Cafe Cruz, Santa Cruz California

(http://www.cafecruz.com/) Cafe Cruz a popular destination with a strong reputation in the Santa Cruz area. A lovely setting, even though from the outside you would not think so. A relaxed atmosphere, with a back patio area. The service is outstanding, friendly and special attention to detail. They host dinners and have a regular happy hour. Lunch time when we went was packed with local business folks, and then a sprinkle of regulars.
Cafe Cruz is not a burger place per say, there menu has a rich selection of fish, salads, meats and sandwiches at lunch. The burger options available are few, simple and well thought out. The beef is hand ground from a Humbolt farm which only grass feeds its beef.

They have 4 options and one is a vegetarian. The quality of the beef is simply outstanding, fresh, flavorful, and moist. I went with the 1/3 lbs Cruz burger with Vermont Sharp Cheddar. It was served on a Kaiser bun, with fresh lettuce, tomato and on the side a dill pickle. What I liked was the simplicity and each ingredient tasted extremely fresh. What made this burger stick out was the high quality of the meat. Many places try to throw in their own little special sauce "lube" or try to break out from the norm with off the wall condiments, and in my opinion the additions often overshadow the meat or burger in general. Cafe Cruz burger is simple, and well thought out and not pretentious at all. With this you got the option of cole slaw or fries. The fries I got were good, but nothing special. What I aslo like was the size and portion did not go into overdrive and make you feel how was I going to eat all this.... something I find quite a few burger places do in the United States.
The atmosphere, service, and overall presentation added to making the lunch a relaxed and pleasant experience.

The price was reasonable considering the size and portion. In addition to the food the Cafe Cruz has an impressive wine list, and the wait staff do a great job of providing suggestions based on your food choice and your own taste.
Restless Hamburger rating 9 Definitely a place to return to and venture with the other options. If you are in these parts worth the stop, and most likely any food from here would be a treat.

Brown Bag Burger Prague 6, Czech Republic

a new addition to the Prague Burger scene Brown Bag Burger @ Československé armády 30 in Dejvicka Prague 6 (no website yet) , presents a simple and burger focused menu with some Hot dog specialities and a nice mix style of fries. Recently opened up the atmosphere is clean, convenient and even though it feels like fast food decor, the atmosphere and wonderful service wants you to stay longer.
The burger menu goes from the simple classic cheese burger to then the bbq burger, blue cheese and more, each with a unique name and in my opinion a well thought mix of ingredients to supplement the name and taste. I went with the BBQ Burger and curly fries. The fresh beef was perfectly cooked enough moisture and a tinge of red to bring out that beef flavor. Served with a generous portion of caramelized onions, bacon, with lettuce and tomato. All the condiments and ingredients were fresh and just added at the right time not to make the lettuce and tomato soggy. I think the nice surprise was the bun did not fall apart, as is the case unfortunately in many Czech Burger places, and the size was generous but not obnoxious, as some places do to compensate for the lack of taste.

 I think the one complaint I have is the caramelized onions and special BBQ sauce almost overwhelmed the total beef flavor, dominating the to much, a little toned down would I think have made it near to perfect.

The curly fries were outstanding, and the place also sports a wonderful selection of  less renowned Czech local beers, especially the Utenec Brewery stands out. The service was friendly, efficient and warm, the owner makes a point of connect with all patrons, and it has a very laid back atmosphere. Take out is an option, and if you like hot dogs a nice Chili dog is on the offering which seems to get nice reviews from the folks I was with.
Definitely one of the better burger places for Prague, the combination of atmosphere, beer selection, location and service Restless Burger gives it an 8. Nice on Brown Bag Burger.

Cowboys Restaurant Prague

Cowboys part of the Kampa group of Restaurants in Prague is a more high end Burger place. Set below the Prague Castle with an incredible outdoor balcony perfect to sit out during the summer, spring and fall savouring great views of this beautiful city. Famous for its steaks and its meat dishes. The theme is yes Cowboys  When you walk into the cavernous interior, the furniture is covered in black and white cow hides with a few images of the west splattered around the place. The nice surprise is if you get to sit outside on the patio balcony which covers a main area and then an elevated balcony for smaller groups of people. The view you get is the surrounding old town of Malastrana and then the cityscape as far as the eye can see. The service is excellent and they have a large selection of wines and cocktails. The burger options are two, the Cowboys burger or the Chicken Club burger. Both come with fries, some coleslaw and condiments, and yes they do have ketchup :)
The Cowboy burger is served with lettuce, tomato, onion and thinly sliced dill pickle, with cheese and bacon. The burger patty was outstanding, moist, flavorful and cooked "a point" with a lot of juiciness. Put on a lightly grilled sesame bun which did not crumble and sat well on the burger. The bacon was okay, but did not have the crispness you would expect. It was a little chewy as lightly cooked bacon tends to be which was the one weak aspect of the burger. The cheese was warm and flavour full. The fries, a generous portion, though tasty and cooked to a slight crispiness, I felt there was a little too much salt on the top, might have been good to quickly mix them up before serving. Given this, the burger really stood out, and the quality of the meat and flavours, great. The bacon was the weak part  and something easy to fix in my opinion. There is no doubt you cannot beat the views and atmosphere outside, coupled by outstanding service. Restless burger gives Cowboys a 7

Husa Potrefena Prague

 Husa Potrefena in Dejvice has had a long history as a favorite for many expatriates in Prague 6. Set in a residential area of Dejvice, with a large menu with a wide variety of offerings and a good selection of beers. The Burgers are a big part of the menu. The burger comes with a couple options, I went with the bacon cheese burger and fries. This is served with a decent portion of lettuce and onion but no tomato. The beef patty was cooked to perfection, and had the moistness and freshness you would want from a good burger. The cheese was still hot when serverd, and even though small in size the salad and onions fresh.

The fries were excellent and a good portion, with not too much salt and a little crispiness. Once again, the achilles heel of all Prague burgers the bun, things quickly crumbled as the bun felt a little dry, and before long you had to have a wad of napkins to help out. This issue with the burger bun is something that plagues many burgers served in this city which is ironic considering there is ample fresh breads available. The ONE thing that was shocking was the fact that there was no ketchup available or served. you got a side of mayonnaise but asking for ketchup was received with the statement " we have no ketchup in the restaurant. I will be honest how can you server fries and burgers without the option for patrons to have ketchup. Do not get me wrong, mayonnaise is a wonderful alternative or addition but ketchup to me is an essential for any burger lover.

I will be honest the lack of ketchup paled the experience, even though the burger patty was of a high standard. Restless Burger give this a 5, mainly due to the lack of ketchup and the crumbling bun. Given this low rating, the service, atmosphere and alternative options make this place worth visiting.

Rowdy Hall, East Hampton, NY

Rowdy Hall, East Hampton, NY

In an area where restaurants come and go, Rowdy Hall has been a fixture in East Hampton since 1996. The casual pub/bistro atmosphere makes it a welcoming place any time of the year and the fare, ranging from local fish and PEI mussels to French Onion soup and Steak Frites, has something for everyone. We go there whenever we are in town (multiple times) and no matter how appealing everything else is, I can't help but ordering their signature Rowdy Burger.

It is a large burger made of 100% Black Angus beef and you can get it with cheddar, Swiss, American, or, my favorite, bleu cheese. It comes with lettuce, tomato and raw red onion, but you can also request the lightly fried onions, which are better, i think, than the raw onions, in that they don't overpower the rest of the burger.

This is a terrific burger; it is not "diner-style" burger, but more of a gourmet ground steak burger. Still, with one of the select beers on tap, you cannot go wrong. 

Contribution by Guest Burger Fan Mark Frankel

Five Guys Miami Florida

Five Guys is yes a fast food burger chain, and yes it is everywhere and for many of us this should very likely not qualify for a review. But the philosophy of the Restless Burger as long you are serving a burger you are game for one of my reviews. Five Guys reminds me of In and Out burgers found on the West Coast. Simple menu, well executed, and exemplary service and quality. I went with the cheese burger which comes with two freshly grilled meat patties, and then added the lettuce, pickle, tomato and cheese. The options of toppings is vast and all free and inclusive of the great price. The meat patty is pretty much cooked right in front of you, and the wait time is between 5-7 minutes. The have more options than In and Out but again limit it to the essentials burger classic, cheese burger, bacon burger and bacon cheese burger. The meat is fresh and tasty and you really taste the freshness, the condiments are fresh and put on just after the meat is put on the bun, and with the short wait time, nothing gets soggy. The bun is fresh, and the size is maybe smaller than many other places, but with the double patty you feel well served, and actually it does not feel overwhelming. You get to choose what you want on the burger, basically everything apart the meat and bun you get to customize to your taste and likes which is a nice touch. The fries are generous in portion and cooked in peanut oil so do not feel greasy at all, my one issue is maybe too much salt, there is also the options for a little more edge to the fries with their spicy mix which I did not try but seemed quite popular with other customers.

Again another place where there is no vegetarian option. They also have a whole hot dog menu and also have a nice touch the Little Burger which is one meat patty instead of the standard two.

The staff where friendly, extremely efficient and it was actually amazing watching them cook fresh meat so well and still have long lines of folks at the outlet I was at in Aventura Miami. For a fast food burger place it reviles in my opinion In and Out burgers and gets a comfortable 8 from the Restless burger.

Restaurace Zvonarka Burger Praha 2

Restaurace Zvonarka located in Prageu 2 Vinohrady is set at the edge of  a wonderful view overlooking Vyserhrad area, with a huge garden with lovely trees providing wonderful shade. The Restaurant itself has a nice interior, with a massive bar and the feel of a local place.

They then boast a wonderful menu of burgers from their grill, with a choice of simple burger, cheese burger and a jalapeno burger. The place is managed by a most accommodating manager Jan, who has a wonderfully helpful staff. There selection of beers and drinks is extensive. The burger is grilled and they do a great job of not overdoing it, and letting the moistness of the meat be the main flavour... the patty is from 100% Czech beef, with a nice mix of toppings. I went with  the classic burger, with tomato, pickle, grilled onions and salad, and for some reason they put mayonnaise on the bun. Not my favorite thing on a burger but this was their thing. The burger was delicious and the grilled onions put on a fresh tomato and crisp lettuce. The one thing I would have preferred was not to have the mayonnaise which kind dominated the taste of the bun. The bun fared better than most Czech burger buns which tend to disintegrate.

It comes with fries which where excellent and quite tasty. The atmosphere outside is wonderful, a lot of locals having fun, and the tables allow for big parties. The service was excellent, and even though we had a large party of guests they were quick to respond to all our needs.

The menu is quite expansive and they have a large selection of meat options and more. For vegetarians there was no option with the burgers besides meat.

Definitely a worth while stop, the garden gives the place a wonderful atmosphere, and the friendliness of the staff, and nicely grilled beef patty has me give this a 7 rating for the Restless Burger.

The Burger Bar Nebusice, Prague 6

http://www.burgerbar.cz/en/, is a new twist to a local eatery the Dolce Villa Hotel  in Nebusice, previously a standard Czech Bar food restaurant with mixed reviews. The Burger Bar is basically the same local, and atmosphere with a focus on burgers.

With excitement I went ahead and picked the Tex Mex burger, it comes with fries and salade. The meat patty was excellent just right, and tasty beef flavor of meat that was freshly ground. The Bun, and this is one of my pet peeves with buns in the Czech Republic that crumble while you eat, this one held out nicely. The freshly made guacamole and salsa gave a nice flavor to the whole hamburger taste.

The fries felt a little droppy and no crispness to them, but eatable. A side of salade was served  which no dressing in a metal cup/container. Seemed kind of pointless, a pickle would have just done fine. We did get on recommendation of the waiter the garlic mayonaise, which was outstanding, and pretty much saved the fries in my book.

One thing that quickly became a challenge, was the guacamole and salsa ... there was so much of it, quickly the bun and burger became soggy, it most likely had been put on right after cooking. I would have preferred this as a side to add myself to preserver the crispness of the bun and meat patty.

There was a vegetarian option for the burger and alternatives on the menu.

The Easy Rider Pale Ale was outstanding, the other beer options all local too give a nice variety for beer drinking.

The waiter was extremely friendly and helpful, and the service timing was just fine. Moderately priced food and drink. It feels like this place can either just get better and better or have short stint before another food type becomes the main focus. 

Worth the try, and will next try the Dolce Villa burger which folks say is quite outstanding.... more later, Burger Bar gets a 6 from Restless Burger

The Tavern, Chopinova 26, Prague 2

The Tavern, is a great find, thanks to Eddie, another Restless Hamburger eater. Right at the corner of Riegrovy sady park, a small place with limited seating, in a wonderful hole in the wall atmosphere, weekends you need to book ahead of time if you want to savor the burger fest. The Tavern only serves burgers, and a exotic selection of fancy drinks, no umbrellas, with a election Jejek Beer. The place is cozy with wooden furniture, a very friendly staff of handsome young men and great service. I once again continued on my path of the bacon cheese burger. To be noted  two excellent vegetarian burgers are on offer here too, and got a thumbs up from members of our party night.

The meat patty was cooked with a slight crispiness which I really liked, the bun was very fresh, and mayonnaise with an onion as one of the top condiments was a nice touch, the burger was fresh, tasty, and flavorful.

The burger was served in a plastic basket "diner style" and a side of three differently shaped fries was a lovely twist and cooked just dark yellow.

One thing which was odd, no napkins, the combination of the juiciness of the meat patty and creamy melted mayonnaise,  made things quite messy.... the staff responded instantly to our request for napkin help, and again giving that diner feel, the napkins where red and white square designs.

A delicious burger but the curse of the burger bun of Prague, again reared its ugly head, and the bottom of my bun broke apart, I once again resisted the knife and fork which where brought half way through, and finished with a nice little pile of diner napkins besides me.

http://www.thetavern.cz/, is a must do, the atmosphere, its location, excellent price, and a very good burger, all surrounded by a great drinks menu and beer selection. A fun place to go with the family or a night out with friends. Restless Burger gives it a 7.

John@ http://beyonddigital.org

Bohemia Bagel, Prague 1

Bohemia Bagel is a long time favorite with tourists and expats in Prague, the location off the old town square on a side street gives the place a back alley feel. The atmosphere as you walk in, walls covered with pop art, exhibition posters, and odds and end from Prague, feels like one of your favorite Univeristy bar food places, that everyone tended to hangout at.

One of their staple and popular dishes is of course the bacon cheese burger. Simple, with an excellent fresh meat patty, grilled and cooked to just right. It is served with red onions, ( I opted out from the sweet potatoes fries) and had a side of lettuce with tomatoes and cucumbers. The bun on top, had its white bread taken out to give more room for the meat patty to sit in the bun, a nice touch. The one criticism, and this is the case with many burger places in Prague, the bun on the bottom disintegrated as I was quietly working myself through the delightful combo, of bacon, melted cheese, and a perfect hamburger patty .

Something about the bun disintegrating while you are eating your burger, it in many ways kills the moment, as now you are worrying about the various layers breaking up, and falling all over your plate. This is in my opinion an unnecessary stress when eating a burger. As I believe, if you are finishing your hamburger with a knife and fork, it was not a hamburger.

That said, the desserts, cold pilsner, and wooden booths, makes it a great place to eat, chill and catch up with the friends. Restless hamburger gives Bohemia Bagel a 7. Do go to for the extensive great breakfast and brunch options and in summer the tiny garden and patio are a nice escape from the  center of Prague

Restless Burger gives it a 6

John@http://beyonddigital.org

Jama Prague, ~Czech Republic

A first guest contribution from friend Jaz.

Jama is one of the best burger places to catch a quality burger and wings in Prague. I’m not exactly sure how long its been here as to me only being here for 7 months but as soon as you taste the burger you’ll forget about how old or dusty it may be. It has a great atmosphere of older and proper English restaurant/pub. The old albums covering the wall can contribute the pub like feel. Nirvana, Kiss and many others watch over you as you chow down on some serious burgerage.  You sit in or around the bar, because the long tunnel feel to it. Now, on to the food.

They serve decent wings for starters,

The “Nuclear Wings”, (which are a less spicy buffalo wing that are good but horrible when cold so get’em while there hot)

The “BBQ Wings”, (my personal least favorite, have a sort of taste that can never decide if its spicy, sweet or bitter, although they are my moms favorite, but hey, can’t get them all right.)

The “Terriyocky Wings”, (my favorite, which are sweet and have a slight hint of spice to them. They are about as good as any other decent wing, my mom’s least favorite, so just cut her a little slack)

Finally the part we’ve all been waiting for, THE BURGER!!!!!!!

I got a bacon burger, and although I didn’t get a real picture of it, trust me its defiantly a larger serving at the very least. (I almost broke my record of not finishing a good burger J) Served on a soft classic bun with sesame seeds it is made out of absolutely stunning burger meat with the right amount of grease. After a while the bottom bun falls off or disinagrates, so look out for the dropping of a burger. Cooked to perfection the burger has a perfect amount of melted cheese and good bacon, not the kind at Mcy Dee’s but real bacon fried just right. The end result is the best burger I’ve tried in Prague so far. If you’re a committed burger addict you’ll love this place and especially the food.

By: Jaz W.

Cole's BBQ Santa Cruz

Cole's BBQ is a Santa Cruz landmark in its 30 year of service, famous for its BBQ ribs but also comes in strong as a Burger option. With also an extensive menu of a variety of BBQ meat options.

The setting has a feel of the classic drive thru dinner,  and a set of tables outside with a small space for inside seating. Definitely a place that gets a lot of take out traffic. The staff are most welcoming and the menu options are quite varied. With a focus on the Hamburger I opted for their burger selection.

My choice was the the Cheese burger 1/4 lb with all the fixings (salade, red onions, pickles and tomato). A nice touch was the option of having a variety of side dishes: potato salad, coleslaw, or fries. I went with the coleslaw. Any drink you buy they provided you with unlimited refills.
The burger was cooked just right with melted cheese and a nice touch of a little pepper and paprika sprinkled on the melted cheese, giving a little extra zest to the taste. The bun was a traditional burger bun soft, fresh and a good size which allowed the burger to sit comfortably. I like the way the fixings were on the side. Leaving them crisp and fresh and allowing you to add them at your convenience. The best way to describe the burger was it was not a gourmet fancy burger but a down home burger which had similarities to the In and Out burger but fresher. The meat was not greasy and you did not need to add ketchup or mustard, and the combination of the fixings, cheese and patty held their own in taste. The coleslaw was outstanding, not to much mayonaise and freshly cut ingredients that were crunchy and obviously had not been soaking in the sauce. A generous portion to say the least.

There is a simplicity and down to earth feel about the place and the food that I think is why it has been so successful, no frills but solid good home cooking with a focus on freshness. The friendly staff who all seem to have been there for a while, also made the experience positive.

A definite 8 from the Restless Burger.

John@ http://beyonddigital.org

Surfrider Cafe Santa Cruz California

The Surfrider Cafe is relatively new in the Santa Cruz area, previously the Pontiac Grill was located at this location on Front Street. The Surfrider atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and the decor a kaleidoscope of local events, nick knacks,  pictures, and articles.

We were greeted by a friendly waitress, with the suggestion of the avocado fries as an appetizer which was a perfect way for us to get into the mood for a hamburger.

We had a good selection and variety of options available on the menu  to us and for my daughter a vegetarian, and decent selection of alternatives for her.

The hamburger menu a colorful set of names connected to local points of interest or surf terms.

I went with the 38th Ave (Govies): grilled mushrooms, bacon, and cheddar. This was served on sour dough bun, with a side of lettuce, tomato and cucumber. No special sauce, and the patty was perfect just cooked "a point".  The meat size was perfect, the bacon was crispy but not burnt, the mushrooms grilled to perfection and gently laid onto the melted cheddar cheese. The bun was wonderful but a little too big to be able to eat this with one hand, a thinner bun would make the difference. All condiments were fresh and crisp, and I like the fact you could add these on your own or not. The sour dough bun is a great touch and compliments well the burger.  Delicious, and filling but did not blot you.

We did venture with the recommended onion rings, which complimented the burgers perfectly and could deserve their own entry and focus, outstanding. They also had a lovely selection of beers local and regional on tap..... you could spend time there.

Surfrider's was a great stop, the combination of service, atmosphere, and quality make it a classic hamburger stop for one to savor good food in an original setting.

The Restless Hamburger gives it a 8.5

John@ http://beyonddigital.org