October 3, 2017

GORDON BIERSCH REVIEW BY CASEY NEWLIN

BEU is about two things: 1. That special kind of love for a great burger, and 2. Coming together as a sync(h) community (btw, for the next “who would win in a fight?” category, how about sync vs synch?? Let’s end this once and for all!). This month at Gordon Biersch in Burbank we accomplished… let’s call it 1 ½ of those objectives.

First things first. Brayden, you were sorely missed. It was my first BEU without you and it just didn’t feel quite right. Hope you recovered quickly, and know your absence was felt.

Now, the burger. I opted for the Gastro Pub Burger – a ¾ lb patty with “Housemade bacon jam & bleu cheese sauce, mixed greens, tomato, gorgonzola cheese and caramelized onions”. The presentation was certainly nothing special, but if you’re someone who would rather have a pretty burger than a delicious burger, then don’t bother talking to me at the next BEU. So, I held my judgements. A few bites in, I had juice running down my fingers, I completely forgot about the bacon jam (perhaps because it was masked under the multiple moldy cheeses), and I found my burger to be underseasoned and overcooked. Though, Mr. Ryan Carroll shared a nugget of wisdom at my table: after years of BEU’ing, he’s found burgers to be more often undercooked than overcooked (the more you know ). This burger was just exceptionally mediocre. I think the bun was the best part, and I suppose that says something. As I convened with others, this seemed to be the consensus. It was… fine.

Let’s talk fries. These burgers came with “infinite legendary garlic fries”, which I didn’t realize and requested regular fries like a chump. Now, it’s been proposed many times, but now that I have this platform, allow me to make a formal plea for a FRY CATEGORY! It’s an essential part of the burger experience! Also, I recognize the irony in requesting it in this review when the fries were “the same Idaho mass-produced french fries every TGI Friday’s serves” (another nugget of wisdom from the table next to me). But come on, it’s time for fries to have their day in the sun.

The beer was good, the prices were reasonable, and the service was great. But overall it was just impeccably average.
Which brings me back to #2 from above: coming together as a sync(h) community. When you’re not super into your burger, you better enjoy your company! That night at Gordon Biersch, I met five (5!) first time BEU’ers! I caught up with friends, laughed, learned, networked, and had a lovely time. Let’s let this month serve as a reminder that BEU is not just about burgers, it’s about being in-sync(h) with our community. I’m sorry, I had to. But seriously, that’s the good stuff. It’s rare to share an industry with such an awesome people . Well done, team! In conclusion, I declare this BEU a success (but like, I totally won’t be back for that burger tho).

With 55 people in attendance, here’s how Gordon Biersch fared:

Appearance: 6.0434

Patty: 7.4347

Taste: 6.7391

Creativity: 4.5652

Bun: 6.9565

Toppings: 6

Value/Price: 6.7826

Service: 8.6521

TOTAL: 6.6467

And Gordon Ramsay beat out “THE MEAT’S FUCKING RAW” in the “Who would win in a fight?” category.

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