Burger Review - Portillo's Hot Dogs...

Address: 50 locations, mainly in the Chicagoland area, 2 in CA, 2 in FL, and 2 in WI
Last visit: 8390 La Palma Ave. Buena Park CA 90620
Phone: 714-220-6400
Website: https://www.portillos.com/index.html

If you are looking for my vote for the best burger chain in America, look no further than Portillos.

Dick Portillo started his first hot dog stand in Villa Park, IL in 1963. Since then, he has opened 50 of these extremely high quality restaurants serving some of the best food money can buy.

Burger Review - In N Out...

Address: 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite L24, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: (800) 786-1000
Webiste: http://www.in-n-out.com/

Review:

What more can be said about In-N-Out that has not been said by millions of their rabid and loyal followers? The California-based burger chain has a cult-like following, and has been producing some of the worlds best burgers since Harry Snyder opened up his first drive thru stand in Baldwin Park in 1948.  300+ locations later, and still going strong.

I have been to In-N-Out countless times - I am not from California, nor have I ever lived there. But because I appreciate all things burger, In-N-Out was on the must try list from practically everyone that has every visited one of their many locations west of the Mississippi River (sadly, they have yet to reach Colorado).

Burger Review - McDonald's Fresh Quarter Pound Beef...

Location: Across the United States (8011 S. Broadway, Littleton, CO 80122 visited for review)
Website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-our-food/fresh-beef.html

Review:

I have been asked by numerous people what my opinion is about the new "fresh" beef at McDonald's. So I thought it would make sense to write a quick review.

First, it is McDonald's - somewhere we have all likely been a hundred (or more) times. One of the best qualities about McD's is that regardless what you think of the quality, you will get pretty much the same experience (more or less) no matter where you go. There is a certain comfort in this, especially if you are in a rush or just looking for something inexpensive and simple.

The Best Burgers in Colorado - Day 2...

Today's installment of the Best Burgers in Colorado is a look at some of the burger restaurant chains that are out there. Every chain on this list has locations outside of Colorado, and every one of them is worth a visit.

Chain Burgers:

Five Guys Burgers and Fries
(instead of locations, I have included their websites)
www.fiveguys.com

I can't say enough about Five Guys. Since last updating the list, I have been privileged enough to have a Five Guys open a few blocks from our house in Highlands Ranch. The burgers are always fresh, and made to order. Their fries are about as fresh cut as you can get, and there are TONS of them. During my winter doldrums (when my favorite local spot is closed), Five Guys fits the bill. But plan on waiting a bit – this isn't what I would call fast food. There is ALWAYS a line, and not because they are slow, but rather because they are always busy and everything is cooked to order.

Honorable Mentions (alphabetically):

Cheeburger Cheeburger
www.cheeburger.com

Culver's
www.culvers.com

Fatburger
www.fatburger.com

Smashburger
www.smashburger.com

The exciting conclusion comes tomorrow! Check back then!

Burger Review - Portillo's...

Portillo's - Vernon Hills, Illinois
221 E. Townline Road
Vernon Hills IL 60061
847-367-7290

www.portillos.com

I had my first Portillo's experience over 10 years ago while on a business trip. It has been a mainstay whenever I visit the Chicago area ever since.

Portillo's started in 1963 as a hot dog trailer, serving traditional Chicago style dogs. Today, they are a fairly large chain, and have expended to several other types of restaurants.

The burger is a fresh 1/3 pound charbroiled patty served on a corn meal crusted bun. I had the double which seemed much larger than I was expecting and was a challenge to finish. It would have been a travesty to NOT finish this burger. Add to that, Portillo's serves the best crinkle cut fries I have even had. Period. I would be more than satisfied to go there ans eat just french fries. They are crispy and perfectly cooked, and there is a lot of them, even in a small order.

I highly recommend Portillo's. It is the quintessential Chicago dining experience.

Another Burger Joint in Colorado...

This weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of dining at Five Guys. Those of you with experience on the East Coast probably have heard of them before (I have been to Five Guys several times on my travels). You can visit their website here:

http://www.fiveguys.com/

They have been expanding, and have recently opened up two locations in Colorado, with more to come. I visited the one in Aurora:

Five Guys
2300 South Parker Road
Aurora, CO 80231
303-751-7449

There is also a location in Fort Collins:

Five Guys
1335 West Elizabeth, #100
Fort Collins, CO 80521
970-797-2428

As many of you may know, 'tis the season for Dairy Delite, and until they close in the fall, it is fairly unlikely that I will be making the trek to Fort Collins. But for my less obsessive friends, and those that actually live in Northern Colorado, Five Guys is an awesome choice for your burger dining experience. I highly recommend them!

New Colorado Burger for the List...

Of course, the very afternoon that I post my “Best Burgers in Colorado” list, I find another that should probably be included.

The Beautiful Susie and I finally had a chance to partake in a Smashburger. There are several locations in the Denver metro, and we visited the location at Colorado and Kentucky.

The burger was outstanding. Loosely packed and cooked to order. The fries were also very good.

We will need go back to this place very soon (probably this weekend). If you are in the Denver area, you might want to add this to you list to try.