I consider myself a true burger aficionado. I can’t think of anything I love more than a perfectly cooked, thick slab of ground beef atop a fluffy bun. I reviewed five burgers on campus, and each received two scores: Bang for Your Buck and Taste.
CITY TAP HOUSE – CITY TAP BURGER, $15
The highest scoring burger on the list, and for good reason. The patty was thick, well seasoned and made from high–quality beef (black angus, to be exact). The melted cheddar paired perfectly with the “secret sauce” (think Big Mac sauce but better). The pickled red onions on the burger provided a nice crunch, though there could’ve been a few more of them. This burger gets such a high Bang for your Buck Score not only because it’s delicious, but also because it’s gigantic and comes with a good amount of fries. Overall, a great burger.
Taste Score: 9/10
Bang for your Buck Score: 9/10
Total: 18/20
POD – THE POD BURGER, $13.5
I bet you didn't know Pod made burgers (Ed. Note: We didn't). Although only served at lunch, the Pod Wagyu beef burger is a winner. The use of sharp cheddar was a nice touch, though it was the bun that really stood out. The brioche was both fresh and absorbent—essential for a burger this juicy. Instead of offering fries, the Pod burger comeswith a generous serving of tempura–fried vegetables. That being said, the burger is lacking something... bacon, maybe? Despite the fact that Pod is considered overpriced by many students, its burger took the top spot in the the Bang for your Buck category: well priced, comes with a different but satisfying side and tastes great.
Taste Score: 8/10
Bang for your Buck Score: 9.5/10
Total: 17.5/10
BABY BLUES – THE WILLIE BROWN BURGER, $10.59
Blues is a staple of my Penn diet. Having said that, Blues was better when I was a freshman. Back in the day, fries automatically came with the Willie Brown burger. Now, you have to shell out an extra $4, hence the slightly lower Bang for your Buck Score. Fry debacle aside, the Willie Brown is delicious. Served on an NFL plate (Ed. Note: WTF is an NFL plate?), it is a perfect example of what a greasy burger should be. The patty is thick, the cheese American and the bacon cured with maple syrup. The salad is served on top of the patty which allows the burger juices to soak into the brioche below. The burger beat out the Pod burger in Taste thanks to the bacon and fried onions served on it, but the it falls down in the Bang for your Buck category. Blues, do us a favor and include fries!
Taste Score: 8.5/10
Bang for your Buck Score: 7.5
10 Overall Score: 16/20
WHITE DOG CAFÉ – GREEN MEADOW DOUBLE CHEDDAR BURGER, $20
Going in, I expected White Dog’s Green Meadow Double Cheddar Burger to be my favorite. I’ve had it many times, and have always thoroughly enjoyed the experience. That said, on this occasion, it was extremely average. The bun was delectable and the cheese clearly high quality, and while the bacon mayo was a good addition, it could have benefitted from more bacon flavor. This burger’s downfall was its bun/lettuce arrangement. The brioche was not fresh, and since the salad was placed under the burger the juices were unable to soak into it. The burger did come with parmesan truffle fries, which admittedly were the best fries offered out of all of the burgers, but they weren’t enough to boost this burger’s ranking. Overall, the burger was fine. Maybe the chef was having a bad day, but I was not happy paying $20 for a burger that I knew could be better.
Taste Score: 6/10
Bang for your Buck Score: 6/10
Overall Score: 12/20
SHAKE SHACK – DOUBLE SHACK BURGER, $9.59
Look, Shake Shack isn’t quite In–N–Out (Ed. note: Thank God for that), but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to eat it twice a week... minimum. The burger is very tasty, but slightly on the greasy side. The yellow egg bun, however, absorbs all that extra grease and creates the perfect bite.The sauce is delicious, but the cheese could be better. Put bluntly, it’s just cheap American cheese. In terms of Bang for Buck, the Shack Burger scores poorly. It doesn’t come with fries, and $10 for what is essentially a fast food burger is too high. Overall, it’s a tasty burger and a winner when hungover, but needs to be $2–3 cheaper.
Taste Score: 7.5/10
Bang for your Buck: 3/10
Overall Score: 11.5/20
