Sunday, July 31, 2016

NorthWest Burgers Cheeseburger Review


Erin, Bucky, and I had all been to NorthWest Burgers before and were fans. This was Jerome’s first experience. I chose NorthWest Burgers for this installment of Cheeseburgers in Eugene because a Google search for “Cheeseburgers in Eugene” brought me to this Yelp page that told me they had the best burgers in Eugene. I told that World Wide Web page that I’d be the judge of that. Here is Jerome and me getting all judgy:

Jerome’s Review
NorthWest Burgers is part of a collection of restaurants in one big building, but personally, I think it stands out from all the others. If you’re not there for the scenery (it would be weird if you were), you must be there for the food! There are a variety of soft drinks and beers on the menu as well as a good amount of food options. The burgers there are exceptional. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be on this blog! If I had to recommend a burger place, it would definitely be NorthWest Burgers with 3 thumbs up (if I had that many)!
The burgerman at work.
James’s Review
Cheeseburger 20/25
I got their Northwest Burger with smoked Gouda. It came with Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, onions, and tomato. Jerome got the Large Jack, which had bacon, ham, fried egg, cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion, and tomato on it. My burger was well done but incredibly juicy. It had a one-third-pound patty made of local, fresh beef. I love large patties for the most part. My only qualm is that they should be seasoned well. Otherwise, you have this big, bland animal lying there between your buns (that’s what she said.) There was very little if any seasoning in this patty.

When you eat my burgers, you need to prepare for your breath to smell like garlic for the next few days. I am not suggesting restaurants that want to stay in business do that. But, at least, throw some salt and pepper on big patties. This is the main reason I gave the burger 20 out of 25.
Please stop licking your screen.
Fries 25/25
The fries were perfect. They may be the best fries I’ve had in Eugene (besides Erin’s beer-battered fries). They appear to add a batter to their fries, and the seasoning was on point. They have ketchup, ranch, salt, and pepper readily available, but you don’t need any of that. The fries stand on their own. The best part was that Erin was eating with us, so I didn’t have to share my fries with Bucky. He loved the fries but demanded ketchup.

Cost 21/25
NorthWest Burgers is not cheap, but you won’t go bankrupt eating there. For Jerome and my burgers, which came with fries, and a $3 tip, which you could probably get away with not leaving, our tab came to $27.40. That’s a bit much for two people eating lunch in Eugene, but you get a lot of food for that. We were both stuffed silly.
Pretty fry for a white guy.
Ambiance 12/15
NorthWest Burgers is located in the 5th Street Market, and there were a bunch of restaurants there that share seating. The place basically looks like a refurbished old-timey building. There was a whole section of middle-aged guys sitting alone looking at their smartphones. If you listened closely, you could hear the finest generic jazz playing. They also offer outdoor seating, where you can observe college-aged kids waiting for the Bolt Bus.

Service 7/10
This is one of those places where you have to walk all the way up to the counter, place your order, sit down, wait for them to shout your name so you can walk back up to the counter to get your food, then you have to bus your table when you’re done. I’m kind of embarrassed that I left a tip. I don’t tip McDonald’s, and they probably have it worse. That said, I have nothing but nice things to say about the people who were working there. They were very attentive to my many needs.

NorthWest Burgers’ Overall Score: 85/100

NorthWest Burgers deserves a spot in your regular cheeseburger rotation. Their burger patties are a bit bland, but their fries and toppings make up for it. I recommend them!

Friday, July 22, 2016

Burgers on the Run Cheeseburger Review


Burgers on the Run is a bit of a unicorn as far as burger places go. It does not appear to have set hours. Essentially, you catch them when you catch them. This is a permanent food truck located outside of the Oakshire Brewing Public House on Madison across the street from The Wandering Goat. I think we have been most successful catching them open at lunchtime on weekdays. For instance, this time, we went at noon on a Thursday.

I would recommend coming with a Plan B for where to eat. Our Plan B is usually The Sandwich League, which is not to say The Sandwich League is inferior in any way. It’s just nearby and really good. Without further qualifications:
Green sauce is the green sauce to the right.
Cheeseburger 21/25
Jerome and I both ordered their Double Burger with cheddar cheese added. They use quarter-pound patties at Burgers on the Run. They also toss on lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and their own special mayo-based sauce. They were pretty tight-lipped about the secret recipe, but I’m pretty sure it consists of mayo, pepper, garlic, and either green food coloring or basil. Dealer’s choice. The burger was nice and juicy. It could have been seasoned more, and they went a little crazy with the onions, and I could have used more cheese, but overall, it was good.

Fries 19/25
Burgers on the Run serves your standard French fries: straight cut, fried to golden goodness. They clearly added some salt to the fries, but I like more seasoning. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any salt shakers in the vicinity and was hesitant to ask because people kept coming up to order, and I had already asked for a side of green sauce to dip my fries into. Bucky clearly enjoyed the fries, though I did have to stop him from just dipping his hands in the ketchup and putting them in his mouth.
Before he resorted to mainlining the ketchup.
Cost 22/25
The burgers at Burgers on the Run do not come with fries. I was unsure about how much we’d need because of Bucky’s special needs, so I got two large sides of fries. It turns out one would have sufficed. Our total for two Double Burgers with cheese and two large sides of fries was $21.10. There wasn’t really a need to tip since there was little service (such is the nature of food carts).

Ambiance 13/15
There is essentially only outdoor seating at Burgers on the Run. However, they will deliver your burgers to you in the Oakshire Public House. For about the first fifteen minutes we were there, there was a radio blaring commercials. Eventually, the station started playing classic rock. I think a juke box or even a smartphone playing Spotify would have been preferable. Oh well. The saving grace was that some older lady came up to me and told me I was doing a great job raising my boys. I told her, “Buzz off! I don’t need your validation!”

Service 7/10
The food was ready quickly, and they were attentive to my needs, but as is the nature of the food carts, I had to go to the window to order, I had to pick up my food, and I had to bus my table. This is easy for most, but I had to contend with a screaming toddler who just wanted to throw rocks. Also, I don’t like having to wait in line for follow-up items (like salt or green sauce). Such is the life of a whiny guy.
Serious men eating serious burgers.
Jerome’s Review
Burgers on the run… where do I start? The great food? Sure, why not? The food at Burgers on the Run is absolutely exceptional! It's like a slice of heaven in patty form with oozing juices and condiments galore. The burgers are definitely some of the best I've ever had.
The atmosphere there is wonderful with music always playing and the various signs and souvenirs scattered around the place. The whole restaurant is a grounded food truck, and the dining area out front is nice. If you're looking for a nice place with good food, I recommend Burgers on the Run, and I personally give it 4 thumbs up (if I had that many)!

Burgers on the Run’s Overall Score: 82/100
Burgers on the Run is worth checking out if you catch them open, but have a Plan B in place. I recommend the food carts over by Ninkasi and The Board. Enjoy!


Do you want James and Jerome to review your cheeseburgers? We happily accept free food in exchange for an unbiased review. Email us at jamesbrains55@gmail.com if interested.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Chingu Cheeseburger Review




Welcome to our new blog. This is a joint production of James and Jerome, a father-son duo that loves cheeseburgers and fries. We are going to slowly review all of the cheeseburgers Eugene has to offer, and Bucky the Toddler and Erin the Wife may occasionally tag along. Today, we review Chingu.

Chingu is a restaurant that is dear to our hearts. Oddly enough, though, that is not why we chose it as our first place to review. We actually did a Yelp search for the highest-rated burger place in Eugene, and Chingu came up. We used to live nearby and would stop in every week or two. The owner, Mike, loved to come to our table and make Bucky the Toddler crack up by making silly faces. In fact, when we came in for this review, he immediately asked, “Where’s your wife?”

Unfortunately, Chingu is closing its doors on July 31, 2016. Mike did not seem too interested in talking about it. He just handed me one of his patented newsletters (see below.) Here is how Chingu’s cheeseburger stacks up:

Cheeseburger 23/25
Jerome and I both ordered the Mega Size Cheese Burger, which consists of two one-third-pound patties, two slices of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a Thousand Island-like special sauce. They don’t ask you how you want your burger done, but that was fine. It turned out to be medium well and incredibly juicy. The burger melts on your tongue.
Just add ketchup.
Fries 22/25
They serve waffle fries (or criss-cut fries) that come unseasoned. I generally like my fries seasoned with at least a little salt, but I can totally understand why they would leave the level of sodium intake to the customer. There was a salt shaker on the table to remedy the situation. Anyway, Bucky ate most of our fries, so they were clearly good.
The fry thief at work.
Cost 23/25
Mega Size Cheese Burgers cost $8 with fries included. As a fat man, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it filled me up even with Bucky eating most of my fries. With the tip (well worth having someone bring your food to you and bus your table), it was quite affordable in today’s economy.

Ambiance 15/15
Chingu’s décor and branding have always confused me. For one, they serve amazing Korean food (I strongly recommend the Stonebowl Bibimbap) and soul food alongside their delicious burgers. In fact, they are also commonly known as “Burger Lovers” and still have signs with that branding. With this menu, what kind of décor would you expect? If you guessed framed paintings of cartoonish Italian chefs, you would be spot on! At first, we thought the place was a front for some sort of mob operation because there are several cameras throughout the restaurant.

Another reason we thought it had to be a front was that there was rarely anyone there. In fact, when we went at around 11:30 on a Friday morning, we were the only people in the restaurant. I kind of like the weirdness of it.

Service 10/10
The servers are very attentive to the customers’ needs and are willing to bend over backwards to accommodate. We have never had anything but the best service at Chingu.

Jerome’s Review
Korean food and burgers, an interesting combination if you ask me. And Chingu is an interesting place, so the array of food they serve is fitting. I’ve eaten there many times before, and I feel that every time the food tastes a little better and is a little more filling than the last time I ate there. Mike the owner and head chef at Chingu, will always have a special place in my heart because of his kindness and knack for making the best burgers and Korean food in the whole Eugene area. Mike would also write newsletters to his customers telling of the events taking place in his life at the time as well as asking for advice on how he could make his food better. In conclusion, Chingu, the best burger and Korean food joint in all of Eugene may be closing on the 31st, but it will always live on in our hearts and our stomachs.
Cheeseburger bliss.
Chingu’s Overall Score: 93/100
We strongly encourage you to check out Chingu before they close. Just don’t go on Saturdays: that is the only day they are closed. Enjoy!
This is Chingu's final newsletter.
Do you want James and Jerome to review your cheeseburgers? We happily accept free food in exchange for an unbiased review. Email us at jamesbrains55@gmail.com if interested.