The Great Burger Quest: Week 1

Last night, I began my journey to find the best burger in Boston. I decided to start with a bar that is closest to my place of business. Not only is this bar known for sporting a tasty burger, but it also happens to be named after my favorite author: Charles Bukowski. I'm speaking of course of Bukowski Tavern on Dalton st. in Back Bay. I was accompanied by the lovely Ms. Julia, who was with me when I first decided to embark on this journey.

Bukowski Tavern is a hole in the wall bar, that I suppose could be best described as a dive bar. The bar itself is littered with paintings, photos, and the writings of the late American poet Charles Bukowski. A poet known for his drinking problem and womanizing, which is probably why I enjoy his work so much. If you plan on dining here, be advised that the entire establishment is cash only. Their menu even totes the slogan: In God we trust, all others pay cash. But enough about the bar! That's not why we're here. We're here to discuss the Bukowski Tavern Barfly Burger.

Being the first of many burgers that I will be putting under a microscope for this blog, I don't have much to compare it to. Basically, this will be the burger which will become the basis for the rest of my ratings. I'm still hammering out the details of my rating system, so please bare with me. I've decided that every burger I test must be in the same family. That being a plain cheeseburger with tomato, onion, and pickles. I will not indulge in any fancy themed burgers with bacon, mushrooms, and the like. That wouldn't be fair, as some places offer far more options than others. I'm searching for the best basic American cheeseburger, darn it! Please pardon my language... I get excited.

Oh right, the burger!

I'm not going to mince words: This burger ruled! It tasted like a slightly more flavorful version of a burger you would cook at home on your BBQ grill. It had a slightly charred taste, which I greatly enjoyed. It was perfectly grilled, with no pink center, and was still fairly juicy. Definitely not as greezy as burgers I've had in the past, but I haven't yet decided if that's a good thing or not. The vegetables were also very well executed. I know this isn't a factor for some people, but there is nothing I hate more than a burger with less than fresh or a disproportionate amount vegetables. The bun was a toasted egg bun, that wasn't too big or too hard, which made it very easy to eat. I washed the whole thing down with a Young's Double Chocolate Stout, which is as close as you can get to having a milkshake with dinner while still imbibing alcohol.

Overall this was a my first Barfly Burger and definitely will not be my last. I would safely say that this burger is well above average and I gladly recommend it to anyone. However, I feel it is probably a far cry from Boston's best.

On the Jon Defreest Burger Rating Scale of Overwhelming Deliciosity, I give the Bukowski Tavern Barfly Burger a 6 out of 10.

Next week, I will embark on week 2 of my now famous, Boston burger search. I have yet to decide where my search will take me next. I have a laundry list of places to check out, so the decision is not an easy one to make.

Any suggestions are welcome.