First off, the ordering process required me to wait, wait and wait for the gentlemen at the order window to be ready followed by a standoffish paying experience.  I was expecting a hometown experience and was surprised at the lack of personality from the ordering process.  Within 5-10 minutes my Ripples burger, fries and single onion ring (for my reviewing pleasure) was ready.

Overall, the Ripple’s Drive-In Double Cheeseburger got better with each bite.  Two patties squished with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and a Drive-In style bun stayed true to form, tasted better throughout the meal and was an adequately good Provo burger.  Remember, I was sitting at a wobbly picnic table so it wasn’t an amazing burger but it was a good burger.

The fries were ok but I’m not a fan as they lacked the crispy goodness I prefer.  Go with the onion rings (the one I had was delicious, especially when compared to the fries).  My guess is that this is similar to an Iceberg or other drive-in restaurant meaning the shakes are better than anything else.  Final Thought: Having had a cheeseburger at Ripple’s I don’t feel comfortable telling someone to go out of their way to eat there.  If you are in the area, it’s worth stopping for the Drive-In experience.

The Kobe Cheeseburger served at Spark Restaurant in Provo is an absolutely delightful gourmet cheeseburger.  It’s recommended that you have it cooked medium and with all the toppings possible because this burger was really good.  The lettuce and tomato were pretty standard and fresh but Spark Restaurant’s special Jalapeno Aioli sauce was a wonderfully impressive touch to the Kobe beef, caramelized onions, melted cheddar cheese and crunchy bun.  In fact, about half way through the Kobe Cheeseburger I got a big mouthful of the Jalapeno Aioli sauce and it was tremendous!

Some of the details worth sharing about Spark Restaurant include the “cool” atmosphere that Spark exudes.  It’s no joke that you feel special walking into the restaurant but special in a way that also makes it a surprisingly comfortable restaurant.  The service was really good and you couldn’t help but look around.  The burger had only one debatable flaw, debatable because I actually loved it and hated it at the same time.   What was this love/hate relationship about?  The bun.

The bun is extremely dangerous to the mouth and seems to tear at the lips and skin of the outside of your mouth.  I’ve never opened so wide for a bite of burger.  BUT it was so worth every effort because I loved the crunchy outer bun as it mixed with the Kobe beef and Spark’s toppings.  After the first few scratches I was used to it and I was healed within a few minutes of ending the meal.  I do still feel it worth being a mentioned as you go there for the best burger I’ve had in the last month!

Overall results of my first trip to Spark Restaurant Lounge:  Burger is tremendous.  Meat is amazing.  Truffle parmesan fries or herbal fries are on the menu and both are a nice combination of flavor and crisp.  The ketchup for the fries is also some serious goodness.  The atmosphere is cool and outside of the crispy bun occasionally ripping your lips this is one of the best burgers in the valley.  Delicious!

The Malt Shoppe Bacon Supreme Burger was surprisingly delicious.  It was a pretty good patty and the bacon was deliciously covered by the melted cheese.  The bun was soft but strong and wasn’t caked in grease like I was expecting.  Overall, I was very pleased.  The fries were thick and from a bag but great with the fry sauce.  The fry sauce is self-serve from a “half cooler” ice filled container with a fry sauce squirter….good times:)

One word of warning (this is comparing two visits to the Malt Shoppe in 5 years).  If you eat at the Malt Shoppe don’t buy the cheap burger.  It’s disgusting.  When you buy cheap you get cheap and when you buy quality (like anything on the combo menu) you get a much better, delicious burger.  Please accept this warning as truth and enjoy a Malt Shoppe burger…and shake.

The key to Stumpy Burger is in three main ingredients.  First, Fresh Meat.  They don’t believe in patties.  Each burger is scooped from the fresh ground meat so when you order a Stumpy it’s at least a 1/2 lb., but probably a little more.  You definitely taste the freshness!  Second, Red Sweet Onions.  You can have them raw or grilled but a Stumpy Burger always needs onions.  Thirdly, Dill Pickles.  If you are a pickle lover than the Stumpy burger is for you.  In Stumpy Burger’s own words the dill pickles and red onions help to bring out the flavor of the meat which is the whole point of a burger.

So now to the burger itself.  As this was my first time at Stumpy Burger I had to go with the Stumpy Combo (roughly $10).  I went with grilled onions and Pepper Jack cheese.  The fries are 1/4 inch suckers and are amazingly thick and delicious, “premium” is a good way to put it.  The burger is amazingly fresh and when you get it with your fries you can tell it’s going to be something special.  The bun is pretty good as well but nothing special.  The whole meal really works well.  My first bite was a pleasant burst of fresh meat, dill pickles (at least 2 slices), onions and cheese.  It really, really worked!

For the next bite I added their signature Stumpy Sauce which is a combination of mayo, cayenne pepper and a little other goodness.  It doesn’t give a kick to the burger but more of a nudge and although you could taste it, the sauce didn’t take away from the burger at all…in fact, it made it better.  The primary takeaway was simple.  A Stumpy Burger isn’t a typical hamburger.  You can’t get tomato or lettuce and it doesn’t taste anything like a traditional burger.  A Stumpy Burger isn’t a burger, it’s a Stumpy Burger.

Their fry sauce is also very unique.  It’s not sweet or tangy, instead it’s smokey and flavorful which makes it the perfect match for the whole meal.  Apparently when they first opened about 6 months ago they started with “regular” fry sauce but since nothing else on their menu is “regular” they made the fry sauce their own as well.

Overall the Stumpy Burger experience was a great surprise and it really isn’t a hamburger….it’s a Stumpy Burger (which means delicious onions and plenty of pickles).  The service was fantastic and personal.  The food was fresh and relatively fast and they even have Apple Beer on tap.  Directions are below.

The official name of their burger is the Blue Bacon Burger because of the special blue cheese sauce they add to the burger AND because the burger itself is 85% chuck and 15% bacon.  Yes, 15% bacon in that patty.  Folks, this was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had.  From the bun to the toppings and even the blue cheese sauce, this burger was perfect.  I had mine cooked Medium and it was nicely pinked in the middle.  I added some of their homemade ketchup but really didn’t need to.  It was a deliciously euphoric burger and I don’t use the word euphoric often.

The french fries were also fantastic.  The right combination of crispy outside with fresh inside and they add a nice, light seasoning that really works well.  I also requested some fry sauce, which they made with their homemade mayo (they make their own ketchup and mayo…who does that?).  Even the fry sauce was amazing, specifically because it was the right fry sauce for their fries.

Overall this meal was a $15 so it’s not an everyday event. The $15 gets you a burger and fries and I left feeling like I got my money’s worth.  I believe with the taste and the price this is an official Gourmet Burger.  You’ll love it!

The Rocky Mountain burger is a 2 beef patty burger with 2 slices of cheese, 2 slices of ham, lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, pickles and onions.  With that many layers there was serious potential for this to be too much of a good thing but I am happy to report that it worked.  I’d say the Mountain Burger is best described as a tasty, mushy, filling burger that will stay with you all afternoon and into the night.  Somehow it was not overwhelming greasy but it felt like it could have been.  I’m still wondering how that happend though.

The french fries are pretty average.  They aren’t bad but they aren’t special either.  Crispy, relatively thick and plenty in quantity sums up the french fries nicely.  One really fun thing is the fry sauce and ketchup dispensing program.  Rip the top off of a small cooler, fill it with ice and stick the two tubs inside.  I think the ketchup/fry sauce layout actually made the whole experience that much better.  The fry sauce wasn’t too flavorful but went well with the average fries.  Again, not bad just not special either.

Overall, if you like a filling and mushy burger (it didn’t fall apart or anything it was just mushy).  The Mountain burger meal will cost you about $8.  I nearly forgot, they also serve Iron Port (the beverage).

The decore is Polaroid pictures meet cool.  If they have a polaroid camera and film then you can get your picture, no need to eat a special burger or devour a special shake, just ask.  The wall has local Utah celebrities, smiling college students and funny faces as well as art from a local artist who’s work is available at etsy.com.

The lunchtime menu today included a special for $6.99 which included any burger, drink and fries.  I chose their COWabunga burger (Pastrami burger), Mountain Dew and their regular seasoned fries.  It took about 10 minutes from ordering to having our burger ready for toppings.  The cook brought the burger out and then asked me for toppings to add.  Tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, ketchup and mustard.  The burger itself was a 1/4 pound patty with a slice of pastrami on top, wonderful provalone cheese, sauteed onions and my choice of toppings.  I could have handled a little better meat quality but the overall burger was a great blend of flavors and the pastrami with provalone was a match made in heaven.

The Sammy’s Cafe fries are fantastic.  Their house seasoned fries are thick, crispy on the outside and hold the heat well.  Their fry sauce is way too heavy on the mayo and nothing to get excited about but with some ketchup, the french fries were delicious.  They also offer Sweet Potato fries at no additional cost which are great.

The meal was served on a cheap plate with plastic cups for the drink and overall I loved the entire experience.  It felt like a great place to hang out, enjoy a burger and fries and maybe even a shake (rumor has it their shakes are really good.  It was a great combination of good food, fun atmosphere and attention to experience.  If you are in Provo and need a good burger that’s not the same as the other guys, Sammy’s Cafe is a great choice.  Total meal is right around $7.50.