Glacier BrewHouse, Anchorage, Alaska

Another installment from the pacific northwest...

"It's not often that the beer outshines the food at a Brewpub - they're beer-themed restaurants, after all.

Here's the Glacier Brewhouse Bacon Burger, stale kaiser roll, slimey onions and all: not recommended.

I do recommend their Imperial Blonde Ale, though. It's well balanced: not too hoppy, not too malty, with hints of honey and spice. Strong too.

Next time, I'm skipping the burger and ordering a second Imperial Blonde. Remember, every beer's a sandwich!
(hmm...we love beers?!)" -MG

You can find the Glacier BrewHouse at 737 W. 5th Avenue, Anchorage, AK

t. 907 274-BREW

glacierbrewhouse.com

Pacific Inn Pub, Seattle, WA

Once again our Seattle correspondent delivers...

"Went down to the local local's bar to watch the Mariners and have a burger.

The PI is more famous for their fish and chips than their burgers, but the burgers are great. This is the Western: bacon, cheddar, fixins.

Simple. Good. Food.

I paired it with a Rainier. Simple light lager, local flair." -MG

Pacific Inn Pub is located at 3501 Stone Way N, Seattle.
t. 206 547 2967

Stage Left, New Brunswick, NJ

From our Jersey source...
"I am always a little bit skeptical when a menu proclaims that it has the “World’s Best” whatever-it-is they are trying to sell. In the case of the cheeseburger at Stage Left Restaurant in New Brunswick, NJ at least they have the press to back them up. Recently voted the “#1 must try burger” in New Jersey by the Food Network and further endorsed on this occasion by co-owner, Mark Pascal, who quipped “I should apologize, because we are about to ruin other burgers for you”, it is safe to say that our expectations were sufficiently high. This burger did not disappoint. Weighing in at a solid 11 ounces, my burger was perfectly cooked to medium rare with just the right amount of char on the outside. Nestled inside a brioche style bun and served with three slices of juicy bacon and melted Vermont cheddar cheese – just enough to stand up to the meaty burger, but not so much as to overwhelm, this burger was well worth the drive to central New Jersey. When asked about the history of the cheeseburger, an affordable ($16) diversion at this otherwise high end restaurant, Mark informed us that the burgers started as a staple at staff meals some 17 years ago, but they were so good they ended up putting them on the menu. We are glad they did. We should also note that the chipotle mayo and steak fries were the perfect accompaniment to the burger, and the homemade Irish crème chocolate the perfect end to a delightful meal spent in good company."

Stage Left is located at 5 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ
stageleft.com
t. 732 828 6228

Flatbush Farm & Bar(n), Brooklyn

A faint glimpse of the sun this past Saturday afternoon necessitated a trip to Flatbush Farm. The back patio is open for the season and it's a great spot to gather with friends for drinks and vittles, but the burger leaves a bit to be desired. On the plus side, the burger was successfully cooked to order- medium rare was indeed medium rare. Juicy it was, but flavorful it was not. Raw red onions were overly abundant and utterly useless in my opinion. The bacon add-on (removed) was overcooked and gray in color, which is just plain wrong. As for the bun, well I think my friend summed it up perfectly: "I don't like having my burger on a croissant." Neither of us were a fan of the brioche-like bun. I gave up on the burger about half-way through and turned my attention solely to the fries which were excellent (twice fried). Next time I might just say "hold the burger."

Flatbush Farm & Bar(n), 76 Saint Marks Ave. @ Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn
Flatbushfarm.com

Burger Joint, Parker Meridian, NYC

If you are looking for a cool insider experience in NYC, grab a burger at Burger Joint.

Located behind a red curtain inside the Parker Meridian, and highlighted only by a neon burger sign down a hallway, its worth hunting down.

The burgers are cheap and the menu is small.  Stick with the classic burger and get an order of fries.  

http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php

BLT burger, NYC

I recently visited BLT burger.  I loved the atmosphere... a classic burger joint feel, located on 6th ave in Manhattan.  Their menu was also a burger lover's dream...  seven different types of burgers, from salmon, to lamb, and kobe beef, not to mention an extensive milkshake bar with extreme mix'ins (ex: twinkies).  

They also offer a few fry options, like waffle or seasoned.

I tried the mac n' cheese fritters, a special that day, a coffee shake with oreo, and the cheeseburger, medium.

I was more impressed by the ambiance and menu than any food I tasted, but I think this place is definitely worth a visit.

bltburger.com

Diner, Williamsburg Brooklyn

If you haven't been to diner yet you are missing out.  Located under the Williamsburg bridge, this place is about as brooklyn as it gets.  I do have to say that I prefer some of their other dishes to their burger (since everything is so good there), but its blog worthy none-the-less.  Grass fed and delicious.  A nice solid burger leaning toward the gourmet side.... no thin patty or fast food feel here.  And they sure are doing something fantastic with those fries.

Picture compliments of Grant Cornett.  (check out the diner journals to see more of his work) Thanks Grant!

dinernyc.com

http://www.dinernyc.com/dinerjournal/

67 Burger, Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Some words from our Prospect Heights Contributor:

"The burger was fantastic - juicy and well cooked.  No nonsense or fanciness, this is a straight-up burger.  The bacon (in pieces) on the bottom is a nice touch and added great flavor.  All five of us were extremely happy with our burgers.  My only drawback is that it is a little too big, but John loves it that way (he finished off what I couldn't :)"

67 Burger is located at 67 Lafayette Ave. in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

67burger.com

718 797 7150

5 Guys Burgers and Fries, Park Slope, Brooklyn

Five Guys Burgers and Fries recently opened a location on 7th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The D.C. chain (with 400 locations to date) has been highly lauded by numerous publications- but I'm not sure it merits the title the "Willy Wonkas of Burgercraft" (Washingtonpost.com). I think it's safe to say that customers can get a consistently decent burger here. But if you're looking for memorable, I'd head to Shake Shack or the nearby Dram Shop. The burgers come in two sizes- standard and the "Little" (pictured) which is actually the perfect size to order if you are getting fries too. Toppings are key and more importantly FREE- so don't hold back. With some inspiration and a little creativity one could probably craft a great burger. I stuck with a few of the basics, tomato, mayo and cheese. But the burger still remained a bit on the dry side. Next time I'll go with more sauces...

284 7th Avenue, Brooklyn

Blue Moon burgers, Seattle, WA

From our Seattle based contributor:

Their Southwest Burger has jalapeño bottlecaps and spicy mayo. Spicy!

A light sweet Blue Moon white ale to go with....mmm!

Blue Moon Burgers has two locations in Seattle:

920 Republican Street

703 N. 34th Street.

bluemoonburgers.com