Cincinnati Magazine’s Top 40 Burgers: Part IV: THE TOP 10 BURGERS IN TOWN

#10 Senate

OV ER RAT ED! I really like Senate as a restaurant too. The burger is a paint-by-numbers attempt at a fancy burger, but all the elements are lacking. It should taste awesome, and i know it should taste awesome, but it just doesnt. The total is less than the sum of its parts.

#9 Keystone Bar & Grill

I actually think this is a pretty fair placement on the list. I used to really not like Keystone all that much, but in the last few months, it’s become one of my favorite spots. Oh, and doesn’t that photo below look kinda familiar?

#8 Paula’s Cafe

This is another spot that I think has more hype than it deserves, the burger is pretty good, but I don’t think it belongs in the top 10. Plus the service is terrible, almost always.

#7 Oakley Pub & Grill

Originally part of the 915/skinnylegs/zola group (i think it’s since been sold) they do have the soul burger at those other establishments. I think this proves that all 4 of these places serve up consistently the best burgers in town. this might as well be 915.

#6 Virgil’s Cafe

You may be familiar with this place from a certain chipmunk-lookin’ tv host and their etouffé but apparently they also have a pretty good burger. I’ve eaten here but haven’t gotten around to the burger. For whatever reason I dont dig the vibe of the place even though everyone raves about it. It’s right up the street from me so sometime I’ll make a point to brave all the BMW’s and 50+ year olds and try it.

#5 VanZandt Restaurant & Tavern

Havent been here but by most accounts is pretty solid. I’ll make a trip for it, even if the name does automatically conjure up images of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

#4 Gas Light Cafe

Haven’t even heard of this place, let alone tried it. Sounds like a solid basic diner burger. I’ll give it a go at some point.

#3 Terry’s Turf Club

Once you get into the top 5 of most lists, the listed items become pretty much interchangable and unless you have some sort of bias, most people should feel pretty good about stuff. Terry’s most deservedly belongs in here. I like to keep mine simple rather than get crazy with all the sauces.

#2 City View Tavern

Definitely a solid burger, but #2 in town? no way. this one slides in on charm and location. put this bad boy in the 6-10 range.

#1 The Wildflower Cafe

Kind of a shocker for #1, but i cant judge at this point, as i’ve never been there. a co-worker and fellow burger aficianado has recommended the wildflower, so I do believe i’ll have to make a trip, especially for “the best burger in town”

Big Ted Deluxe

BIG Ted Deluxe ~ voted “Best Cheeseburger in Paradise” by readers of Cincinnati Magazine ~ is a griddle cooked 6-oz hand-made burger topped with American cheese, and just the right amount of brown mustard, onion, mayonnaise, lettuce, catsup, tomato*, and pickle. *in-season … we use “home grown” 
$6.75
Cooking Style/Temp: griddled, all burgers medium well
Additions/Subtractions: none

Burger: 4.5
Hand formed patty, cooked to a juicy medium-well, had a slightly chewy texture, but it was tasty, perfectly seasoned and had a good crust from the griddle. The size was absolutely perfect, big enough to be satisfying but not so huge you felt gross afterwards. This was true for the burger as a whole as well. The main complaint was you can’t request temperature, but this is a bar burger, so it would be silly to expect otherwise.

Bun: 3.75
Fresh white bakery bun, held up for the whole burger, it would be amazing if they grilled or toasted it.

Toppings: 3
Not much in the way of variety, but what they do have is fresh and tasty. Im not a brown mustard fan, but this version was very mild and when mixed together with the ketchup and mustard they came together to form a nice sauce. The american cheese melded perfectly into the cracks of the burger and mixed perfectly with the seasonings on the meat.

Accoutrements: 2
This was my beef (no pun intended) with City View when I previously visited B.B.Q. (Before BurgerQuest). You get a side of Husman’s plain potato chips or Grippo’s BBQ chips. While you can’t beat a fresh bag of either, sometimes you want a basket of fries or onion rings to go with it.

Atmosphere: 4
City View Tavern is a nice sized bar on a hard to access street on the side of the hill in Mt. Adams, the cook/owner is brusque in a good way and the deck is cozy. They have good beers on tap and a pool table. It can feel a bit like a church basement or elks club with the wood paneled walls and linoleum floor. But the whole thing works and feels very comfortable and unique.

Overall: 3.45
The Big Ted burger was recently named the #2 burger in town by Cincinnati Magazine in it’s recent burger issue. I can see why it was voted so well, but I cant agree that it’s that high up there. Dont get me wrong, this is a near flawless burger, but there is also nothing exceptional about it. I would say when you want a very good burger with no fuss, good beer and a really good view, have at it. Just hope you get an outdoor seat.

One of the main issues with City View can be finding a parking spot on a totally cramped street, and as trivial as it may sound, that could be the true test, as a great burger would convince me to not give a shit about the parking situation. When presented with that challenge to go get a Big Ted, I would say that its a really good burger, but not so super good that I’d steal someone’s parking spot over it.