RFD's Brew Burger

We tried to go RFD a few weeks ago but didn't due to an hour wait. This time we made reservations and didn't have a problem. RFD stands for Regional Food and Drink, and there is plenty of both. As we are a burger club, we decided on the Brew Burger. According to the menu the Brew Burger is "a half pound of lean beef marinated in Kostritzer Black Lager grilled to your liking." One does not turn away from a burger marinated in beer. Burger = good. Beer = good. Burger + Beer = double good. Simple math. The Brew Burger is a big half-pound burger that manages to deliver on quality as well. The quality of the meat was top notch, but the burger was a little over-cooked. But that's the cooks fault and should not degrade burger itself. While having a nice charred exterior, it remained somewhat juicy on the inside, but a far cry from a moist pink center desired in a burger.

The bun situation was pretty abysmal and it was the obvious weak link in the Brew Burger ensemble. The bun was way too doughy as if they didn't let it finish rising. It was a basic white bun, and while it managed not to fall apart, it would have been destroyed by a burger with any juiciness. It's a shame to have such a plain bun for such a burger. Toast it. Put sesame seeds on it. Something.

The cheese is hit or miss. The selection of nice cheese options is appreciated but having to pay a dollar extra is frowned upon. They have your basic cheeses like American and Provolone, but they also have Gouda and goat cheese. It is rare to see goat cheese as an option for a burger. That being said the goat cheese was spectacular, as it stood out amoung the common cheeses. The goat cheese provided a great texture and the cool, creamy balance was an outstandingly compliment to the burger. The Gouda is good(ah), but wasn't smoky like a nice smoked Gouda should be. Goat cheese is the way to go.

The Brew Burger comes with lettuce, tomato, and a supposed pickle according to the menu. None of us got a pickle. WTF? Don't promise a pickle and then fail to deliver. There have been riots over less. The tomatoes were ripe and very red, but that doesn't make up for shredded lettuce. Fail. It takes more work to shred a leaf of lettuce than just keeping it in leaf form. Why? Onions are a dollar extra, which is a direct affront to LTO (lettuce/tomato/onion) which should come standard on all burgers. There are several other options for toppings that are all an extra dollar. Sauteed peppers and jalapeno are a solid choice, but if the burger itself already costs nine dollars, the toppings shouldn't cost extra.

RFD is a great bar and a great place to grab a beer in Chinatown. It's sort of a sports bar, but it has that little extra that separates it from the crowd. RFD is a pretty popular place, as I've never seen it not be crowded. There is a nice atmosphere if you can manage to get a table or a seat at the bar. The fries were forgettable and obviously direct from the freezer bag. A lot of restaurants use frozen fries, so who cares, right? NO. Don't serve crappy fries that bring the burger experience down. Stop it. The service was good and the waitress was very nice, but the beer is what really stood out. RFD is the sister restaurant of the now defunct Brickskeller so you know RFD is going to have some good beer. Hand-pulled cask ales of Flying Dog were on special, and the Raging Bitch and Snake Dog IPA were a great pairing with the burger. Even if you don't get the burger, this is a great place to grab a beer.

The Brew Burger is a solid burger; a half-pound of delicious meat. It would have been even better if it was cooked properly. The bun was an utter disappointment; unworthy of the burger. Toppings were okay, but it's not worth paying an extra buck for onions, and shredded lettuce dooms any burger. If you are going to pay the extra dollar for cheese, be sure to go with the goat cheese to provide a creamy contrast to the charred burger. The fries sucked, so try the onion rings. Anything else has to be better. The location and beer at RFD really set it apart. It's right in Chinatown, so it's a great place to grab a beer before or after a Caps game. This also the time when it gets packed, so get there early if you are planning on going to RFD before a Caps or Wizards game. The beer selection is great and all the beer is quality. RFD has awesome beer, and pretty good burger.

RFD this Thursday

This weeks meeting will be at RFD this Thursday at 7:00pm for their Brew Burger, described on their website as "a half pound of lean beer marinated Kostritzer Black Lager grilled to your liking". The nearest metro stop is Gallery Place-Chinatown.

RFD
810 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

Capital Burger Club on Yelp

Check out the Capital Burger Club page on Yelp.

www.capitalburger.yelp.com

Thunder Burger & Bar: The Thunder Burger

Thunder Burger & Bar is a newer bar in Georgetown. They seem to have gotten it all right on the first try. We had to get the namesake Thunder Burger. It would be a bad sign if the burger named after the restaurant wasn't good. We were not disappointed. The Thunder Burger is a great piece of meat. The menu says they use "Premium All-Natural Range-Free Beef." All that special treatment that cow receives gets passed on to a special burger. The size is more than generous; a full size burger that still manages to encompass the subtleties that every great burger needs. The outside grilling was very good, and the inside was grilled to a warm pink center that was nothing less than perfect. The burger comes on a toasted Challah bun. Challah is a Jewish bread and a unique choice for a burger bun, but it held its own. It brought great flavour, and the addition of sesame seeds never goes unnoticed. The burger did eventually overpower the bun in the age-long battle between burger and bun. The bottom of the Challah bun got soggy at the end and failed to hold the burger.

The cheese situation at Thunder Burger & Bar needs some improvement Basic cheeses like American and Swiss are a dollar extra, and good cheese like Havarti is two dollars extra. Ouch. If that isn't a kick in the teeth. On top of that, you could barely taste the cheese. I could see it so I knew it was there, but if you are paying extra for a slice of sharp cheddar, the cheese should make a noticeable impact.

The burger comes topped with lettuce, tomato, and remoulade sauce, and there are still 10 or so more free toppings to choose from on the menu. It's always nice to see a choose your own toppings section. It's a dollar more for chili and two bucks more for Hickory smoked bacon or a fried egg, but that's pretty standard. Luckily, the roasted red peppers and ancho mayo are free and are some of the best toppings around. It is possible to overdo it on the toppings and get a little messy so be warned and get extra napkins. In reference to the toppings, it was said that "excellence has finally been perched upon a beef pedestal." Enough said.

The atmosphere at Thunder Bar & Burger is unique to say the least. When you enter, it feels like you are walking into Ozzy Osbourne's basement. I mean that in the best way possible. It's dimly lit and rock music is playing throughout. David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust greeted us as we walked into the back room where the dining tables were. The brick walls and exposed wood gives it a castle-like vibe. The decor is cool and edgy, without crossing over into the zone of being too gothic like a Hot Topic. The waitress was friendly and helpful and the overall service was good. We forgot pens and paper and the waitress was nice enough to help us out. The fries were standard (nothing to be recommended), but they did come in a weird little bucket. Beer means a lot to us at CBC, and the beer selection at Thunder Burger & Bar is great. Troegs Mad Elf Ale was on tap as well as about 15 or so other brews. Over than being in Georgetown, and therefore not right by a metro, Thunder Burger & Bar has great synergy.

If you have ever found yourself wondering around Georgetown looking for a burger joint among all the high end shop, this is the place. It doesn't have the typical Georgetown yuppie vibe. It's more of a high class dive bar without all the roaches. Everyone there seemed to be having a good time. The place was full but not crowded, and it still managed to be rowdy without being totally chaotic. The burger is delicious. While the cheese situation was sub-par, but that seems to be the only real downside. The toppings selection is great, and they all tasted great to match. The beer was superb and it one of the things that raises Thunder Burger & Bar one step above. Even if you aren't getting food, this would be the perfect place to grab a drink. This might not be the scene for everyone since it was compared to Ozzy Osbourne's house, but Thunder Burger & Bar is a outstanding place for a burger and a beer if you ever find yourself wondering around G'town. A great burger and great beer served in one of the coolest places around.

Thunder Burger & Bar This Thursday

Capital Burger Club will be meeting at Thunder Burger & Bar to try their Thunderburger this Thursday at 7:00pm. Advise that this is in Georgetown, so there isn't a metro right around the corner. Foggy Bottom is the nearest metro. The address is below.

Thunder Burger & Bar
3056 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007

The Southwestern at The Burger Joint in Dupont

We went to The Burger Joint with somewhat lifted expectations, only to have our high hopes ungracefully plummet back to earth in a heaping mess of burger. Most of us have been to one of the several Burger Joint locations before and we have tried several of their burgers before. Everyone seemed to be looking forward to this week's adventure.

The problem is that the Southwestern isn't really a burger. It is the bastard child of a burger and the sloppy joe that the cafeteria served you in middle school. The chili that is mixed in with the burger meat results in something more resembling a sloppy joe than an actual burger. The burger is infused with chipotles, poblanos, onions, and chili. While the flavour was nice and spicy, and it tasted great, everyone's burger fell apart almost immediately. Having special ingredients mixed in with the burger is awesome, but I don’t prefer half of my burger to fall apart after one bite. This leaves you holding an empty bun. The bun was delicious, but it was an empty bun after the messy burger decided to abandon ship. The bun was nice and fluffy, and of course sesame seeds on a bun are always appreciated.

The obvious cheese to pair with a southwestern style burger is pepper-jack cheese. The cheese had nice flavour, but was overwhelmed by the spiciness of the burger. It needed to have more than one little slice of cheese to have an impact. The Burger Joint is located in a prime place in Dupont, but it was packed and overcrowded. The walls are painted a disgusting purple and are falling apart. The line was long and the wait was longer. They were playing loud Christmas music that only your grandmother enjoys. There were flies hovering around, and the server denied a promotional coupon for a free burger. That's a great way to treat customers. The sweet potato fries were great, and the fact that they have Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA on tap is the only saving grace. The synergy really killed this experience. It's in Dupont so it's 'hip', but this place is a dump. The Burger Joint in Bethesda is ten times better. The Southwestern fell apart. I have had the Southwestern before, and it didn't fall apart. This may just reflect the incompetence of the Dupont location. A burger should be able to last at least one bite before breaking into a thousand pieces. The chili added great spice and flavour, but it can also be blamed for the messiness of this high class sloppy joe. It needed more pepper-jack cheese to compete with the spice, and a burger needs to come with lettuce, tomato, and onion. The bun, sweet potato fires, and the beer were all good and should not be brought down by the rest of the burger.

The Southwestern is basically a nine dollar sloppy joe. Way too overpriced for the poor quality that we received. We have all eaten at The Burger Joint before so we were looking forward to this one. The Burger Joint has other burgers and other locations that are very good, but this experience was overall very disappointing.