BOARDWALK FRESH BURGERS & FRIES

Address: 7015 Manchester Boulevard, Suite E, Alexandria, VA 22310

A regular cheeseburger and a side of fries. Still a ton of food.

This place cropped up on my radar after I was looking in the area for some other local places that I could grab a burger. After reading some initial reviews (some people compared it to the likes of Five Guys and In-N-Out) and looking over their menu, I decided to stop by for lunch while I was out running some errands yesterday.

The style of the restaurant is very similar to that of Five Guys / In-N-Out, where you go up to the counter to place your order and wait for your order number to be called up when its ready. Boardwalk also features an expansive list of ingredients that you can customize your burger with, including cheeses, toppings, or sauces. They even had the option to go with a regular or a whole wheat bun for the burger.

Thankfully, they had a sign right next to the cash register that laid out all of the different options that I could go with, so I basically just read right off of it the entire time. In addition to the “build your burger” option, they also have three signature burgers that you can add onto as well: the Bacon Bleu, Mushroom Swiss, and BBQ Bacon Cheddar. However, if you’re not feeling burgers that day, you could also order a hot dog, cheesesteak, chicken sandwich, or salad.

The dining area in this location was very spacious and comfortable, with some available outdoor seating for the nicer days. The food was also turned around very quickly, as it took probably about 5 minutes from when I placed my order to when I started to dive into the burger. This time I went with a cheeseburger on a wheat bun with lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, mushrooms, pickles, Swiss cheese, Chipotle sauce, and mayo. Although with the number of different toppings there are plenty of other options to try upon future visits. To compliment the burger, I had a regular side of their Boardwalk Fries.

I really enjoyed the flavor of the burger when I took that first bite (pretty sure that I got a bit of every topping that I added in). Everything tasted very balanced, and there was no single ingredient that was drowning everything else out. The single patty on the burger did stray a little on the thin side, so next time I might go for the double patty.

One thing that I certainly noticed about this burger was that I didn’t get that heavy, sinking feeling after I finished it, unlike at some of the other places. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly times when it’s satisfying to chow down a mouth-watering greasy burger. But because burgers leaned on the heavy side, I would almost always save them for a dinnertime meal. With Boardwalk’s burgers, I’d be open to it for a lunchtime stop.

I have to say that I really enjoyed their fries. The potatoes are freshly-cut and fried until they have the right balance between crispy and soft. I found that the fries are also lightly salted at just the right amount for my own personal taste. The condiments counter also gives you the option to throw some Old Bay on there to round out the fries.

As a place with good-tasting food and a nice atmosphere, Boardwalk Fresh is a place that I would recommend for others to try for a change of pace in the fast-casual burger scene.

Here are my rankings for Boardwalk Fresh:

Food: 4 / 5
Good burger combination flexibility and some great tasting fries really hit the spot for me. Their milkshakes are also quite tasty as well.

Atmosphere: 4 / 5
The dining area is nice and open that doesn’t get very loud, even if a table near you is having a conversation. With the open kitchen in the back of the restaurant, the smell of cooking food certainly drifts around.

Service: 4.5 / 5
Food was made fairly quickly, and the person at the register was very pleasant to talk to.

Price: 4 / 5
I felt like the price I paid was pretty reasonable for the amount of food that I got. It was actually slightly lower than some of the other fast-casual burger places.

Overall: 16.5 / 20 (83%)

BGR – THE BURGER JOINT

Address: 8420 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, VA 22152

A close-up shot of the Southwestern Burger.

Quite the tray of fries.

A shot of BGR’s epic 9 Pounder. Actual weight closer to 15 pounds with the bun and toppings.

BGR was a place that I found out about after we got food from there several times at work. I remember the first time that I read over their menu, I found it difficult to choose what to order since everything just sounded so tasty! In the three opportunities that I’ve had to try their food, I’ve sampled three different types of their burgers. Each time, I haven’t been let down.

My friends Kyle and Kathryn came into town this past week, so we made the trip out to the restaurant for them to try out the burgers. After all, nothing beats a hearty order of a burger and fries after walking around D.C. for several hours!

This particular location is a little bit of a ways out west from where I live, over in the quieter residential side of west Springfield. The interior of the restaurant has a bit of dimmed lighting, with enough seating to accommodate a good-sized crowd. The decorations up on the wall were pretty neat and a number of the tables had different square tile designs embedded into them. The food ordering system is very similar to Five Guys, where you go up to the counter to order your food, after which they give you a restaurant pager to let you know when your food is ready.

The three burgers that I’ve tried so far are: The Wellington (roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, garlic, and mojo sauce), The Burger (original cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and mojo sauce), and The Southwestern (chipotle and poblano peppers, onions, black bean salsa, and mojo sauce). Each burger has its own flavor profile, with the sauces and toppings all mixing together really well. The fries are also quite exceptional, as well. Their Gold Standard (Yukon potato fries) always comes out really crisp and with the right amount of salt on them. The Orange Standard (sweet potato fries) were okay in taste and kind of soft, but I still prefer the regular fries. Ask for them double-fried to get them even crunchier.

BGR is a great place to try if you’re looking to explore the new fast-casual burger scene that is already populated by chains like Five Guys, In-N-Out, or Shake Shack. Everything tastes really fresh, and they offer a great set of burgers to choose from that manage to leave you satisfied, but yet wanting another at the same time.

* Fun Fact: *
The 9 Pounder that you see pictured above is a burger that needs to be ordered 24 hours in advance because the restaurant staff need to custom-order the bun to be baked for it. What goes on it you ask? Straight from their website: Actual weight including bun and condiments is 15.4 pounds. Two heads of lettuce, eight tomatoes, three red onions, four whole pickles and a river of our mojo sauce.

Here are my rankings for BGR – The Burger Joint:

Food: 5 / 5
There is a wide selection of burgers to choose from, and the food quality has always been great for the times I have been there.

Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
The wall and table decor gave the place a bit of character, and the dimmed lighting also helped to set the tone a little bit.

Service: 5 / 5
The employees are really enthusiastic and will certainly help you out with a recommendation if you’re in between some of their menu items. They give off the impression that they genuinely want you to have a great dining experience, and it certainly shows. The food is also served up pretty quickly, with you waiting no more than 6 – 8 minutes.

Price: 3.5 / 5
The prices for a meal can run a bit on the higher side, hovering right around $13 – $15.

Overall: 18 / 20 (90%)

TRIPLE XXX FAMILY RESTAURANT

Address: 2 North Salisbury Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906

I’d be remiss if I did not do a post on one of West Lafayette’s most well-known dining establishments for almost 80 years.

From my understanding, Triple XXX started out as a root beer brewing company, using a recipe involving pure cane sugar (which is still the same root beer sold at the restaurant today). The individual X’s in their name are from a rating scale of root beer quality back in the old days, with a triple X rating meaning that you possess the best quality root beer. Having heard about this place from the Guy Fieri’s Food Network program Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, my family went here during our first visit to campus.

One of the things that makes this restaurant great, especially on a college campus, is that it is open for 24 hours. Those four words alone are enough to make a college student smile. It is a pretty small restaurant, with a bar-style seating area that loops around inside. There’s pretty much a single aisle to get to the other side of the restaurant, so things can get pretty cramped if you’re trying to get through. I have found, however, that the staff has always been very friendly to everyone that dines here. This place will certainly get packed anytime there’s a sports game going on at Purdue or on various nights during the week. I’ve walked by on Thursday nights and this place is jam-packed like a can of sardines!

I’ve gotten my chance to have both their burgers and their breakfast here, and I think that I’m more of a fan of their breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, their 100% ground sirloin burgers are quite delicious by their own accord; I’m not sure if there’s just something about eating out for breakfast that intrigues me a bit more. But having tried the Boilermaker Pete, the Bert Burger, the Duane Purvis (one of their signatures that includes peanut butter spread on the bun), and the Bernie Flowers, I can say that each of those burgers are really fantastic. My go-to on the breakfast side of things is the Drew Brees Breakfast Platter, with eggs, chicken fried steak, potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, and gravy.

It’s a Purdue tradition to visit Triple XXX at some point during your college career or even if you are visiting the campus from out of town. The restaurant has also been named among USA Today’s list of 51 Great Burger Joints Across the USA. With a great menu that is available at all hours of the day, along with some great root beer (and root beer floats) to go along with it, you really can’t go wrong.

Here are my rankings for Triple XXX:

Food: 4.5 / 5
Serving some great options for all meals throughout the day, Triple XXX has food that will fulfill a variety of appetites.

Atmosphere: 4 / 5
It’s certainly much more of a retro feel when you walk in and sit at the counter to eat food, rather than at a table like many other restaurants nowadays.

Service: 5 / 5
The waitstaff have always been very nice and the food comes out of the kitchen very quickly.

Price: 4.5 / 5
I think that the prices for the food are very reasonable and money well spent. Quick note: Triple XXX is cash-only.

Overall: 18 / 20 (90%)

SCOTTY’S BREWHOUSE

Address: 352 East State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906

When I first visited Purdue as a prospective student almost four years ago, I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn right down on Wabash Landing. I remembered seeing the Scotty’s name from walking by the place doing some exploring that night. I passed the place off as just another bar; little did I know, however, of the appetizing food that also awaited inside. In the numerous times that I have been to Scotty’s in the past four years, I have never been let down. In fact, this is the restaurant where I got my primary blog picture (up here on the left hand side) taken, with me tackling the Big Ass Brewhouse Burger, one monster creation with 24 oz. of meat and a ton of extra toppings.

I’ve had the opportunity to try a number of different items on their menu, ranging from their starters to their burgers and sandwiches to their salads. All of those foods have their individual flavor profile and consistently keeps me satisfied and coming back for more. I’m pretty sure that I’ve almost tried half of the burgers that they offer, and each one of them is fantastic.

As for the Brewhouse Burger, that was the second burger that was over 1 lb. that I have ever eaten. I’m pretty sure it had around a 10 inch diameter, just to give you an idea of that the “Big Ass” descriptor wasn’t tacked on there for nothing. Yet, I found it to be so good that I actually managed to finish that burger before some people around me finished their regular meals! Not sure if that speaks to how quickly I eat, or if other people around me were eating slowly to watch me take down that monster of a burger….

This restaurant is one of those places that you can take your parents to if they are in town visiting you at Purdue. With regards to the interior, I feel like the theme of the décor is something I like to call “outdoors inward” because the walls had a brick pattern that you could expect to see on the exterior (although have no idea if this is the correct term for it). They also had artificial gas lanterns that provided some minor ambient light as well. There is also a fairly large bar area that you can sit at as well. I’ve seen their drink menu and they do carry an extensive number of different beers, both bottled and on tap. The place also has a number of LCD televisions mounted on the walls, so it’s a great place to catch a sports game while you eat.

Scotty’s is a great place to check out for a meal, no matter what the occasion. In the times that I have been there, both the quality of the food and the service have always been consistently high. Although it feels weird to be writing this review now as a Purdue alumnus, I know that I will be returning here when I get the chance again.

Here are my rankings for Scotty’s Brewhouse:

Food: 5 / 5
A great selection of food to choose from and consistent quality makes this a real winner.

Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
The high ceiling makes the restaurant seem very open in the booths. However, if you’re sitting in one of the high tables, you’ll definitely feel a little more packed in.

Service: 4.5 / 5
The waitstaff are all very friendly and very attentive to making sure that everyone at the table is taken care of. The food also comes out of the kitchen quickly.

Price: 4 / 5
The overall price for a meal here does tend to end up on the more expensive side than a college student might be used to, but it’s well worth it to me.

Overall: 18 / 20 (90%)

TED’S MONTANA GRILL

Address: 2200 Crystal Drive, Suite A, Arlington, VA 22202

This past Monday, I got the opportunity to fly into Washington, D.C. for a job interview. I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of it, but while on the approach to Reagan National Airport, the view out the left side was spectacular. In one look, you could see the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, Reflection Pool, and Capitol Building. If you looked out the right window, you could get a great view of the Pentagon. During the trip, I got the chance to meet aerospace and mechanical engineers from University of Washington, University of Texas – Austin, University of Michigan, and even some fellow Purdue Boilermakers (who I didn’t know before going on the trip). With the interviews concluding right at noon, three of the other candidates and I decided to go grab a bite to eat. While walking down the street, we were feeling pretty carnivorous, so we stopped into Ted’s Montana Grill.

The interior styling of the restaurant definitely gave me the saloon / “Wild West” feeling, complete with stuffed animal heads mounted on the walls. It wasn’t until about midway through our meal that I looked up to see a giant bison head staring back me (yikes!). The four of us took a good look at the menu before even starting to decide what to get. We asked the waitress what she recommended since none of us had ever been there before, and she essentially recommended anything bison, which is the place’s specialty. All four of us opted for different bison burgers (we took a little time deciding between 20 different options), and all four of us didn’t regret it at all.

I wasn’t really sure how bison would end up tasting (this would be my first time trying it), but I actually liked it quite a bit. It’s a lot leaner than beef, so after finishing the burger, I didn’t feel greased up inside at all (a definite positive, considering this was the middle of the day and I just had a hefty burger). I went with the burger called the Kitchen Sink (depicted in the first picture above), which was a ground bison patty topped with American cheese, grilled ham, smoky bacon, grilled onions, mushrooms, and a fried egg over easy. Wow, was it delicious. All of the flavors came together, with the smokiness and crunch of the bacon adding a great depth of the flavor to the well-seasoned bison and the fried egg really sealing the deal. This Kitchen Sink and another burger that I had at Red Robin have been the only two burgers I’ve had with a fried egg on top, but man, it sure is delicious!

Here are my rankings for Ted’s Montana Grill:

Food: 5 / 5
There is so much variety on the menu, and if the burger that I had is an indicator of how good their food is, they are really doing something right.

Atmosphere: 5 / 5
The decor serves as a great tribute to the theme of the restaurant. The place was bustling during the lunch hour, but not overly so.

Service: 5 / 5
Our waitress was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about various aspects of the menu.

Price: 4 / 5
For the price, I would definitely recommend this place more for dinner, rather than lunch. The food is really great, but the value (and amount of food that you can probably finish) will come more during the evening hour.

Overall: 19 / 20 (95%)

FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES

Address: 135 S. Chauncey Avenue, Suite 1K, West Lafayette, IN 47906

I was commenting to someone just the other day about how Five Guys hadn’t made it onto my blog yet. I have frequented the place quite a few times already, and have eaten at other locations before. Well, better late than never.

The Five Guys location at Chauncey Hill has been open for almost two years now. I still remember when I saw the signs go up that they would be opening one at Purdue and how excited I got about the prospect of being able to chow down on the immensely delectable burgers and their heaping portions of fries that they are known for. This particular location is open into the AM hours on some days (I think Thursday – Saturday), so even if you’re out and about at odd hours you can still grab something warm (and filling) to eat here. Fellow burger connoisseur Kyle Loux and I recently took a trip here to enjoy some of the aforementioned meaty goodness.

One of the great things about Five Guys’ burgers is that they have a ton of toppings available that you can put on there. Ranging from lettuce to grilled onions to barbecue sauce to mayo, there is a huge array of possibilities. I usually top mine off with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, and mustard; this past time, I stepped out of my comfort zone to add in some barbecue sauce into the mix, and boy, was it tasty. All of the patties are cooked well-done, and there is something to be said about how fresh the meat tastes. Putting it together with everything else on top of it, and their burgers really are something to die for. Although when mentioning their burgers you also have to add in their fries to the mix as well. Fresh-cut potatoes and right out of the deep fryer, the fries are coated with either salt or a mix of cajun seasoning. I personally like the extra kick that the cajun gives to the fries, so I usually get those every time. It’s pretty funny because not only do you get your order of fries from the cup, the employees also throw in another half scoop of the fries into your bag as well. That’s a meal that’s enough to feed two people, which is absolutely nuts.

I am well aware of the constant battle between Five Guys, In-N-Out, and Shake Shack fans about who has the best burger, but I can say that I do enjoy the overall taste of Five Guys’ burger over In-N-Out (some people might want to hurt me for that comment), but I haven’t tried Shake Shack yet so I can’t say for sure. All I know is that Five Guys has always been a dependable source of a great tasting burger and some excellent fries as well.

Here are my rankings for Five Guys:

Food: 5 / 5
Even though the burgers do get messy sometimes, the taste is fantastic, and the customization of toppings gives you a load of options to choose from to mix it up.

Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
The interior of the restaurant is pretty uniform throughout the three locations that I have been to: white walls, brightly light interiors, and smells just like peanuts (they use peanut oil to fry and there are boxes of peanuts open for diners to munch on while they wait for their food).

Service: 5 / 5
I’ve always had a really low turnaround time from when I placed my order to when I got my food, and that’s a really big plus. With looking at all of the food as well as smelling it, you’re going to be hungry real quick.

Price: 4 / 5
Some people might say that the food leans on the more expensive side, but considering just how much you get for the price, I think it’s pretty reasonable.

Overall: 18.5 / 20 (93%)