Tavern On The Hill (Mt. Vernon)

I've spent these last few months chowing on some of the best (and a few forgettable) burgers in the city and I realize, I haven't been to Mount Vernon. Let's change that, with a visit to Tavern on the Hill. This place is spacious, but deceptively small. With all the upscale and trendy spots to eat in Baltimore's "cultural district", this place stands apart, because it's just a pub. It has the feel of a diner, except replace all the silver with wood, and add a bar.

I walk through the doors early afternoon of a blistery cold cold cold (3 colds. Did I mention it was cold) day, where I'm greeted warmly. By the cook. That's right. Not that everyone else wasn't warm and pleasant. But it's something a little unexpected. I find my seat, open up my menu (The burgers are right in the center of the 3 page menu, where they belong), and they have about a dozen speciality burgers, with varied ingredients. I closed my eyes, spun my finger around the menu, and landed on the "Oy Vey" burger.

The "Oy Vey" comes with their standard 100% Fresh ground USDA choice on a Challah bun, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle spear, topped with Swiss, and bottomed with pastrami and spicy mustard. Upgrade to Bison beef is available as well. 

Presented open face, with everything laid out, (but just a single slice of tomato? Really?) brown mustard (probably Gulden's) on the side, and an ample serving of hand cut fries. I put on a nice lather of sauce, and took a bite that absolutely rocked my world. The pastrami and beef pair is off the charts good. Every couple bites, some of the pastrami shavings would slide out of the burger and land delicately like a feather. The pastrami itself is so good. Chewy and politely peppered. 

This is what dreams are made of

While eating, I realized I was slipping into what I'll call the "Burger Zone". It felt like for a fleeting moment, all that existed in this world was just me and this burger. Nothing else mattered. Nothing could break my focus. I was hypnotized. Jimi Hendrix could have been resurrected, sitting across the table from me playing the solo from Hey Joe, light his guitar on fire causing the restaurant to burn, firefighters running in dressed as Pokemon characters, shooting spaghetti sauce from their fingers to extinguish the blaze, I would not have noticed.

This burger was that good.

Quick mention, on Thursday's from 4-cl, they offer $2 off burgers. I give this place a loud ringing endorsement. 

 

"oy vey" burger, pastrami.