FOTB- True North Tavern

Choosing what I wanted in my burger became too tough to do (the endless possibilities), so I needed to check out a simple place. True North Tavern in North Park was that! Just 2 burgers to choose from (veggie burgers are not burgers!) off the menu.

The Food: 3.5/5 Stars
There aren't too many options for burgers at True North, so I decided to check out their BBQ Burger (at $9.50, it's not the cheapest). The burger was good, yet not outstanding. The meat had some flavor, but the taste was lost in the amount of BBQ sauce doused on it. But why stop with just hiding the flavor in one sauce, when you can add a heaping scoop of mayonnaise to the mix. Which was too bad, because the buns at True North were awesome. The bread had nice flavor and they were perfectly toasted. They held up well, even to the generous amount of sauce dripping on it. True North adds a fresh touch to their sides- they serve up some mean tater tots. Normally I need fries or onion rings with my burger, but this was a nice change, especially because the tots were so tasty.

The Drinks: 4/5 Stars
True North offers a wide selection of beers to choose from. Almost all the beverages are microbrews, so you can't really go too wrong with your choice. In addition, they have a full bar, so if you can't drink down the nectar of the gods (ambrosia is Greek for good beer- source, me) there are still plenty of options to choose from. While the beers aren't cheap (around $4-5), the happy hour price knocks off a buck, and if you aren't starving, wait until 7. After 7, almost all the microdrafts are only $3, not too expensive to keep you from having a second round.

The Atmosphere: 4/5 Stars
True North has a neat atmosphere about the place. It's slightly trendy looking, definitely appealing to the scenesters/hipsters dressed in their "unique" American Apparel outfits that frequent North Park. It attracts a slightly younger crowd, with people on dates as well as a group of friends huddled around the pool table. There is plenty of room and never feels too crowded. The waitress wasn't spectacular, but the bartender was really friendly.

Overall: 3.5/5 Stars
Gimme some tots! True North is a neat spot with some good vibe to the place. While the burgers aren't special, the burger flavor is smothered by the accompanying sauces, they are worth enjoying with a good beer and some tots. And the people watching is enjoyable as well.

FOTB- Boomerangs

After setting up the Pasadena chapter, we needed to get back to our roots and check out a place in San Diego. So no better idea than to check out how SD does build-your-burger. We went to Clairemont to see what Boomerangs Gourmet Burger Joint has to offer.

The Food: 3.5/5 StarsBoomerangs takes the idea of building your own personal burger and gives it a slight twist. You begin with your burger (1/3 pound burger starts at $8.99) and choose ingredients to mix into the meat. That's right, they're throwing away the idea of toppings and replacing it with mixing the ingredients in with the meat; don't worry, toppings aren't completely done away with and still exist, so you don't have to worry about finding lettuce and tomato mixed into the beef patty. The burgers are good, but they lack in a few areas. The ingredients are cooked in with the meat which means that you have inconsistent bites of flavor. Some bites are amazing and you get a taste of all the flavors, but other bites (especially around the edge of the patty) just taste like beef. And that's even if you can taste the beef. The buns are too thick and negate much of the flavor of your burger. The buns are good, but they need to be thinner as the thick serving takes away from the burger. The onion rings are worthy of a mention. The spiced onion rings are tasty and have enough of a kick, just make sure they you let them know you want them cooked thoroughly-- some of our orders, the batter was undercooked and tasted too much like flour.

The Drinks: 5/5 Stars
It's tough to beat $10 pitchers of beer. And I'm not talking about macrobrew piss trying to pass itself off as beer or happy hour prices. Boomerangs offers this deal all day Monday and Tuesday and it's tough (well, not really) to look past their wine and martini offerings and stick to throwing back pitchers of beer. Good beer too! Boomerangs make sure it has a wide variety of beers from Moose Drool (a favorite brown ale) to Red Rocket (red ale) to Stone IPA (India pale ale for those who have never moved past wine coolers).

The Atmosphere: 4/5 Stars
It's easy to drive past this place because the building is nondescript and blends into its surroundings, but being on a corner, it's easy to give directions to find it (even Asian females wouldn't have a problem finding it, that is, if they decided to come, not that I'm singling anyone out). There is a small garden inside the courtyard which is unique and there paintings hanging on the walls are for sale, giving it a community feel. The restaurant is 2 floors and the seating is spread out, so you never feel crowded. The waiters/bartenders (owners I believe) are fabulously friendly and more than willing to help out with any request (finding extension cords to charge electric vehicles and preempting requests for pitcher refills). I wish I had taken a picture of what one was wearing, because it stands out the most as far as decorations go.

Overall: 3.5/5 Stars
Boomerangs is a neat place to check out. They offer unique burgers that aren't the best, but tasty. $10 pitcher specials are tough to find anywhere, and I doubt such a deal can be beat in San Diego. The staff is extremely friendly and willing to accommodate any needs (the fore-mentioned effort to make sure the electric vehicle could get plugged in). Go for a burger on a Monday or Tuesday and you'll find some excuse to reward yourself with a cheap pitcher
of beer.

FOTB- Jake's (Pasadena)

After seeing Chelsea vs Inter Milan at the Rose Bowl, there was no question but to check out Jake's Burgers & Billiards for "Pasadena's Best Burger since 1947." It only took us about a mile to walk there, and I'm glad we did.

The Food: 4/5 StarsJake's menu is as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. It begins with a $5.99 base burger, but ends with whatever you want. Everyone was able to customize their burger however they wanted it, and because of this, everyone was thoroughly happy. I had to try the Jake's Chili Cheeseburger to get the best of everything-- their award winning burger and their famous chili. While I can't recommend eating such a burger (next time I go I want to customize my burger), it's worth it to get a sample tasting of each. The burger's ingredients were high, with no disappointment of the meat, buns, or any of the toppings. And there's something cool about being able to check off the boxes for a customized burger...

The Drinks: 5/5 Stars
How can you give anything but a perfect score? They are connected to a full service bar. While they didn't have the most options for premium beers, after drinking all evening for the soccer match, they had exactly what I wanted-- cheap beers that are both great taste and less filling! Just messing, cheap beer lacks any semblance of taste but it does allow for you to drink in excess (if you do partake in such things...)


The Atmosphere: 5/5 Stars
And excess drinking is something I do! Underneath Jake's restaurant is a full scale bar with tables of pool and (drum roll...) beer pong!?! Yes, you can order red cups and set up a small table to get in some games of beer pong. And with PBR cans at $2 a piece, you can get as drunk as you need to. If beer pong isn't your thing and there's nobody at the bar to sit next to and strike up a conversation, there are plenty of pool tables to go around. And lest I forget, the pool tables are free. You read that correctly: free pool.

Overall: 4.5/5 Stars
This place is a must go! If you aren't in Pasadena (and I commend you, because it's HOT there), you need to make a trip to check out Jake's. Bring your friends for great burgers, great drinks, and great times. There's not much more to write or you'll just read a paragraph of me continuing to praise their great burgers, great drinks, and great times (see I can't even write 2 sentences without repeating the same thing).