It’s been awhile since I did a dedicated burger post, so what’s new in the burger world here in Buenos Aires? Smashed patty burger places have become all the rage. When last we really looked into them, there were only a few places doing it – Tierra del Nadie, 24th Street, The Flour Store, and Fat Broder stand out as the best of them. These places make burgers that overcome my usual objection to smashed patty style by seasoning them right, getting those crispy edges, and still keeping them juicy. Most places (and the half dozen other smashed style spots I’ve reviewed) don’t manage anywhere from one to three of those things. I’d still generally prefer a thick, juicy burger that’s rare inside, but here and there, I’m coming around to enjoy this style as well.
Thinking about it, the issue for me is that most places here touting smashed patty burgers, aren’t making smashed patty burgers. I don’t know if they’ve just never had one, or are taking shortcuts, but just simply making a thin patty and cooking it on the grill or griddle, does not a smash patty make. The patties are created by smashing the burger down with a spatula, or better, a weighted press, and thinning out the edges to the point where they get deeply browned and crispy. The idea is a textural contrast, plus that famed Maillard reaction flavor. If all you do is overcook a thin patty, you don’t know what you’re doing.
I’m going to keep this a short one, just three spots this time around, and really, only one I’d go back to. And that one, while good, comes in at fifth place after the four mentioned above – though it is far more convenient for me to get to!
At Angus Brother, Av. Las Heras 3858, Palermo, they’re doing it right. In this somewhat sterile looking space, they’re turning out some pretty damned good burgers. Mostly it seems like it’s takeout and delivery – and there was a relatively steady stream of delivery folk in and out while I, the sole diner, ate there.
I couldn’t resist trying their Au Cheval burger, a tribute to the famed Chicago based burger spot (which I reviewed a couple of years ago). I’m going to reiterate, I wasn’t all that impressed with the original. It was a good burger, no question, but I didn’t feel like they got the whole crispy edges thing right for smashed patties, they were just thin patties stacked up. Here at Angus Brother, they’ve got those edges. Three things made this different from the original: the thick cut bacon is really sweet, glazed with maple syrup, as opposed to coated with spicy peppercorns; there are no pickles on the burger, that’s a huge missing element; and, separate from the burger itself, the fries aren’t served with that unctuous garlicky aioli that can also be added to the burger. Still, I thought it was a great burger, and plan to go back and try some of their others.
Off to Monserrat and Carlo’s Burger, Piedras 111, which sports a Simpsons theme, and the belief that cheese is spelled chesse. For that matter, since their menu is in Spanish, it’s not clear why they choose not to use queso. Then again, they also think that the big Tokyo based lizard, Gojira, should be spelled Gogzilla, which I suppose is no further off than Godzilla. It’s in keeping with the theme, after all, Godzilla did make appearances in The Simpsons.
I, however, did not go with the Gogzilla Burger, a three-patty, one pound burger with pickled onions, Emmenthal cheese, and Godzilla Sauce (they used a “d” there!) which is “50% spicy”. How, exactly, does one measure if a sauce is 50% spicy? No matter, I didn’t order it, I went with the Thick Bacon Burger, to keep it on theme with the burger above. Here we have a two-patty stack, each topped with a slice of Emmenthal, a fried egg, crispy onions, and bbq sauce. I added pickles to it. It’s a great combination, though I’d probably lose the bbq sauce. The flavors were delicious. The patties are not smashed ones, they’re just thin, but they’re well seasoned and not cooked to death. The pickles are really good. The big issue with this burger is the bun, which was already turning to mush by the time the plate got to my table, and fell apart completely when trying to pick this up. Waitress was at the ready with knife and fork. If you know that your buns don’t stand up to your burgers and they have to be eaten with cutlery… get some different buns. The fries aren’t bad.
I do have to give Patronus Burger House, Agüero 1947, in Recoleta, props for going pretty all in on a request for “extra pickles”. Unfortunately, that’s about where the props end. First off, like the one above at Carlo’s, this is not a smash burger. Likewise, this “Oklahoma” burger is simply not that. An Oklahoma burger involves getting a pile of onions, as much onion as burger, cooked down and smashing the burger on top of it so that they’re integrated into the burger’s surface and browned along with it. It doesn’t involve separately caramelizing some onions and using them as a topping. And, top that all off with that the patties here were basically unseasoned. Same with the insipid fries. Sorry, but this one is a pass. And hey, if you’re going to steal a Harry Potter reference in your name, at least get creative with the burger names and keep the theme going.
