Urban Burger Company

If David Calkins’ and Lee Howard’s first project, Urban Bar-B-Que Company, feels too calculated and kitschy to appeal to serious ’cue eaters, their second operation seems like just the opposite: Urban Burger is a straightforward homage to America’s love affair with the hamburger—and to Calkins’ obvious affection for his father, a former U.S. Navy man. Medals, citations, photos, memorabilia, even model jets adorn the walls and ceiling of what was once a Chicken Out Rotisserie location. It’s the most personalized burger joint I’ve ever seen, almost childlike in its sincerity, which may explain why it’s popular with the kids. (That, and the self-contained family-friendly room.) A similar warmth goes into the food. The seasoned rounds of lean ground Angus are decent enough on their own—or with a trip to the fixin’s bar—but they earn their wings when piled high with one of the $1 add-ons, particularly the “Bleu Bayou,” a delicious swampy mess of blue cheese, bourbon sauce, and slab bacon. The sides are hit-or-miss: The chewy hand-cut fries, with skin on, come with an extra kick of seasoning, while the lifeless mac and cheese tastes as if some of the advertised “34 pounds of cheese” was still left in the fridge. The fried Twinkie sundae may sound like a pastry chef’s idea of a joke, but I dare you to stop eating the blasted thing.
—Tim Carman, June 29, 2007