4 Burgers

I finally have taken some time to go through the pictures on my camera from the last few months. Having done that, I can now share burgers pics from 4 different locations. I'll display them oldest first.

First, some pictures from inside the new Shake Shack in Miami Beach. Sorry there are no burger pics. But I figured some of you may be interested in the interior. Especially since the original location has all outdoor seating. No need for further reviews on the Shack burger. I can assure you that it is as good as the one up north. Nice job on consistency guys...

This is a picture of their logo burned into each table that I edited.

The view from the front door.

The cash registers...

The Shake Shack menu on the wall up front.

A wall full of Shack gear.


Another shot of the Shake Shack logo burnt into a table.

A few weeks later I hit my own trifecta by eating at the latest Shake Shack in Saratoga, New York at the Sartoga Springs racetrack. It was a rainy day but we had a great time none the less. The same applies at this location, consistency.

The same logo and outdoor setup as in NYC.


Me enjoying my Shack burger and beer out of the rain.

Later on the tail end of this trip to upstate New York we were flying out of Ithaca. So why not try and get another burger? We tried a spot in the Ithaca Commons called the Mahogany Grill. Let's just keep it simple. Worth the money but nothing to boast about.

A view from across the street.

Table and Menu.

My burger and sweet potato fries.

And the last of the left overs was by far the best. Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia. I was in the DC area for work a couple of weeks back and got a hold of some friends I hadn't seen in a while. We decided to all meet up at Ray's - boy was it worth it. Apparently it started years back as a location aside their steakhouse where they ground up unused steak to sell as hamburgers.

An edited picture of their front sign.

The front as we approached.

The inside. Note the world map for patrons to mark their origin.

The counter to order from - Cash Only.

The burger I ordered was perfectly cooked with the outside charred to seal in the medium rare juices. The bun was awesome; it had seeds on both the top and bottom and completed the perfect burger to bun ratio. It was in between a sesame/poppy seed and and everything bagel topping. The menu presented enough options to please nearly any burger fan and I opted to keep it simple with burger plus cheese (white Vermont cheddar). I of course went with the sweet potato fries...

Zeke's

Zeke's Roadhouse is a great place to people watch in South Beach. It is located right in the heart of Lincoln Road and has the cheapest beer that I know of for this type of selection. They have literally hundreds of beers to pic from that are from all over the world. They sell draft beer, bottled beer, and few basic food items: hot dogs, popcorn, and something else. I believe any beer they sell is now at $4. Make sure each person in your party has their ID.

This is a picture a few months back just before they opened on a Sunday.

And this picture was a few minutes later after they opened.

The Vortex Bar & Grill

I went on my annual away game trip to Tuscaloosa, AL this past weekend only to watch the Gators get beat pretty bad. Since we were flying back south from Atlanta airport we tried to bring some life back into our deflated weekend by trying out The Vortex, a burger recommendation I received a couple of weeks back.

The guys I was with opted for The Vortex location closer to the airport in Midtown. I bring this up because apparently the other location in the Little 5 area is the original. Upon arrival, this restaurant's character starting shining through right away. The entire inside of the Bar/Restaurant was filled wall to wall with cool signs, souvenirs, antiques, and knick knacks. Not like the layout and assembly that you might find at a T.G.I.Friday's either. The closest place that I can resemble it to is one of the three Barney's Beanery locations in the L.A. area.


I scanned the menu for their burgers and found a whole page long list. You can look up some of the others on their site. I am just going to tell you about my meal: the Coronary Bypass. I was going to go for the regular burger before I scrolled my eyes to the bottom of the menu and located this beast. It came with a half pound tasty sirloin patty, topped with a fried egg, three slices of American cheese, and what looked like 6 pieces of nice bacon. The bun was a sesame seed, with lettuce, tomato, and onion presented on top. I opted for the side of fried plantains and asked them to leave the mayo in the kitchen. I'm sure this may seem a bit weird for some of you a bit farther north, but for me, this is an tasty side often available in the Miami area.

As soon as it arrived I carefully placed the condiments atop the fried bacon and then folded over the bun top in order to get to work. I grabbed for my knife, stabbed the center of the bun, and cut it in half. I stuffed the edge of burger in my mouth immediately instead of wiping the drool from my face. The burger was great. Perfectly cooked, and tasting better than every component that my eyes just ran across.


I am so happy that I followed up on the recent recommendation. The Vortex Bar & Grill is a place I'd recommend as well. It looks like a great watering hole too.