April 25, 2018

PROSPECT GOURMAND REVIEW BY RUCHIKA ADVANI

Let me start off by saying I am no burger expert, and I’m certainly not picky when it comes to food. I will eat almost anything that’s in front of me. So when Commander of BEU, Rebecca Rienks, asked me to be this month’s guest blogger, I was nervous I wouldn’t have much to say. Unfortunately for Prospect Gourmand, I was wrong.

Starting from the beginning, I was greeted by Brayden who sure enough had me wear the burger hat that would continuously fall off my head throughout the night. The service was pretty quick; the manager of the restaurant came to my table upon my arrival asking if we wanted drinks and what food we wanted to order. I could tell they were prepared to serve a big party. However, this ended up being their downfall.

I of course ordered the Gourmand Burger, (the only burger on the menu) which was made up of the burger patty, leeks, tomato, cheese, basil and aoli sauce. When the waitress took my order, I was told that they were only going to cook the burger medium-rare for all burger orders because they were cooking them in big batches due to the high demand. As a result, my burger was more rare than I would’ve liked. I understand why they set up this system for their efficiency, but in doing so, they also set up a dictatorship of how every person should enjoy their burger, which lowered my expectations drastically. I will NEVER enjoy a burger that is cooked anything less than medium or medium-well.

Aside from this, I thought the burger as a whole was too leafy. I found it hard to bite into because the leeks and basil overpowered the burger patty. In addition, my bun was a little hard, when I was hoping for a bun with a buttery crust with a soft interior. Because of this, I unfortunately only ate half the burger and had to waste the rest.

All in all, it was not the best burger experience. That being said, I think if I had come to Prospect Gourmand on a day where there wasn’t a big rush, I may have enjoyed the burger slightly more. On a positive note, I have to give them props for their great service. They brought out my order in a very timely manner and the staff was very friendly. I would give the restaurant another chance just based on that alone.

Sorry Prospect Gourmand…you won’t be my go-to place for burgers anytime soon, but I’ll definitely give you another shot!

Out of 38 people in attendance, here’s how Prospect Gourmand fared:

Appearance: 8

Patty: 7.1562

Taste: 7.75

Fries/Sides: 7.5312

Bun: 7.3125

Toppings: 7.1875

Value/Price: 6.875

Service: 7.875

TOTAL: 7.4609

And “McDonald’s French Fries” beat out “Jack in the Box French Fries” in the “Who would win in a fight?” category.

Additional Comments:

Hunter George: Burger was well balanced but came semi-undercooked.

Mike Soens: Where’s Cheap???

Travis Williams: It’s gonna be May.

Nicole Sylva: Loved meeting new people while having a juicy burger. Glad I didn’t have to choose what to eat as it will be too overwhelming.

Hannah Harris: Even though my burger was too rare for my liking I liked that I had no choice in the matter – no menu. People are too fucking finicky these days. Sometimes it’s just nice to just shut up and take it!

Anonymous: Overall burger was great, but needed some condiments. Ketchup helped, but a more sophisticated topping could’ve taken it to another level.

Mike K.: I get the vibe they are not known for their burgers…pretty sure I heard someone’s burger “moo” *cow noise*.

Tina C.: I guess well done here means rare and rare means RAW. Sauce and toppings were great though! Excellent service!

Jason Lee: It was a burger.

Ryan M. Carroll: I enjoyed the burger, but it was a bit undercooked. The fries and side greens were quite tasty.

Brayden: The salad might’ve honestly been one of the best side salads I’ve ever had, so zesty! Burger was great, a little undercooked for my taste, but was definitely in Flavortown, USA. Population: me.

binks: This burger is LEGIT. Coachella-come-latelies who missed this BEU are giant, L-7 weenies. So glad I picked this place. As usual, crushing it.

Peter Kurczaba: Brayden, sorry I took your seat

Tim (feel the) Bern: Nice but bun a bit dry. Patty could have a bit more seasoning. Loved the rose!

Casey N.: Can’t complain.

Chad Brown: I LOVE My Chemical Romance. I think Helena is my favorite song. Also, Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm album changed my life. Blink are kings too!!

Nyiko: A vision. So pure. So honest. Ignited by an unyielding flame. May the rare stay rare.

Alex Valenti: Pretty bougie BEU. This is an Italian fucking stallion burger and it’s LITTY. This will be BEU winner 2K19 binches.

Katrina Balcius: Brayden is an angel baby! Taste is 99%, temp is weak, cool atmosphere.

Paul Rocha: Not the best, but definitely not the worst. The temp was lukewarm, wassup with dat? I still love you Brayden, especially with your cute hair!

Hafter: This is all about the onion sticks/straws. I enjoyed burger w/out having to think too much as it was only choice. Fried onion straws! Totally tempered grease. I would have this again. Fries/salad not special.