Rittenhouse bistro Rouge has been serving up popular French cuisine since ‘98, but the fate of the classic Rouge burger changed last May. Owner Rob Wasserman and Executive Chef Matthew Zagorski brought their much-hyped burger to the streets for the annual Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival. According to Wasserman, the burger was a serious hit in mini, casual form. So a year later, the two opened neighborhood joint 500 Degrees, which specializes in gourmet burgers, fries, and shakes.
The exterior and interior are simple; a few large tables with stools fill the space pretty much completely, leaving little room to wait or eat if you cannot snag a seat. But this simple joint is all about the food. Customers have few options to choose from (classic with lettuce and tomato ($5.50), plain hamburger ($4.75), cheeseburger ($5.25) as well as standard toppings such as mushrooms, bacon, jalapenos and Swiss American, but Zagorski urged us to try the 500 degrees burger ($5.75): Bibb lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheddar, and special house sauce. We also got a classic burger with sauteed onions. Both choices were quite pleasing, and the burgers here make for a fairly neat meal — these aren't messy burgers that fall apart before the first bite. The fare was compact, generally well-portioned and had a tasty egg bun. The meat was nicely crusted but maintained a great pink color. The strength of the meat flavor, however, overpowered many of the toppings, leaving us craving a bit more flavor harmony. We preferred the simplicity of the classic burger with sauteed onions ($5.75; extra toppings are $.25 each).
Definitely spring for an order of fries, which are available plain, truffled or spicy. All the fries are thin, fresh cut and crisp with crunchy ends. Whereas the truffle oil complemented the potato nicely, the spicy fries weren’t all that spicy. This is when that special house sauce became a star; forget about ketchup and get your dip on. 500 Degrees also makes shakes using local favorite Bassett’s ice cream. The black-and-white shake we ordered was plenty thick but didn’t nail the right vanilla-to-chocolate ratio. I would’ve asked for a weak chocolate milkshake had I wanted one.
The Burgers alone average about $5, which is a price you really can’t beat for the quality of burger offered. A combo of burger, fries and a shake will run you about 13 bucks. The combo seems a little steep, but it’s pretty much on point with any other burger place. Large lines come with the great location (especially during the lunch rush). And unless you plan to take-out, we wouldn’t suggest a group excursion.'
504 Sansom St.
(215) 568–5000
Don’t miss: Classic cheeseburger with fries dipped in special sauce.
Skip: Eating-in. This place can get crowded and noisy.
Bottom Line: Delicious burgers, good fries and average milkshakes that are easy to eat and easy on the wallet.
