Guest Review: Babe's Bar-B-Que & Brewhouse - Palm Desert, California, USA

About the Reviewer:

This review has been compiled by Roxanne Wells, Burger Critic's wife and occasional burger eater.

About the Burger:

A classic style burger served with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and a choice of extras.

Menu description:

1/2 Pound-Twice Ground Cheddar Burger - $10
With a choice of French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, Turkey Chili

Rating:

Review:

This is my first burger review and I'm also the first guest reviewer at Burger Critic and I'm not used to analysing my food for review but here goes...

First impressions of the burger were good, I'd chosen French Fries and Cole Slaw to accompany my burger.  The restaurant was inspired by the film Babe about the pig and many things at the venue are pig related including the plate which was pig shaped.  I'm not much of a bread person and tend to leave that to the side, the bread roll on this burger was fresh and soft and I don't have any complaints even though I didn't eat it all.  The burger itself was nice although there could have been more flavour which would have improved the rating.  In summary, there's nothing to fault here and I would recommend giving the burger a try - if you do go here then I suggest you try and sit in the outside seating area where they use water misters on hot days which keeps you nice and cool.

About the venue:

Babe's is an independent restaurant located at the The River shopping area in Rancho Mirage, California.  Occupying a corner plot Babe's offers both indoor and outdoor seating.  Inspired by the movie Babe there is a strong pig theme with large bronze statues that are popular with passing children.  The outdoor has water misters which spray a fine mist around the edge of the seating area helping the diners to remain cool on hot days.

Wish I'd Eaten Here

This isn't a review, rather somewhere I wish I'd been hungry enough to eat at.  While on holiday in the Palm Springs area of California we visited a street market at the College of the Desert.  At the market where hundreds of stalls selling a variety of clothing, shoes, hats and other goods.  Clustered around the centre were a number of food stalls selling a wide variety of food including a BBQ vendor called Rocky Mountain BBQ.  This stall was very popular and once I saw one of the burgers I understood why, they where freshly cooked on a large Barbecue and you could add a number of additions from a selection including lettuce, onions, tomato, cheese and different sauces.

If you've tried a burger here please let me know what is was like.

Cheesecake Factory - Palm Desert, California, USA

About the Burger:

A dish that includes four mini burgers served as a starter for sharing or eating by yourself, take the deluxe option to add fries to make it a meal in its own right.

Menu description:

ROADSIDE SLIDERS - $8.50 + $1.00 for fries
Bite-Sized Burgers on Mini-Buns Served with Grilled Onions, Pickles and Ketchup.

Rating:

Review:

A fun and tasty burger option and if you are hungry enough you could have burgers to start and another as your main course.  I doubt you could actually do that at the Cheesecake Factory as the portion sizes are on the large size.  The Roadside Sliders are four small burgers served on four small bread rolls and are very tasty.  I had mine with fries to make it a main course meal and enjoyed it a lot.  I've had quite a few burgers on this holiday and this is one of the tastiest that I've had.  Finishing a burger is never a happy moment as it could be several hours (or typically days) before you have your next one, the Roadside Sliders overcome this issue because when you've finished one, there's another one wait for you right there.  I normally eat my fries and vegetable first then savour the enjoyment of the burger last, with the Roadside Sliders I was able to eat some fries, then a burger followed by more fries but still saving one burger for the end.

I highly recommend you try the Roadside Sliders if you are visiting a Cheesecake Factory in the future.  If you know of other restaurants that offer a similar dish please leave a comment and let me know.

About the venue:

Another typical Cheesecake Factory set in a pleasant location in Palm Desert near Palm Springs in California.  The service at this venue was okay, nothing special but nothing to complain about either.

Tommy Bahama - Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

About the Burger:
A slightly above average classic burger served with bacon, caramelised onions, cheese and fries in a tropical restaurant setting.

Menu description:
PARADISE NATION BACON CHEESEBURGER - $13.50
Char-grilled USDA Prime, sharp cheddar, hickory bacon, caramelized onions & french fries.

Rating:



Review:
A good burger with a slightly spiced flavour to the caramelised onions. Great smokey tasting bacon and a soft bread roll. Nothing to fault this burger, although the burger itself lacked flavour the bacon and the onions more than made up for this.

About the venue:

Tommy Bahama is a tropical restaurant that is located at a small number of their clothing stores. This restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona has seating on two levels, we chose the upper level with views across the surrounding area. Service during the meal could have been better although the staff were friendly enough.

Fat Burger - Phoenix, Arizona, USA

About the Burger:

A burger that is truly cooked to order - you choose the size and the extras to your liking.

Menu description:

FATBURGER - $5.95
Fresh, 100% pure lean beef grilled to perfection, on a toasted bun.

Rating:

Review:

The only thing you can't specify with this burger is how it is cooked, they only cook well done, but don't let this put you off.  Fatburger let you customise your burger just how you want it with a list of options that include the size of the burger ranging from small weighing in at 2.5oz (0.15lb) through to the XXXL weighing 24oz (1.36lb) and a range of toppings consisting of cheese, bacon, chili and egg.  I had a medium with cheese (5.3oz - 0.3lb) and it was tasty.  I've eaten a number of burgers over the last few days and this was the tastiest.  The burger was freshly cooked and stayed hot all the time I was eating it.  I cannot fault this burger and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

About the venue:

Fatburger is a chain that operates across the USA, it's more of a fast food outlet than a restaurant and I've come across them in food courts before.  The one in Phoenix has a slight 50's style to the seating and is quite basic but don't let this put you off trying a burger here.

Cheesecake Factory - Phoenix, Arizona, USA

About the Burger:
A classic style burger served with fries with crispy bacon and onion rings.

Menu description:
SMOKEHOUSE B.B.Q. BURGER - $10.95
Smoked Bacon and Melted Cheddar with Crispy Onion Rings and B.B.Q. Ranch Sauce.

Rating:



Review:
Having eaten a burger at another Cheesecake Factory the previous day I was tempted to try a non-burger dish. My desire to try as many different burgers as I can won out and I ended up ordering another burger. This time I wanted one served on a regular bread roll and as I also like onion rings this one sounded ideal. I wasn't disappointed either, the bacon had a delicious smokey taste and was nice and crispy. The onion rings were thin and very good. I ordered the burger medium and it was nicely cooked. The sesame bread roll was lightly toasted and very fresh. Overall it was difficult to fault the meal, the burger itself could have had more flavour but that's just being picky.

About the venue:

A typical Cheesecake Factory restaurant, nicely decorated with friendly and helpful staff. The burger menu is extensive and caters for all tastes with a burger starter also available - no Cheeseburger Cheesecake though.  This restaurant was located in a nice shopping area at Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, Arizona.

Cheesecake Factory - Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

About the Burger:

A high quality burger served on a baguette selected from a wide choice.

Menu description:

FACTORY BURGER - $9.95

Charbroiled with Cheddar Cheese, Tomato and Grilled Onions on Sourdough French or Wheat Loaf.

Rating:

Review:

I've eaten at a number of Cheesecake Factory restaurants around the USA and have never yet had a bad burger so I was looking forward to this one and I wasn't disappointed.  The burger was cooked to order, I selected Medium on Sourdough French, and was served with fries.  I hadn't read the menu properly and was expecting a roll rather than a French stick and was a little worried that the bread would be too crusty and would crush the burger each time I took a bite.  I was pleasantly surprised that this didn't happen and I enjoyed the burger a lot.  The onions were nicely caramelised and not too sweet.  The burger was tasty and seemed home made as it was shaped the bread.  The fries were okay, nothing special.  The service was excellent from a very attentive waitress as is to be expected when dining in the US.

About the venue:

Cheesecake Factory is a restaurant chain in the USA with venues in many cities across the country.  They are usually very busy at peak times and the portion sizes are very large.  If you plan to eat more than  once course make sure you are very hungry or are happy to take some of it home with you.  The Cheesecake Factory in Scottsdale, Arizona is typical of a restaurant in the chain, nicely decorated and comfortable with a wide range of menu options - especially cheesecakes.

Giraffe - Heathrow Terminal 5

About the Burger:

A pretty good burger for an airport.  Doesn't seem mass produced like others I've had and although it arrived quickly it was very enjoyable.

Menu description:

100% English Beef Burger - lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, mayo and relish.  Additional toppings available.

Rating:

Review:

I've eaten at the Giraffe venue at Terminal 5 before but it was over a year ago and I couldn't remember what it was like.  I ordered mine with aged cheddar cheese however I wasn't asked how I wanted it cooked.  I was pleasantly surprised with the burger I was served.  It was tasty and had a home made style to it rather than the pressed and shaped most airport places serve.  The bread roll was soft and fresh, just how I like it, and added to the enjoyment of the burger.  Although it came with fries they were quite bland and not very tasty.  If you are travelling out of Heathrow Terminal 5 and are short on time I can recommend this burger and Giraffe.  Service was okay, nothing to fault just a little hurried.

About the venue:

Giraffe is a busy restaurant located on the upper floor of Heathrow Terminal 5 near the North security area.  Giraffe also have high street outlets in many towns and cities around the UK.

Jamie's Italian - Cambridge, England

About the Burger:

A very tasty and high quality burger that is stacked very high and served on a wooden board in a rustic manner.

Menu description:

BURGER ITALIANO - £11.25

British beef pattie with melty fontina cheese, crispy salami, soft lettuce, tomato salsa, dill pickles, chilli and crispy fried onions.

Rating:

Review:

The presentation of the burger was excellent and it stood about 5-6 inches tall with a wooden spike holding it up.  The spike must have been embedded into the wooden board because it took some effort to extract it.  There were several green and red cherry sized tomatoes at the bottom layer with lettuce, pickles, chilli's and fried onions helping to build the height.  The burger doesn't come with fries which are extra, I had them and they were very nice.

The bread roll was very brioche like but mine was a little on the dry size (hence the 3 burger rating).  I had bits of bread and crumbs scattered around my side of the table.  Other than this it is difficult to fault the burger.  I have had tastier but overall it was a very enjoyable burger.

The service in the restaurant was very good with the staff very attentive and friendly.

About the venue:
Jamie's Italian in Cambridge is located in the heart of city centre very close to the theatres and shops.