THIS WEEK'S BURGER QUEST:
Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town. |
He ain’t kidding.
This search for the state’s best burgers has been none too kind to my waistline. Normally The Dining Companion and I make a weekly foray out to a restaurant; lately it’s been two or three a week. And an awful lot of them have come with bacon. And cheese. And fries.
So I’ll be glad when this is over — at least my waistline will. My taste buds, not so much. Mostly because we’ve had some pretty good burgers on this quest — and this week has been no exception.
BUCKLEY'S GREAT STEAKS
438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack
424-0995; buckleysgreatsteaks.com
OG: Buckley’s Great Burger ($9), is made from the good stuff — the trimmings from the other beefy delights served up at the Merrimack restaurant. It’s topped with cheddar cheese and bacon. I was a little self-conscious ordering a $9 burger when we were in the dining room surrounded by people ordering $38 cowboy steaks and the like, but the waitress treated us like big spenders nevertheless. The burger was delicious — juicy with the taste of fresh beef coming through. This is not your average burger. But the best part? It’s at a pretty average price. Score: 10
The Dining Companion: Everyone knows that Buckley’s is one of those places that you can go and get a great steak. But when they are butchering those steaks in the kitchen, what happens to the trimmings? Well, folks, they become burgers — and great burgers at that. The Buckley’s Great Burger is a thick and juicy burger with cheddar cheese and smoked bacon served on a toasted bun with romaine lettuce and fresh tomatoes, and when I bit into it, I was in heaven.
There were some subtle seasonings in the beef that make the mouth feel and taste pop. I’m not 100 percent sure why the taste of this burger knocked my socks off, but I really loved it. 9.5
Total: 19.5/20
ROCKY'S FAMOUS BURGERS
171 Main St., Newmarket
292-3393
OG: I have to say, I love this place. This little hole in the wall in Newmarket has got to be a favorite of the college crowd. It’s small but cheery, and all they do is burgers. Co-owner Jillian Kalosky opened the eatery with her boyfriend Brian Donner recently and she wrote to us, asking that we try them out.
These are definitely the most creative burgers we’ve had. At Rocky’s, you can get several types of burgers — beef, bison, turkey, chicken breast, and homemade veggie — with an eclectic array of toppings that include fried egg and Spam. I had the El Picante with lettuce, tomato, onions chorizo, guacamole, salsa, pepper jack cheese and sour cream ($7.49). These burgers are two-handers — huge and messy. The burger was delicious and juicy. All the other toppings just enhanced — rather than buried — the flavor. The value here is outstanding. This one’s a winner. 9
TDC: This is a burger with a cause.
Rocky’s is a new place in Newmarket (three months at time of review) that specializes in burgers, burgers and more burgers. It is a small place that seats maybe 30 folks and the theme is an homage to the owners’ dog Rocky and his friends. They donate a portion of all profits to the SPCA and another portion to “treats and toys” for Rocky, who greeted us with Jillian. I had the Lexi burger ($6.99) , which consisted of a hand-made half-pound burger, lettuce, tomato, bacon, guacamole, pepper jack cheese with a tasty chipotle mayo served with their hand-cut fries. An artistic-looking burger showed up at our table, and I was worried that it would be an all looks and no taste burger, but was I wrong. The burger was meaty, juicy and delicious , with the chipotle mayo giving it a nice kick. 9
Total: 18/20
MARTHA'S EXCHANGE RESTAURANT
185 Main St., Nashua
883-8781; marthas-exchange.com
OG: My choice at Martha’s was the California Burger with bacon, Swiss, avocado mayo, lettuce and tomato ($8). It was a good, above-average burger and the avocado mayo added a nice flavor to the overall creation (and it was good on the fries, too). The burger itself was tasty enough — not anything extraordinary, but certainly respectable and a fine accompaniment to Martha’s hand-brewed beer. If you can’t make up your mind on a beer, try the sampler ($8.95) — a couple of hefty ounces of each of eight of Martha’s brews. 8.5
TDC: Martha’s is known more as a brew pub that always has approximately 10 hand-brewed beers to try with whatever you have for dinner. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger ($7.50), which is a thick, juicy burger with a smoky bacon and cheddar cheese. Don’t get me wrong, it was a tasty burger, but didn’t do anything special for me and that’s what this quest is all about, looking for that burger that wows. 8.5
Total: 17/20
THIS WEEK'S WINNER: Buckley’s Great Steaks
MAY 20 WINNER: CJ’s Great West Grill
MAY 6 WINNER: Billy’s Sports Bar and Grill
Coming up June 17: We rate the last of the burgers and proclaim a winner!
