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Dining review: Boogie Burger
Posted: Feb 28, 2008 in Dining
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VENUE INFO
Not quite a year old but full of the funky spirit of the '70s, Boogie Burger has soul (a sign in the restaurant confirms it) and a menu of over-the-top burgers.
The Food
Order your 1/3-pound Black Angus burger plain, if that's your thing, in a traditional combo (The Wild Wild West -- a burger with cheddar, bacon, onion rings and barbecue sauce is the biggest seller), or full-out wacky. A recent introduction, Cluck and Turf piles a grilled or breaded chicken breast on top of a burger; the New York New York burger is stacked tall with grilled pastrami and Swiss cheese.
And then there's the Boogie Monster, a double burger that defies reason: grilled pastrami, cheddar cheese, onion rings, a fried egg and bacon on top of the beef.
All of the tomfoolery with flavors would be useless without a great burger at the heart, and Boogie's are thick, juicy and full of the essence of backyard barbecues.
My buddies and I tried the Disco Inferno ($5.50), aptly named and topped with grilled Serrano peppers and pepper Jack cheese, and the Maui Wowie ($6.50) -- a burger topped with grilled pineapple, ham, Swiss cheese and teriyaki sauce. I ordered the latter because I couldn't imagine those flavors working on a burger. I was happily proven wrong with every tangy bite.
Hot dogs ($2.25) at Boogie are a 61/47-pound, all beef and grilled. Worth eschewing a burger for.
Sides are not afterthoughts. Garlic fries ($2.85) are true to their name, with heaps of garlic and parsley covering airy, crisp-shelled fries. Onion rings ($2.50) are thick and beer-battered.
Add a malt? Of course. For $3.99 the luscious drinkable is yours.
The Service
Order at the counter, inch over wherever you can find a smidgen of space and hope for a seat. When your food's ready, someone emerges from the kitchen with a tray and calls out your order.
The Atmosphere
It's the swingin'est dorm room on Westfield, decorated zestfully and small as my freshman-year residence. Indy Jazz Fest posters and other local fare mingle with movie stills and messages, like Andy Warhol's "I think everybody should like everybody." Three tall tables are pushed together in the middle, and counter seating at the windows spans two sides of the room. In summer, the place more than doubles its seating with deck space. On the winter day we visited, it was packed, chaotic, familial.
The Price
$28.07 for three, including tax and tip. Just right.
Next Time
The citrus-grilled ahi tuna sandwich if I'm not in the mood for a burger -- but that's a rare state of being. My heart seized when, looking over the Boogie Burger menu at home, I realized I'd missed out on fried apple pie with ice cream.
By Traci Cumbay / Star correspondent
Super duper burgers to be had here!
What's 61/37-pound?
This probably deserves its own thread, but frankly I'm too lazy to create one this morning. I notice the total price included tip. Now, I haven't been to Boogie Burger yet, but I can't imagine there being much "waiting" involved in a burgers and fries place. It always irks me when I pay with a credit card and there's a place for a tip on the receipt. At places like Yats or Scholars Inn Bakehouse, they literally just call your name and walk the food to your table. No return visits, no refills. Do they really expect a tip for that?
What's 61/37-pound?
According to my calculations, it's about the same as a 1 and 24/37 burger.
I will have to check this place out. It's nice to know that there are OTHER people out there that enjoy charred flesh as much as me. I couldn't hack it as a vegetarian, that's for sure.
Yah, more and more fast food type places have tip jars these days. I think it's the owners that are trying to encourage tipping at fast food joints. If they can get customers in the habit of tipping, then they can pay their employees less.
Personally, I like how the tipping works in Europe. Instead of paying waiters $3 an hour like we do in America and forcing them to get the rest of their wage in tips, they actually pay them enough to live on. Then instead of being an obligation, tipping becomes what it should be, a reward for exceptional service.
Print a link to a menu with all restaurant reviews. It would be a great asset.
Sounds like I am gonna have to check this place out it sounds intresting to say the least!
Does anyone know if they do have veggie burgers here? I love how at some places you can sub in a boca patty or whatever for any type of burger and then you can try all of the "gourmet" kinds.
Yes to the Veggie Burger and don't forget to order a milk shake!!
I'm not dogging on this place. It just sounds like its the exact same thing as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers it's just not a major chain restuarant. I still would like to try it specially the burgers with pastrami. Are the French fries unlimated like Red Robins? Same prices it seems. Bye
-Justine
"Print a link to a menu with all restaurant reviews. It would be a great asset."
That would require more restaurants to discover something called "The Internet" and learn how to use its powerful tools.
I'm not dogging on this place. It just sounds like its the exact same thing ...
By that rationale - I would rather support a local business than a major chain, especially when eating at a major chain like Red Robin typically means eating at a loud restaurant with questionable service with lots of screaming kids. Not dogging chain restaurants, just don't care to eat at them given the choice.
True True but from what the review said "On the winter day we visited, it was packed, chaotic, familial." it's like the same as Red Robin. Good points though. I still would like to try this place maybe compare alittle bit lol. Bye
-Justine
lillywhip: I've got your back - I'd rather support a familial local place than a chain that might have manufactured (but not necessarily authentic) personality.
And, as an addendum to the veggie burger question, their v-burgers are really big and yummy. I got mine disco-inferno style. Don't forget your garlic fries -- and don't forget to share them with your co-diners, to prevent being the only garlic mouth in a crowd.