After an exam, all I want to do is eat. Okay, I confess... I always want to eat. But especially after exams, my stomach grumbles nonstop and I reward my long nights of studying with a good meal. And today was the day of rewards.
I love burgers; I love fancy; I love different. What better place to go to than Flip Burger Boutique?
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| Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars |
I've been to Flip Burger multiple times and each time I get a different burger. I love trying new combinations and Flip Burger is the best place to go to for the most unique burgers. Chef Richard Blais is a culinary star (he won season 8 of Top Chef All Stars) and his creations are pure magic on my palate.
One of my favorite parts about Flip Burger is that the menu never gets old. Chef Blais changes up the menu every couple of months so that things stay fresh. The classics remain, but whenever I go I see three or four delicious new burgers.
When my friend and I entered the restaurant, we were greeted with the trendy atmosphere of red and white. Everything is very modern and a bit futuristic looking, making the place hip. We chose to sit indoors in nice air conditioning because the Southern humidity is too much for me.
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| How cool is the seating?! |
Usually I order sides because burgers go great with them (this is where I had my first southern sweetbreads- surprisingly delicious), but today, my friend and I decided that there were too many new delicious burgers on the menu that we had to try. So we did the only other reasonable option and each chose two burgers.
During the last few times I've been to Flip Burger, I always chose the specials because I didn't want to miss them after they were taken off of the menu. I love meat in everything, so I'd also never had vegetarian burgers before. My philosophy is always to try new things, so today I went and chose the two vegetarian burgers on the menu. One was clearly Mexican inspired, with cilantro, tomato, salsa, with a bean and corn patty. Having spent half of my life in California, I love Mexican flavors and this choice seemed golden.
I often visit my friends at UC Berkeley when I go home. My best friend there introduced me to falafels and I have been in love with them ever since. The Fauxlafel was therefore another straight choice.
The burgers do take a bit of time to come out, but it's to be expected since a lot of care goes into them. The restaurant is usually at least half full as well, so the kitchen does get backed up. However, when the burgers came out, the wait was well worth it.
I took a first bite from the Fauxlafel and it was like being taken back to the little cart on College Ave. and I grinned with happiness like a little kid. There was a perfect balance between the slight tartness of the pickled vegetables and the coolness of the Tzatziki sauce. The arugla provided a nice freshness to it and the chickpea patty was perfectly seasoned and seared on the outside. It was the best burger I had ever eaten, and it didn't even have meat! Maybe I might branch out to my inner veggie side more often...
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| Above - Mexican-style veg: $8 Below - Fauxlafel: $8 |
I had high hopes for my Mexican burger, but I was disappointed to find the patty mushy and plain. It didn't give me the spice and the heat that I expected from a Mexican inspired dish. Even though there were a lot of ingredients, like the corn, the onions, the avocado, and the cilantro, somehow the dish seemed... plain. I think the salsa could have been spicier to give it a kick; it tasted more like regular diced tomatoes from a can. The most disappointing was the patty itself. This is what I fear most veggie burgers are like. It didn't have the sturdiness or texture that meat patties usually do.
My friend ordered two very meaty burgers, which I was more than happy about since I knew I'd be stealing a couple of bites. Her Chorizo burger is one of my all-time favorites. I ordered it the last time I came, and my favorite part about it is the fried egg with the deliciously runny yoke that drips down when you bite in. I love the smokiness of the mayo that balances out the kick and heat from the chorizo pork patty, and the paprika adds another delicious dimension to the mix.
Her second burger was the Carnitas, which she did not enjoy as much. I, however, thought it was really good and helped her finish it. I really love pork cheek, and this was cooked really well in the burger, something that is really difficult to do. The fat from the pork cheek and the pork patty was a nice contrast to the shredded cabbage and I loved the slight hint of lime from the special mayo.
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| Left - Carnitas: $8 Right - Chorizo: $8.50 |
The liquid nitrogen milkshakes are one of the biggest parts of coming to Flip Burger, and I usually always order the Nutella and Burnt marshmallow. However, this time, after eating two of my own burgers and another half of my friend's, my stomach could do no more. I'll have to come back again to drink that AND try another new round of burgers. Flip Burger is a great place to stop by to try something unique and flavorful. Although around $8-14 a burger, the quality and creativity of the burger is well worth it. The atmosphere of the restaurant is hip and modern, and the outside view is beautiful. I would come back over and over, and I will.
Until next time!
Flip Burger 220 Summit Blvd
Ste 140
Birmingham, AL 35243 (205) 968-2000
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