re: What do you look for in a great burger?

Simplicity. No more than 4-5 ingredients on the patty.

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A well seasoned patty. It is utterly shocking how many places simply underseason the patty

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There's much more flavor in a fatty patty (lolololol fatty patty) that is salted and peppered once formed than a patty that is massively overworked with Tony's or whatever.

That said, I will eat any burger. Even a crappy one is fine. But a crappy burger is getting loaded with condiments, and that has its place in my life. It's a different meal than a good burger that is dressed simply.

It's probably "American Kobe" which is the same breed of cattle as the Japanese form but still not from the Japanese production style. American Kobe is half the price of real Japanese Kobe.

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I thought that was wagyu, and it had to be from Japan to be Kobe

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You're right. It is just semantics really sort of like black truffles.

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Bun: What kind of bun do you look for?

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I look for something with a butter toasted bottom and the right texture. Spongy and soft, not too chewy, just right.

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Toppings: Do you prefer basic toppings or more specialty type toppings?

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I like to have the flexibility to go either way. Sometimes, I want lettuce, tomatoes, american cheese, and ketchup. Sometimes, I want bacon, ham, gouda cheese, BBQ sauce, and grilled onions and mushrooms. I want the ability to choose which direction I want to go in.

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Patty: Obviously the most important part. Do you prefer grassfed? Angus?
How do you prefer it cooked and seasoned?

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I haven't had enough "Angus" or "grassfed" burgers to be able to knowingly taste the difference so I don't know on that. I like it seasoned. A little cayenne, a little garlic, a little black pepper, and some sea salt. Let the meat speak for itself, but give it a little kick. I like my meat cooked medium to medium well.

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Miscellaneous: What are some intangibles that put a burger over the top?

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Texture: how do the ingredients combine when you bite into them? A really good BBQ sauce or some kind of different sauce can really make it sing.

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Bonus: What is the best burger you have ever had?

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Mushroom swiss with carmelized onions and praline bacon at Barcadia

Brioche Bun
juicy meat
quality cheese
good grilled onions

I haven't eaten that many here, but I love B&D.

I tried the beef and choirzo burger at Tybee Island Social. Good but over seasoned.

Best burger I've had in the last year was in Paris, of all places. Big Fernand is a hipsterish burger purveyor, but despite the Brooklynish pretense, the product is damn good. I had a "Le Victor"--veal patty, Fourme d'Ambert cheese, onion confit, etc. Damn was it good, and the ideal sesame-seeded bun, not too soft, not too squishy, but not tough or overly crunchy. Managed to try bites of the beef and lamb burgers as well; all were excellent enough to make me wish this place was down the street from my house.

Menu here, in french: LINK

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IMO, it's hard to top the glory of the Whole Foods burger. Just perfect. Delicious, beefy flavor. Hint of smoke. Cooked to perfection. It's like burger heaven.

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Do they cook it to order? From my experiences the patties were precooked dry pucks.

Little things make a big difference. If I order it medium, does it actually come out medium or well done? I'm looking for it to be seasoned, salt and pepper, and juicy.