Charm City Burger Company - Broward/Palm Beach

Taste: ****

Cost: $$

One of the best burgers I've had in a long time. Good blend, ordered Med, should of gone medium rare as the beef was very flavorful. Everything here is just the extra mile. They could of used canned mushrooms, they were fresh and sauteed. The could of used microwave bacon, it was thick cut, perfectly fried. I had the cowboy burger with the added fried egg (genius) as I didn't want to wreck my diet too much with a big sloppy. Should of went with sweet potato fries, but went with o-rings. A bit too greasy and the batter was a tad cakey as I prefer mine more lightly fried. with a thinner coat, but to their compliment they use some great sweet vadalias. Will definitely have to go back after the wedding when I'm not on a diet and explore the menu more thoroughly.

1136 E. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

954-531-0300

Hot Dog Heaven (Ft. Lauderdale)

Taste: ***

Cost: $$

The parking is going to be cramp and they're open till 4:30 only. Hot Dog Heaven must be one of these cult things similar to our Miami love of Arbetters hotdogs. Their hotdog is quite beefy but I don't like the whole boiled method. Unlike Arbetters though, their dogs are pricier... I just don't know if I can justify 3-4 bucks for a hotdog... I'll have to give them the benefit of the doubt though, as it was a nice beefy dog, and the chilli cheese fries was solid (chilli with beans, FTW). Maybe b/c i'm not from here I just don't have the same nostalgia other broward residents do. Solid dog, cramped parking, not too shabby though.

101 E Sunrise Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

(954) 523-7100

Jack's Old Fashioned Hamburgers (Ft. Lauderdale)

Taste: ***
Cost: $

After my move in, I decided against cooking dinner and finding something to eat instead. I had always wanted to try Jacks's but never got around to making the trip. first off the burger is pretty decent. I'm not a big fan of all sirloin burgers but this one was pretty decent. nice char taste, cooked medium without me asking. I'm a fan of a 50-50 sirloin chuck burger, but this once wasn't dry at all. The condiment bar had homemade horseradish and other good fixins. The fries were nothing to write home about. If they were a tad skinnier, they probably would have been great. Overall a nice charming place, that reeks with history. I'm pretty sure I might visit again, but thats only if I feel too lazy from firing up my grill to cook my own burgers.

4201 N Federal Hwy, Oakland Park, FL‎
(954) 565-9960‎

CharHut (Broward/Palm Beach)

Taste: **
Price: $$$

I'm really torn between giving this place 2 or 3 stars. The burger is good, it tastes like a better quality burger king burger, nice smokiness, good quality. The only thing is the price... a bit more expensive than a dine in burger at over 7 bucks! Yes it had good flavor, good char, and they cook to order, but that still doesn't justify the price. I spent 8 bucks on a burger with no drink or fries. Still, its better than fast food, but you're better off going to fuddruckers for a burger. If you're in a bind, with money burning in your pocket, give it a try.

www.charhut.com

Rickey's World Famous Restaurant (Ft. Lauderdale)

Taste: *****
Price: $

Update 3/1/09

I just couldn't get the wings off my mind plus I'd been dying to meet Mr. Billy Mitchell so me and Kim made the trek down to the Pines Blvd location from West Palm. Unfortunately Billy Mitchell was at the Renaissance Festival (which we drove past on the way down). Fortunately the wings were no fluke. We ordered some onion rings and wings. I'm sorry, I can't force myself to eat anything else. Did I say this already? Billy Mitchell makes one hell of a chicken wing. He must hold a PhD in chemistry, bc it is scientifically impossible to keep a wing that crispy, when doused in his famous wing sauce. Its an interesting crust, its so crispy, its almost candy like, but it doesn't feel heavy. The onion rings were great too, but the wings are the star. The hot sauce isn't just heat in a bottle, you can taste the chili peppers. If you haven't ate here yet and you're within a 30 mile radius, make the trip. For their proven consistency, Rickey's is upgraded to 5 stars.

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I'm a huge fan of the movie The King of Kong, and when I drove by this place, I immediately did a u-turn to see if I could catch a glimpse of Billy Mitchell. Unfortunately hes at the other location, but what I got instead were quite possibly the best wings I've eaten in a long time. Billy Mitchell makes a GOOD chicken wing. The batter was perfect, crispy, not heavy, and managed to stay crispy while doused in the incredible wing sauce. I haven't been able to get the wings off my mind for sometime now and will have to visit the other location to see if I can get an autographed bottle of hot sauce. Definitely recommend. The wings and the documentary.

http://www.rickeysrestaurant.net/index.htm

Scully's Tavern (Miami)

Taste: ***
Price: $

A very nice little place. The construction going on outside had discouraged me from going inside, but you definitely should. They have an interesting take on cooking wings. They're partially deep fried, and then transplanted to the grill for some char. The result is a crispy wing with a nice smokey aftertaste. I had the scampi wings, and found them to be delightful since they keep the wingtips on! Some pieces might be a tad over charred, but for the most part, the wings were great. The fish and chips were all you can eat and they were good too. Didn't feel too heavy, but I would of liked some malt vinegar on them. Great slaw though, I never really like slaw all that much but this was great. The Ribs were ok, some ribs were tender, some were a bit dry and overdone. The sauce is treated like an afterthought and tastes as such. The fried green tomatos were ok, kind of like sour onion rings. The burger patties were frozen. After inquiring about its freshness they conceded that the head chef was out and they were using frozen patties as opposed to fresh ones. Scully's tries to do alot and it succeeds on some levels yet comes short on others. I think this is one of those places where one day the food is amazing and one day its just ok. Much better than typical bar food, but I guess bc of the food network I had higher expectations.

9809 Sunset Drive
Miami, FL 33173

Sports Grill (Miami)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

The place to go for wings and a beer in Miami. Hooligans, Keg South, the Pub only wished they had wings as good as Sports Grill. Me and my friend Eddie actually refer to this place as the Holy Grill. No seriously, they actually use old church pews as benches. The wings are great, even when its almost midnight and the kitchen is about to close. Nicely grilled, no batter, clean sauce. I wish the medium heat wings had a bit more kick to them. The next notch up (the Miami Heat) uses a blazing scotch bonnet pepper which is a bit too much for me to handle. Aside from wings, everything else here is pretty good too. The burgers are solid, albeit a tad forgettable. Fries are actually crisp, not soggy like most bar type places. If you're thinking about picking up some wings to go, skip the wing specialist places and go here. Have a beer while you wait, it'll be worth it.

14617 sw 104th St
Miami, Fl

Wing Stop (Various Locations)

Taste: **
Cost: $

Hmm they weren't horrible and not too expensive. The flavors of the wigns are pretty run of the mill and don't really stand out. My biggest pet peeve was that they didn't give us blue cheese or ranch and forgot to tell us that they wouldn't be included. Who eats wings without bleu cheese or ranch? The wings were on the small side but you get 20 for lke 11 bucks. If I had to cater on the cheap and I didn't like my friends too much I might order again.

12528 SW 120th St
Miami, FL 33186

Hurricane Grill and Wings (West Palm, Various Locations)

Taste: **
Cost: $

This place isn't that bad really, but it gets docked a point for not allowing me to split my order of 15 wings into 2 different flavors. There are a ton of different wing flavors but I settled for their Parmesan garlic. The wings were cooked well (how hard is it to fry something). I would of liked a bit more flavor from the parmesan and garlic though. Overall it was tasty though. I also had an order of sweet potato fries which were ok. I personally twice fry my sweet potato fries to ensure crispiness. Theirs was stuffed into a box with some honey type sauce on it. Some were kind of crispy, but most were a tad limp, but they were still tasty. I'd prolly goto a sports bar like Duffy's or Alehouse for wings in the future but if I need some take out wings, this place isn't bad.

5 Guys Burger and Fries (Miami)

Taste: *** (revised from** (revised from ***))
Cost: $

Last chance Review

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I want to like 5 guys. I really do. They have this whole grassroots campaign similar to in and out and shake shack. I decided to give it one last whirl at the south miami location. Of the 3 tries, this was the best. While cooked well done (over cooked in my opinion) the patty was loose packed and had a tender texture. This location also correctly placed the mushrooms and grilled onions on the bottom. It was ok. Actually, it was good, but nothing spectacular. The fries we nice, but not crisp (come on guys... twice fry already!). I bumped you guys back up to 3 stars. But for a 5 buck burger... you're much better off going to charm city. In fact the patties seemed smaller this time... Don't know if they're downsizing due to their popularity?

Updated Review
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So I had to try it again. The burger this time was just too dry for my tastes as I've observed a disturbing practice in the kitchen... they press their burgers. The fries are still good, but I'm pretty much done with the well done burgers. They probably use all ground sirloin, while although tastey, will be very dry after cooking to well done, no less pressing the meat. Dissappointing.
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The newest burger joint to open in Miami, and of course you know I had to try it. Everything here is about simplicity. Only a handful of burgers with unlimited free toppings, fries seasoned 2 ways (cajun or regular), and a hotdog. My first major complaint was the cooking of the burgers. I personally like my burger Medium, with a pink center, but all burgers here are cooked the same way, well done, but its is still juicy to their credit. Their basic burger is a double patty burger. I'd estimate it to be around just over half a pound. So their regular burger is really the little burger. Confusing I know... The burger itself is a very meaty burger. Not much seasoning to overpower the taste of the beef and it was pretty tasty. No options in cheese either, but it also was tasty. I was expecting fresh mushroons but their just canned ones, thats ok I use canned mushrooms on burgers I cook at home too. The fries were great. Hand cut, fried in peanut oil which you can really taste. They're definitely cut ther day, as you can taste the starchiness of potato and the skin is left on which is a nice home cooked feeling. Actually the regular fries is enough for 2. They're crammed into a styrofoam cup and spilling out with another serving in the bag. In fact the fries are probably what would probably keep me coming back here. I'm still a Fuddruckers fan (more burger options, cheese sauce with fries, variable doneness of burgers) but if I didn't want to trek out to North Miami, I wouldn't mind stopping by here.

10471 N Kendall Dr
Miami, FL 33176

Duffy's Sports Grill (Palm Beach)

Taste: ***
Cost: $

This is my defacto sports bar! Every location I've been to has been nice and clean, and from any seat I'm able to watch every game thats going on. The wings are great, my favorite would have to be the garlic wings (be sure to skip the asian bbq ones). The burgers actually decent and isn't from frozen. The nachos are ok, not your traditional ones, they use fried flatbread, i just wish there was more of them. Be sure to grab a Duffy's MVP card, during a happy hour, we once got PAID to ear there due to double points. This is not gourmet, but they do what they intend to do very well and beer makes everything taste better anyways... Cheers!

Titanic Brewery (Miami)

Taste: **
Cost: $

Nothing really jumped out at me about this place except that it was inexpensive and located close to UM's campus. The novelty of the inhouse microbrewery quickly wears away when the beer tastes no different from stock ales and pilsners. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I'd rather come here than the Ratheskellar located at UM so thats why I gave it the extra star.

5813 Ponce De Leon Blvd
Coral Gables, Florida 33146

Cheeburger Cheeburger (Palm Beach)

Taste: ***
Cost: $

Ahh this place has finally been dethroned as my favorite burger joint but not without a fight. They started the whole 1 pound burger concept and upped the ante with their 2 pounder. The burgers come however you want it with a huge topping list. I'd say the patties here are bit over seasoned and the true beefy taste doesn't quite come through as well as Fuddruckers. The Frings combo is deadly and the milkshake is spot on. A great diner atmosphere and a great burger, I'll have to come back here again if I can manage to tear myself away from the cheese fountain at Fuddruckers.

460 S Rosemary Ave
West Palm Beach, FL

Arbetters (Miami)

Taste: ***
Cost: $

This place has become a Miami institution. Thought it's changed hands a few times, the menu is so simple you can't really mess it up. Boiled hot dogs, served plain, with kraut, with cheese, with chilli cheese, or as a corn dog. I think I like this place for the nostalgia aspect. The chili doesn't exactly standout too much, but where else are you going to get a hot dog? Checkers, A & W, they all are microwaved and horrible. The chili cheese fries are worth an honorable mention here as well. Can't beat the price, and the dogs are solid.

8747 SW 40th St
Miami, FL 33165

Fuddruckers (Miami, Palm Beach, Various Locations)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

I love a good burger as much as anyone else, but if it has a drive through, odds are I'm not stopping in. Call me a food snob but if I'm going to wreck my diet, I'd like to make it worth it. Fuddruckers delivers alot of bang for your buck when it comes to burgers and fries.

I actually make a habit of coming here religiously about once a week. I've probably had better burgers, and better fries, but one thing keeps me coming back... the endless cheese fountain. Yes, theres a unlimited cheese dispenser so that you can completely saturate your fries, onion rings, and even your milkshake in cheese. In fact you can save a buck by ordering a burger with no cheese and stick it under the cheese machine. The burgers are good, seasoned, but not so much to drown out the beefy quality of the choice meat they use. The buns are great too, soft, baked in house and does a good job of soaking up all the juices from the burger. For wedge cut fries, they maintain their crispiness well and do a great job of scooping out lots of cheese. Your best bet here to save a few bucks is to have 2 people split the 1 lb burger. Amazing it is completely cooked evenly so don't worry about a raw center (I like my burgers medium). Theres an ample toppings bar thats extremely well kept and hygienic stocked with the staples like onions, lettuce, etc... as well as some goodies like pico de gallo! The milkshakes have a slight metallic taste for me, but they're ok. Theres beer available if you want it as well as a bunch of other stuff, but I come here bc you're guaranteed good burgers, good fries, and unlimited cheese!