Take The Cake

 TtC Burger w Beef/Bacon/Onion Rings/BBQ Sauce/Goat Cheese on Housemade Poppy Bun

Cooking Style/Temp: n/a, medium well

Additions/Subtractions:  none

Burger: 3

The burger was a good size, and tasted quite good, but I was a little disappointed at the medium well cook temp. No doubt they get their beef from a local source, as is TtC’s m.o. so why overcook it?

Bun: 4.5

Fresh Housemade poppy seed bun. It tasted great, and held up perfectly. They dont get much better, I knocked a half point because it wasn’t toasted.

Toppings: 4

All of the toppings were super fresh and made that day. As a collective they tasted great. A few minor things: The goat cheese lacked the pungent kick that I’m used to, the panko coated onion ring was obviously baked so it lacked that magical onion ring crunch that you get with a deep fried ring, and the bacon lacked some of the salty crunch/chew that I like. but these are minor things. The BBQ sauce was definitely homemade and was almost like a smoky ketchup, really unique, really good.

Accoutrements: 3.5

This gets a huge bump for TtC’s desserts. They’re all great. Lunch entrees come with a mixed green salad tossed in a light vinagrette. They could stand to use a bit more dressing, sometimes its so light its undetectable. The housemade pickles that came with the burger were really good, with a nice bite to them.

Atmosphere: 4

The atmosphere here is really unique to Cincinnati,  and more like something you’d find in a place like Portland. Stark white walls, decorated with local art, communal tables, a bar area that overlooks the open kitchen, always bustling and lively. It’s very fun. Service can be a little aloof on occasion.

Overall: 3.8

Take The Cake has a daily rotating menu with fresh ingredients and awesome desserts and sometimes breads. To get a burger here you need to be ever-vigilant by following them on twitter or checking their menu every day. When it does come up, I suggest you make the trek from whatever part of town you’re in and get there early because they do have limited quantities. It took me 2 tries to finally get one of the burgers. And they are worth it. They aren’t the best burgers ever, but when they’re made with superfresh and tasty ingredients its an experience worth having.