Situated next to Stonewerks in the Quarry Shopping Center of Alamo Heights is the Quarry Hofbrau and Beer Garden.  If you have lived in San Antonio any small amount of time, you probably know this as the “cursed location” because it seems impossible for any restaurant or business to last any substantial time.  I decided to drop by and check it out with a friend after work one day.

Anyone expecting something similar to Munich’s Hofbrauhaus would be remiss, the inside is more like a hunting lodge on a Texas Ranch.  I have to admit, given the name I was expecting something more German (there is not really any German food on the menu), but the owners really went all out with the atmosphere and put a lot of work into it.  There are a lot of bucks and other wildlife mounted on the walls and a huge stone fireplace that ties the restaurant together and gives it a nice feel.

The server started out by placing a basket of bread with butter that had fruit and nuts in it.  I have to admit, the taste was a little foreign at first, but it really grew on me.  However, if you don’t like it, just be sure to ask your waiter for a side of plain butter.

I was in the mood for a hamburger and ordered the Pepper Jack Bacon Melt.  The burger comes with pepper jack cheese, honey chipotle bacon, jalapeños, and a jalapeño cheddar bun.  When I got the burger, I was immediately impressed, and one bite sold me on the fact that this is one of the best burgers in San Antonio.  The bun was sweet and had a nice soft texture and those fried jalapeños provided a good kick while providing a crunchiness that I really liked.  This all mixed well with the thick slabs of bacon that were cooked perfectly for a burger, not too crispy and not too soggy.

Sorry the picture is a little dark, but don't worry, the burger was really tasty.

Equally good was the fries; they were thick cut and you could tell they were fresh.  Yes, $10 might be a little much for a burger, but I tell you what, this burger is worth it!

Finally, while I didn’t get to try one (I had ordered a Shiner), I want to mention something that looked interesting.  They serve these huge schooners of margaritas with an upside down beer in them.  I saw this as I was finishing up my meal and had to ask my waiter about it.  I forgot the name (just ask your server), but he assured me that they were awesome and the best kind are made with Dos Equis Amber.  He said they are quite potent, something like being equivalent to 3-4 drinks, so if you get one make sure your group has a Designated Driver!  Needless to say, I am DEFINITELY getting one the next time out there.

Hopefully the Quarry Hofbrau and Beer Garden will overturn the curse of that building, but be sure to do your part and get out there and snag one of the best burgers in town!

Value: 8.5/10 (a little on the expensive side, but worth the price)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (awesome Texas Ranch lodge kind of feel)
Service: 9/10 (extremely friendly, helpful at explaining the menu, and quick)
Taste: 9.5/10 ( they try to do something different with the bread and butter before the meal that is a little funky and initially it was strange but grew on me; if you don’t like the butter with fruit and nuts ask for a plain version of it to make sure you get off on the right step; the hamburger just busted out with flavor, from the meat, bacon, and jalapeños on it; really solid!)
Website: http://quarryhofbrau.com/
Facebook: Quarry Hofbrau and Beer Garden on Facebook
View Larger Map

Share on Facebook

As I have begun working on a newer part of town, I have had to find some new places to eat.  I had been hearing a lot of things about the Bunsen Burger hamburger joint, and being in the mood for a good burger, I decided to go check them out.

Their theme is that they are kind of like a place to experiment with burgers.  I thought that this would fit my personality a lot because of the ways that I experiment with my burgers at Order Up.  When I got there, I was a little disappointed to find that they don’t provide that level of experimentation.  I decided to order the Stehling Experiment which is a hamburger with beans, Fritos, cheddar cheese, and homemade pico de gallo.  I also heard great things about their tempura battered fries, so I got some sweet potato fries and my friends got some standard fries.

The fries were good; in fact, I would say that the fries are worth trying this place alone.  I have never had tempura battered fries, but the batter gives them a pretty good crunch without being very greasy at all.  I will say that you are better off ordering the regular fries as they are far superior to the sweet potato fries (the regular ones are denser and have a nice salty flavor).

The tempura battered fries were awesome, the burger left something to be desired.

The hamburger left something to be desired.  The bun was kind of dried out and had a funky taste to it (I don’t know if this was due to the funky dark sesame seeds or not) and the patty was also dried out.  The beans could have used some salt, and the pico de gallo wasn’t that spicy at all.  The burger was not an experiment that went wrong, but more like one that just didn’t live up to its expectations.

Value: 7/10 ($10 for burger and fries (sans drink) is pretty expensive; I will note that their website does show a burger, fries, and ice tea for $6.95 so they appear to be more reasonable now.)
Atmosphere: 9.0/10 (Kudos to a fun laboratory atmosphere complete with a TV showing old Sci-Fi movies and even a geocache hidden somewhere in the restaurant)
Service: 9/10 (Good service and fairly prompt.)
Taste: 7/10 (The tempura battered fries really raise the rating from what it probably should be; the burger is average at best.)
Website: www.bunsenburgers.com
View Larger Map

Share on Facebook

You know a lot of my friends give me grief for always writing what they call “cheerful” reviews.  They think that I am pretty easy going and not very critical.  In fact, they ask me if I have ever written a bad review.  The fact of the matter is I have written one scathing review, a few lukewarm reviews, but they are right, for the most part it has been pretty friendly.  Well this is definitely not a good review…

So Broadway 50/50 opened a new location at the Colonnade off of Wurzbach and I-10 and a group of us from work decided to go visit it.  As we were entering the restaurant, we encountered a pair of coworkers, one of whom was a guy named Will.  I asked Will, “So is the food any good?”  Will responded, “I would love to tell you but I really don’t know; we sat at our table for 15 minutes without getting any service so we got up and walked out.”

Now this is kind of funny, because if you have ever met Will, you will know that this is a man that is not easily overlooked.  He is a pretty tall individual who is built like a rugby player; in fact, his stagename in some of our Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament is El Gigante.  We should have just listened to the man and not gone in, but we were stubborn and decided to give it a try.  Let’s just say that Will was a harbinger of what was to come…

We ended up sitting down and waited like 15 minutes before anyone talked to us.  Doing a little math, this would have amounted to like 30 minutes that the staff ignored this table.  When someone finally did talk to us (I think it was the manager), he asked if we had been helped.  When we said “No,” he left and it took another 5 minutes to actually get our waitress.

We all realized that there are two types of people, the quick and the hungry, and we vowed to place our order as soon as the waitress asked us for our drink order.  We did so and had to wait another lengthy amount of time to finally get our drinks and later our food.

Now, I am all about giving food a fair shake; some of the best food that you can get comes with the slowest service.  But by and large, it is service that engages and talks with you (we haven’t even got this at the Broadway 50/50).

I ended up getting the Pulled Pork sandwich. Yes, I know, I know, I know.  I have vowed that I would not order pulled pork outside the state of Tennessee ever again (I ordered pulled pork in a previous post).  However, having lived a summer in Memphis, I have quite the inclination for pulled pork and just the thought of the possibility of getting a pulled pork sandwich that could be on the same level as Memphis is always enticing.  Quite frankly, can you blame me when the menu even states that, “We put a little homemade coleslaw on the sandwich just like they do in Memphis.”  This one line suckered me in…

The waitress dropped off the plates, said the obligatory, “Can I get you anything else?” but scurried off before hearing a reply.  Yes, as a matter of fact, I did want a side of ranch dressing.  I finally caught her and asked for it, but never ended up getting my side of ranch dressing.  This normally would not be a problem, however, while the waitress forgot to bring out the ranch she was able to remember to charge me for it — I paid $0.50 for my phantom ranch dressing.

Note to Self: When you aren't in Tennessee, do not order pulled pork.

As you can probably tell by using your context clues, I was disappointed in the meal.  Again, I probably shouldn’t have ordered it in the first place as it is probably impossible to meet my expectations.  It definitely wasn’t bad, but after all the bad service that we had received, it was not good.  The other thing that stunk was that the lunch with a tip (yes, I still gave a tip) ended up being $12.50.  I don’t know about you but that is pretty sorry considering it is mediocre food and terrible service.  For that price, I would rather go build an insane Order Up burger and have $5 left over…

Finally, I would like to say that while the service was terrible, I don’t particularly blame any of the waiters.  They are just in a situation where they are destined to fail so no matter what they do, they are not going to succeed.  There were not enough waiters for the amount of tables and they all seemed a little green.  Granted, I shouldn’t have been charged for something I wasn’t given, but most anyone starts to make mistakes when they get flustered.  If I were them, I would definitely look for a new job.

Hopefully you heed Will and my advice and don’t bother setting foot in this restaurant.

Value: 3/10 ($12.50 with tip for lousy service and a mediocre meal)
Atmosphere: 7/10 (pretty neat atmosphere with TVs and bar games)
Service: 1.5/10 (pathetic)
Taste: 5.5/10 (mediocre at best)
Website: www.five0five0.com
View Larger Map

Share on Facebook

Here is my second crazy creation, dubbed the “Rise and Shine,” which includes: hamburger, cheddar cheese, bacon, fried egg over easy, and pico de gallo.  Go order one up today!

The "Rise and Shine" Burger

Share on Facebook

Wow! Order up is featuring my burger through November 15!

If you go in between now and that time and ask for “The Epic” you will get the burger that was listed in this post; they accidentally left out that sun dried tomatoes, but you still get a pretty awesome burger!

I look forward to creating another monstrosity in the near future, so stay tuned!

Here is there announcement:

Gear Up for the Big Game!

With football season in full force, it’s time to get your game faces on and get pumped up Orderup style.

Stop by and get a 50% Discount on any of the following game day favorites.*

Sausage Pizza – created and loved by David, Orderup customer.
Fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage, black olives, and sliced onions.

Steak Nachos – created and loved by Kim, Orderup Server.
Hand-cut chips, cheddar cheese, beans, grilled jalapenos, and grilled steak.

The Epic Burger – created and loved by Garrett, Orderup customer.
Hand-pressed patty, guacamole, bacon, Jack cheese, grilled Serranos, grilled onions, and garlic.

Orderup proudly supports the San Antonio Arts Community by offering live local music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. To find out who’s playing, view our Listenup schedule.

Orderup
Hand-crafted, authentic pizzas, tacos and burgers made to order from fresh ingredients.

orderup-sa.com

twitter.com/orderup

*Mention this e-mail to receive the discount. Offer good one time only. Price includes only toppings listed in this e-mail. Valid at all three locations: Lincoln Heights, Colonnade and Stone Ridge. Offer good through 11/15/09.

Share on Facebook

I enjoy going to Order Up and making ridiculous burgers.  I thought I should keep a running tally of some of the epic ones that I have made, so here is the first installment:

Jack Cheese, Bacon, Guacamole, Grilled Serranos, Grilled Onions, Grilled Mushrooms, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Garlic

Share on Facebook

There is a saying that good things come in small packages, but would this prove true at Kong’s Burgers and Wings whose slogan is “Little Place, Big Taste”?  The restaurant is situated across the street from the old Windsor Park Mall off of Walzem Highway in a tiny brick building that doesn’t have any indoor seating; don’t worry, if it is cold, you can just drive through.

The Kong Burger (the namesake of the restaurant) was billed at a full pound of beef; I wasn’t exactly all that hungry, so I opted for the smaller half pound burger and dressed it up with cheese, bacon, and avocado.  I think that the burger had a base price of $3.99 and each of the items that I added were $0.70/item.

When I picked up my burger, I was shocked by how heavy the little bag was; I knew in spite of being the ½ Kong that this burger wasn’t going to be playing around.  First off, let me talk about the bun.  I have never had a bun quite like this one as it was incredibly dense and the bottom was toasted to perfection.  Similar to Biff Buzby’s, the bun was sweet, but it was so thick it could have been a standalone meal all by itself!  By saying the bottom was toasted, doesn’t really do it justice as it was more kind of a fried because it was pretty crispy.  You will just have to order it because it is a beast unto its own!

That bun is a thing of beauty...

The bacon was a nice add-on and they got it right where it was crispy but still had a nice amount of grease.  The avocado was more of a guacamole that was spread on the bottom and had a great flavor.  In fact, I would advise getting these two add-ons along with the cheese.

The burger itself had a nice flavor and was seasoned right.  Instead of spreading the ½ pound of meat in a big patty, it was more concentrated and was pretty thick.  Napkins were definitely in order because it had a little bit of grease to it.  Overall, all the ingredients worked well in concert with each other nicely and the burger just had an amazing taste to it!

I was with one of my friends who participated in burger week a few months ago, and we both agreed that had we ventured to Kong’s Burgers and Wings that this burger would have been given the top prize.  In fact, this has to be the best burger that I have had in the city of San Antonio (maybe the world!)!

Value: 9/10 (you can get a ½ pound burger for like $4)
Atmosphere: 5/10 (there’s not really atmosphere; you sit on a picnic bench!)
Service: 9/10 (the lady at the window is incredibly nice and friendly)
Taste: 10/10 (NOW THAT’S A TASTY BURGER; the best one I have found in SA, maybe even the world; go just to experience the bun)

(Google Maps does not have them listed just yet, but if you go to the below location, you should see the restaurant across Walzem from the old Windsor Park Mall)
View Larger Map

Share on Facebook

So you say that you have a car that needs cleaning, and you really need to get some laundry done before work tomorrow, but you would like to go grab a beer and listen to some live music and keep tabs on your child playing outside while you eat an organically acceptable burger?  Wow, I have the place for you then!

Located in Five Points (the place in San Antonio where five streets come together), is the Cove and they fit the bill for everything mentioned above.  Recently hailed by Texas Monthly as having one of the best burgers in the state, I had to go check them out.

I went on a Friday night, and let me just say that the place was absolutely jumpin’!  The restaurant is separated into three unique areas: (1) the place where you order (you can see through to the people at the Laundromat), (2) a bar area where you can eat and listen to live music, and (3) an outside area with a playground that made my inner 7 year old jealous!  The line was pretty long and you have to wait in it a while before getting to order your food; it winds inside this little room where you finally get to order your food.  That and the fact that your soda refills are also in that little room would be my only knock on the place.

After getting finally getting to order, I opted for the SOB Burger which has Grilled Ham, Avacado, Jack Cheese, and Spicy Mustard.  I didn’t know if they replaced the burger with the grilled ham, or if they just added it on top, but in either case, I asked them to hold that off my hamburger.  I got a side of organic sweet potato fries for a buck more.  While waiting in line, I saw this organic soda fountain that made their sodas with real imperial sugar instead of corn syrup.  I knew that I absolutely had to try this out, so I got a cup and filled it up with the Black Cherry soda.  I highly recommend this as it was the perfect drink to quench your thirst after a hot summer day.

We went to find a place to sit, but the bar area was absolutely bumpin’ it (read: it was packed!)!  There was absolutely no place for us to sit, so while some band was covering Bob Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street,” we made our way outside to the picnic tables.  You could still hear the band and it was a nice area to sit and talk.

The burger was pretty good, the avocado and spicy mustard blended together to make a really good sauce.  While it wasn’t all that greasy, it did have a nice taste to it.  But what really stole the show were the sweet potato fries!  I really really really love sweet potato fries and they are always a treat when you can find some good ones!  Normally, I like them with a brown sugar type sauce, but they had a different sauce that complimented them nicely.  I also had to fight my way through the line to get another refill of my Black Cherry soda

Lastly, I would like to talk about the randomness of people who were there: you had young people, old people, middle aged people, and little kids; there were straight laced folks and the new rockabilly crowd that were tatted up; there were healthy eaters and those just looking for a good burger; the one commonality was that people were there for a good time and most were sitting side by side.  The Cove is almost like a little utopia of humanity.

This is a great venue for food and fun; next time your car has “Wash Me” written on it, grab some quarters for the car wash and an appetite for some good food.

Value: 7/10 (the organic stuff gets a little expensive, but $12 (sans beer) for dinner is not outrageous)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (if you go outside and see the playground, you’ll wish you were a kid again (don’t worry there are some ping pong tables for the big kids); if you stay inside your ear will be treated to some good tunes; and how can you knock a place where you see people doing laundry as you order?)
Service: 9/10 (I think that the service was spectacular, however, I think that they need to get their whole ordering process ironed out – expect to wait in line for a while instead of ordering at your table)
Taste: 8.5/10 (burgers were good but not slap your mama, the sweet potato fries and imperial sugar fountain drinks really brought it through)
View Larger Map

Share on Facebook

Do you truly like to have a burger your way?  And by your way, I mean not only with just the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, mustard, mayo, and ketchup?  What if you wanted some grilled seranos? Or capers? Or artichoke hearts?  You would think you would need a place that was part burger joint and part supermarket, but you would be wrong.  What you really would need is Order Up.

Order Up is a popular restaurant near my place of employment and the menu is remarkably simple: Pizza, Burger, Taco, Soup, and Salad.  What makes it amazing is the level of customization that the consumer has over each of those items with an assortment of cheeses, vegetables, fruits, and sauces.

They have a terrific soup and salad combo, but this time I decided to opt for a hamburger.  When I go to Order Up, my goal is to make the most ridiculous hamburger that I can possibly create.  I don’t know why, I guess it is because I view the hamburger as my canvas, the options as my paint, and myself as the artist.  With so many possibilities, I feel like I cannot just create an ordinary burger but a masterpiece.

This time I opted to create a hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, mayo, pepper jack cheese, grilled onions, grilled seranos, grilled mushrooms, and grilled pineapple.  The heat of the pepper really mixed nicely with the sweet of the pineapple.  The other thing that I like is that the meat is always good from Order Up; it is never overly greasy, but the little amount of grease that it does have gives the burger a nice flavor.

That is a highly customizable burger!

Lastly, be sure to park either in front or behind the main façade of the restaurant.  If you park in the lot on the side of it, you will be harangued by a female security guard, who will aggressively tell you that if you leave you car there you will be towed.  Just a thought.

Value: 8/10 (the base models (pizza and hamburgers) are reasonable, but it can get pricey adding on all the different toppings)
Atmosphere: 9/10 (I am amazed at how good I feel upon entering the restaurant; it has a lot of windows and the atmosphere feels as fresh as the food)
Service: 8/10 (friendly folks behind the register)
Taste: 9/10 (I enjoy the fresh taste of all the food)

Location is at I-10 and Wurzbach in the Colonnade

Share on Facebook

Two things I can really say about Murf’s: (1) seems weird that you would call your restaurant the “Better Burger” because it automatically implies that someone out there can be a “Best Burger” and therefore better than you are, and (2) this review will be about as memorable as the meal I had.

A fairly unremarkable burger, but it at least didn't taste bad.

Value: 7/10 (gets Double Deluxe, fries, and a big drink for about $6.50; no tip jar so no need to tip)
Atmosphere: 7/10 (like the throwback restaurant and drive in)
Service: 7/10 (friendly but not overly helpful)
Taste: 6/10 (Murf’s Better Burger is better than average, but just barely)
View Larger Map

Share on Facebook