RFD

Restaurant: RFD

Location: 810 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

Date: 1/27/11

Burger: Brew Burger

Score: 20.7

Burger (10 pts): 7.7

Comments: The Brew Burger is a big half-pound burger, and delivers on quality as well. The burger was a little over-cooked, but that's the cooks fault and should not degrade the quality of the meat. It remained somewhat juicy on the inside, while having a nice charred exterior.

"A tasty and delicious specimen that evoked strong consideration.." - Eide
 

Bun (3 pts): 1.1

Comments: The bun was the obvious weak link. It was way too doughy as if they didn't let it finish rising. very uninspiring.

"Ashamed to have such a plain bun for such a good burger. Toast it or put sesame seeds on it or something. Please…  " - Silverman
  
"At first glance, this bun was disconcerting, but after tasting; ‘twas satisfactory" - Eide

Cheese (3 pts): 2.3

Comments: The selection of nice cheese options is appreciated but having to pay a dollar extra is frowned upon. The goat cheese was spectacular, as it stood out amoung the common cheeses. 

"Goat cheese was a fantastic choice. It had a strong flavour, great texture, and perfectly complimented the beer marinated meat." - Flyer


"Goat cheese was awesome and provided a nice creamy balance to the meat." - Shubert

Toppings (4 pts): 2.1

Comments: Comes with lettuce, tomato, and a supposed pickle according to the menu. None of us got a pickle. WTF? The tomatos were very ripe and red, but the lettuce was shredded. Fail. Onions are a dollar extra, which is a direct afront to LTO (lettuce/tomato/onion) which should come standard on all burgers.

"One dollar per topping + shredded lettuce + I didn’t get my pickle = meh" - Blank

"The fact that I had to order onions for an extra dollar and no pickle – just appalling. However, the red peppers still added a little something something to it.." - Hamburg

Synergy (10 pts): 7.5

Comments: RFD is a great place to grab a beer in Chinatown. It has that sports bar feel, with a little extra providing a great atmosphere. The fries were forgettable and obviously direct from the freezer bag. The service was good, but the beer really stood out. Even if you don't get the burger, this is a great place to grab a beer.

"Upscale sports bar atmosphere with great menu. I like this place." - Blank

"Run of the mill bar/restaurant. Beer selection saves it from being superfluous.." - Day

Total (30 pts): 20.7

Comments: The Brew Burger is a solid burger; a half-pound of delicious meat. The bun and toppings were disappointments. 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. Try the onion rings. 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. Hand-pulled cask ales of Flying Dog were on special, and went great with the burger. The selection is great and all the beer there is quality. RFD has a pretty good burger, but awesome beer.

"The guts of the burger are the meat and this one delivered. With a few changes this burger could become a must-have, but still worth a try." - Silverman

"Solid. A good burger in terms of meat, but not cooked to medium-rare as asked. Goat cheese was awesome. The beer makes up for everything else including the piss poor fries. " - Shubert