Best Burger in Aiken Part 8 - Aiken Brewery

Location - The Aiken Brewing Company, 140 Laurens St SW, Aiken, SC 29801
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I'm sorry. I took a little hiatus last week and didn't really do a whole lot with the blog. I kind of needed a break because I have been enjoying way too many burgers and not enough healthy foods and I think I experienced some chest pains last week (in all seriousness I think it was just strained muscles from kayaking or something). So, I stayed away from the burgers for the most part and went with, you know, burritos, PB&J, pollo con queso, home-made breakfast sandwiches... Oh, wait, that last one actually is semi-healthy, I think, considering the home-fresh egg on it.

Anyways, I'm back at it. I've honestly been really trying to get into Ray's over on 302 and the bypass but I always miss them because they are either open on days when I'm already committed to something else or they are closed on days when I have nowhere else to go. But, I know I have Frank and Christian to join me and maybe even Ryan and John. We just need to remember the pack of marlboro's or camels when we go, I'm told. And no answering the cell phone at the bar if I plan on staying or coming back.

So, for this week I went out Friday with Laura and Glenn to the Aiken Brewing Company, better known as Brew Pub to most (at least to my little group of friends). I won't lie, this place has been a favorite of mine for some time and it is very hard for me to be objective on this. This is partially because of the really good craft beer as well as the good food but mostly because the people who work there (Christian, Frank, Bo, and the others are awesome and make it even better).

I also won't lie, I was a little disappointed when they made some changes to various items on the menu a while back: the fries, the motherplucker (seems to not be as buffalo-ish) and the burgers. But this isn't necessarily about that, it's about how good the burger they do have is and while I was originally disappointed in the change to go to a different type of patty (more so because I don't like change when it comes to some things I already really like) I have been very happy with the change to the burger since.

So, without further ado, I present the Brew Burger:

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. I cheated a bit on this thing. Like I said before, I am not a fan of change but I did change up my normal burger here a bit for the challenge. No jalapenos, no olives, no extra pickles (or ickles as Laura is inclined to call these delicious altered cucumbers). But I could not stay away from the bacon. Who can say no to bacon?

Anyways, I have to say that this thing is in a tie for best burger with Betsy's and is very close with Playoffs. All three are excellent burgers in their own rights, but I have always loved this burger and here is why:

The Brew burger is a build-your-own-burger. Sure, most places really are and you always can get the plain burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and put on your own condiments, but you still decide how much of the toppings can go on, and you can choose between other things like jalapenos, olives, pickles, bacon, several kinds of cheese, and so on. Despite not seeming to be a hand-made patty (Christian or someone can correct me on this if need be) I have never had a bad burger here. You honestly don't know because it tastes really good and looks good, too. They are always a good size (never too thick or too thin and usually fit the bun just right) and they are really juicy. The one in the picture really is the same size as the bun, it just somehow got moved over to hang off one side when I was putting it together.

It is served on a warm, buttery Kaiser roll and is actually served open with the top bun on top of the lettuce, tomato and onions. Again, you put this together kind of like at Red Shed. But I have never had to leave something off. I have always had just enough onion, lettuce and tomato to put on there and it did not disappoint this time, either. The combination was on point.

Now, on to the cheese. I believe I went with provolone on this one but I can't remember exactly. Like most of the previous burgers in the challenge, this one was melted just right. The cheese hugged that burger patty like a warm blanket straight from the dryer and was even distributed.

And that first bite. The only thing I can think of is "hashbrown noms" (inside joke), but seriously, really good. Perfect blend of patty, bacon, veggies, condiments and bread. It was really good to the last bite, which was a little ways off. This burger is a good-sized burger so come hungry. It was juicy, well-cooked and full of taste.

Now, I'm sure a few of you remember I was asked if fries can make or break a burger. I said no. But if this thing had the old-style fries they used to have, beer-battered steak fries, I would be willing to put this thing ahead of Betsy's. But the fries are still good and crispy, so don't be worried about that. The old ones were just that much better that even a year or so later I'm still kind of bummed.

Price - $10.50 or so (burger, side of fries or onion rings or salad. I left the beer price off)

Ambience - It's a bar, but a nice one. You can either eat upstairs on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night and watch the various games on a bunch of TVs while listening to some bluegrass music or you can take it downstairs. I highly recommend you try to get upstairs to hang out with Christian and Frank (sometimes Bo if Christian is off doing whatever it is he does when he's not there), though, or enjoy the outside seating on a nice evening. And wash it down with a craft beer. Give up your Bud Light and Coors for a night, please, and try a Kolsch (if you must have that lite beer) or the Thoroughbred Red... or the ARPA (American Red Pale Ale). Or the Brown. Or, how about you make several trips, grab a couple friends and some growlers and try them all? But only if you're over 21. Had to make sure I plugged that in there, but you don't have to be 21 to enjoy a burger or Mother Plucker or other food.

So, here are the new rankings:
T1) Betsy's on the Corner
T1) Brew Pub
3) Playoffs
4) Malia's
5) Red Shed
6) City Bs
7) Blue Top

I will make it to Rays and the others. Just not sure where is next on my quest.

FYI, I want to throw out a couple other things. 1) If you have a chance to go to the Big Mo, try the burger. For what it is, it's actually pretty good. It's a basic cheese burger with a few things thrown on it, but for $3.50, it's actually really good. But, since it's not a restaurant I figured I wouldn't write about it and have it cloud things up. But, I will say that it would be behind Blue Top.

2) My mom, dad and I cooked out last night and I now know where you can get the best burger in Aiken. I promised Mom I wouldn't make her part of the challenge, but her burgers were pretty dang good. She added some seasoning in there that was part french-onion soup and I believe some ranch powder of some kinds as well... wow. Sorry, unless I bring you over, I guess you'll just have to be left to wonder...

Best Burger in Aiken Part 7 - Malia's

Location - Malia's, 120 Laurens St, Aiken, SC 29801
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Fridays are the perfect days for a burger challenge. Well, I guess any day ending in a "y" is a good day for a burger challenge, but there's just something about it being Friday and you are just like, "HELLOOOOOOOO WEEKEND!" And that makes the thought of a big ol' juicy burger that much better. It's science.

So, earlier in the week I was thinking about my next stop and I was pretty dead-set on keeping up with the trend of new burgers. I only have two places left that I have eaten at before so that's not too hard. The hard part, is choosing the location. But, during the week for lunch I have to stay pretty close so I can't go out to a few of the ideas because of my time crunch for lunch.

One of the more intriguing options left to me is Ray's. Now, I've heard some stories about Ray's from a couple of places and it sounds like it would be a fun and interesting experience. I won't share those stories with you for now, because, well, I didn't get to go to Ray's. As I was coming up on it today,  I had to turn around and find another option. "But why?" you ask?

So, my buddies John and Ryan wanted to join me for this burger. They arrived a few minutes before I would have and noticed that there was a chain in front of the driveway. It appeared to be closed. I don't mean to diss, but who in the world is closed for lunch on a Friday?! I have to say I was pretty dejected by this unfortunate turn of events, and reluctantly began thinking of an alternative.

I was obviously so distraught over this that I failed to think of my options that were close enough for my hour-long lunch, now down to 40 minutes by this point, to allow. I was going to hit up the Aiken Brewery, but then John suggested up Malia's.

Malia's! I hadn't even thought of them. Or Magnolia's! Geeze. My brain must have been fried from the devastation of not getting to enjoy the unique experience that is Ray's. Either that or I'm already in weekend mode and I don't plan on doing much thinking when I'm off work. But, John was able to get through to me and so we met at Malia's to give their burger a try.

Malia's is a bit late to the party in that they were not mentioned until I had already started things, but I was guaranteed by a friend that it was a great burger. Alright, I'm sold on that idea. Now, before I get further into the experience, let me show you what they are working with just down the street from both Brew Pub and Betsy's on the Corner, and just around the corner from Playoffs and City Bs:

Right off the bat let me say that this is the probably the most unique burger I have tried for this challenge. What you are looking at is their only burger on the lunch menu and it does not have all the normal "fixin's" you expect. There is tomato,  mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil mayo and I requested some ketchup to add to it. You can order it either on a ciabatta, brioche or wheat roll; what you see in the picture is ciabatta. Notice this burger is not weighted down with lettuce, onions, mustard, pickles, ketchup, olives, peppers, jalapenos, or anything like that.

I can hear a few of you thinking, "That's just un-Ameircan! 'Merica!" But trust me, that certified angus beef patty made it plenty American. I really liked the difference the mozzarella cheese adds because it is a different flavor that you don't get from cheddar or American cheese. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you can set yourself apart, you're doing something right.

This burger also stood out because it seemed like the biggest patty I have had, yet. The picture may not do it complete justice, but I am pretty certain it was the tallest patty and it was the first time I was asked how I wanted it cooked - medium well, for record.

I was not surprised to be asked how I wanted the burger cooked because of the type of place Malia's is. If you've been keeping track, I've described each place a bit. But really, they've all been pretty similar. Betsy's and Red Shed were homey-feel-good places that made you think you were either in another time period or at Grandma and Grandpa's out in the country. Blue Top and City Bs were dive-like places that have not changed over the years, and Playoffs was a small-town bar. But they were all casual. For Malia's I felt under-dressed because I have always seen it and thought it was more about being slightly dressed up. At least slacks and a golf shirt. Not shorts and tennis shoes like I was in. But I wasn't turned away despite the ambience being classy, semi-fancy.

Now, back to that burger.

The burger was a bit of mixture of how I felt and how the place feels. It's beef. It's red meat that is about as American as you can get, but the ingredients class it up a bit to fit in with the ambience of the place.

John joined me by getting a burger as well and we both ordered the ciabatta bread. I tried to change mine to the brioche roll, but I guess the waiter didn't catch it in time. No biggie, I was actually really happy with the roll I received. This burger also sets itself apart a bit because it was served with chips instead of fries. Or you could do a side salad (which I considered heavily considering my diet the past couple weeks with this quest) or soup (they have a New England style clam chowder on there that I really, REALLY want to try. Guess I'm going back!).

Time for that first bite.

It was really good. The burger, because it was a nice size, was cut in half when delivered which was really good because I didn't wan to have to tackle this thing all at once. The meat was as good as advertised, as well. If I had to rate just the patty, I would say Malia's is at the top with how juicy, well-cooked, tender, beefy, and big their patty is. The burger as a whole, was very good, as well. The mozzarella cheese was nicely melted, but I would like to taste a bit more of the basil mayo. I really couldn't detect it, honestly. I know, you're not supposed to mask the beef, but I wanted a bit more from that particular condiment.

Price - $13.00 and some change (burger, side of chips or salad or soup and a water)

Ambience - Kind of fancy, but not over the top. It's a bit dark in there, especially for a lunch time crowd, I felt, but it's not horrible. The rest I have already described above.

So, if I had to rate it, I'd say it is now in third:
1) Betsy's on the Corner
2) Playoffs
3) Malia's
4) Red Shed
5) City Bs
6) Blue Top

It really is very close between second and third because that patty was so great, but the price is what does it for me to lower it a spot. At $13 and some change, this is the most expensive burger so far. Not by an obscene amount, I know, but I also didn't do sweet tea (went with water, instead) which could possibly add another dollar to $1.50 or so onto it so then you're looking at almost $15 compared to $12 at most of the others.

The good news, I walked away stuffed. I am sure my cholesterol and fats intake would make my doctor shake his head and order me onto a diet of salads with no dressing for a few months. Oops. But, you only live once, right? Why not die fat and happy.

As I stated before, I saw some other things on the menu that I am interested to try another time, so now that my first time visiting is over, I can go back again and try some other dishes.

As always, thanks for reading. This thing is approaching 700 views which is just awesome, in my opinion. Please feel free to share and try these places on your own. Let's see where I end up next.

Best Burger in Aiken Part 6 - Betsy's on the Corner

Location - Betsy's on the Corner, 159 Laurens St NW, Aiken, SC 29801
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We've all made mistakes in our lives. We went right when we should have gone left. We zigged when we should have zagged. We decided to be passive in regards to when we eat rather than take the reins. Oh, wait. That last one was me today!

I wanted to continue my quest for the best burger in Aiken today and, of course, it's always more fun to eat with someone so I invited some friends along. Two, who shall remain nameless because they declined to enjoy good food and some decent company and are now dead to me (I'm only half kidding here), were unable to make it while the third, Glenn, wanted to go. But, he mentioned that he had a staff meeting at 1 and that it shouldn't take that long. After all, it's near the end of the year for them. Now, if you know me, you know that I like to go to lunch as close to 11:30-11:45 as possible. I won't get into it other than my stomach really starts to get aggressive and loud around then. And I'm a bit of a creature of habit, I suppose.

But I ignored my stomach's obvious protests and agreed that we could go around 1:30 because I figured, "How long could a late-season meeting take?"

Really. Seriously. How long could it take.

I am so sorry, stomach. You deserve better than to be made to wait like that, ESPECIALLY with the promise of good eats dangling in front of you like a donkey attached to a cart with a carrot hanging in front of you.

Moral of the story, if a meeting is scheduled to start at 1, don't wait. Just go eat. Life is too short and your stomach will thank you for it. And then you can laugh at all the others as they sit in obvious discomfort due to not eating, yet.

Anyways, today I decided to tackle a very nice, still fairly new place in Aiken that I have eaten at just twice before: Betsy's on the Corner. This little establishment is literally on the corner of Laurens Street and Barnwell Ave. in Downtown Aiken. It's been several different establishments over the years including a rather seedy-looking Chinese restaurant at one point. But, since it was re-done a few years ago, it has become quite the go-to spot because 1) it features good home-style food at a good price, 2) it is pleasant to look at now, and 3) it also boasts an old-fashioned soda fountain ambience. But mostly because of the first point. That and the fact that all the servers wear shirts that say "I work this corner" on the back (insert childish snicker here).

As I said before, Betsy's is not new to me like Blue Top was. I've had the club sandwich twice, and I must say it's quite good. As is the potato salad (I think that's what I had then). But today was all about the burger. In particular, the Easy Street Burger. They have several others on the menu that all made my stomach go, "Oo! Oo! That one! Can we PLEASE try that one?!" But I had to choose the one that was the closest to what I have been having everywhere else and I need to keep it constant as this is about the best basic burger. If I don't die of a heart attack, I may just go back to these places and request their signature burger and see where that leads. The one that they think will make me slap my own face. But that'll have to wait and see if I die of clogged arteries, first.

Anyways, here is what I was served (and yes, that is sweet tea in the background, not a beer. I don't day drink except when there are fun things to do like the Aiken Bluegrass Festival or college football, and especially not when I have to get back to work).

Now. First and foremost, I will say that the one, ONE, positive that I can say about eating so late was that I didn't have a big crowd to fight. Sure, the restaurant was pretty full when I got there (which is a good sign according to one of my former bosses who refuses to eat anywhere that doesn't have at least 3 or 5 cars in the parking lot) but most were just about to be leaving. I strolled in around 1:45 and I dragged my butt out at 2:15. That is a flat out record for me. Yes, I usually enjoy soaking up every last second of my hour-long lunch break, but sometimes you just feel the need to leave before you spend any more money on desserts you can't fit in your stomach. And I did have some things I needed/wanted to do before I wasted the afternoon away in a food coma.

Now, first thing to note: the burger has a very nice presentation and that is equal parts that it came on a real plate and the bun is toasted not smushed. There was a distinct lack of ketchup, but that wasn't anything major and I added it myself. It looks a little messy, but I kind of like that. If you need to tuck in a napkin to your collar or tie on a bib before you go muchin' on some grindage (name that movie!), then I think you're in the right place. My cheese of choice this time was monterey jack and I decided to go with sweet tea and I splurged a bit and ordered sweet potato fries on the side which cost me an extra $1.25 or $1.50.

Another quick side note: if you are not taking advantage of sweet potato fries at places that offer them, then you are doing meals and your entire life wrong. Very, very wrong. I absolutely love sweet potato fries because they are delicious. They are a bit of sweet, a little salty, but not too much, and a whole lot of goodness. Slap your face and then yo' momma's face good. Sorry to everyone's momma that just got slapped because of that.

OK, now that that's out of the way, that first bite was absolutely awesome, and it wasn't because I was famished. I'll go ahead and say it. It was love at first bite. It had a great mixture of tastes that you want (toasted bread, cheese, veggies, condiments, beef), all brought together by the juicy meaty taste of that fresh-ground chuck and cooked together for just the right amount of time. It wasn't over cooked or under cooked and it was very juicy. Not too much of any one veggie (FYI, there were pickles and I love my pickles on burgers. Just ask Christian at Brew Pub) and it was just a really good, really delicious burger. The lettuce was a nice green piece of leaf that looked like it offers some nutrient unlike some places I've seen. The onion seemed freshly sliced and was not in over abundance. The tomatoes were red, ripe and juicy.

New No. 1 folks. New No. 1 burger.

It had the tastes that you want, it looked good before I tore into it, it was a really nice size (I'm pretty well stuffed after it and the fries), it was at a good price, it was brought to me in a timely manner... I mean, the only thing that could have made me quit the the rest of the quest was if it had offered to cut itself and then granted me three wishes, one of which would have been for it to have a twin, before jumping into my mouth on its own.

Yeah, I'm being pretty dramatic. But seriously, it did jump. To the top of the list. Well-done Betsy's kitchen and crew. Well done, indeed.

Price - $12.00 and some change (burger, unlimited sweet tea and an additional $1.25 or $1.50 for the sweet potato fries)

Ambience - This place is a little like the Red Shed, but different from the others. We're talking checkered table cloths and window hangings. Bar top at the back old-school soda jerk style (not like a bar bar). Nice outside seating in beautiful Downtown Aiken. It's clean, it's very cool (temperature) and has some nice decorations - mostly pictures or paintings of food. It smells awesome, too. Walking up, I was near the kitchen and caught a whiff some something sweet and baked. Like a cupcake or a cake and my mouth was watering. I also caught the smells of some of their other home-cooked dishes as they went by and you can bet I'm recommending this place to anyone for lunch or dinner.

So, for those keeping score at home, after 5 we have:
1) Betsy's on the Corner
2) Playoffs
3) Red Shed
4) City Bs
5) Blue Top

Before I let you go, let me just say that I really appreciate everyone who is reading my posts. Seriously, the back end of this site tells me at the moment of this writing that I have had 572 views on my five posts (not all unique, but I'll take it). And I have had several people come up to me at various times and comment on the blog and ask me how it's going. It's a lot of fun to talk to people about this blog and to share my thoughts about my burger experiences. So, thank you everyone for reading this and for visiting the places I am putting through the ringer. I'm sure they are appreciating any business I can generate for them from this as well.

Best Burger in Aiken Part 5 - City Billiards

Location - City Billiards, 208 Richland Ave W, Aiken, SC 29801
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I know what you're probably thinking. "Two posts this week?! What is going on?!" And also probably, "What is up with the beginning of this post?"

Well, to answer the latter part first, I had someone comment on one of my previous posts asking for the address and website for the places I go. Now, let me just say that I was actually really excited about having a comment on my blog. It makes me feel like someone is actually out there reading what I say and is apparently taking it to heart (or stomach) because he mentioned that he wants to visit these places as well for himself. So, I have changed it up a bit with the address and their Facebook page at the very top so you can find them. I really encourage you all to try it yourself and also "Like" them on Facebook because all of these locations really do deserve recognition for being great, locally-owned places to eat in our local community.

As for the first part of the question, well, I just felt like treating myself a bit this week for whatever reason. I mean, you only live once. And I've been reading about how the "dad bod" is "in" now, and even though I'm not a dad, I think I might have developed this physique and if it's "in" and I "got it" then I guess I better flaunt  it, right?

Yeah, we'll go with that.

Anyways, so today I continued the "quest," again taking a friend along. Ms. Billie and I go back a few years to when I worked in the USC Aiken athletic department and I love getting to hang out with her when we get the chance. She is an absolute hoot, but it sadly makes the time go by entirely too quickly. I mean, I felt like one minute we were walking in the door and the next instant we are having to walk out so I can get back to work. Where did the time go? Where did my burger go? Ms. Billie, did you eat my burger?

We decided that neither of us had been to City Bs in a while, so that is where we went today. City Billiards in downtown Aiken. Just across bustling Richland Avenue from Monday's contestant, Playoffs. Without further ado, here is what they offered up to me today.

As I have stated a few times, I love it when a place sets themselves apart with slight variations to a normal burger. Now, I have been going to City Bs for years and don't recall the burger every coming like this, but their menu has been changed recently and I didn't see just a plain burger on there. They have several specialty burgers (which I will be going back to try) but I never really saw just a "City Bs Classic Burger" and this was the closest I could come to it. Then again, it might be one of those things where you just have to ask for a normal cheese burger and they will happily oblige.

Anyways, it was served up on a ciabatta roll and I absolutely love that. Now, I have mentioned before my affinity to toasted buns, but when you serve bread like ciabatta, it can be warm, just not hard. And this bread was perfect. And it wasn't smushed either. The bread alone made me pretty happy with this burger. Along with the conversation and camaraderie.

The burger is delivered in a basket with fries (or whatever your side you choose) and it is already cut in half and has toothpicks holding it all together. The presentation alone is helping this bad boy out. On there are your normal patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, and condiments. Things to note that were obviously different from the other places: 1) instead of whole lettuce leaves, this is shredded, 2) like the lettuce, the onions are not whole but diced, 3) there is a distinct lack of ketchup, only mustard and mayo on this guy.

Previous burgers have had a bit too much onion for my taste, but this one was near perfect in that respect; however, in this case the lettuce was a bit much. I felt like the toothpicks were more to keep it from tumbling over because of the lettuce.

The burger was very well cooked and, as you can see, has almost 0 pink in it. The lack of pink in the middle did not mean that this burger was overly dry or overly juicy, it just was very well cooked.

Something I have always liked about City Bs is the way you can see the kitchen and watch them prepare your food on a grill as old as Aiken is, I'm sure, with a lot of flavor cooked into it from the years and years of cooking. But for some reason, today, I wasn't overly impressed with the taste of the burger (and not in that it was disgusting, it wasn't). It was lacking that meaty taste and may have been slightly masked by the lettuce and other things on it. There was a lot going on with this burger, as is the case with most it seems. I mean, this burger has been voted the "People's Choice Best Burger in Aiken" according to the Aiken Standard many, many times. And I have had great burgers from there before... just not today.

The cheese looks perfectly melted, there's nice, crisp fries to go along with it, and it looks really good. Just I didn't taste the burger, really. I'm honestly kind of at a loss for what happened, but I have to go off of what I experienced on this trip. I loved the bread. I love the feel the place has and the history of being around for some time. I love the locals that are in there working or eating and/or talking away. I really do love City Bs, but today, the burger just wasn't doing it for me. It needs more of that flavor you expect from a burger. That meaty goodness.

Price - $12.00 and some change (burger, fries and unlimited sweet tea - FYI, this is some of my favorite tea. It and the fries were awesome)

Ambience - I've really already described this place. City Bs is an old pool hall with a bar and a kitchen. It's been around for some time and is another of those "hole-in-the-wall" locations that locals love to take their out-of-town friends to. I've spent plenty of nights in there shooting pool with friends as well as lunches as well just chowing down on a burger or hotdog. The walls are covered in local memorabilia and the staff is always very welcoming. 

If I had to rate this with the others, I think this one is sadly towards the middle. Playoffs remains the top of the list with probably Red Shed or City Bs and then Blue Top (I know, I'm going to take crap for that, but it's just how I feel about it right now). The thing that really makes me like this burger more is that ciabatta bread for a bun. Hopefully they'll still invite me back because I really like going there.

Best Burger in Aiken Part 4 - Playoffs

Location - Playoffs Sports Bar and Grill, 205 Richland Ave W, Aiken, SC 29801
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We've all been there. You have a friend come up to you or message you and say, "You HAVE to try this place." They sometimes say things like, "It will change your life," or "It's so awesome that 'X', 'Y', and/or 'Z' wishes they could be like this."

Well, that is exactly what happened leading up to Monday night's trip. A friend of mine knew I was doing this challenge and blog and he suggested that I need to get to Playoffs A.S.A.P. He said, among other things, "It's what Burger King wishes it could be."

OK then, right then I made that my next stop. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that I think Burger King has superior burgers. Quite the contrary. They are always advertising that they have the best flame brioled burgers you could ever taste. However, no matter how many times you go, or when you go, I know each and every one of you has looked at your burger and gone, "Really? That's what all the fuss is about?" You feel duped and like you spent way too much money on even that.

But that's a chain. They really don't make anything from scratch and the only reason they are still afloat is because they dump millions and billions of dollars into advertising each and every year. They have to so they can attract either the poor saps who think a chain like Burger King or McDonald's could ever make something "home-made-esque" or to at least make the weary travelers and the hard workers who want something quick and easy think it's any better than the competitor across the street.

But I have digressed. So, before we get into it, here it is. The best burger I have had SO FAR during this challenge, compliments of Playoffs Sports Bar and Grill:

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: "Did he REALLY just say that? Best burger, already?" I said so far. Of the three burgers I have eaten for this challenge, this one has distanced itself from the other two. But I am not ready to declare this the king of burgers in Aiken.

So, for this outing I decided to change things up a bit. 1) instead of going at lunch, I went at dinner time, 2) I went on a Monday instead of a Wednesday, 3) I had an adult beverage with my burger (FYI, Sam Adams Summer Ale is on point. I shall be enjoying that a few more times this summer), 4) I sat outside instead of inside because it was too gorgeous of an evening to be stuck inside.

So, now that you know the new variables, I also want to say that I went up there and was actually torn. I originally couldn't decide if I wanted to go to Playoffs or City B's, but I remembered what Poitier told me and because the first two were burgers were new to me, I figured I'd stick with that trend for at least one more posting.

So, I went in to Playoffs and ordered the "build your own burger." No fancy name, and I asked for it the way it comes. While I changed a few things up with this posting, I wanted to keep the burgers as close as possible. Like the other places, it comes with your usuals: lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, and mustard and whatever cheese you decide on. I chose American because, 'Merica. No, not really. I actually hate that stupid saying.

Anyways, like all good things that are not made on an assembly line from old and frozen materials, this burger took a little time. I didn't put a timer on it because I was a bit distracted by talking to a couple friends who happened to walk by that I hadn't seen in a while. My internal clock told me it took a hot minute, but not so long that I was getting impatient. I felt it took the right amount of time to cook and make something the way it should be, just like the two places before it did as well.

When it was delivered, I was impressed. Again, not like the cook had drawn swirls on the plate or that it was the size of a small country, but that for bar food, it came out looking really good. Just look at that picture above and tell me you aren't thinking about trying Playoffs for lunch or dinner today even though it is Cinco de Mayo.

The first thing I noticed was that from what I could see, the patty looks like it was actually flame kissed. The other two, I don't think I could say that about them. And I also noticed that the bun was different. Sure, it was slightly smooshed but it seemed lightly toasted and it was a sesame seed bun - every little thing counts, people.

Quick side note before diving into that burger, I was asked earlier in the week if the fries could make or break a burger. I say no, not the burger, but they can make or break your dinner experience overall. Let's face it, we're a bunch of fried-food-lovers here in America and if you mess up the fries, that's just wrong. These fries were a tad on the over-done side, but they were huge. At first I thought they were sweet potato fries, but turns out they were just over cooked a bit. Again, this isn't about the fries, it's about the burger, and they were still pretty good,

So on to that first bite. It was really, really good (yes, I took the toothpick out before diving in). I was immediately struck by the taste and that there was something different about this burger. It turns out that it was spicy mustard instead of normal yellow from what I could tell. Well-done, Playoffs. Well-done. I like any burger that naturally sets itself apart from the others by having spicy mustard, or jalapeno mayonnaise or something to that effect.

The patty was done just right with a small touch of pink just in middle. It never fell apart, wasn't overly juicy but wasn't dry either and it wasn't perfectly round or uniform. It didn't overwhelm me, but as I took bite after bite, I continually had a very good mixture of cheese, spicy mustard, veggies, burger and bread throughout and I had a very hard time putting that burger down. Until I hit the middle.

Again, too much onion.

But that still didn't take away from how impressed I was with this burger. The produce was fresh and crisp, only the onion was in surplus. I've already raved about the patty and the cheese was melted just right. It was a thick slice, as well, and it nicely wrapped itself around that warm burger nicely. And, oh yeah, the burger was nice and warm when I got it.

Because of all of that, I say that this burger jumped to the head of the class for now.

Price - $8.49 (burger and fries) so it is right there with the others
Ambience - For those of you who know, frequent, or avoid Playoffs, it is a completely different experience around dinner time on a Monday night. I personally don't like going there on a Friday or Saturday night because it is entirely too loud, they don't have my favorite beer on tap or my favorite bartender slinging drinks, and I don't feel like running into certain people who would rather go there than somewhere a bit quieter. Oh, and my favorite place has bluegrass and similar music playing whereas Playoffs on a Friday or Saturday night tends to be a bit more "hoppin'." On Monday night, it was entirely different. There was 1 bartender, 3 or 4 locals having after work beers, and the music was whatever the patrons selected on the "juke box." I honestly don't know what the machine is called, but it's our modern day juke box I suppose.

Seriously, if you're like me and don't frequent Playoffs because of similar reasons, give it a try at a different time and try it for dinner. I think you will enjoy it.