looks like for driving to the Edison location from NJ Turnpike, that would mean getting off at the Parkway exit going west, and taking it to Route 1 South, and the White Castle would be on the right?

[Holly Moore]

Nothing against White Castle, and it was a sad day when they pulled out of the Delaware Valley, but if I were that deep into Jersey in search of burgers I'd keep driving to White Manna. Then again, no reason not to stop at White Castle on the way to pick up a few to quench the hunger pangs on the way to White Manna.

[Jim Charles]

Now I’m really embarrassed! I guess I should be used to the memory errors, as I get older and older. It seemed like a week ago I was sitting in there stuffing my face and then racing back to Medford before the grease took control of my stomach. My apologies for causing the inconvenience of searching for something that’s no longer there.

Edited October 30, 2006 by Jim Charles (log)

[mrbigjas]

don't worry about it jim--i was heading that direction anyway.

[guzzirider]

Now I’m really embarrassed! I guess I should be used to the memory errors, as I get older and older. It seemed like a week ago I was sitting in there stuffing my face and then racing back to Medford before the grease took control of my stomach. My apologies for causing the inconvenience of searching for something that’s no longer there.

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LOL! White Castle on the brain... very understandable!

BTW, I vividly recall my very first White Castle experience... about 12 years ago, I spent a few months working outside of Detroit, and a guy I was working with introduced me to WC. Wow... I loaded up, including "clam strips" (bad idea for a noob?)

Anyway, I felt *so* sick after eating there! But, about 3 or 4 nights later, I woke up at about 3am CRAVING WC, and there was one not far down the road from where I was staying, so I got up and went.

I've never had anything that made me so ill, make me want to come back for more. I'm convinced that they lace those burgers with nicotine, or perhaps simply crack. Etiher way, I was hooked. And I also noticed that the WC around Dearborn, MI were spaced perfectly, so if you went through a drive-thru and ate while you drove, by the time you were swallowing your last bite, there would be another WC right there for you to pull into in case you needed an "after dinner slider snack!" LOL!

When I drove back to Buffalo, the last thing I did before I left town was pick up a couple "sacks" to sustain me on the drive. Bittersweet...

__Jason

Edited October 30, 2006 by guzzirider (log)

[kretch]

For the sake of trivia: "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle" was co-written by a Penn grad, Jon Hurwitz (class of 2000.) I'm going to send him a link to these White Castle posts, I'm sure it'll make him smile.

[guzzirider]

For the sake of trivia: "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle" was co-written by a Penn grad, Jon Hurwitz (class of 2000.) I'm going to send him a link to these White Castle posts, I'm sure it'll make him smile.

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In that case, Jon, thanks for that cheetah-riding scene... I'm cracking up just thinking about it!

__Jason