The "vintage" burger

After work last night we stopped into the Uptown Cafe to take advantage of their $2 pint night before the Tammar and Jens Lekman show at the Bishop Bar. Because it's a Cajun inspired restaurant, we usually order one of their soul food specials. But we'd been eyeing their "New Yorker"--a sandwich described as a half pound hamburger, on a toasted bun with dressings and cheese, for the mere pittance of $8.50. We decided to go for it, our last burger of 2009!

Although we'd previously experienced mediocre service from the particular bartender working that night, the restaurant was crowded, and we preferred the relative calm of the small bar. Everyone has a bad day every now and again, so we decided to give him a second chance. We sipped some delicious 2 dollar beers (I picked Bells Christmas Ale--not my favorite of their arsenal, but very tasty nonetheless, and Molly enjoyed a Three Floyd's Alpha King pale ale) while waiting for the burger.

The burger came cooked properly, medium rare--though I could have had it a bit more pink. The fixings were piled high, including some amazing pickles, sliced lengthwise and super crispy, which added a great texture to the sandwich. Our only complaint was that we asked for no mayonnaise, and the burger arrived with it's bun dressed in it! No worries, we scraped it off and the bartender comped us a beer for the trouble.



The best part about the burger was that it was in the style of a hamburger sandwich. It was like a burger you might have gotten at a diner in the 1950's (although it's only a guess we weren't around then), and it definitely hit all the marks in the hometown American flavor arena. A basic bun, lightly toasted, and no frills or edgy condiments--just the fundamental taste and character that you imagine a classic burger to embrace. The cajun style thick-cut fries were definitely enhanced by Melinda's chipotle ketchup, which tastes great and has an awesome looking label!

We also chose a house salad to accompany. It was a classic salad with fresh greens and veggies, a very special crouton, and a tasty mustard sherry vinaigrette.

Although our service was less than spectacular, it was not as bad as the last time we ate at the bar. Our food arrived quickly and the great flavors made up for the bartender's lack of personality. Another tasty burger down the hatch, cheers!


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