In the higher-class cuisine corners of the Dr. Phillips area lies a brand new burger joint with a new way of preparing burgers. Being the counterculture to all the fancy cuisine bursting everywhere, Twisted Burger is a very small low-key spot that has a nice little secret. I was told that they have a burger that rocks the calorie scale and will test your health. Sounds like my kind of meal. Something along the lines of a fried burger. Fried? Burger? Together? I have to give this place a shot.
Officially part of Restaurant’s Row, an extremely popular stretch of restaurants on Sand Lake Road, Twisted Burger is quietly nestled in between other small eateries. Inside, the place was shockingly empty. It’s not like the area is an economic black hole, you can definitely find success as long as you find your niche and audience. But Twisted Burger has been around only 6 months, and every restaurant owner can tell you the first year is always the hardest. I ordered their signature Twisted Burger ($5.99)---1/2 pound burger pressed with cheddar cheese. And for some added potential goodness: The Guilty Pleasure ($7.99).
The Guilty Pleasure consists of (please brace yourself): 1/2 pound burger with sliced turkey pressed with two types of cheese, twisted sauce, and all this is fried in tempura batter and sprinkled with sugar on top. Yes my friends, this does sound amazing. And yes, this sounds potentially deadly. The burgers actually don’t come with fries, just giving you that heads-up. But I was only focused on the burger, which sounds like it comes off as a Floridian version of Minneapolis’ Juicy Lucy (cheeseburger having the cheese inside the meat patty rather than on top).
After a short wait the Twisted Burger arrives. My first bite was quite impressive, albeit quite juicy. Burger juice poured out from the meat as the quality of the meat kicked the taste buds into high gear. While it’s not the biggest burger out there, in terms of pure content and quality per ounce, it’s one of the thickest and freshest-tasting burgers I’ve had in a very long time. The meat tastes different from the norm, and I found out later that night that the burger patty consists of a variety of different cuts and meats. The cheese plastered in the middle of the meat gives the entire burger an entirely unique kick that makes it gooier, softer, and much more pleasing to the senses.
And dear Lord, here comes the Guilty Pleasure. This totally appropriately-named calorie monstrosity looks like a giant ball of fried food and once you cut it halfway you'll see all the awesome packed inside. About an inch of fried batter surrounds the burger and turkey, while the cheeses and sauces ooze in between the insanity. This barely passes off as an official burger, because there are so many different flavors bursting with every bite. It comes off more as just a massive sandwich that poses as both a hefty lunch and a crazy dessert. It has the sweetness of a powdered doughnut, the creaminess of a good warm sandwich, and its all topped off with the deliciously juicy burger. Basically, this is an expanded and vastly improved version of a Monte Cristo sandwich.
Bottom Line: Measuring about a 9.9 on the calorie richter scale and the quality richter scale, Twisted Burger is a definite departure from your more expensive and healthy-laden choices in the same area. This place is like the restaurant version of Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack. You just don't have regular burgers here, but also fried burgers, burgers embedded with cheddar cheese and for dessert your good ol' all-American fried Twinkie. Unlike most of your pretentious and fancy spots in Dr. Phillips, Twisted Burger runs purely on the quality of its food offerings. Like I always say, sometimes in life you just need a good, juicy burger. And Twisted Burger offers that, and then some.
Verdict: Highly Recommend
Twisted Burger
7563 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
No comments:
Post a Comment