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.

Gas Light Cafe

 

Bacon Cheeseburger: 1/4lb burger deluxe, topped with bacon strips

Cooking Style/Temp: griddled, medium well

Additions/Subtractions:  none

Burger: 2.5

Average. Tasted fine but didn’t seem like anything special. Just a basic fast-food style patty. Maybe I should’ve gotten the 1/2lb gaslight burger. I didnt realize there was a difference until just now. Whoops.

Bun: 3

Regular ol’ bun. It was buttered and toasted however which was a solid move on their part. 

Toppings: 3.5

The veggies were fresh and tasted good. They were placed under the burger which made it hard to make any adjustments like removing an extra onion, plus I like my ketchup to intermingle with the mayo. The bacon was crisp-chewy, but was lacking a little in flavor.

Accoutrements: 3.5

It was a hard decision to choose between the onion rings, seasoned waffle fries and the regular fries (which happed to be krinkle cut, much to my dismay I found that out after we got done eating). Boooo. Fortunately we were still able to try 2 of the 3 and they were both excellent, albeit basic. Also comes with a very spicy pickle. They have a couple ok beers on tap, and then the basics.

Atmosphere: 3

For a place like this, the Gas Light Cafe is spaced very nicely. There is plenty of space between the bar and row of banquettes, a few decent sized newer tvs, and really cool unique mirrors at each booth so you can see your dining companion from a few different angles. Service is exactly what you’d expect at a place like this, with the waitress resembling every diner waitress you’ve ever seen. 

Overall: 3.1

This number is about right. Gas Light Cafe is AnyBurgerBarJoint USA, and thats A-OK. There’s nothing spectacular about it, but has all the essentials for a laid back good time. Cincinnati Magazine Rated theier burger #4 in town, which was lofty praise indeed. I should’ve re-read the write up (say that 3 times fast) and I would’ve known what to get. As it stands, the magazine rating is high, but I’ll definitely have to go back for the correct fries and the proper burger. I’m ok with that.

PS It also helps that it’s right next door to Everybody’s Records, which will help further fuel my new burgeoning record collection. Saturday’s finds were Edwin Starr and Elvis Costello. Solid.

HAMBURGERS AND VEGGIE BURGERS 
Burgers are 1/3 # and char grilled. Served on a char grilled bakery bun with mayo, lettuce and onions. Tomato available upon request at no charge. Served with a side of fries.

Ronda’s Way… Spicy Chipolte Cranberry and Pepperjack Cheese

Cooking Style/Temp: char-grilled, no choice

Additions/Subtractions: none

Burger: 2

Small patty, square shaped (I thought it might be a JTM, not sure if it was, but the inside didnt seem like it was) not much flavor besides char on the outside. 

Bun: 2

was toasted, but still really chewy. might’ve been a bit stale. not a fan. 

Toppings: 3.5

the chipotle cranberry mayo was good, the pepperjack couldve been melted a little more. the lettuce was fresh and i liked how thin the red onions were sliced.

Accoutrements: 2.75

The fries were decent, kind of reminiscent of Burger King’s fries, but better. Came with a housemade ketchup that had an italian kick to it. Potato salad was available too.

Atmosphere: 4.5

Arnold’s is one of the best bars in Cincinnati. They have great beer on tap, a sheppard fairey mural in the adjoining alley, a chill atmosphere and an awesome back patio. I always have a good time when I come here, whether I’m there for lunch, a couple drinks or all night.

Overall: 2.95

The lunchtime burgers are not really worth getting, you’re better off going for almost any of their other offerings at lunch. Apparently they’re supposed to be known for their Italian food (who knew?) Either way, don’t let this burger review stop you from visiting this Cincinnati landmark. Great place, weak burger.

HABITS BURGERS

At Habits Cafe we offer a variety of delicious burgers, made from quality meat ground and delivered to us daily by a local prime butcher. Our burgers are served with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo and come with a side item. Use the simple step-by-step menu below to order your burger exactly the way you want it.

Hamburger 7.00

Godzilla Style - Pepperjack, spicy onion straws, jalepeno mayo +1.25

Cooking Style/Temp: griddled, medium rare

Additions/Subtractions: none, but I was tempted to get some fresh vegetation.

Burger: 4.5

Fresh tasting meat, and it was cooked perfectly, the size was big enough but it wasnt overwhelming, and the texture was good. Everything about it was pretty solid, but at the same time nothing about it stood out as extraordinary. The only complaint was maybe it was a little dry. especially for medium rare. But it was just really good. 

Bun: 2.5

A good sized commercial egg bun, held up really well for the whole burger. 

Toppings: 3.5

The Godzilla Burger is the one featured in Cincinnati Magazine’s Top 40 Burgers in the City, so I had to go with that. It was definitely an interesting combination, though not one that I would necessarily want to get again and again. The fried onions were ok, and so was the pepper jack cheese, but i wasn’t really a fan of how they all came together with the spicy mayo. It was fine, but nothing really crazy or mind blowing.

Accoutrements: 2

This is based on what I got, and not what was actually available. Fries at Habit’s are an afterthought, get the Potato Rags instead. Good beers on tap. I had a few Bell’s 2 Hearted Ales. One of my top 5 favorite beers.

Atmosphere: 3.5

Habit’s has a very familiar feel to the way that it’s set up. I feel like there about 50 places in Cincinnati organized exactly the same. I didnt even need to ask where the bathroom was because i already knew exactly where it was. It’s in Oakley, so there’s plenty of yuppies, myself included.

Overall: 3.2

I was actually quite impressed at how well my burger came out, the whole thing was neat and tidy and tasted fresh and good. Habit’s is good for a burger when you’re in the mood for a good solid burger in a comfortable place. Its not really a destination place but solid nonetheless. 

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.

I am a zip’s fan, but not a fanboy. I can see why some people don’t get all hot and bothered, but I dont get offended when someone says they don’t like it. Burgerquest continues.

Zip Burger
Cooking Style/Temp: all burgers prepared medium-well, griddled
Additions/Subtractions: with cheese

Burger: 4
about 6oz, hand formed and cooked to a juicy medium well, great beefy flavor and texture. its just the right size that you feel satisfied after eating but not overstuffed. Ive only had one bad burger from here, and it was overcooked because they were slow that night.

Bun: 3
egg buns that you can buy at the grocery store, so they’re noting special, but they’re the perfect size and complement for a zipburger 

Toppings: 3
fresh toppings, perfectly sliced tomato, chopped lettuce. some burgers you need to disassemble the onions or reduce the lettuce, everything here is perfectly proportioned, notice on the plate, theres no extra greenery.

Accoutrements: 4
simple menu. amazing onion rings.(best in town actually)  the fries are so-so shoestrings. i always wish they had krinkle cut fries. great beers on tap. this time we had a fantastic seasonal Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA.

Atmosphere: 4
this place is almost always crowded, its a super small and unique space, you’re lucky if you get one of the few booths. there is a back room with a bar and one or 2 tables. a great place to get lunch on a saturday in the wintertime. just a laid-back neighborhood joint, except everyone in town goes there. 

Overall: 3.6
a lot of people’s favorite for best burger in town and it’s hard to argue. there’s nothing fancy or over the top about zip’s. it’s just the best “homemade” burger you’ve ever eaten and always consistently delicious, perfectly proportioned and for what you get in quality, reasonably priced. this is the everyman burger at it’s finest.

Arthur’s Cafe, Hyde Park, Cincinnati, Ohio

Arthur’s Burger Madness
Unlimited toppings on our original Arthur’s Burger burger with fries for $7

Cooking Method: Griddled

Cooking Temp: Medium Rare

Additions/Subtractions: pepper jack cheese and bacon, lettuce and tomato

Burger: 4.5
Im not a fan of a thick patty but the burger itself was perfectly cooked, juicy, and not too tightly packed. The meat itself was very tasty and seasoned nicely

Bun: 4
Lightly toasted and soft, it was about the same thickness as the burger which made it almost too tall to take a bite out of. Held up well and had a nice crunch.

Toppings: 4
Not too much lettuce, and the tomato wasn’t too thick. The bacon was a great complement, but the pepper jack cheese didnt have much flavor. The bleu cheese or the boursin cheese at Arthur’s are recommended

Accoutrements: 4
The fries were good enough, nothing spectacular, but were solid nonetheless. comes with a pickle spear. the ice in the cokes and waters was a nice surprise. unique to say the least. almost like icebergs, easy to chew. good stuff. Loses points for no onion rings. Get with it guys, onion rings would make the perfect compliment to arthur’s big burgers.

Atmosphere: 3.5
Arthur’s bar area is one of a kind with a giant mural with all kinds of creepy charicatures all over it. the back patio is one of my favorite places in town to eat outside, its like going to another place. atmosphere is homey and laid back, and even though its in hyde park, there is very comfortable vibe. service was good, we didnt care for the multiple people clearing tables, refilling drinks, etc. though. decent beers on tap, standards.

Overall: 4
Arthur’s is a Hyde Park staple, though people come from everywhere to eat here, because of it’s comfortable laid-back neighborhood vibe. The best time to get a burger is on sunday monday or tuesday for their burger madness. A very good burger with unlimited toppings and fries for $7. Definitely a must-try for anyone seeking the best burger in Cincinnati.

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.

The Western Burger – Our classic burger topped with bacon, cheddar and tangy

BBQ sauce and served to you fully dressed. No mayo though. Comes with fries * 9.49

Cooking Style/Temp: medium, griddled

Additions/Subtractions: swapped cheddar for bleu cheese dressing

Burger: 2.75

Huge burger, with a super fine grind. fresh and hand-formed patty. the meat was really salty, i could still taste the salt 20 minutes later. I ordered it medium but should’ve gotten medium rare as it was pretty dry inside.

Bun: 4

Really nice sesame seed white bun, lightly toasted. had good texture and held up pretty well until the end. not too many buns would hang with a burger that big.

Toppings: 3.5

The bacon was exceptional, crunchy-chewy and it probably amplified the saltiness of the burger. the lettuce tomato and pickles were all fresh, crisp and very good. for some reason though, i really couldnt taste the bbq sauce or the blue cheese. i missed the tang of the sauce and the funk of the bleu cheese. i the creaminess of the dressing was there, but it lacked that flavor punch that i love of that combo. 

Accoutrements: 4

The Fries were fantastic. Great outer crunch and fluffy inner texture. Also, definitely try the deep fried pretzel bites. they were super good. small but good draft beer selection. Had a magic hat #9 and a great lakes elliot ness. 

Atmosphere: 3

Going at lunch on a Thursday seemed like a decent time to go, and it wasn’t super crowded, but we were still left with an hour wait. A few people even gave up and left. The surrounding neighborhood reminded me of the east side of Newport, and parking can be tricky. I cant imagine what this place is like on a busy night. The bar/dining area is small, cozy and dark, with lots of epherma collected from over the years. My favorite piece was a sticker that says “No Lot Lizards” If you dont know what a lot lizard is, look it up. Service was pretty good, but they were a little over the top with the Beer/ID thing. I need 2 IDs to get 2 beers? What if i feel like double fisting?

Overall: 3.45

At first I was pretty disappointed by the whole experience, but upon further reflection, The Thurman Cafe was pretty good. I wasn’t a life altering event, but a solid, above average neighborhood burger joint. I wasn’t super hungry, and we were leaving town right after eating so the long wait coupled with the dread of a 2 hour drive with a giant burger resting in my stomach left me less than enthusiastic. This is definitely the place to come when you want a giant burger, and they have lots of enticing options. So check it out, you’ll be happy you did.

Senate Burger

wood grilled angus burger, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, brioche bun, housemade pickles     $11

Cooking Style/Temp: medium rare, grilled

Additions/Subtractions: as listed

Burger: 3

the meat was fresh and tasty enough, and it had the nice smoky flavor from the grill but it lacked the sear from super high temps

Bun: 2

untoasted and wierd tasting, a major disappointment, too much bun to burger ratio

Toppings: 3 

the toppings by themselves were good, but together they were all overwhelming

Accoutrements: 5 

senate has a fantastic menu, almost entirely gourmet appetizer-centric, the truffle fries were crunchy on the outside and fluffy, almost mashed potato-like inside. get the poutine, as it is addictively good. the house made pickles on the side were tasty, if cut too thick to actually use on the burger. excellent beer selection, too.

Atmosphere: 3.5

Senate is relatively new, but it already has tremendous buzz and has been busy every time i’ve been there. It’s a cool urban shotgun space with an open kitchen. It will be even nicer when the weather gets warm and the whole front window opens entirely. Service has been a disappointment both times i’ve been there, the first time the waitress was swamped and kind of absent-minded, and the second time the waiter was rushed and kind of awkward, and made even getting water refills a tense affair.

Overall: 3.3 

Senate’s score is boosted by the menu and restaurant itself, the burger for me was a pretty big disappointment, especially for the high hopes and to a lesser extent, the price. It’s a case of a burger being less than the sum of its parts. It’s like they took the blueprint of a fancypants burger and just schlepped it all together without much attention to detail on how to actually make a killer burger. And to some degree, you could say that about Senate the restaurant as a whole. It’s pretty good, but could be so much better.