Maribelle’s Tavern

Cooking Style/Temp: grilled, medium

Additions/Subtractions: bacon, bleu cheese

Burger: 3

Again, my fault but I should’ve just ordered medium rare. The meat was a bit dried out and didn’t have much flavor aside from the nice charred taste from the grill. The picture makes the burger seem more pink than it really was. About 6oz.

Bun: 3.5

A nice, sturdy soft cornmeal dusted fresh egg bun, possibly housemade? Toasted just right. 

Toppings: 4

I docked a half a point because limiting the burger to 2 toppings for an $11 burger is pretty ridiculous. The taste and quality of the bleu cheese and bacon were exceptional.

Accoutrements: 2

Below average. The napa slaw was ok, but was really onion-y, and they only offer potato chips from a bag. I learned this is because they don’t have a fryer. I understand they want to be high end, but just because you have a fryer doesn’t mean you have to serve applebee’s level drek. The side dishes listed on the menu sound like they’d be delicious though.

Atmosphere: 3.5

Maribelle’s is set in a house along us50 in a sparse neighborhood and a view of the river, has a patio that seems like it would be really great in the summer, a cozy bar area on the first floor and then a more dainty dining room on the second floor. It was a lot less fussy than I had anticipated which was good. Overall something for everyone.

Overall: 3.2

Maribelle’s is a nicer place that serves what looks to be some really great food, especially at dinner. The burger experience leaves a bit to be desired however.   The topping restrictions and the underwhelming side options combined with the size of the burger really drag the whole thing down. Cincinnati Magazine’s #27 ranking seems a bit high. I bitch about the price, and on a regular day when the burger is $11, I would really be annoyed, but we went on a Tuesday when the burger is a mere $7 so it’s not that big of a deal, but still an issue. I’ll definitely go back, but probably not for a burger.

Gonzo Burger

1/2lb burger with gorgonzola cheese, artichokes and sun dried tomatoes 8.99
Cooking Style/Temp: grilled, ordered medium rare
Additions/Subtractions: added mayo

Burger: 2.5
The good: hand formed patty, 8oz,  good seasoning. The bad: overhandled, causing the burger to be too dense and tough, and it was overcooked, which wasn’t a problem at first as it was still good and juicy, but by the time i got to the end of the burger, it was dry and grey.

Bun: 5
Excellent grilled sesame seed bakery bun. great combo of crunchy and soft, held up for the entire burger. 

Toppings: 3.5
The saltiness of the gorgonzola was offset really well with the mellow mayo and artichokes. The sun-dried tomatoes added a nice hint of fruitiness and color, but were too chewy, texture-wise and were kind of a pain in the arse. Overall a nice combo.

Accoutrements: 3.5
Comes with house-made kettle chips, which can be pretty bitter, but are extremely tasty when dipped in their own BBQ sauce. The sauce is really good, it has a nice balance of sweetness and vinegar kick. All the other food in the menu is a large step up from regular pub eats. Highlights are the many varieties of mac & cheese, the rueben, the philly cheesesteak (which they should just call a steak sandwich) and almost everything else. Great draft beer selection as well.

Atmosphere: 3
A relaxed vibe is the order of the hour pretty much every hour they’re open. The bar area is a comfortable size, they have some nice outdoor seating and friendly staff.

Overall: 3.5
After a supremely lackluster first visit on my burgerquest, Keystone has more than turned things around. I dont know if management changed hands or if I just caught them on a bad day, but after a few recent visits, it’s become one of my favorite places to eat and/or drink. The burger meat gets a average score, but i think a lot of places have a problem really understanding how to handle a burger to make it it’s best. If they can resolve that, the burger could really be something special.

One of the better “Gourmet” burgers in town.

Erkenbrecher Burger
smoked bacon, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, fry sauce 10
Cooking Style/Temp: medium rare, griddled
Additions/Subtractions: as listed

Burger: 4.5
Big hand formed patty, great flavor, no pink in the middle but still juicy 

Bun: 4
was a little soft and doughy. absorbed the juices pretty well, but ultimately fell apart. tasted good though and had a delicious buttery toasted crunch

Toppings: 4
The delicious cheddar, tangy fry sauce, crunchy chewy bacon all molded together into an amazing fatty alchemy. Romaine and tomato lined the bottom, they were fresh and tasty, but the romaine heart that was included kind of disrupted the burger at the end and caused the whole thing to fall apart.

Accoutrements: 4
handcut shoestring fries tasted really nice, though i prefer my fries a little thicker, there were done well. tried some chili as well, it was meaty, earthy and complex. good stuff.

Atmosphere: 3.5
The Rookwood only offers 3 burgers at lunch and one at dinner, so thats why i went at lunch. The vibe in the evening is much cooler and fun. During the day its a bunch of older folks. 

Overall: 4
Solid score for one of the better burgers I’ve had in Cincinnati. Definitely great option when you’re looking for something a little more fancypants and classy. And you’ll pay the extra price for it, but the burger is worth the splurge.

There’s been mad hype surrounding this place growing for a while, so I made my way over to the East End for some Burger Questin’ (note: this is an update to an earlier trip, when i wasn’t so happy with how things turned out. let’s just say things went a little better this time.)

Burger – $6.50

Cooking Style/Temp: medium-rare, griddled

Additions/Subtractions: 1 slice of american instead of two, added bacon

Burger: 4.5

Good, fresh ground meat, hand formed and cooked on the griddle to a perfect medium rare. It had that light fluffy texture that you only get from meat ground that day, and cooked right

Bun: 4

fresh-made bun from shadeau bakery (not that that should make a difference, but noteworthy) lightly lightly toasted. good taste, and held up decently. 

Toppings: 4

bacon was crunchy, fresh lettuce and (too thick) tomato, krinkle cut pickles (my fav) lots of onion. They have a variety of interesting toppings and sauces. The temptation here is to go crazy with all the gourmet toppings, but your best bet is to go basic, with maybe one silly topping. If you go with american cheese, ask for one slice instead of two. The cheese is sliced thick enough, you won’t miss the second slice and the one you do have will melt perfectly into gooey goodness.

Accoutrements: 4

Plenty of good beers, comes with regular Mike-Sells rippled chips. You can get decent hand cut fries on the side, they’re similar to penn station’s fries but not quite as good. plus free peanuts. only cans of coke which is a bummer. nothing like an ice cold fountain coke to go with a burger. they have some tasty appetizers too. Try the Haloumi cheese, it’s a salty greek style cheese that tastes similar to mozzarella but not as melty, the griddle it and it’s addictively fantastic. 

Atmosphere: 4

In what amounts to basically a roadside burger stand this place stands out in what is otherwise a drab neighborhood, The light blue exterior serves as a perfect canvas for all the crazy vintage neon signs inside and out. The small place and big reputation ensures a consistently lively atmosphere. our servers were pretty good. If you’re cool and not an uppity dickback your experience here will be lovely. Now that guy fieri visited, dont even bother going on a friday evening before 10 or a saturday or sunday during peak hours. 

To sum it up “a bunch of crazy glowing shit on the walls”. 

Overall: 4.1

Definitely an good place to get a burger. The size of the whole ordeal makes it quite an adventure. Some are saying “best burger in town”. It’s up there but it just depends on what kind of burger you prefer. If you like a giant burger, this is definitely your place. I know 2 visits is a small sample size, but they’re too inconsistent. Sometimes the burger will be a giant grease bomb(all those burgers cooking on the griddle at the same time just makes it a giant grease pool), sometimes it will be amazing. I guess if you’re careful about when you go things should turn out all right, but should the best burger in town really be so reliant on how busy it is? People can get a bit fanatic in their burger choices and Terry’s is a victim of its own fans. All that being said you need to at least have been to Terry’s to even have “a best burger in town” conversation, which says a lot, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the place to a fellow burger enthusiast.

Every now and again, I come across burger places that look awesome, and I put em on my places to eat, should I ever find myself in that neck of the woods.

Photo Credit: Natalie Diaz

The Office in Delray Beach Florida was brought to my attention by my friend Keegan who is down there for vacation. Its a gastropub that looks like it serves up a blend between a Fancy Pants Burger and a Classic Pub Burger. The brand on the bun is a nice touch. The fries look pretty good, but I’d go with the onion rings. Killer beer list too.