'Standard' ingredients on a burger w/everything

[jd_1138]

We went to a restaurant last night, and I had to go to the salad/soup bar for my wife (herniated disc in her back) and her disabled brother. I made several trips, so I asked her to order me a cheeseburger with everything.

Where I come from, a burger with everything comes with lettuce, tomato, regular pickles, and onions. And perhaps, depending on the cook, perhaps a small spread of ketchup or mayo. And then there's more condiments on the table if the customer wants more.

However, my cheeseburger was slathered in relish. Relish? Also sweet pickles (not regular pickles) along with the lettuce, tomato, onions. I don't even put relish on hot dogs, as I am not a fan of it.

I didn't send it back. It's my fault for not specifying exactly what I want on it. I am from the southwest, and food is slightly different there. Anyway, I just wiped as much of it off as possible and ate it. I've ordered burgers with everything since like 1978 and never had one come out with relish.

 

[GotGarlic]

Do you have a question, or is this a petty vent?

 

[jd_1138]

Do you have a question, or is this a petty vent?

lol, I guess it's a petty (real petty) vent. No, I just thought it was funny that a cook would think that relish is a standard ingredient on a burger.

 

[Kayelle]

Now that you mention it, I don't think I've had relish on a burger either. However, there always seems to be several burgers, including descriptions on the menu. Your wife must know what you like, and she could have guessed your choice, no?

 

[jd_1138]

Now that you mention it, I don't think I've had relish on a burger either. However, there always seems to be several burgers, including descriptions on the menu. Your wife must know what you like, and she could have guessed your choice, no?

She just said "cheeseburger with everything" which is usually 99.99999% of the time simply lettuce, tomatoes, onions, regular pickles. Plus with those toppings, they can be easily removed if there are too many or the customer decides they don't want it.

No biggie, I will just start specifying. At Burger King where you can "have it your way" I get mine with BBQ sauce, onions, pickles.

 

[roadfix]

A burger thread. I haven't had a burger in a while. I'm stopping at In-n-Out on the way home....

Someone starts a burger thread and now I'm thinking burgers....and that's what feel like having tonight.

 

[Dawgluver]

Never had relish on a burger, but come to think of it, it doesn't sound bad. Hot dogs do need relish, and mustard. No ketchup.

Wish we had an In-n-Out, have heard they are outstanding. I do like our local Hardee's, their Mushroom Swiss burgers are good, as are their Little Thickburgers. No relish though.

 

[jd_1138]

Never had relish on a burger, but come to think of it, it doesn't sound bad. Hot dogs do need relish, and mustard. No ketchup.

Wish we had an In-n-Out, have heard they are outstanding. I do like our local Hardee's, their Mushroom Swiss burgers are good, as are their Little Thickburgers. No relish though.

Yeah In N Out is the best. Five Guys is pretty good too -- almost as good as In N Out.

I like to use "stadium (or ballpark) mustard" on hot dogs. Sort of spicy. I can eat hot dogs plain, ketchup, mustard, chili. The local minor league baseball team has dollar nights where you can get hot dogs and small draft beers for a buck each. I can eat 4 or 5.

This stuff's a staple around here at all the pro sports arenas. Betcha can only get yellow mustard at most concession stands.

 

[Cheryl J]

I don't think I've ever seen pickle relish as standard on a restaurant burger either, just pickles.

I'm probably odd person out here with burgers though, I like them with just a very light spread of mayo and that's the only condiment I want. A juicy char-broiled patty, lettuce, tomato and onion on a toasted bun, and I'm good with that.

I go to In N Out about once a year when I go visit my daughter, and used to really love them. They don't seem to be as good as they were in the past, though.

 

[RPCookin]

Yeah In N Out is the best. Five Guys is pretty good too -- almost as good as In N Out.

I like to use "stadium (or ballpark) mustard" on hot dogs. Sort of spicy. I can eat hot dogs plain, ketchup, mustard, chili. The local minor league baseball team has dollar nights where you can get hot dogs and small draft beers for a buck each. I can eat 4 or 5.

This stuff's a staple around here at all the pro sports arenas. Betcha can only get yellow mustard at most concession stands.

Actually, yellow is what I prefer, and its the only mustard I'll put on a hot dog. I've spoken with people not from Ohio who have had the Ball Park mustard, and most seem to think it's pretty bad. I can't say as I've never had it. I did have ribs at what was touted as one of the best BBQ places in Cincinnati (Montgomery Inn), and I wasn't terribly impressed. Seems like regional fare is sometimes only outstanding to those who grew up with it.

As far as the cheeseburger, these days I'd never order one with "everything", because I really don't think that has a fixed meaning any more. Most of the places where I eat burgers now days, they have all sorts of options, and many of those I don't want anywhere near my burger.

Back when I first discovered the lowly hamburger, I lived in White Bear Lake, Minnesota (mid 1950's), and we had a place in town called - wait for it - The Malt Shoppe. They had what was called a California hamburger, which was a burger with everything. I guess that someone in California was the first to put lettuce, tomato, onion, etc. on a hamburger. After I left Minnesota, it was just called a "deluxe" hamburger. I've become a bit more adventurous over the years, but I still know what I like and what I don't.

Now I always specify what menu item I want, and what toppings I expect, because I really, really don't want avocado, or a fried egg, or a slice of pineapple, or any of a dozen other things that I've seen offered on a burger in the modern age. If worse comes to worst, I can even live with just ketchup and onion. At least that one I can get my mouth around, which can't be said for the monstrosities that some restaurants have concocted.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

jd, in my mind, "with everything" should be just basics. Or as the joint up the corner lists, "LTO". Anything beyond that holy trinity for burgers is questionable. Then again, if the restaurant menu warned you that "everything" included just about every condiment they owned, you should have read the fine print.

...I like to use "stadium (or ballpark) mustard" on hot dogs. Sort of spicy....

This stuff's a staple around here at all the pro sports arenas. Betcha can only get yellow mustard at most concession stands.

Pass that Bertman's, please. My Mom always had a bottle of Stadium mustard in the fridge. When I got married we eventually ended up buying Ball Park more often. Now I bring bottles of it back to MA with me when we go visit our kids in OH.

...I like them with just a very light spread of mayo and that's the only condiment I want. A juicy char-broiled patty, lettuce, tomato and onion on a toasted bun, and I'm good with that...

Hold the onion, and you have one of MY oft-ordered burgers. We have burgers all different ways at home. Rarely with cheese (the flavor seems to get lost with everything else, so we skip it if we figure we won't taste it), but I always put out a turntable of relishes so we can top our own. Dill pickle slices, pepper slices, L/T/O, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, four kinds of mustard, BBQ sauce...you name it, it goes out! I'm my own version of Michael Symon's "B-Spot", where they have a pickle bar with 8 choices, and a tote on each table with 6 different sauces. Sounds like Yum! Himself and I NEED to get over to one next time we visit kids.

 

[CraigC]

I have come to the conclusion that I make better burgers at home. When we go out, we are usually going to places that don't even offer burgers.

 

[RPCookin]

jd, in my mind, "with everything" should be just basics. Or as the joint up the corner lists, "LTO". Anything beyond that holy trinity for burgers is questionable. Then again, if the restaurant menu warned you that "everything" included just about every condiment they owned, you should have read the fine print.


Hold the onion, and you have one of MY oft-ordered burgers. We have burgers all different ways at home. Rarely with cheese (the flavor seems to get lost with everything else, so we skip it if we figure we won't taste it), but I always put out a turntable of relishes so we can top our own. Dill pickle slices, pepper slices, L/T/O, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, four kinds of mustard, BBQ sauce...you name it, it goes out! I'm my own version of Michael Symon's "B-Spot", where they have a pickle bar with 8 choices, and a tote on each table with 6 different sauces. Sounds like Yum! Himself and I NEED to get over to one next time we visit kids.

You won't lose the cheese if you stuff it in the middle of the meat patty. Of course that takes a double thick patty to do it right, but is that really a bad thing?

 

[jd_1138]

You won't lose the cheese if you stuff it in the middle of the meat patty. Of course that takes a double thick patty to do it right, but is that really a bad thing?

Mmmm, sounds yummy. A chef I know puts grated cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper in his ground beef then shapes it into a burger and fries it. Some of the cheese is on the outside and gets a little charred.

 

[Lance Bushrod]

I like dill relish on hotdogs and that's about it.

For me a burger must have onions, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and dill pickle.
Growing up in NE Iowa it was called a "Hollywood Hamburger" at Little Butch's in New Hampton. Now days I like blue cheese, bacon, and sometimes a fried egg.

Fried onions are popular in the Tacoma area.

Tacoma Boy's pre-makes huge patties with the shredded cheese mixed in and a lamb burger with fetta. It's all good.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

You won't lose the cheese if you stuff it in the middle of the meat patty. Of course that takes a double thick patty to do it right, but is that really a bad thing?

Nothing wrong with a Jucy Lucy, RP, but I don't LOSE the cheese. I lose the flavor of the cheese. Sometimes what I want on my burger is so very flavorful I can't tell it's got 100+ calories of cheese, too. I'd rather save the calories for a small piece of dessert afterwards. Now offer me a burger with Swiss and mushrooms and I am SO there!

 

[Cheryl J]

CG, I love mushroom and swiss burgers! I'll have to put that on the menu soon, haven't had one in way too long. A homemade potato salad will need to accompany that.

Thinking about this thread a little, I rarely order a burger out and like Craig mentioned, much prefer making my own at home. I love a good 'standard' burger with lettuce, tomato and onions, and also enjoy a specialty burger now and then.

One of my faves is an 'Ortega Burger' - here's one I made last year. A grilled ground beef patty with lettuce and tomato, whole Ortega roasted green chiles and sliced pepper jack cheese on a toasted onion bun.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

I like to spread mayo on the bottom bun so the burger juices don't soak into the bun. I vacillate between raw or fried onion. Smoked gouda is cheese of choice, if we have any, otherwise, any cheese. Mostly I don't put cheese on a burger. Lettuce, garden tomato, a little catsup. Avocados, as much as I like them, seem to just slide off the top so No to them. Bacon is a rare treat. This is the shortest paragraph I could write about burgers without licking my fingers.

 

[Cheryl J]

I like to spread mayo on the bottom bun so the burger juices don't soak into the bun. I vacillate between raw or fried onion. Smoked gouda is cheese of choice, if we have any, otherwise, any cheese. Mostly I don't put cheese on a burger. Lettuce, garden tomato, a little catsup. Avocados, as much as I like them, seem to just slide off the top so No to them. Bacon is a rare treat. This is the shortest paragraph I could write about burgers without licking my fingers.

Same here, Whisk! I go a step further and put the beef patty in between layers of lettuce for further insurance against soggy buns.

 

[RPCookin]

I like to spread mayo on the bottom bun so the burger juices don't soak into the bun. I vacillate between raw or fried onion. Smoked gouda is cheese of choice, if we have any, otherwise, any cheese. Mostly I don't put cheese on a burger. Lettuce, garden tomato, a little catsup. Avocados, as much as I like them, seem to just slide off the top so No to them. Bacon is a rare treat. This is the shortest paragraph I could write about burgers without licking my fingers.

I admire your restraint!