Doris and Sonny's

Burger #34: Doris and Sonny’s Homelike Restaurant – 

Big Sonny Burger – $12

Not a great burger, but some of the best onion rings I've had.

Doris and Sonny’s was the 3^rd burger in one week during the last week of December 2011.  It was rated #28 in top 40 list and was the 38^th burger I had in 2011.  This is a family owned establishment that’s been open for more than 5 decades.  After being open for that long, a restaurant has to have a following and this one caters to truckers.  It is advertised as a truck stop, even if it is off the beaten path a bit in Miamitown.  I had never heard of Miamitown and I assumed it was by Miami university and I would see students and young people.  You know what happens when you assume things?  Yup, it turned out like that.  It took me 25 minutes and driving all the way through the West side on 74 to get there.  This is a really tiny place with street parking and exactly 1 stop light.  When I walked in I heard country music, which, surprisingly, is a first on my burger list.  Doris and Sonny’s is just a little hole in the wall diner, that tries to keep costs down and the atmosphere…bleak.  It was empty for a Thursday lunch time and I was by myself so I sat at the counter by the cash register. The first thing I noticed that there was a 50 year old picture of the owners next to me. 

There is no website, so I can’t link the menu so I took pictures.  The waitress started by telling me they have breakfast served all day long, they make their own homemade goetta (several kinds, not just one), and they were in the top 40 burger list.  Since I’m not a Cincinnati native, I’m shocked by how far this place goes with the goetta thing.  They sell goetta by the pound and they do flavors, like buffalo , jalapeno, and cheddar. Also they do goetta meatloaf, goetta stuffed peppers, a goetta burger, and a GLT – goetta, lettuce & tomato!

My burger was the Big Sonny Burger, which was just more meat than a regular burger.  The first thing I didn’t like about this experience was that the waitress pulled a frozen patty out of the freezer right in front of me.  When it came it was cooked well and only had salt and pepper on it and that’s the only noticeable part.  The cook was friendsly and told me he found some fresh red tomatoes during December, which is hard to do and they were good.  Also the bun was fresh, but aside from that nothing great.  I added bacon of course, which was cooked very crispy and I liked it a lot, but on my bill it cost me half the price of the burger, 3$.  My onion rings were homemade battered onion rings, which was the light at the end of the tunnel, but they didn’t come with the burger so add 3$.

 I first almost wanted to punch those people that voted for this place in the top 40, because it’s frozen burger is rated above Quarter bistro, Quatman, Mayberry, Gordo’s and 915 pub!  There was absolutely nothing about this burger that makes it good, but the price, and I can do better at Quatman’s and get a beer which makes me want to punch someone less.  I’m sure no one reading this has ever even been to Doris and Sonny’s so I won’t get yelled at here, but don’t go here for the burger!  I give them a rating of #35 worst out of 40.