Bobby's Burger Palace
by my daughter Nell
I'm thrilled to introduce my daughter Nell (she's the one on the right) as a contributor to The Reluctant Gourmet. We dined at Bobby Flay's restaurant, Bobby's Burger Palace, and I asked her to do a quick review of her experience. I'm trying to get her more involved in my blog and thought this was a good way to get her started. I think you'll enjoy her comments. - RG
Many burger-chain restaurants are known for the stereotypical cheap, dried out, and greasy burger that is more of a guilty pleasure then a nutritious meal. However, much to my delight, my experience at Bobby’s Burger Palace was the complete opposite.
This past Saturday night my dad, a good friend and I decided to go get a bite to eat in Philadelphia after visiting my sister who just underwent major surgery at the Children’s Hospital. After walking for about ten minutes, we resisted the urge to eat at the near-by Chipotle (one of my favorite fast-food restaurants) and instead went next door to Bobby’s Burger Palace (BBP).
Bobby’s Burger Palace is owned by the celebrity chef, author and restauranteur, Bobby Flay, who has opened up this restaurant in nine different states and fifteen towns and cities. Bobby Flay is also the executive chef and owner of Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobbly Flay Steak.
Just by the colorful exterior and fun outdoor seating, I knew it was a popular place to eat in Philadelphia. The order line inside the restaurant faced the wall of large menus with endless choices and options. The rest of the restaurant was filled with many seats and tables situated to seat a party of any size. Both my friend and I ordered the classic cheeseburger and a Boylan’s creme soda, while my dad ordered a Bobby Blue Burger (which had blue cheese and bacon) and a Yuengling to wash it down—yes they serve alcohol too!
One unique part of the menu was that you could get anything “crunchified,” meaning they would add potato chips to any burger or meal that you ordered. I really regret not getting my burger “crunchified” after talking to people who had ordered this before and described how delicious it was. Bobby’s Burgers also offered unique side options like sweet potato fries and onion rings as well as a large variety of milkshakes (with and without alcohol).
After ordering, we found three open seats inside and soon after a waitress brought us our burgers, identifying our meal choice by the number sign they give us upon ordering. The burgers were the perfect Goldilocks size, not too big and not too small!
On every table there was a tray of BBP-made condiments to put on your burger such as chipotle ketchup, barbeque sauce, and jalapeno hot sauce. The burgers were incredibly juicy; so much that you definitely needed a napkin handy after each bite.
The meal was extremely delicious and extremely messy. We all enjoyed our burgers and left feeling satisfied. Not only was the food tasty, but the atmosphere was friendly and fun and the service was speedy and polite. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a quick, cheap, and satisfying burger.
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