The hub loves a good burger. He doesn’t want anything fancy–no bacon, triple cheese, special sauce. Just good beef, well cooked, in a bun that doesn’t look like it was sat on.
True confessions: our favorite burger in town was the single (me) or double (him) version that we used to enjoy at Five Guys Burgers and Fries. We’re from Baltimore originally, and Five Guys is a DC staple (the first restaurant opened outside the capitol). Now, granted…we may have convinced ourselves that the burgers were the best ever just because we loved their fries so much. But seriously, they had good burgers too (it’s just that there wasn’t a whole bag full of them!)
But once Five Guys closed earlier this year, we had to expand our choices. So now, when we get hungry for a burger, here is where we end up:
1. Gas. Funny name aside, Gas knows how to make people happy. Like a benedict burger–with a grass fed beef patty, topped with a fried egg. And a jalapeno popper burger, and a blackened blue cheese and bacon burger. PLUS, they all come with homemade chips on the side. As the sign in the front says–you don’t want to pass Gas when you come to St. Augustine. 9 Anastasia Blvd. 904.217.0326.
2. O.C. White’s. What’s not to like about a place that makes good burgers, and has almost the same view of the Matanzas as we do? Nothing. Here’s what else you’ll like: their blue Hawaiian burger, with blue cheese crumbles and pineapple salsa. Want it plain? Order their pirate burger–and you’ll be a happy matey. www.ocwhitesrestaurant.com. 118 Avenida. 904.824.0808.
3. Back 40 Urban Café. I’m stretching the rules a little bit here, but I have to include their meatloaf sandwich. It’s thicker than my jaw actually opens (I often opt to eat it with a fork), but it has the brown sugar/ketchup sauce my mom used to make, and just the right amount of onions. www.back40cafe.com. 40 S Dixie Highway. 904.824.0227.
4. Village Inn. It seems like cheating to put a chain on this list, but sometimes–when it’s 1:00 am and you realize that you don’t have enough in your stomach to make tomorrow morning viable–the Village Inn is exactly what you need. It’s open all night, the hamburgers are always hot, and if you go on Wednesday night, you get free pie for dessert too. www.villageinn.com. 900 N Ponce de Leon. 904.824.4377.