The Burger Grind

The Burger Grind



The Burger Grind is a new comer to the Tyler area and is located off of Old Jacksonville Highway, a little south of Fresh.  The location is a strip mall a little ways off the road.  Inside, the place has the feel of an old garage.  They have a collection of video games in the back, a large multi-person bench and a few tables and booths.  The decor feels like an artist type met up with a mechanic and I like it.  The Tyler Morning telegraph has a nice story on the owner.  According to their website, they grind their meat daily, and it is hand formed, never frozen (hence "Burger Grind")

The spread:  Well they offer burgers of many varieties of course.  You can get your burgers in quarter pound, half pound and full pound patties.  There are various add on items to include avocado, fried egg, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms, and jalapenos.  They also offer a few 'unique' burger creations to include the bacon cheddar, blue bomber, Xtreme cheese, Texan, Philly, etc.  They also have a nice selection of different salads, chicken/veggie/turkey burgers and other sandwiches.  There is also a kids menu for those ith munchkins.

The verdict: .  The service was friendly and the food came out quick.  I tried the Texan burger (onion, jalapenos, cheese, bacon), the Blue bomber (blue cheese and bacon), the kids chicken tenders, the fried pickles and their regular fries.  The Texan burger was excellent.  Everything played well together with a balance of flavors.  I have found a lot of places try to kill you with the heat, but they had a nice balance of good flavor and heat from the jalapenos.  The Blue bomber was also very good and they used a gentle hand with the blue cheese.  Often places will try to pile on the blue cheese, and for me it is just a palate bomb that is unpleasant.  Not so in this case, it was just the right amount.  The fried pickles were very good and the fries were above average.  The kids chicken tenders were moist and tasty.  My only two criticisms of the place are that the price point is high.  For a meal that includes a burger, fries and a drink, it will cost you ten bucks.  Now, I feel the food is worth it, but it still on the high side for what they are offering.  The other mild complaint I have is that they didn't ask you how you wanted your burger cooked (Well done, rare, etc).  I prefer a medium rare, but didn't specify and it came out well done. 

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5 out of 5, one of the best burgers in town.  Give them a try.

Steak N Shake -

Steak 'n Shake



Steak N Shake is a new chain burger joint just south of the UT Tyler campus off of University.  They are well known in north country (I have been a number of times up in Yankee land) and opened up not too long ago here in Tyler.  The outside looks like a updated burger joint chain.  They have been outrageously busy a number of times when I wanted to try them out, but I finally tried them out a few weeks ago in the drive through.

The spread:  It has been a while since I tried out Steak 'n Shake and the first thing that struck me is that many of their combo meals are fairly cheap.  They get you because most of the combo meals don't include a drink. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I've never been for breakfast.  They offer "steak" burgers of varying size and cost, chili (with spaghetti), sandwiches (grilled chicken, fried chicken, turkey club, etc), salads, fries, and of course shakes.

The verdict:  I am to say I wasn't excited to try Steak 'n Shake, but my wife really wanted to give it a try, so we stopped by one day on our way out of town.  The service was friendly and they lived up to "fast" food.  We got our order and hit the road.  The burgers were surprisingly good for the money.  Very good bun, fresh veggies and tasty burger patty (although pretty flat and definitely well done).  They also had the option to add a 'flavor' to your fries and I very much enjoyed the Parmesan cheese addition.  We didn't try the shakes that day, but they do their shakes right.  They use real ice cream, milk and they are good.

Edible Tyler Roses:  3.5 out of 5, solid fast food.

Reggie’s Burgers, Dogs & Fries - Just another chain burger joint or off the chain?

Reggie's is a new place in the Kinsey's Crossing development, just off the loop east of Old Jacksonville highway.  It is located in a strip mall with several other new places promising to pop up next door.  Apparently there will be a new brew pub type place and a Pizza place (see this article).  It appears that Reggie's is originally based in Texarkana and is looking to branch out into Tyler.

The spread:  As you can imagine, they offer burgers, hot dogs and fries.  They also offer fried catfish, several other traditional sandwiches and onion rings.  The menu appears to be very focused.  You step up to the counter, place your order, then they will bring your food out to you.  Of note, they appear to be very focused on meeting your individual preferences with multiple different types of buns and a wide selection of "add ons" for extra - cheese, bacon, egg, avocado, etc.  The decor is modern 50's diner, with several old/new posters (props on the Aerosmith concert poster) and if anything is clean and spartan.  They also advertise that they use only "Angus" beef in their burgers.

The verdict:  I tried their hamburger with all the veggies and added cheddar cheese, bacon and a fried egg with a side of their fries.  First the good.  The patty was seasoned well, had a nice 'char' or crust to it, the bun was solid (white bun), the veggies were fresh and tasty, and the egg was perfectly cooked (with a runny yolk).  The fries were above average and fresh cut, but they didn't have that great exterior crispy crust and fluffy middle that you get when expertly "double" fried.  The problem I had with the burger is that the meat patty was approximately a quarter inch thick and smashed down and probably started out as a quarter or maybe a third of a pound of beef.  There is no way they could cook a patty anything other than well done using their current technique.  If you are going to buy expensive "Angus" beef, then perhaps focusing on cooking a juicy patty?  Also of note, the place is not cheap.  My burger, fries and a drink came out to just under 13 bucks.  Overall, the quality of the food was above average (better than Whataburger), but the quality did not match the price. For me, this is a run of the mill corporatized hamburger joint.  There is no real personality or uniqueness to the experience (no craft beers, no unique hamburgers, thin meat), but it is a decent burger.

Edible Tyler Roses:  3 out of 5.  Above average burger, well above average prices.

The Rack Hamburger Grill - My kind of place

***UPDATE:  Wow, The Rack has closed.  I feared for their business success because of their location and recently downgraded their rating.  They were having problems in the kitchen and keeping beers on tap.  I am truly sad to see The Rack go, but you gotta keep people happy and coming back to succeed.

**UPDATE:  I have been to the Rack multiple times since the original post.  I have to say that they have some real problems with consistency.  I have yet to have a burger as special as the one I had on my first visit.  They just can't seem to get the meat temperature right.  I still enjoy the place and definitely recommend giving it a try, but just not as enthusiastically they go from 5/5 to 4/5 Edible Tyler Roses.

The Rack Hamburger Grill
http://www.theracktexas.com/

The Rack Hamburger Grill is a new restaurant that opened up near the Azalea district off of Broadway, just south of 9th street, located in the Tyler Shopping Center (next to Steinmart).  I don't think their has been a restaurant in this particular space, but it seems like a pretty hard place to keep a restaurant open.  From the outside, they have a little patio area with some large picnic tables.  Inside the place there is a healthy bar area and a dining section.  The decorations consist mainly of stuffed/mounted animals.

The spread:  As you can imagine this is trying to be a hamburger joint, but they are doing a lot of interesting things with the food menu. Their apps consist of candied bacon, salads, seared tuna, cheese fries, etc.  The star of the show is their hamburger selection.  You can choose their regular ground meat burger (ground and seasoned in house), buffalo burger, blue cheese burger, venison burger, lamb burger, ahi tuna burger, veggie burger, turkey burger and a few others.  The meals come with charro style beans and choice of one side:  regular fries, sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, etc.  They also offer a few desserts.

Perhaps the most impressive is their MASSIVE draft beer list.  They have a lot of beers on tap, almost all of which are craft microbrews from Texas (20 beers on tap on a regular basis).  I was in beer heaven.  They also offer a large selection of bottled beers.  A beer lover could get quiet happy here.

The verdict:  THIS IS THE BEST HAMBURGER IN TYLER BY FAR.  Stop what you are doing, go to The Rack and get a burger.  I recommended this place to a friend of mine who loves burgers and he told me it was the best hamburger he has had in his life.  I ordered a Rack burger with cheddar cheese, bacon and egg and I ordered it medium well.  This is one of the rare places that actually cooks your burger to your desired temperature.  They care about their food.  The burger was one of the best I have had in my life.  The meat is juicy and tender, with the right amount of sear from the grill.  The french fries are also done right, in house, from real potatoes and fried twice (the way fries are supposed to be done).  The beers were great.  This is definitely a place that I will go back to again and again.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5.  Get a burger and a beer and enjoy!  I fear that location will doom this place, but it is worth the drive....yum.

Chili's, Applebees or TGI Friday's - are they all the same?

Chili's versus Applebees versus TGI Fridays - American Chain throwdown







We have a family tradition we are working on right now.  Every Sunday after church one of us gets to pick a place to eat.  I have to confess, I mainly made up this tradition so I could force the family to go to eat Indian food without as much complaining.  We rotate through me, my wife, my son and my oldest daughter (baby doesn't get a vote yet) - everyone gets a chance to go where they want to eat.  It actually works out well as there is much less arguing and it feels like a fair way to get some grub.  (We did have to outlaw Chuck E Cheese as a choice).  At any rate, our kids tended to chose Chili's or Applebees for reasons unbeknownst to me.  These three restaurants are basically the same place to me - bland, below average food from the freezer.  After going to all three multiple times, I thought I would offer my opinion on which one is best in Tyler as they are all pretty close to one another and the food is almost identical.

The spread:  I won't go into too much details, but they offer your standard American food:  burgers, sandwiches, fries etc.  Each one tries to have its own personality, but for me the menus and prices are interchangable.

The verdict:

Applebees - For some reason, my daughter loves Applebees.  I can't tell if it is because she like saying the name or there is some commercial that has imprinted the name on her mind.  She loves her some Applebees.  I can't stand the place.  My wife and I are trying to eat relatively healthy and both of our entrees were nearly inedible.  Neither of us finished our food.  The kids seemed to enjoy their food though.  Perhaps because we went with the healthier options we got the worse Applebees has to offer, so stick with hamburgers or something the kitchen can't screw up.  Applebees Edible Tyler Roses:  1 out of 5, tread carefully and don't venture out.

Chilis - This used to be a favorite of mine, particularly growing up.  The food was nothing to write home about, but it was palatable and decently priced.  I usually go with Chicken Fajitas, club sandwich or Oldtimer burger.  On our last two visits to Chili's the service was horrible (45+ minutes to receive food) and the food was nearly inedible when it arrived.  I'm not sure how you screw up microwaving or reheating frozen food, but they managed to do so.  The service was so bad on one trip I actually didn't leave a tip - I normally start at 20%, and have only not left a tip on maybe 1 or 2 other occasions in my life.  The food is so bad and service so poor, we have put Chili's on the banned list for choices on Sunday.  Chili's Edible Tyler Roses: 0 out of 5, we won't return until there is some change in management.

TGI Fridays -  We had always skipped TGI Fridays for a long time, but we gave them a try lately and we were impressed.  The service was friendly, the food came out fast and the food was uninspired, but decent enough. Of the three, this is the one I am happy to go to.  So the winner is TGI Fridays!! TGI Fridays Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, the winner of mediocre chain restaurants!!

Smashburger - Solid burgers.

Smashburger
Two locations in Tyler

Troup Hwy & Loop 323
3314 Troup Hwy

Midway Plaza across from Carmike Cinema
7484 S Broadway Blvd.



Smashburger is a nationwide chain that has two locations in Tyler. I have only been to the one across from Carmike Cinema. They have a 'hip' atmosphere with modern design concepts and bold colors. You place your order at the register then find a table and wait for your food to be delivered (or to take it home).

The spread: As you can imagine, their specialty is hamburgers. They have a few to choose from ranging from classic, Texas, Baja, Jalapeno, etc. They offer an assortment of "add ons" so you can personalize your burger to your tastes (for an extra cost of course). They also offer chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and salads. Their sides include fries (Smash fries), onion rings, fried pickles, fried jalapenos, chili, etc.

The verdict: Smashburger makes good hamburgers, not GREAT hamburgers, but good. I especially like that you can personalize your burger and make it just the way you want it. It can get a little pricey the more you add, but 4.99-5.99 for a good burger is a pretty good deal. I always go with the Smash fries as I find the rosemary, olive oil and garlic really raise their fries to another level. I haven't tried much of anything else, but the burgers are solid. Of note, they will cook to your specifications (medium, medium well, etc), which is nice. They also offer a couple of different beers and wines, so they have that going for them as well.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, solid food for a good value.

The Diner

The Diner
http://thedinertyler.com/



The Diner is an unassuming eatery on Broadway/69 a couple minutes south of Grande. It is located in a little strip mall that you can barely see from the road. The decor is 50's diner themed with heavy references to Elvis. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (closed Sunday for dinner).

The spread: Well for one, they offer everything you would expect from in an old school diner - eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes etc. for breakfast; burgers, chicken fried steak, hot dogs, soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch/dinner). But one quick look at the menu and you know that you are in for something a little different, should you be brave enough. They really go out of their way to be inventive and creative with their menu. There is a real sense of whimsy with items ranging from the "Flatliner" burger - a cheeseburger with two grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns; the chicken fried burger - burger with onion rings, fried green tomatoes, and chicken fried bacon. I have yet to opt for the specialty burgers, but my good friend enjoyed them.

The verdict: This is another example of people running a restaurant who care about their food. The food comes out quick and it is very good. I enjoyed the chicken fried bacon, they actually cook the bacon ahead of time, then batter it and deep fry it. Rich and decadent, definitely unique. Their soups and sandwiches are also right on the money. The staff has always been friendly, attentive and helpful. We also showed up with a larger group on a Saturday, and they opened a closed section so we could sit together. Just more evidence that they care about their customers. This is a great place that is unique to Tyler, so give it a try!

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, try something new!

Sonoma Grill - Pretentious or Delicious?

Sonoma Grill

5875 Old Bullard Rd
Ste 500
Tyler, TX 75703

(903) 534-9779

www.sonomagrilltyler.com

Sonoma Grill is an unassuming restaurant located just to the west of the mall in Tyler off of Old Bullard road. From the street it looks pretty fancy and visually looks like a vibrant, hip, happening place - which is why my wife and I (kids in tow) have avoided the place. We stopped by one night for one of our 'date nights'.

The spread: They claim to have a California style, which for me is a little off putting (being a good ole Texas boy), but they have a diverse menu. The appetizers range from calamari, mussels, bruschetta, crab cakes and quesadillas. They offer a myriad of salads from the standards to more interesting fair (shrimp and sea scallop, salmon, hazelnut caprino, hearts of palm). They also have pizzas and various pastas (fettucini, beef stroganoff, shrimp scampi). The entrees are also varied, with burgers, various chicken dishes 9chiken madeira, fontina, carpino, marsala), a few fish dishes (salmon, tilapia, shrimp), and steaks (filet, rib-eye, sirloin, chopped). For dessert you can choose from cheescakes, pecan pie and creme brulee. I sampled the bruschetta, crab cakes, chicken fettucini, rib-eye, macaroni and cheese and the creme brulee.

The verdict: I have to say that I was not excited about going to Sonoma Grill. It looks like a place where hip people go to eat bland, tasteless food and act superior. Boy was I wrong!!! This is an outstanding restaurant that really cares about food. Every aspect of the meal was outstanding. The waitress was the best I have had in Tyler, attentive, unobtrusive, knowledgeable and friendly. Everything I tasted was excellent. The rib-eye was cooked a perfect medium rare and packed full of flavor. My wife's fettucini was outstanding. The mac and cheese was the best I have had, creamy, cheesy, yum! The bruschetta and crab cakes were also solid and fresh. But, they saved the best for last in the creme brulee - it is the best I have had in Tyler. The meal was also very reasonably priced, especially over its main competitors (Jakes, Rick's).

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5 out of 5. Best value for a steak in Tyler.

Jucys - respectable burger.

Jucys Hamburgers
2330 East 5th Street
Tyler, TX 75701-3521
(903) 597-0660
http://www.jucyshamburgers.com/index.php



Jucys is a local hamburger joint with locations in Tyler, Longview and Marshall. They have won several awards for their hamburgers, although I don't put much weight in winning awards. There are two locations in Tyler, one just west of loop 323 on 5th street and one a couple miles south of loop 323 on Old Jacksonville Highway.

The spread: They offer hamburgers with varying toppings, chicken sandwiches, BLTs, grilled cheese, baked potatoes, salads, fries and onion rings. They have shakes and ice cream for dessert as well.

The verdict: Well, you are going to pay more for a burger here than from McDonald's, but they are worth every penny. For a long time, Jucys was the best hamburger I have had in Tyler (the burger from Coyote Sam's is the only one to top Jucys). The meat is jucy, the buns soft and the veggies fresh. One surprise was the onion rings - they were out of this world good. After taking one bite, the first thing that came in my head was "When am I going to get some more of these!?" Unfortunately, I had to share my onion rings with my wife and she was equally impressed. We have only picked up from both locations, and I think the one on 5th street is a little better.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, fine burger for a good price. Skip the fries and get onion rings!