Lifer servers and cooks worked that counter producing the holy grail of burgers, juicy but not overcooked, on a perfect bun, served with delicious fries made golden with fresh grease. It truly was the best burger I've ever had. Ever. Had. And it was sad to see it go.
And then this guy named Mark Brand steps in and signs a bazillion year long lease and promised to (or was forced to, depending on who you talk to) make a business that paid homage to the original Save On Meats. I hoped, nay, prayed that would be a good thing.
Firstly, though it seems like a real life diner, the original was nothing like this. It's not even a reasonable facsimile. It's a saccharine version, romanticized, with signs promising the option for you to "build your perfect burger" but if you were to ask to be able to do such a thing your server will tell you that's not possible, you will get the burger they bring you. The original also didn't have a gaggle of hip lunch counter types clogging up every available seat while a second gaggle of hipsters check their iPhones while waiting in line for the next available booth.
I think one of the things that bothers me the most about the new Save On Meats is that they call their burger "'THE' Burger" which it is anything but. I also don't like that they give no indication of what comes on the burger beyond bacon and cheese.
They are clear about one thing though, that the name Save On Meats is a license to print money.
So here's the burger. When the menu says it comes with cheese they mean they take pinch of grated cheese and dump it lightly on the burger. There's hardly enough to take a picture of never mind taste. And the bacon is paper thin and flavourless. The one thing they do give you in grand quantities is bun. The bun is the unsung hero of any good burger, kind of like the drummer in a band. Many might think the drummer an expendable commodity, a guy that hangs around with musicians, something that accompanies the guys who actually make the music. Like the bun, it's simply a vehicle for delivering the meat and toppings and can be discounted for its secondary roll. Not true. The bun can make or break a burger. The most delicious ground chuck, thick, melted cheese, home made ketchup, perfectly translucent fried onions, can all be wasted if the bun is too thick, too dry, too soft.
Save On Meats takes a thick bun that's out of proportion to the slim patty and is quite dry and actually has a flavour that overpowers that of the meat and toppings. I'd call it a bad compliment to the rest of the burger if the rest of the burger wasn't also a disappointment. The patty was thin and dry. The toppings tasteless. The suggestion that there's cheese on it is a joke. I found myself adding a generous dose of mustard so that the inside of my mouth wasn't sucked dry by the bun and to give the burger some flavour.
I was reminded as I expressed my disappointment that the burger was only $6 but a good deal is only a good deal, though, if you enjoy what you're buying. I didn't feel ripped off. I just thought the burger was worth what I paid for it. I'd rather pay a buck or two more and get something better. For $6 I'd have been better off loading up on double cheeseburgers at McDonald's.
I've read the reviews. I know a lot of people are raving about the new Save On Meats burger but I just don't see it. Cheap or not, the burger just isn't that good. I wish it was.
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