There comes a time in a man’s life when he must complete a specific activity before he can truly be considered a man. This activity is entering Le Tub in Hollywood, Florida, and take on their cheeseburger. Now, I have written about this place before, but I decided to give this chance a try for three reasons: 1) I truly love their cheeseburgers, they are definitely the greatest in the planet, 2) I want to see if they can remain consistent with their magical burgers, and 3) to see if its just me that loves these morsels or if this love and enjoyment over a cheeseburger can be transferred to other people—a.k.a. my filming crew. Now, most online restaurant websites have given this place scathing reviews over its poor service and overrated burgers. So was I just nuts the first time I went? Was I lucky? Or is it a case of sheer jealousy and/or total lack of preparation for the old-school and laid-back behavior of this institution? A repeat visit to Le Tub will answer all these questions.
Le Tub is a place that skyrocketed in fame decades after its original opening because of the one-two punch of GQ Magazine and Oprah. The magazine hailed it as the location with the best cheeseburger in the entire country (and mentioning that it’s a mystery why a place with such a run-down look can contain such beauty), and the Oprah Winfrey Show paid a visit to the joint. Now, everything Oprah touches turns to gold, just ask Obama. In August 2009, I was joined by my lovely friend Brittany, as we paid a visit to the place, a year after I planned to drive four hours to give the place a try. To this day, we talk about that experience, and I am sure our friendship became 20 times stronger after Le Tub. This place is so good, it can even strengthen friendships. This time, I was joined by my brother Michael, my cousin Josh, and their very good friend Kyle (who is as unpredictable as a disgruntled comedian on PCP).
I warned them that they take 30 minutes to make the cheeseburgers, and on busy days you sometimes have to wait almost two hours to get your meal. Good things never come easy, and Le Tub is another example of this fact of life. We all ordered medium-well cheeseburgers and waited. And waited. And waited. Unlike what the nasty reviews online state, we had delightful service from a couple of delightful Hispanic women with smiles on their faces. After some waiting, the burgers arrived. They looked great, they smelled great, and the outdoor flies began surrounding our table like Vikings ready to pillage a village (Unless they are from Minnesota, and yes, I just went there. Drop your old quarterback, Vikings!).
They all fell in love, I will reveal this right now. They all said it was the best cheeseburger they’ve ever had. They mentioned its thickness, its juiciness, its size, its quality meat, and its overall impact in their world of burgers. My brother said he can never have another burger the same way again, as Kyle calls his parents to tell them that their food is no longer good, because he truly had a taste from heaven. Josh couldn’t describe his happiness, but I am pretty sure I saw tears. This time, I was armed with a camera, ready to take pictures of this epic event. Their faces were absolutely priceless, they absolutely forgot the fact that we had driven for several hours just for lunch.
I on the other hand---just kidding, I fell in love all over again. It’s just like when you run into an old ex-girlfriend and suddenly realize that you still have strong feelings for her. I compared the cheeseburger to relationships, yes I did. I had forgotten just how good they were until I took my first bite. And just like back in August of 2009, it was juicy, meaty, and spectacular in every single way possible. The burger was the main event, as the fries we had (although good) were not even necessary.
Bottom Line: So yes, Le Tub is spectacular in more than one instance, I did not get lucky, this place is legit awesomeness. Like I have stated in the past, this place is extremely old-school, and the look and laid-back atmosphere will not be everybody’s cup of tea. But if you can adjust, come here for the cheeseburger, because I can guarantee you that even if you don’t think this is the best burger ever, it will easily at LEAST be in the top 3. The location is perfect as its right next to the beach and the food is just all-around delicious. The place is mildly pricy, but totally justified when you take a bite of that burger. I recommend this place to the absolute highest degree imaginable, no questions asked.
Stop reading this. Start prepping a trip. Now.
P.S. I had a second burger—so did Josh. Also delicious.
P.P.S. I can still taste the burger, and it has been over 9 hours.
Le Tub1100 North Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL - (954) 921-9425
No comments:
Post a Comment