Brix Sports Bar and Grill & BGR The Burger Spot

Happy New Year. Glad to be back after a holiday break from writing. Don't you think for a nanasecond I haven't been eating burgers, because to kick off the year, It's not one, but 2 burger reviews. If you made a resolution to eat better, let me try to convince you otherwise.

First, we have Brix in Rosedale, just outside the Beltway. I was very excited to try this place out. I've eaten here several times before. First time was as an all you can eat cardboard pizza buffet, another time was as an all you can eat Asian bistro. Many restaurants came and went here. Some might be the lack of portion control. Some of it may be because it's very tricky to get to this specific location. It's on one side of the highway, inaccessable if traveling west without a U-Turn, then, it's a small opening to get to the shopping center.

This spot boasts pretty good happy hour specials, and a fair mix of frankenfoods (i.e., grilled cheese served on a glazed donut) with a gourmet savvy plate presentation. Their facebook page is consistantly making my mouth water.

Yeah right, like I'm using a fork

I like to test drive a restaurants "Signature Dishes" if they have them. Allows me to get a great idea of what they feel is their best offering. They have 2 signature burgers, but I'm not eating a veggie burger. I go for "The Brix Boss": 1/2 pound Angus with applewood bacon, onion rings, 2 layers of cheese, and red bell peppers with a chipotle mayo. A massive treat, with a side of waffle fries and cole slaw.

Soap box side bar: Cole Slaw is disgusting. It sounds even less appetizing than if it was called what it really is, wet mayonaise cabbage. This hatred could stem from my days in the food service industry, where I'd have to pre portion slaw, shipped conveniently in a 5 gallon bucket.

The burger itself was great. Packed some unexpected but welcome heat. The spicy mayo paired with the peppers was phenominal. But when I picked up the burger, the mayo made a small drippy mess. I had to set the burger back down on the bed of waffle fries between bites. But the sauce was so irrestible, it actually created a pretty good au jus sauce (not sure if that was the intended effect). Only complaint, if I have to nit pick, the tomatoes weren't so fesh. I imagine the ones I got were in the bottom of the prep tin, stewing in it's own juices, making it a little soggy. I expect this from Wawa, not a restaurant. But with every element hitting, I can overlook.

Intentional, or unintentional? Delicious either way.

Next stop was (not on the same day, thankfully) BGR in Columbia. Their name literally spells out BurGeR. They are a small chain, with less than 20 shops, (13 of which are in the DMV area) so based on that, I'll give them a nod as a local spot. Having been there before, and falling deeply into burger bliss, I had to return. And this one was extra special, as I met up with good friend, and fellow stand-up comedian Robert Andrew, who you might know from the "It's Mickey" podcast.

This place just feels like an old school burger joint, and you can tell their love of music. Album covers adorn the walls, and even some of their patterned glass tabletops, which are a blend of classic album covers and fun pop culture.

This place, again, has been praised for it's veggie burger. The Baltimore Sun named it one of the best burgers in the area. It's nice that a burger stand offers healthier options (Lettuce wraps, Ahi Tuna, Robert was especially delighted grilled asparagus is an option as a side). I'm not particularly interested in all that. Maybe I'd try the tuna one day, but it's a customized "Create a Legend" for me. I built The cook made me a flame grilled prime, dry aged burger (with an extra patty), Lettuce, Tomato, pickles, mojo sauce (again, a spicy mayo with a funky name), with applewood bacon, cheddar, and grilled pineapple.

This was even more imposing than the last one. I love how an open flame traps the juices in the burger. Visually, I wish the 2 patties would have had something to separate them, even a slice of cheese, so it had the look of two patties instead of just one really thick one. You could taste every topping, nothing really standing out, except the sweetness of the pineapple. The brioche bun was super fresh, soft and durable, accounting for the pound of food piled on, (and mojo sauce directly on the bottom).

With so many chains in the marketplace, This is one I really hope hope succeeds. And if more people give this place a shot, it will.

No asparagus here