The gourmet burger; a trend that we've taken quite kindly to here in Tampa. Just a look down the list of start up eateries in the area yields a ton of new restaurants dedicated to perfecting the art of tasty heaven between two buns.
We've kept our eye on these places quite closely with visits to both Burger 21 and Stacked Burgers on our Taste Tour of 813 past weeks. Keeping with that tradition, we ventured out to Square 1 Burgers, another member of the gourmet burger pantheon in Tampa, for a taste of what they've got this week.
Square 1's take on the "gourmet" of gourmet burgers is immediately apparent before even walking in. Just off of Dale Mabry in South Tampa, its cubic, modern structure could easily pass for a forward thinking, fine dining restaurant from the exterior. The interior feels much the same way with high, velvet booths, art lining the walls, and a sleek black bar to round out the contemporary atmosphere.
Square 1 Burgers' menu reflects this modern, gourmet environment with the highlight being their assortment of forward-think and far from conventional burgers that line the pages. A $15 kobe beef burger comes in a variety of styles with accompaniments like provolone and bleu cheeses, bacon and fried egg, and porcini mushrooms. Other burger types include chicken, a vegetarian-friendly portabello patty burger, buffalo, the juicy lucy (with cheese melted inside the patty), and our pick, the barbecue bacon burger.
Served still-steaming off the grill, the barbecue bacon burger comes with applewood-smoked bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce on a 100% Meyer’s Angus patty. This thing is a juicy behemoth easily requiring two hands and a thick stack of napkins to wipe the sure-to-be-dripping juice running down your hand.
The sharp cheddar melts deep into nooks and crannies of the fried beef making for a fatty, sumptuous texture all the more accentuated by the rich flavor of the angus beef. Sometimes a little seasoning on a burger patty can go a long way, but Square 1 smartly does without and lets the natural flavor of the angus shine. Bacon came in a generously portioned and thick cut with just enough flavor and crunch to let you know it's there but hardly overwhelm.
The barbecue sauce was a tad generic, but applied so sparingly it hardly made a difference. The butter-grilled sesame bun provided a nice inner crunch and worked nicely in keeping the burger from turning into a sloppy mess.
And what's a burger without a heaping pile of fries? Square 1's come light and airy with just enough crunch to paw a stack of them for a generous dip in the ketchup.
The only caveat, as you might expect, is the price. While $9.99 isn't anything too exorbitant for a burger of this caliber accompanied by a side of fries, there are many places that might not be as "nice" per se where you could grab a comparable burger for less.
It's easy to tell though, Square 1 prides itself on the gourmet descriptor both atmosphere- and food-wise. For the most part, it works. If you're in the mood for not only a quality, but inventive and decadent burger, Square 1 will do you solid. Give them a try then give them your own review and rating on the 813area Square 1 Burger business listing.
