The Korner Burger Zurich

The Korner http://www.gourmetburger.ch/ is one of Zurich well regarded Burger Bars and has an outstanding set of beers to pick from. The burger menu is rich in variety and they also have a few option with their fries.
The Burger choices are varied with options of Lamb, Chicken and then a wide variety of extras and combinations. There is of course a vegetarian option.

The burger is served with a nice size sesame bun and I opted for the more traditional burger with the condiments of salad, tomato, pickle and Cheddar cheese. The burger patty was a very generous size and cooked fresh with a nice smokey flavor to it. The one thing that did not rate well for me, was the consistency of the Burger patty, which was beef but with a mix of some pork meat which diluted the beefiness of the taste and gave it more a sausage taste then that pure beef flavor. To me it honestly did not feel like a burger but more that mixed meat patty taste which is nice, but not a burger taste in my opinion. This was disappointing. It is a shame as the atmosphere, decor and service are wonderful. The selection of beers is impressive and the choices of special sauces available was nice, and the straw fries we had were excellent. This issue with the patty is something that I am discovering here in Switzerland that it seems to be the style of the meat patty a more mix cut of ground beef than one single selection.... will have to now try some new locations and see if this is the case or just a one off.
Restless Hamburger gives the Korner a 6 for their Burger.

Zola Bistro Ann Arbor Michigan

Zola  http://www.bistrozola.com/ Bistro just on the edge of Ann Arbor Michigan is a very popular brunch destination and serves a wonderful array of sandwiches, salads, and burgers. They in addition have a great selection of beer and wine, and the fresh juices of your choice.


The Burger menu has a nice range of different options, and includes a couple vegetarian choices too. You can get a Turkey and Chicken burger too.

I went with the classic, cheese, onions, bacon fresh lettuce, tomato and pickle. The burger was made of Kobe beef with a nice sesame bun.

The burger was cooked medium rare and fresh and juicy but not to the point is made the bun soggy. The bacon was crisp on the edges. The bun both sides where toasted lightly, and came with two options of sauces, a BBQ house sauce and Mayo/Mustard  combination. The fries where thin, and freshly cut and cooked with the skins on.

Everything about the burger was of high quality, the freshness of the meat, the condiments, and all set up just before being brought to the table. The meat was juicy and extremely flavor full. What I like too, it was a manageable size and you could easily eat it without everything falling out from the sides. The combination and freshness of the condiments did not even require any additional ketchup and sauces, they held their own.

A wonderful experience, great service, and everything with a fresh philosophy that made the difference.

Restless Hamburger gives this a 8.5. Worth the trip and wait, we had to wait 30 minutes due to some confusion with our reservation. A pleasure and how burgers should be made.

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