Some burger joints are cheesier than others
BURGER CLASSIC
Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe
429 Columbus Ave., 617-536-7669
An old-fashioned South End lunch counter, Charlie's has been around since 1927. That's enough to make anyone very forgiving. It's not a burger specialist , but with the old house plants in the windows, daily specials like roast turkey or meatloaf on a letter board, red and white checked tablecloths , and sassy waitresses, Charlie's is the kind of place that makes you want to order a burger. The cheeseburgers here are big and satisfying and fine, not great. The fries are frozen and generic. Still, no place can top Charlie's as a lik able spot.
ANOTHER CLASSIC
Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage
1246 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-6559
When people talk about burgers in Boston, Mr. Bartley's in Harvard Square, established in 1960, always comes up. Inside it's dark and kitschy , and you sit mighty close to your neighbors. The thick, juicy 7-ounce rounded burger doesn't seem like it's too big. Co-owner Bill Bartley prefers a round patty to a flat patty. He also says that beef chuck makes the best grind. Fries are from the freezer but are crispy (you can also get onion rings and sweet potato fries, both cut by hand). Bartley's is cash only. The sign by the register says "real food, real money." We agree.
HAUTE BURGER
Toro
1704 Washington St., 617-536-4300
The new South End boasts Toro, which could not be more different from Charlie's. This is chef Ken Orringer's ode to tapas. The beef is sweet-tasting American Kobe from a ranch in Idaho. Sit down at the steel bar with a dish towel for a placemat and enjoy these pricy minis, which are rare but warm all the way through, and so juicy that they'll drip all over your hands. The bun is like a Parker House dinner roll, neither toasted nor griddled. There are no french fries. Instead order patatas bravas (twice-fried potato wedges), which are just right. Toro is the rare place that is appealing in spite of its hipness. There are real cooks in a real kitchen and though things seem contrived, in this case that means carefully considered.
CHAIN BURGER
Fuddruckers
50 Walkers Brook Drive, Reading, 781-942-4891
To get your hamburger at the Fuddruckers in The Home Depot/Jordan's Furniture complex off I-95, first you have to walk by a Las Vegas-style water and light show, a trapeze school, and a giant plush animatronic Green Monster eating a mannequin dressed in a Yankees uniform. Hamburger meat is displayed in a glass refrigerator case by the cash registers. There are 1/3-pound patties, 1/2-pound patties, 2/3-pound patties, and 1 - pound patties, all made from meat ground fresh daily. They say the buns are baked right there but the bakery evokes the galley of a spaceship more than it does a boulangerie. Order and you're given a device that buzzes and vibrates to let you know that your food is ready. The burger comes out in a red plastic basket with red and white waxed paper. The sweet grilled bun is buttered, the burger not memorable, the fries frozen and more like wedges than matchsticks (but still crispy and addictive). If you like casinos or malls, this might seem like fun.
CHEAP, FAST, WITH INTEGRITY
Wild Willy’s Burgers
46 Arsenal St., Watertown, 617-926-9700
A bit more polished than either Flat Patties or UBurger, Wild Willy's, a New England chain with four locations, has a slightly irritating cowboy theme. There are counter stools, a cattle drive mural, and knotty pine wherever you look. It takes 10 minutes for the burgers to be served because they are big and thick, but the kitchen is open and you can watch the grill guy flipping the patties. Burgers come out juicy with grill marks, topped with real cheddar that becomes soft and sticky. Skin-on "country fair" fries are crisp and irresistible. And you do get your fill of rodeo here.
Flat Patties
The Garage, 81 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, 617-871-6871
In The Garage in Harvard Square, Flat Patties has a slick, upscale look with lots of wood, granite, and stainless steel. Burgers come on grilled buns that are super - soft and very sweet . The flat patty is juicy and charred on the outside with some pink in the center. Handcut fries, with little flecks of skin, are like
UBurger
636 Beacon St., 617-536-0448
This Kenmore Square spot could be Flat Pattie's twin, with corrugated aluminum in place of the stainless . The burgers are flat and seem kind of cheap, but they are really good. Fries are classic bistro style: perfectly crispy but more blond than brunet . Efficiency rules here, but UBurger is not overly precious. It has a good old Coke fountain instead of a bunch of ginger brews and all-natural colas.
PUB BURGER
Publick House
1648 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-277-2880
Indie fast food burgers mostly leave a lot to be desired. None are really good enough for a special trip or a night out, but they lend themselves more to a late - night snack or a quick solo lunch. A pub has real atmosphere; it makes you want to settle in on a cold night and stay a while. Publick House is just one of many perfect pubs in the Boston area. Maybe it's the dark bar or the pounding music or the mind-boggling selection of beers. Here, or at any of its local look - alikes, you can lose yourself. And that is what a good burger is all about.
