8 oz

8 oz
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i can't remember having a burger that i could actually taste the meat without really focusing all my attention and searching out the sanguine juices with my tongue. amazingly, i didn't have to with 8 oz's estancia grass-fed beef burger. some people think there is a difference in taste between grass-fed and corn-fed and that the latter is better. i agree that there is a difference, but grass-fed is better, not only for the environment and your health, also for your palate and the respect of the animal. how sad and disrespectful is it to kill something only to make mediocre food?

if you've never had grass-fed beef, you may forget that all the other stuff on the burger is only an accent. sure, the heirloom tomato ketchup is tasty, but the meat flavor in this burger is more prominent than anything else, and that was good. it reminded me of an excellent pho broth that has been cooking for 8 hours and absorbed all the great flavors from the marrow and the bones. i felt like i had been asleep for years and woken up realizing how much i'd missed out. my only complaint was that the bottom bun soaked up a lot of juices and became mushy. they need a more substantial bun or do something about excess juices.

i wish i could say their onion rings were as good, but i thought they were ok. i like my onion rings with a little texture, and the ones here were thick and kind of oily. the chorizo stuffed fried olives are as good as they sound and definitely worth trying though. not the healthiest thing to eat, but at least they're small.

they have a lightly pan-fried filet of fish that's moist and tasty as well if you're looking for something leaner. i haven't tried any of the other entrees, but would come back to.

what burger meal is not complete without a chocolate malt--thick and yummy with just a hint of nuttiness. it's a casual gourmet burger place where ingredients are high quality, many locally produced. prices are on par with other gourmet burger places.