My quest to find the best burgers in the Upper Ohio Valley continued this week. Along with it, I’m making a slight change-up to my review format.
In the past, I’ve tried to keep the review entirely positive, and that’s still the overall goal. But going forward, and including this one, I’ll be making reviews that are, say, equal parts positive and also room for improvement.
I’m not going to outright bomb a restaurant. Not every person’s tastebuds are the same. Chefs and line cooks both can have a bad day, or even just one bad meal. Is it up to me to lambaste an entire restaurant because of a one-off? Maybe all the food is that bad. But chances are if it were, the eatery in question wouldn’t be open very long.
Both quality AND consistency breed longevity, so if I had a less than optimal meal from a place that’s been around awhile, chances are, it was a one-off. So, if there is nothing good to say about my meal, I’ll follow the old adage, and say nothing.
But, if the review is glowing, positive, mostly positive, or even split down the middle, I’ll include that as well from now on.
That being said, this week, our dining travels took us to the Highlands and Bubba’s Gourmet Burghers & Beer.
This is not the first time I’ve eaten at Bubba’s, and every previous experience was a good one. I like the mixtures of meats that comprise their burgers.
As stated previously, my top five locations for burgers in the Upper Ohio Valley at 360 Burger in Cambridge (1), Belmont Brewerks in Martins Ferry (2), The Barton Trap in Barton (3), J.P.’s Saloon outside Cadiz (4), and the Central Grille in Shadyside.
Those standings have not changed after this trip, but there were still some positives from our meal. In addition, the friendly and attentive wait staff left us wanting for nothing. If nothing else, that’s a reason to check out Bubba’s right there.
The Food
We both decided to get burgers, along with an appetizer to start things off. In an effort to save money, I’ve switched from a beer with my meal, to water—save for special occasions.
I ordered a previous favorite of mine from Bubba’s, which was the N’awlins Burger. I’ve ordered this before and always enjoyed it. But on this night, it was a bit off. If you’ve never had it, the signature blend of meat (still tasty) is coated in Cajun seasoning. On the bun, you’ll find chipotle mayo, bacon, blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. I opted to go without the lettuce and tomato.
Let me state I like the flavor of the chipotle mayo. The problem was that’s all I could taste. There was an ample portion of it, and the mayo overpowered the flavor of the meat, the seasoning, and even the blue cheese. Overall, it was still good—just not as good as I remembered.
My main issue was with the fries. The natural cut fries weren’t overcooked but were way too heavy on the salt.
She ordered more or less a build-a-burger with meat, Swiss, caramelized onions, and ketchup. It wasn’t bad, but she regretted going with Swiss instead of a different type of cheese.
Now for the good. Her side with her burger was the fried pickles which, according to the GF, were spot on. I’m not a pickle fan, so I didn’t partake, but she enjoyed them immensely.
Our appetizer was the mozzarella sticks. It came with four big sticks, plus the dipping sauce. These were pretty good, and I’d definitely get them again. Not the best I’ve had, but certainly not a one-and-done.
I will still recommend Bubba’s based on previous visits, along with the still quality taste of the cheese sticks and fried pickles. Just ease up on the fries and the mayo, and we’ll be good.
Happy eating.
