Bobby’s Burger Palace: A Review
November 23, 2009 • Food, Life • View Comments
Bobby's Burger Palace in Lake Grove, NY
On a whim today, I decided to try out the Bobby’s Burger Palace that is attached to my local mall.
Somehow it slipped my mind that BBP is Bobby Flay’s Fast Casual Burger Concept or what I have come to call The Right Way to Do Burgers.
I went to the Long Island location, but there are also two BBP’s in New Jersey and one in Connecticut.
Now you may or may not know Bobby Flay as an Iron Chef, from any of his famous restaurants, or for marrying actress Stephanie March (Law and Order: SVU), but let’s face it — none of that matters when you are hungry and just want a delicious burger.
And that’s exactly how I felt when I walked into the place.
I immediately noticed the unique interior design of the place. A serpentine counter stretched from the front to the back of the place and comfortable green chairs with built-in footrests highlighted the earth-toned yellow-red-green color scheme of the place.
Bobby's Signature Burgers
Two huge floor-to-ceiling menu boards listed the Bobby’s 10 Signature Burgers and sides. Each burger reflected a different region of the U.S. — from the Philadelphia Burger (Provolone/Grilled Onions/Hot Peppers) to the Miami Burger (Pressed with Ham/Swiss/Pickles/Mustard/Mayo) to the Napa Valley Burger (Fresh Goat Cheese/Watercress/Meyer Lemon Honey Mustard). Each burger can be made from either Black Angus Beef, Turkey, or Chicken.
The sides were equally mouthwatering, including standard french fries, sweet potato fries, and beer-battered onion rings. BBP also serves a Griddled Cheese and a Griddled Cheese Deluxe with Goat Cheese, as well as an assortment of sodas and shakes.
Flay’s Fast Casual concept basically means ordering your meal at the register, paying, and then having your food brought to you at your table. The whole idea sets the restaurant apart from your usual fast food burger place, yet at the same time ends up being a generally fast way to get your food.
I ordered the Dallas Burger (Spice Crusted/Coleslaw/Monterey Jack/BBQ Sauce/Pickles) but I had them hold the coleslaw, cause there’s just something about mayonnaise-soaked cabbage that doesn’t sit well with me. Sweet potato fries were my choice of side and I rounded it out with an iced tea.
You are given the choice to “crunchify” your burger (top it with potato chips) at no extra cost, apparently a Bobby Flay favorite. I didn’t want to be distracted by a massive mound of chips on top of my burger, so I skipped the free “cruchification.”
The food came to my table in the time it took to tweet and send a text message to my girlfriend about my excitement over my new find.
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay
The burger was served on a fresh sesame-seed bun and was juicy with just the perfect combination of flavors. A carousel of Bobby Flay Signature Sauces was also nearby in case you wanted to add a Hot Pepper Sauce or Burger Sauce to your food.
The BBQ sauce that came with my Dallas Burger was tasting pretty good, so I decided to not mess with the intended mix of flavors. But I could imagine getting a plain cheeseburger for a dollar less and making my own creation with the sauces.
The sweet potato fries were presented in a tall stack inside a metal cylinder on top of a small plate, which definitely beats regular fries in a cardboard box. They came with a Honey Mustard Horseradish Sauce, which only had a hint of spice and that complimented the sweetness of the fries. All-in-all, it was a great meal.
While I can definitely give a thumbs-up to the Dallas Burger, I feel like I will have to stop by Bobby’s Burger Palace again sometime soon to try the rest of the Signature Burgers. Not to mention one of those shakes.
And I definitely have to see if I like goat cheese and watercress toppings by ordering that Napa Valley Burger. You don’t see those sort of toppings at your usual burger place!
BOTTOMLINE: Great concept, great interior, great food, great place. I’ll be back for sure!
