The Search for the Best...Cheeseburger (pt.1 )

Seattlest isn't much for restaurant reviews. However, we love knowing where to get a really good burger, or when one can get a kickin' slice.

In our quest for knowledge, we're going to pit restaurants against each other, in part to determine who has the best of the best, but also because we like cheap writing tricks that help create dissension amongst readers.

Today we'll pit Six Arms Pub against the Pike Pub & Brewery and find out who has the better cheeseburger. At each pub we ordered a cheeseburger and fries under the stipulation that we were to order only what's on the menu. The burgers will be judged for its bun,meat, bun/meat ratio, cheese and misc rated on a 1-10 scale.

At the Pike Pub, we immediately ran into a problem. They had no
cheeseburger on the menu, only a bacon cheeseburger. We decided to order the bacon cheeseburger and rate accordingly. Their menu says that they use lean Angus Beef, but we, being educated consumers, know that means little if nothing at all. Its cost? $8.50

Six Arms has no problems, as a cheeseburger is on their menu, although not their premier choice. That distinction goes The Stuffed Burger, a half pound of Oregon Country Beef (which also means very little) filled with a stuffing that changes on a daily basis. We're not going that fancy. We settle for the basic cheeseburger, at a cost of $6.50.

Click below the jump for the battle report:

Bun: The foundation to any burger, a bad bun can ruin the burger experience. A great bun can make the experience sublime. Six Arms' bun was somewhere in between. Buttered and toasted, moist yet crusty, the only thing missing to their bun was freshness.

Pike Pub? Their bun is sad in comparison. Dry and nearly stale. It was warmed on the grill only briefly and it shows. It was eggy in taste, and that's a good thing. But it can't compare to Six Arms.

Pike Pub - 4/ Six Arms - 7

Meat: This is what the burger is all about, and sadly, Pike Pub swings and misses. The bacon (fried to a crisp, much to the burgers detriment) overwhelms the taste of the burger. The meat that can be tasted is flat but sufficient. Screw lean meat, hamburger is best when fatty and dripping with juices. Pike Pub crows about their lean meat. The heathens.

Six Arms is marginally better, helped out by the fact that the burger is flamed broiled rather than fried on a grill. We like it when a burger is slightly charred, as it gives a burger have a depth of flavor that hurts a typical steak. Advantage? Six Arms.

Pike Pub - 5/ Six Arms - 7

Burger/Bun ratio: An often overlooked variable, there must be balance to the burger. Too much bun, and the burger is doughy. Too much meat, and you're better off eating meatloaf.

Pike Pub, with their disappointing bun, has too much bun for the size of their patty. Meanwhile, Six Arms has acheived beef/bun yin yang. Either you have it or you don't. Pike Pub doesn't.

Pike Pub - 4/ Six Arms - 8

Cheese: The raison d'etre of the Cheeseburger, it needs to be part of the burger, and not be the only taste one can discern. It also needs to provide a taste, not just a gooey texture.

Here Pike Pub actually prevails, having two slices of cheese that one can tell easily that its a cheddar. It melted on the burger, even if it dominated the taste of the meat. That's a problem with the burger and not the cheese.

Six Arms? They used one slice of American that seemed to disappear as it had to compete with the flavorful burger.

Pike Pub - 7/ Six Arms - 3

Misc.:Not much difference between the dressing. Each pub provided lettuce, tomato and red onion. Ketchup and mustard were provided, and neither server asked how we would like the burger done.

The fries, however, were a huge difference. Pike Pub had frozen steak fries that were then cut on site. The fries were cold and sad. Six Arms had fresh-cut fries that never lost their potato taste. These fries were made for malt vinegar. Six Arms wins hands down.

Pike Pub - 4/ Six Arms - 7

Overall? Six Arms beats Pike Pub by an average score of 6.4 to 4.8. Six Arms has a decent burger, beefy and dark, thanks to its flame broiling. Add a second slice of cheese and this could be one of the better cheeseburgers in the city. For now, it will have to settle for being better than Pike Pub's bacon cheeseburger, and wait to see how it will compare against future competition.

The Pike Pub and Brewery
1415 First Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 622-6044

Six Arms Pub & Brewery
300 E. Pike St.
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 223-1698

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Kate in Food on March 30, 2005 11:20 AM

Comments [rss]

Jeff

Does anyone have any idea why the buns used at Fuddrucker's are so big? I had a 1/2 lb-er and the bun was large, so I figured they used the same size bun for the different size patties. But then I had a 1 lb-er to check, and the patty was still so much smaller than the bun. I cannot imagine why this is the case. Please inform me, so I can finally get some sleep.

megwoo

Kate,

Are there specific qualifications for a cheeseburger or is it just a burger that contains cheese? My two favorite burgers in Seattle are the gorgonzola cheese burger at Cafe Septieme (with bacon, of course) and the Western burger at Honey Hole. It has a deep-fried onion ring on it but it could be the best burger I've eaten. They use Misty Isle Farms beef, which I've always found to be fantastic.

Jonathan

Burger in Seattle - gotta try the BluWater Prime Sirloin Bacon Burger.

Ella F

you better not put Dicks in here, cause no one will dare battle it out burgerstyle with the king. pitting an opponent against them is just dumb

SandraV

Thanks for the clarification. I'm actually more concerned with safety than with taste these days, as warped as that seems, so I've been seeking out OCB burgers in Seattle when I absolutely have a craving and I like to think the label means something. At least something more than Angus Beef does.

Kate

Sandra...I actually made a mistake and will update the post.

A fair amount of Beef labels (such as Angus Beef) are nothing more than marketing tools.

Unless there are specific requirements that a rancher/processor must uphold in order to state that their beef is "Angus Beef" or "Oregon Country Beef", then there is no differentiating Angus Beef against regular store bought beef in regards to taste, food safety, the way the cattle is raised, etc. etc. Usually such a label only means a difference in a higher price and little else.

However, I made a mistake in regard to "Oregon Country Beef"... according to their website, Oregon Country beef means the beef is "under the direct ownership and stewardship of our individual co-op member ranchers." The beef is still corn fed, rather than grass fed, but its production is looking out for the economic interest of the smaller rancher, rather than the larger, less ethical corporate cattle processors.

My guess is that this doesn't affect the taste of all that much, but it should be noted that the burger at Six Arms did taste far better than the Angus Beef burger of Pike Pub.

Scott

You should also try Red Mill, Scoop (in Madison Park), Two Bells, Linda's, and Ozzie's.

SandraV

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "Oregon Country Beef (which also means very little)".

Tastewise? Food safety? What?

Kate

I live in the Downtown/Cap Hill area, so the majority of my initial burger places will be that area, but if you have any other places that you think need to have the cheeseburger looked at, feel free to post them here. Just make sure that they are in the Seattle city limits (Sorry Eastside)

But to answer your question, in the near future, look for Dick's, Daly's, the Deluxe, Kidd Valley, Burgermaster, and any other site that you think should be covered.

Also keep in mind that Seattlest will be doing this for Pizza, phad thai and other foods. We plan on being fairly busy.