The Great Burger-Off!
A run down of some of the best burgers in Mendocino
I don’t know if you know this, but yesterday was National Hamburger Day. We got so excited when we saw that coming up on the calendar, that we decided to have our own Great Burger-Off! We held an informal survey of our friends in the Mendocino area to find out which places everyone liked, and then we picked out ten to go try ourselves and see if we could find the best burger on the coast. Because we believe in at least a modicum of moderation, we broke it up into five different days, comparing two hamburgers each day. It was admittedly very unscientific research carried out in the car or tailgating somewhere outside (all the restaurants were still in the take-out only phase of the Shelter in Place order), but we thought you might like to know the fruits of our waist-expanding labor as you start to dream of your next visit out our way…
DAY 1
The Eggheads Oz Burger versus the Taproom Brew House Burger
Where: North end of Fort Bragg
Behold the mighty Oz!
Eggheads – Oz Burger
Best Burger for Meat Lovers
Best known for their extensive breakfast menu, Eggheads regularly has a line out the door on the weekends. With their quirky, small-town Wizard of Oz theme and pretty small space they’re definitely big on the classic diner charm. Given their reputation for great breakfasts, we were surprised when someone told us the best burger they had ever had was from here. So we had to go check it out!
What we ordered:
The Oz Burger, which the menu describes as a “Half pound of juicy Angus (65% chuck & 35% brisket), cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayo, and red onion. Served on a Fort Bragg Bakery Bun.”
What we thought:
Guy – You know it’s a good burger when the bun is really good. The meat is flavorful, juicy, and cooked exactly the way we asked for it. The toppings were almost not really there, but the overall balance still works really well.
Laura – This is a solid burger! The meat is beautifully juicy, and although I would personally like the toppings to play a little bit bigger of a role, I can tell that this would be the perfect burger for someone who likes a good amount of beef on their burger.
The Taproom’s burger probably won for best presentation. I mean, look at it! It’s gorgeous!
North Coast Brewing Co. Taproom – Brew House Burger
Best Burger to go with Beer
While we love the beers that North Coast Brewing Company puts out, we had yet to try their burger, so we were excited to see how it compared to their tasty, tasty brews.
What we ordered:
The Brew House Burger, which the menu describes as “John Ford beef, red pepper aioli, lettuce, tomato, red onions, pickle slices, and a side of pub fries.” We also added in bacon and blue cheese, because why not?
What we thought:
This was a beautifully presented burger, and the optional sauces on the side were nice – BBQ, Dijon, etc. We have to admit though… we were so impressed with the juiciness of the Eggheads burger that this one kind of got shadowed out. The grass-fed John Ford beef was obviously good quality, but we’re just too partial to the juicy side of things. We’ll probably go back another day and try it again alongside one of North Coast’s award-winning beers. Oh! And those pub fries were fantastic! We loved their tantalizingly crispy coating and savory flavor.
DAY 2
The Café Beaujolais Smash Burger versus the Fiddleheads Café Fiddlehead Burger
Where: Downtown Mendocino
Sorry, we ate the more photogenic of the Smash Burgers before remembering we needed a picture. Despite the lopsided lettuce, it was still delicious in all its messy glory.
Café Beaujolais – Smash Burger
Best Bang for Your Buck
When we ran our informal survey, this burger from Cafe Beaujolais ranked right up at the top of the list, with a long line of fans ready to vouch for how great it is. We have had this burger several times ourselves, falling in love with it again with each fresh order. And at only $6 per burger, it’s hard to say no to!
What we ordered:
The Smash Burger, which comes with lettuce, pickle, tomato, grilled onions, cheese, and their secret sauce. We also ordered their spiced fries and mixed green side salad ($3 each).
What we thought:
Guy – It’s just so good, with those nicely crispy edges, an excellent bun, and that flavorful sauce that makes it such a wonderfully gooshy mess. And it’s hard to beat that price anywhere around here, especially for such good quality food!
Laura: Mmmm! It’s got a great bun, and with such an excellent balance of flavors between the meat and toppings it’s still one of my favorite burgers ever. I love how perfect it is in its messiness.
Rebecca: What?! Ok, I know my new favorite! This may seriously be the best burger I’ve ever had. I love that you can tell the patties are freshly made. The side salad is wonderful too – the greens are so tender and deliciously fresh.
Ooo… can you see the whiskey sauce soaking down into the bun?
Fiddleheads Café – Fiddlehead Burger
Best Fun Sauce
Fiddleheads, a sunny little corner café, is still fairly new in town, and while we hadn’t eaten there yet, we were attracted by the clean, crisp look and feel of the place. They had several burger options, but with our soft spot for juiciness and tasty sauces, we had to go with…
What we ordered:
The Fiddleheads Burger, which the menu describes as “a Classic Cheeseburger with lettuce, onion, tomato, bacon, pickles, and a housemade whiskey sauce.”
What we thought:
This was a delightful burger with that tasty whiskey sauce melding everything together. The brioche bun, while a bit soggy from the sauce, was nice quality (always important!), and the patty was just the right size – not too big, not too small. Very good!
DAY 3
The Noyo River Grill Noyo Burger versus the Princess Seafood Market & Deli Angus Cheeseburger
Where: Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg
It’s hard to have a bad afternoon when you’re out on the back deck of the Noyo River Grill.
Noyo River Grill – Noyo Burger
Best Burger with a View
We got to hold our staff Christmas party at this sweet family-owned restaurant this past holiday season, and we knew we wanted to include them in the Great Burger-off, if for no other reason than that they’re just lovely people.
What we ordered:
The Noyo Burger, which the menu describes as “Roundman’s beef, onion, lettuce, tomato, with a side of fries.” We also added in avocado for some extra goodness.
What we thought:
This was probably the simplest of the burgers we tried, with everything stripped down and clean. The bun was excellent. The toppings all came on the side, so we got to dress it up to taste. And the view of the Noyo Bridge from their back deck was a glorious backdrop to our sunny afternoon lunch.
Mmmm. Deliciousness from the gals at Princess, which the folks at Noyo River Grill graciously let us enjoy alongside their own burger, since everyone was still taking their food to go, SIP style.
Princess Seafood – Angus Cheeseburger
The Best Surprise
When the Princess Seafood Market & Deli first opened a couple of years ago, they quickly gained a reputation for high quality seafood. We have enjoyed countless crab rolls, fish tacos, and shrimp po’boys on their laid-back outdoor seating area. Having never seen anything besides seafood on their menu though, we were surprised when we heard they had started to make a cheeseburger. We were intrigued…
What we ordered:
The Angus Cheeseburger, which came on a toasted bun with pickled onion, tomato, lettuce, and their secret sauce.
What we thought:
Guy – Not too big, not too small; it’s just right. In fact, I think this might be my new favorite burger! Is it the way the sauce and cheese dress up the meat? Is it the pickled onions? Is it the beautiful, toasted bun? I can’t really pick out any one thing, because it all works together so well.
Laura – Hey! That’s a good burger! I was unsure how it would be, since this is a seafood deli, but they do everything else so well that I should have expected the same attention to flavor balance and ingredient quality even in a regular cheeseburger. I think I’m going to have to move this one up near the top of my list of personal favorites!
“Now, wait!” you may be thinking, “didn’t they say they tasted TEN different burgers? Where are the other four?” Never fear! Tune in next week for the second drool-inducing installment of the results of our Great Burger-Off. For the moment, do please pardon us while we go take a food coma-induced nap…
A sunny afternoon view down on the Noyo River Grill’s outdoor seating - so lovely.
Words and pictures by Laura Hockett