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Business & Tech

BRGR Joint: No Fuss, All Flavor

This week we review BRGR Joint in Bryn Mawr.

One of the greatest television dads of all time, Homer J. Simpson, has a penchant for doughnuts and pork chops.

I, too, love a good doughnut, but my heart belongs to the cheeseburger. I think it's one of the most perfect foods out there: It has meat, bread, cheese, vegetables and ketchup (sometimes Dijon mustard or aioli if you're feeling fancy).

From a dietary viewpoint, these components are sources of protein, carbohydrates, calcium, vitamins and minerals. From a culinary viewpoint, the meat undergoes Maillard reactions which result in the charred deliciousness of a perfectly cooked patty, a well-baked bun is the triumph of a skilled baker, cheese comes in hundreds of varieties with distinct flavors and personalities, the vegetables offer limitless possibilities (to pickle or not to pickle, raw onions or grilled onions, romaine, iceberg or butter leaf lettuce, beefsteak tomato or heirloom tomato, etc.) and ketchup provides an unparalleled burst of umami. 

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Every chef I know has his or her own version of the ultimate burger. Many tinker with different meat-to-fat ratios, Julia Child was a fan of the 80/20 burger (80% meat, 20% fat), a chef I recently interviewed used a decadent sounding 73/27 ratio. I worked for a chef who swore that freshly grated horseradish was the key to a delicious burger. Even many fine dining chefs have added gourmet burgers to their lunch menus with pricey ingredients like foie gras, truffles or kobe beef.

offers a fantastic no-fuss burger. The formula is simple, one or two 4-ounce beef patties, a plain bun, choice of toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, jalapeno peppers, mayo, mustard, ketchup, A-1 sauce, BBQ sauce) and cheese. The BRGR ($4.49) has two patties, the cheese BRGR is $5.09. The lil BRGR ($3.29) has one patty ($3.89 for lil cheese BRGR). The combos (burger, fries or side salad and drink) also come in regular and lil sizes. A cheese BRGR combo is $9.99 and a cheese BRGR lil combo is $8.49. I recommend the latter as the soda and fries were quite generous despite the lil designation.

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They do offer a bacon cheese BRGR ($5.99) and the OMG BRGR (price varies). The OMG BRGR is a gustatory challenge consisting of 11 patties or almost 6 cheese BRGRs. If you can finish it in one sitting, it's free. The only caveat being that the "hall of fame" of actual winners doesn't have that many photos. You can gussy up your BRGR with a fried egg, chili or even homemade guacamole ($0.99).

If you're not in the BRGR mood, there is a turkey BRGR ($4.49), a bean BRGR ($3.59), hot dog ($2.99), chili dog ($3.99), grilled cheese ($2.59), sloppy joint sandwich (sloppy joe, $2.99), BLT ($2.99) and bacon, egg and cheese sandwich ($3.99).

For the health conscious, there is a side salad (spring mix, tomato, onion, mushroom, egg, bacon & croutons, $2.69) or a B.Y.O. joint salad (build your own salad, $4.99).

The hand-cut fries come in regular and sweet potato varieties. Both are good, although my own preference was for the sweet potato.

Wash it all down with a fountain soda (Coke, Cherry Coke, Diet Coke, sweetened Nestea, orange Fanta) or a thick and creamy milkshake (vanilla, chocolate, banana, strawberry, black and white, $3.95). They use local favorite Turkey Hill ice cream, and feature a flavor of the month (it was pumpkin when we went in).

The interior is clean and brightly colored with tons of pirate, tattoo and seemingly biker decor. The staff is quite friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable. I'll definitely be back . In closing, I'll just say this: burgers can be eaten with one hand, on the go, with no silverware. Oh magic burger, is there anything you can't do?

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