Burger Brothers

Wow. A restaurant review. I bet you thought I quit doing these. Nope, I just took one of those unintended sabbaticals I'm apparently so fond of. But worry not, for I have what seems like an endless backlog of reviews to get through for you guys.

Today, we're going to visit Burger Brothers in Towson. Deana and I found them one day before she headed back to work for one of her late Fridays. On those days, we usually walk around the Towson Town Center and then meander out to the circle until we end up in a restaurant. On this particular day, we found Burger Brothers. Before then, I'm not sure I'd heard much about the place, but I'm glad we went in because we were served a very good burger for an even better price. As far as burgers that are sold for less than $10 this has got to be one of the best options out there. 

Apparently, I was in a healthy/spicy mood on that day because I ordered a cheese turkey burger with caramelized onions, lettuce, mustard, ketchup, mayo, and a heaping mound of jalapenos. Something about pickled jalapenos and a burger really gets my Pavlov's Dog going. I was a little hesitant about ordering a turkey burger because most restaurants usually just serve you a round piece of cardboard or communion wafer. In other words, a burger with no flavor. That's why I asked for 7, 803 different condiments. I figured if the burger was dry I could always drowned it in stuff, but it turns out I didn't need all the extras after all. The burger was fantastic.

As much as I like burgers, I don't always want to spend $14 to get something good. That's where this place comes in. Burger Brothers provides a burger that is right up there with the best of the best, but at a price that will keep you coming back often. Give them a try and see if you don't agree. 

Price: Cheap
Recommendation: Definitely visit
What to Order: Any burger that peaks your interest

Dempsey's Brew Pub & Restaurant

I really wanted to like this place. Actually, strike that, I wanted to love this place. Dempsey's is a Brew Pub in a baseball stadium headed by a former O's player. On paper, this place has what it takes takes to win a Pennant, but as the saying goes "we all know games aren't won on paper". Dempsey's isn't bad, but in the ever growing world of craft beer you really need to make sure what you're putting out can stand up to all the great offerings customers come across on a daily basis. Flying Dog is tapping casks every Friday at Camden Yards and there are a few locations inside the stadium offering a variety of quality local beers. Right now, Dempsey's isn't even in the same realm on the beer front and that kind of sucks when you're a Brew Pub.

The food, on the other hand, is rather good. Camden Yards, when compared to other ball parks I've been to, produces a ton of mediocre food. I go to a fair amount of games and I've never come across anything there that I feel like I can't pass up when I'm in the stadium. With that said, if I had enough time to arrive at a game early I'd rather eat at Dempsey's than anywhere else in the stadium. You end up paying roughly the same prices that you'd pay at the concession stand, but the quality you're getting in return is infinitely better.

Deana and I both like their burgers. You can tell you're getting a quality meat and the grill flavor they impart make them some of the better burgers around. Not top of the line, mind you, but still better than a lot of other places. The burgers are topped with plenty of fresh condiments (it varies depending on the type of burger you order) and placed on a good bun. The fries served on the side are above board as well. They are crunchy but the best part is that they are seasoned with sea salt.

Dempsey's is one or two great beers away from being a home run destination. The food is more than serviceable, but if you're crunched for time on game day you're not going to wait at a sit down restaurant. Unless, that is, if the promise of a great beer awaits you. So, come on Dempsey's, I'm begging you! Step your game up with the beer.

Price: Average
Recommendation: I'm going to pinch hit for Dempsey's right now.
What to Order: Any of their burgers.

 

Portside Pub

I have to admit that writing a food blog can get a bit redundant. There are times when you are going through the motions because you're talking about a restaurant that wasn't anything special. It wasn't bad. It wasn't great. It just was and it's those middle of the road visits that are harder than others to write about. But then there are visits to restaurants like the Portside Pub in Essex that remind me why I started a blog to begin with.

Recently, a reader of my blog and daughter of a local restaurant/pub owner asked me if I'd like to visit her dad's establishment. Always happy to try something new, I said yes, which turned out to be the best decision I've made in recent memory.

Upon entering we were greeted by owner Joe Bressi and his wife. They were some of the friendliest folks I've ever come across and were happy to make suggestions about which menu items we should try. I decided to go with Joe's Italian Hoagie and Deana ordered a cup of cream of crab soup and a cheeseburger.

Deana really enjoyed the cream of crab. Creamy and topped with a ton of crab Deana was very impressed with freshness of the crab. She commented a few times that the crab tasted fresh "like someone was in the back breaking down the crab" minutes before they served it. Visually, the soup had me wishing my taste buds got along better with crab because it REALLY  looked good. But you, native Marylander, with the taste of crab ingrained in your blood will be one happy customer when you sit down with this delicious soup. 

The burger was every bit as tasty. We learned that every burger is made to order with meat purchased from a local butcher. That attention to detail makes all the difference as you can really taste the freshness in this 1/2 lb meat monster. The burger was juicy and had really good char flavor. Topped with fresh condiments and housed on a really tasty roll this burger can hold its own.

And then there was Joe's Italian Hoagie. Look at that thing. Seriously, look at it. Actually, gawk at it, because that's what I did for a solid minute before I built up the confidence to attack this thing. Have you ever seen anything like that before? I sure as hell haven't. I'm always complaining to Deana that there aren't enough good Italian Hoagies around here so you can imagine how happy I was when I finally sunk my teeth into this behemoth. Everything about this hoagie is good. Not only do you get 45 lbs of meat, but the quality of meat is top notch. It's dressed with a little lettuce, a simple vinaigrette, and sweet red peppers which help cut through all the salty meat.  Oh, and the roll it resides in is quality as well.

I implore you to visit the Portside Pub. It's not the easiest place to find as it's off on a little side street. And you're not going to be blown away by some ultra trendy nouveau chique decor. But what you are going to get is awesome food at a price that is beyond reasonable and served to you by some of the nicest people around and who truly care if you leave satisfied and happy.

Price: Cheap
Recommendation: If you pass this place up consider yourself an L7 wienie
What to Order: Cream of Crab soup and Joe's Italian Hoagie