Comments on: Burger report: Criteria

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:47:48 +0000

I get that In-N-Out’s fries aren’t for everyone; many people find them flaccid in their standard presentation, and stiff when “well done.” These people probably expect a crunchy-on-the-outside-with-a-chewy-center sort of french fry, which just isn’t possible with I-N-O’s thin potato slicer.

That’s not why I love their fries. I love them because they are fresh. So fresh you can watch the original potato become your fries. So fresh that you taste potato, not “french fry substance.”

I’m more than willing to tolerate a skinny (and thus homogenously-fried) fry that requires off-the-menu ordering if the insides taste that good.

By: ctate

ctate — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:59:25 +0000

In-N-Out’s fries are noteworthy for being the worst french fries I’ve ever been served in exchange for money. Ordering them “well done” helps a lot, but still not enough to make them actually good.

I’m a latecomer to the mayo-on-burger thing (unless you count the Wendy’s “Whopper”). I do seriously suggest you try the Alton Brown thing, especially if you’re cooking the burgers yourself: Put just a little mayo on the bottom bun (!) before you put the burger on it. Mayo + the yummy juicyness of a fresh burger wind up combining to something approaching sauce béarnaise, especially if you put a little thinly shaved onion on the burger as well. It really works!

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:48:14 +0000

I guess that’s why you don’t like lettuce on your burgers? Too much salad? :)

By: erinmak

erinmak — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:47:33 +0000

Maybe it’s not “fancier,” but it’s a nod at health, which undermines the point of a burger. See the parts of the criteria that call for greasiness and visible cheese to be considered a “good burger,” and you should get a sense that healthiness is not a consideration at all in this quest.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:43:45 +0000

Come on, how is a wheat bun fancier than poppy seed?