Read on Chowhound about a new burger place just minutes from my office so had to give it a try. Overall I was quite impressed with the burger. It was very juicy and was a good size–6oz–no thin patty here. Cooked on a griddle, nice crust development. The cheeseburger has the cheese mixed into the meat instead of sitting on top…not sure about this technique, but at least they offer cheddar and other real cheese (non American) options. The bun was good–well toasted, held up to the burger but was not overly bready, and was also top-toasted on the griddle, always a nice touch.
They offer an array of quality sugar-cane soda options at the fountain–Maine Root sodas, and Dublin Dr. Pepper on tap.
On the flip side, I thought the fries were pretty much terrible. They were edible, but were run of the mill frozen curly fries. Also not a fan of the interior and the tiny tables with the annoying flower sculptures. The combo price, at $9+ after tax, is a bit steep as well.
Overall, very good burger. If they switched to fresh fries made in-house, I’d find it difficult to stay away.
Check them out on Facebook (they don’t appear to have a dedicated website). Their Yelp entry has quite a few photos.
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As delivered--note bun top toasting

Nice crust development! Nice bun toasting as well.

Note cheese oozing out from within

Cross section showing cheddar distribution

Boring fries

Dublin Dr. Pepper on tap!

Tables too small

Not a fan of these table sculptures...seem to be in the way

Order up

They need better signage


Blurry cross section...need a new camera
Mike 7:29 pm on May 27, 2011 Permalink |
The Top Notch burger, much like the Hill-Bert’s burger, is one of those burgers that tastes a lot better than it looks. Come to think of it, there is usually an inverse relationship between appearance and quality when it comes to dive burgers. I think the Casino El Camino burger is one of the few great dive burgers whose appearance directly indicates the quality of its taste.