Screen Door - May 2, 2011

It's been a crazy few months so the Quest for the Ultimate Burger has been put on hold but today we started back and the quest took our group to One Arts Plaza to try the burger offering at Screen Door. Screen Door specializes in a modern take on southern classics and features items on their menu such as gumbo, shrimp and grits, fried catfish, pulled pork sandwiches, meat loaf and southern classics for dessert such as bread pudding and banana creme pie. We arrived at the restaurant and were promptly seated by a friendly hostess. Our server came by a few moments later and brought us menus and asked for our drink orders. After bringing our drinks, he took our lunch orders and I ordered the Angus hamburger cooked medium and added two slices of bacon and a side of house fries. According to the menu, the meat for the burgers is ground fresh daily and all burgers are served with sharp cheddar cheese and caramelized onions. The burger is listed at $11 on the menu and bacon is an additional $2. While we waited for our orders, the server brought us a basket of warm cornbread and brown sugar scones with a side of butter and apple butter. After enjoying a piece of cornbread and a scone, the following burger was brought to the table:





The burger was served on a pain au lait hamburger bun which had been lightly toasted. The hamburger patty was placed on top of the bottom bun and two fairly thick slices of bacon were criss-crossed on top of the patty. The bacon was then covered with cheddar cheese and a good sized stack of caramelized purple onion. A slather of mayonnaise coated the top bun to finish off the burger. Taking a bite, I tasted of combination of smoke and the freshness of the beef flavor of the patty intertwined with the peppery bacon, the tangy cheddar cheese and the sweetness of the onions. The bacon was thick enough that it gave a little chew to every bite of the burger. The onions were soft and sweet and nicely complimented the beefy flavors of the hamburger. The patty was juicy and cooked to a perfect medium with a layer of pink in the middle of the patty. The cheese provided a nutty earthy flavor to each bite of the burger. It was not the typical cheese found on most hamburgers but it worked really well for this burger. The hamburger was light and fluffy but held together throughout the whole burger even after soaking up the juices from the patty. Finally, the French fries were average frozen fries that had been seasoned with a semi-hot spice blend. They were hot and crispy and while they didn't detract from the burger, they weren't my favorite french fries at a burger place.


Overall, the burger at Screen Door was a very good representation of an upscale burger. The fresh ground meat was lightly seasoned to show off the beef flavor, the cheese and bacon were flavorful and worked well on the burger and the onions were caramelized to a perfect softness with a good sweetness in every bite. I would order the burger at Screen Door again but I also want to try the other menu items that I saw being served to other patrons around the restaurant.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 20, light and fluffy, great hamburger bun


Meat - 21, fresh flavors, smokey peppery bacon, cooked perfectly


Appearance - 20, well prepared burger, ingredients nicely stacked on burger


Taste - 21, great flavors of meat, cheese, bacon and onions


Overall - 82