Burgers be beefin

Photos and story by Bryce Crawford

The New Guy

Bingo Burger 101 Central Plaza, Pueblo, bingoburger.com

The Old-Timer

Cys Drive In 1833 W. Uintah St., 630-7008

The Fast-but-Local
Short Stop 485 N. Circle Drive, 444-8428

Bun

A lovely, round toasted cornmeal Kaiser roll thats a little dry, but holds up well throughout a prolonged assault on the burger.

Slightly over-toasted, but an otherwise nice and fluffy sesame seed bun courtesy of the Sara Lee Corporation. Well-matched to the task of containing the fairly juicy beef.

A smashed, sesame-seed-laden version of something that used to be fluffy, straight from the school of fast, mass food. Successful only in that it prevented me from having to hold the beef patty directly.

Burger

A template for anybody confused about how to source their product: The pattys rich with the flavor of incorporated fire-roasted Pueblo chilies, while the meat is of the grass-fed variety from Cattlemens Choice Beef in Caon City. Unfortunately, the one we got was also a little thin and dry.

A half-pound patty of hormone- and antibiotic-free meat from Ranch Foods Direct topped with American cheese. Though its definitely cooked well-done, instead of the requested medium, this strong contender for best burger holds moisture well and offers a juicy bite.

A thin, bland sliver of assumed beef and American cheese. During one unfortunate bite, I got all meat thank God for the healing crystalline sugar blast of Pepsi.

Fixins

Like most of the burgers listed here, Bingo offers a fairly standard array, though a little on the skimpy side, for its normal burger: fresh lettuce, pickle and red onion and a gooey swirl of cheddar.

Cys goes with the standard pickle, onion and lettuce dressings, but these thick slices stand above the average. For sauce aficionados, theres the good ol mustard and ketchup on the table.

I know there were toppings, because I saw them. I did taste mayo and mustard, and some lettuce fell on my shirt, so it must have been in there, but ...

Fries

Some of the best we tried: Deeply potato-y strands topped with chunky sea salt. The spuds come via farmers in the San Luis Valley, who then deliver them straight to the restaurant.

Anytime I see these basic versions, squareish and thick, Im a little skeptical. These are the fries of your childhood cafeteria, and thats not necessarily a good memory. Thankfully, Cys are better fried to a nice crisp, plentiful and well-salted. Cys overall cost of $6.82 comes in as one of the cheaper meals on this list, and one of the better-tasting. The burger is a sure two-hander, while the 58-year-old atmosphere surrounding this classic drive-in is hard to top.

Nothing wrong with these guys, McDonalds clones that they are. Thin, salty, lightly crispy and all golden, fatty deliciousness inside. Addicting, and surely as lethal.

Value

The Double-Bs strength is in burgers loaded down with additional items like guacamole, fried eggs or caramelized onions, or meats like lamb, with a rosemary aioli. For purposes of their house burger, $8.59 is too much to pay, even with wonderful fries.

The best thing about the burger from Short Stop is that its fairly cheap a burger and fries ran $5.25. Unfortunately, then you have to eat it. If there were a Wendys across the street, itd be a tough choice, but with contenders like this list, the longtime local purveyors just havent got what it takes to hang.

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March 17-23, 2011

ind me the best burger in the area. Hell, find me the best definition of a burger in Colorado Springs. Is it made with lamb, or buffalo or foie gras-covered ostrich? (Cause, you know, hook me up if it is.) Is it topped with bacon, or aioli or fried eggs? Is the meat locally sourced? Is it from a chain, or a diner, or your mom? These questions, and more, we considered when putting together our quest to find the best damn burger our burg has to offer, a natural progress ion from our previous looks at the citys best wings, ribs, taco trucks and farmers markets. We decided beef was the way, with standard toppings: cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and the

like. Condiments could come as they would and sides would be fries, except when they were Ruffles potato chips at the Keg Lounge. As for scoring, no extra points were awarded for style or sourcing decisions; substance alone would be our guide. We looked at the bun, the beef, the toppings and the sides. Its a victual world out there, and we were determined to find our way so that others might follow. We even managed to learn a few things. Like, even if you ignore sourcing as an end in itself, you cant ignore its effect on our most important measure: taste. A patty of Ranch Foods Direct beef may seem like any other when eaten in isolation. But
continued on p. 21

The Bar

Keg Lounge 730 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, 685-9531

The Diner

Kings Chef Diner 131 E. Bijou St., 110 E. Costilla St., kingschefdiner.com

The Do-It-Yourself
OMalleys Steak Pub 104 State Hwy. 105, Palmer Lake, omalleyswings.com

Bun

A lukewarm toasted French roll in a rectangular shape from the Colorado Bread Company. Our server said it made it easier for the restaurant to tell the difference between it and the buffalo burger; my girlfriend was just glad it made it easier for her to eat. At least an inch thick, this baby was serious. Ordered medium, the hunk of beef from Ranch Foods Direct arrived perfectly cooked, covered in a gooey cheddar and packing enough juice to change the lives of more than a few napkins. Definitely one of the top burgers on this list.

A very soft cornmeal bun that responds to a gripping hand like memory foam. Perfect for mashing the remains into your maw, or imprinting new and exciting designs (for you arty types).

An average sesame seed hamburger bun, likely available at any grocery store. It does hold up fine throughout the meal, however and for this burgers purposes, worked out fine.

Burger

Owner Gary Geiser says Denver-based Mountain City Meat custom-makes the restaurants burger patties, allowing Geiser to control the grind and percentage of fat and the like. For its part, the medium-thick burger, topped with American, is juicy and cooked perfectly.

Castle Rock Meats of Denver supplies an average-sized patty with a greasy streak, though that largely depends on how its cooked by you. Kudos for actual cheddar cheese, instead of American.

Fixins

Veggies arrive stacked on the side, separate from the burger: pickles, tomato and a nice punchy red onion. A ramekin of mayonnaise sits on the side if you like your meat with a little goo.

An about-what-youd-expect trio of red onions, pickles and lettuce stacked separate from the burger. Though hardly unique, each was juicy enough and complemented the burger well.

A backyard affair of mustard, ketchup, mayo and average cuts of lettuce, pickle and onion. The plate arrives after youve been sent to the grill with your meat, so dont forget to grab it from the table.

Fries

None, alas. The presence of utterly generic Ruffles potato chips next to such a quality hamburger is a true bummer. Even some Tater Tots would sate my need for an actual fried side.

There are people out there who appreciate a fry that bends more than it breaks. Im not one to me, the limp fries at KCD are among its weaker offerings, though they come in big, peppery portions.

Though nicely hand-cut, these fries are too greasy and over-fried into thick chewy-ness to add much. Like the condiments, they also arrive after youve been sent to the grill, so at least get em while theyre hot.

Value

At $9.34, the Kegs burger is one of the more expensive on this list, though it mostly feels worth it. Theres nothing in the way of sides, but the pleasure of killing all that locally sourced meat in one sitting is something any barfly could appreciate.

A fine lunch, and at $8.59 a better value than the like-priced Bingo Burger, but not the top of the heap. Try its other versions, including the famous covered-in-green-chili one or the New Mexico Stomper challenge.

The draw of an OMalleys burger damn near the cheapest on this list at $6.68 isnt so much the quality, which is as backyard barbecue as it gets, but the fact that you grill it yourself. Its a totally fun and communal experience that, unfortunately, carries no weight in this competition.

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munched next to the otherwise flavorful mass-production from our Best Of winner Five Guys Burgers and Fries, its notable and enjoyable for its lack of grease. So we cast our fate to the winds, seeking high and low for ground chuck products famous for word-of-mouth hype, or historical significance, or their place in our collective culinary consciousness. We ate the steakhouse standard, the cook-your-own, the greasy spoon and five others in between, from Pueblo to Palmer Lake. Of course, and you know this by now, we didnt make it to everywhere; mostly because gas is now three small-to-medium-sized children per gallon, but also because

we dont know the burgers everywhere. We hear there are killer patties awaiting destruction at the Margarita at PineCreek, the Wines of Colorado and other spots, but we just couldnt fit them in. So thats where you can help: If we missed it, and you know it, hit us up at scene@ csindy.com or forever hold your peace. Otherwise, grab some napkins and lets fuckin eat. (A note: All prices include fries, cheese and tax.) bryce@csindy.com

The Readers Pick

Five Guys Burgers and Fries 7252 N. Academy Blvd., fiveguys.com

The Steakhouse

Winner!

The Famous 31 N. Tejon St., thefamoussteakhouse.net

Bun

A smashed piece of sesame-seeded deliciousness that couldnt hold this burger together to save its life. By the midway point, the bottom was soaked clear through and flopped around between every bite. Tasty, though. Two patties separated by swirls of molten American cheese. Very greasy, with a tendency to crumble as the meal goes on, but certainly satisfying if youre not worried about sudden death.

Bread that can act as an equal with the main course is a too-rare thing. But there are ciabattas out there that will change your very life. And if they dont change your life, or eating habits, they might just taste really freaking good. This bun is one of those: thick and chewy house-baked sourdough topped with a crust of melted cheddar. Its almost a meal itself, and holds up strong against a burger patty dribbling juice left and right. Take the scraps from some of the best ribeye and strip steaks this city has to offer. Grind them in-house. Fashion them into an inch-and-a-half-thick patty, packed with meaty flavor and enough juices to make a bib the smart move. Repeat, as youre doing Gods work.

Burger

Fixins

Free with the burger, diners have the option of any combination of ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, onion, lettuce, pickles, thick tomatoes, grilled onions and mushrooms, jalapeo and green peppers and more. On the one hand, no burger can sustain such gluttony; on the other, no person can resist it. Not bad at all. These guys are lightly salted and skin-on, with their city and state of origin listed on a whiteboard by the cash register. (In a shocking development, ours were from Idaho.) Some will be in the cup theyre served in, but even more will be inside the greased-up bag, covering your burger. $8.15 buys a lot of flavor and a lot of grease it even gets you the experience of trying to eat a disintegrating lump of veggies, carbs and protein. What it doesnt get you is any amount of freshness other than that imparted by the veggies, which are quickly overwhelmed by all the hot grease action going on around them. In any event, its a tasty burger, for sure, but a little over-priced.

In addition to a killer burger and a perfect bun, The Famous offers a study in contrasts. In the one hand, theres carnivorous perfection from a restaurant that knows its meat, topped with crisp lettuce, tomato and red onion. In the other hand, theres bottles of Heinz ketchup and mustard dropped along with it. Why Id want to sully the Taj Mahal of hamburger creation with high-fructose corn syrup is a mystery to me. So for future reference, dear steakhouse, just pander to me and offer me a kitchenmade, stone-ground something, to go along with my half-pickle and choice of cheese.

Fries

Even more disappointing than the bottled badness are The Famous fries. Similar to Cys in that theyre cafeteria-esque, but they never recover from that humble (read: bad) comparison. Though very obviously not the restaurants focus, anything would be an improvement.

Value

A burger with a $13.91 price tag, like this one, has more to prove than its lesser-priced counterparts. If I can buy two meals from Cys or almost three from Short Stop for this price, its incumbent upon us to ask if its worth it. And in this case? Its very close, but it is. The drive-in, as well as the Keg Lounge, offer great options, but its the quality and depth of flavor found here, examined all the harder for its price, that takes the cake. Also, coincidentally or not, those two, along with The Famous, were the only ones to ask how wed like the burger cooked. This steakhouses house-made mound o beef just tastes too close to heaven to ignore. And even better? Its very splittable: I can eat entire four-legged mammals with little problem, but during this visit, my girlfriend and I each took half (with our waitress blessing and assistance) and found ourselves on the receiving end of a solid post-lunch coma. So find a friend and dig in.

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