Oakley Pub and Grill

Burger #7: Oakley Pub and Grill - Soul Burger 7.95$

Not my picture.

Not my picture.

 

After a week of exams and general craziness, it's about that time again for a burger review.  I am once again excited to be writing about my a great burger experience!  I actually had my company write  a few things about this burger because I just couldn't say them and have them come out right.  It was a hilarious burger stop to say the least. Listening to some new Rise Against music while writing this one :)

This is the 8th burger I personally went to but #7 on the big list, also known as Oakley Pub and Grill at 3924 Isabella Ave. This is located right in the middle of Oakley, across the street from another burger place, Habits.  They have won several awards for there burgers and for good reason.  As you walk up to it, the building just seems like any other bar out there.  Nothing particularly sticks out in my mind about why this would be a top 7 burger.  When you walk in, it seemed like just a college sports bar with huge influence from Xavier, UC, Notre Dame, Gators, and Missouri.  It was a Tuesday, but it was pretty busy for a normal weekday.  That's always a good sign if they have the crowd on a weekday.  After looking at the menu the waiter stopped by and asked if there were any questions.  For some reason he felt compelled to mention the Tuscan sandwich, saying that it's great if we're looking for something "exotic", whatever that means.  It was a pizza in a sandwich.  The menu also has a hung over section for weekends.  Everything was very cheap, which is always surprising for #7 on this list.  There is normal pub food apps, a crap cake stuffed portabella, pizzas, etc.  Sandwiches were standard fare.  The fish tacos stuck out as something that looked tasty.

Beer selection.  Not my picture.

Slowly, this list is just getting full of the weird comments that I write when I am eating the  burger.  I have definitely found that to be fair, I have to write comments because nothing is as clear even the next day.  The sights and sounds can be forgotten so very easily at some places sadly...as can the burgers.  On this occasion, it was definitely the random things were said when upon taking our first bites and then as we attempted to finish the burger that made it fun.  My burger this time was the soul burger for 7.95$, very cheap compared to some 12$+ burgers that don't come with sides out there.  That is a whole different category of burger though.  Burgers are nearly half-pounders black Angus chuck meat, with jerk spices, bacon, grilled onion and cheese.  My burger came perfectly cooked at medium, and didn't have the kick that I am used to with jerk seasoning but it did the job very well.  This was very greasy.  Sometimes you just want a greasy ass burger that tastes great, and this was just that!  I am going to have my guest have her input here because I just can't say it better.  She had the black and blue  burger with cajun spices and homemade blue cheese dressing.  The comments start with a head nod and a "I'd give this two thumbs up, but it'd fall out of the bun".  She mentioned that it was the most difficult burger to eat, but it's messiness matches its taste.  And I just have to throw this one in there, "it's all over my face and so it must be good!"  And as the last bites of her burger went down I heard "I wasn't hungry, but I've got to finish all of this!"  Oh and as I writing my comments, I also got a "once again a girl beat you at eating a burger."   All I can say is hahaha, that's so true with this quest, far too many times now.
I have to add that you get fries or their unique slaw, so I had half and half.  If I got back there I would get the slaw hands down.  I am happy to be finding out the I don't hate all slaws out there.  This was another asian slaw, which was fantastic!  The fries were ok, nothing to write home about.

Picture for the bad-ass asian slaw.  Not my picture.

If I go get burgers again after this quest, this will be one of those burgers places I remember next year.

915 Pub and Grill

Burger #40: 915 Pub and Grill - black and bleu burger 6.75$

 

Ok, I have to admit that this writeup will NOT do 915 justice like my other reviews have done for the other burger places I've been to after it.  915 was the first burger I've had in my new year's resolution in early December.  I did not eat in, I took my burger to go.  Also, I did not know how I was doing this whole comparison between the burgers yet either.  I did not take notes like I have for every other burger place I am going to on my list.  I feel bad about the fact that this establisment will not get an equal review because it does deserve it.  Well, here goes...

You know those cold weekend nights where you just want to hang out at your own house and watch a movie, that's what started all of this.  It was a cold Friday night in early December when I was debating between cooking some thai curry or maybe something with goat cheese, because goat cheese makes everything better in life!  It was on this thought of great cheeses that my mind wandered over to the burger list.  There were tons of great cheeses on these "best of" burgers.
I decided that I'd have to find a burger in a place that no one would want to join me, so I decided to go to the farthest South I could find on the list.  915's black and bleu burger can be found about 12 minutes south of Newport by following 10th st. into Ft. Thomas.  I called my order in without a menu because I found their website wasn't up and running.  It's easy to find 915 but I there was no easily identifiable parking lot.  I'm sure locals know where to park when they get there, but I didn't, so street parking it was.   I managed to find street parking a block down.
When you see 915 on the outside and in the small area that it's in, you wouldn't think one of the best burgers in the city.  Upon walking in I was greeted by an impenetrable wall of smoke.  I am a non-smoker just to be clear, so I'm sure it's not even noticeable to the rest of you.  I'm fine smelling like the smoke from a grill, or a campfire, but not cigarettes.  It's funny that over the past few years I have gotten so used to people NOT smoking in bars and restuarants, that this is the first thing I notice when I enter a Kentucky establishment.  There was the normal bar on the wall on your right, and small, dingy looking tables pushed together for diners on your left.  At the bar there were what looked like a bunch of older regulars you'd see at 915 most nights of the week.  At the tables were younger folks there to enjoy the food.  I was there to get my burger to go.
A second reason I chose 915 was because it was in the top 10 burgers in 2010 on cincinnati.com.  When I got home with the meal that will start my heart attack, I was very pleased with my choice.  Every burger I get will be ordered to be cooked medium so that I can use that as a measurement tool.  I can say that the black and bleu burger was a half pound cooked perfectly with a little pink in the middle, and the bun was a fresh and tasty.  All that was on the burger were onions and bleu cheese sauce, plain and simple.  The blackened seasoning really made a difference on this burger, not overpowering just well balanced and it made it great.  The bleu cheese sauce was just that, a sauce.  It wasn't too salty and overpowering like when you put crumbles right on top of a burger. Also, there were reviews raving about the Asian slaw as a side, so I decided to have that with my burger.  This was one of the best slaws that I have had, since I hate creamy, white slaws.  If you love a sesame oil flavor, that this side is for you!  The price of the burger was supposed to be 6.95$ but went up to 7.95$, which still doesn't break the bank for this level of burger.  Overall, this was probably the best choice I could've made to start my 40 burgers in the next year resolution.

I didn't see a menu so I can't tell you more about this place so I will add some more info I found online.  915 actually has an italian which is like a pizza burger or the Mett which is topped with a grilled mettwurst, saurkraut and cheddar.  Wednesday's has burger mania for 5$.  Wings are 35 cents monday.  Apps are half prices sundays.  There is a cool app that is the Portabella which is crabcakes garnished with champagne horseradish cream...I want this!  Too bad I didn't get an app.

I think this is pretty good for a month late and exactly 4 words worth of notes.

Not my picture, but close enough.

The asian slaw that got me into my rant about how much white, creamy cole slaw usually sucks!