Bj’s – Carlsbad, CA

While the name Bj’s sounded great, the burger tasted not so great. The UBR crew was, yet again, (somewhat) disappointed with another chain restaurant’s mediocre burger offering. The main problem (and it’s kind of a big one) was that the meat was flavorless and the ‘medium’ burger was well over cooked (though the medium-rare was perfect). They offered two types of fries (included in the price I may add); shoe string and seasoned wedge cut, and the UBR staff vastly preferred the shoe string. One fairly big negative pointed out by our guest reviewer (John “Meathead” Comito), was that the menus were disgusting and smegged up… Fail! However, for the times that you are looking for something else, like a great Belgian beer on draft or pizza (or even a burger for the more undiscerning), then hook it up at BJ’s. They have a great layout; plenty of TV’s and a cool staff (our waitress couldn’t have been better)!   Bj’s earned a respectable 3 stars out 5.

Good Presentation!

Chris Madrids – San Antionio TX

Yes the UBR Staff travels! We were in San Antiono (Troy and Mike… no Greg… and no cop car) and Mike learned about this place… Chris Madrid’s had an excellent cheeseburger. OMG! This is definatley the best burger we have reviewed and will be forever known as the bench mark for the top level of the review and killer burgers… That is until we find a better one. The only bummer was they had a fast food type ordering system so if you wanted another… beer let’s say, you had to go and get back in line. We brought Phil Robisch, John Alderman and Bruce Lipien as our guest reviewers who were all changed persons after what we now refer to as “The Madrid Incident.”

Chris Madrid's Killer Burger!

The Money Pit – Escondido, CA

Upon a recommendation by Mr. Polderman (an unofficial staffer here at UBR), we jumped in the PoPo and headed to Escondido, CA for a visit to The Money Pit. Scoring ‘Rock Star’ parking set the tone for today’s cheeseburger experience. We were greeted with a packed Family Style/Fast Food hybrid atmosphere (although timing is everything and there was no line to speak of). The menu was extensive but easy to decipher (even for Troy). We were pleasantly surprised by the prices. We all agreed that, without a doubt, it’s the best value in North County! Burger, fries and a drink for less than $6. There are no waitresses (which is a potential nail in their coffin), but after ordering, a little man-servant delivered our meals.

Not the greatest presentation (it kind of made you dizzy as you can see above) but hopes were still high. It actually turned out to be a better than average burger (a strong 3) but multiple patties is a must (I believe they go up to 4). And the fries were even better, scoring a solid 4 out of 5. Really the only downside to the whole experience was the noise level. Between the throngs of people yapping and the sound of blenders churning out shakes, we could hardly hear each others mindless drivel. Maybe that’s not a bad thing. Anyway, overall we gave the Money Pit a 3 out of 5. Thanks to Todd Polderman, Derres Catalano and Ryan Leezy for their participation in yet another quest for the Ultimate Cheeseburger.