Have you noticed there is a new local burger place on almost every other corner or a new burger food truck has come to town or a new burger joint just opened in your mall food court? Burger places have been popping up all over the USA over the past 5 to 7 years or so.
The Merrian Webber definition of hamburger is a patty made out of ground beef usually served on a round bun. The funny thing is my son just returned home from a trip to the beach training high schoolers frisbee and he said him and the other trainers went to a place that served ground beef shaped into a hot dog served on a hot dog bun. So I guess they are not always round nor served on a round bun.
Here are a few of my latest burger joints I have been to over the past few years. They are some of the best in my local area and in the country.
The first burger stop is at my local burger joint, Towne Hall Burger. They have several burgers to choose from. Most of the time, I get a basic burger with tomato, red onion, cheddar, bacon, and lettuce. They also have great fried pickles and delicious sweet potato waffle fries! They will soon have three locations, Durham, Chapel Hill, and a new one is coming soon to Holly Springs, NC!
This next burger is at Zinburger. They have great burgers, and during their happy hour I can get a basic burger for $5.00; plus all their sides, like their parmesan cheese truffle fries, are half off. I am not a french fry girl, but I have to admit these are irresistible! Their shakes are also delicious; one of my favorites is their Cream Brulee shake. I ask them to add a banana to mine, and it’s a meal of its own!
Zinburger has locations in 7 states: New York, New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia. North Carolina has only one location, and lucky for me, that one location is not far from my house!
The one thing about North Carolina that I love is that I can be in a city like Durham or Raleigh, yet within minutes, I can be in the “country,” if I want to get away. One such getaway is Saxapahaw, which is around 25 minutes from where I live. I love this secluded place for a couple of reasons. One being it is on the Haw River, which is where I like to go to enjoy nature and to get a little peace of mind. Another reason is that it also has great farmers’ markets with not only great food, but it also has great music on the lawn, as well as great local crafters and artists who sell their goods. It reminds me of upstate New York, like New Paltz or the early days of Woodstock. However, Saxapahaw doesn’t have many shops or stores, only a handful.
One of our favorite places to eat there is the Saxapahaw General Store. It started in 2008 by two guys named Jeff Barney, a self-taught chef and butcher, and Cameron Ratliff, who is a teacher, and self-taught biscuit maker, that turned a gas station into a local small market where residents could pick up some groceries and other products and grab a bite to eat. They have really good food with indoor and outdoor seating.
My next burger place can be found at Merry Piglets Liberty Burger in Jackson, WY or one of their locations in Texas. Even though I choose no bun for this burger, it was delicious! It was served with queso blanco, flame-roasted Poblanos, and Chipotle BBQ sauce, accompanied by sweet potato fries. Read more about Liberty Burger and other places to eat and visit when in Jackson Hole on one of my earlier posts.
Of course many agree that In n Out Burger has the best basic burger and think it’s the best burger ever. In n Out burger happens to be one of the best burger establishments out there, but since they started years ago, 100’s of new competitors have opened up. However, for the basic burger and to get one fast, In n Out is a great choice. I have only found them out west, so go to one of my earlier posts to read more and where I go into more detail on how they started and where they can be found. In-n-Out Burger
Only Burger started as a food truck and then built two brick and mortars in Durham, North Carolina. Their burgers are plump and juicy and very flavorful. I love their sides, like the stuffed jalapeno peppers, with cheddar cheese wrapped in bacon; another popular one is their bacon-wrapped mac and cheese squares. They also serve turkey, veggie burgers and lamb and beef sliders, which I usually get.
Culver’s has great thin burgers and uses midwest beef, which they double stack on the buttered bun. And yes, they butter their buns and then add the condiments. They also have hand-churned ice cream daily. The first time I had one was when I was in the Port St. Lucie area. I just found out there is one near where I live here in North Carolina, which I will check out soon. You can read a bit more about their history and find out their locations on an earlier post.
My family and I have eaten other burgers that we have enjoyed, but for now, these are some of our favorites.
So where is your favorite burger to be found? Please share with me so that my family and I can enjoy it too!
