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The Future Fix On Grove Street

Niche Hospitality President, Michael Covino, giving Mass Foodies a tour of the new Fix set to open on Grove Street in Worcester, MA

No longer are burgers confined to the restricted stigmas of fast-food and summer cook-outs. While chefs around the nation have been paying careful attention to burger service, Worcester, too, has been paying close attention since The Fix Burger Bar opened in 2014. The long wait to sit at this small eatery proves that burgers in Central Massachusetts isn’t a fad, and Michael Muscarella’s serious dedication to the craft and the evolution of the sandwich allows it to take another step forward in Central Massachusetts.

Michael Covino, President of Niche Hospitality Group, has embarked on a move and expansion of the popular Fix brand, which will alleviate some of the problems that the original Shrewsbury Street location has: turning away customers night after night due to their maxed capacity.

“The Fix was instantly successful on Shrewsbury Street. I mean, we are the only full-service burger bar in Worcester and success has given us a new challenge: space,” says Covino. “A year into The Fix, we realized it was time to make the change and we were contacted by a broker who led us to the old Northworks, and here we are.”

The timing was impeccable.

Covino, toured Mass Foodies through the newly leased property on 106 Grove Street, giving Mass Foodies the behind the scenes tour on what is in store for The Fix. Covino breathed life into his vision, taking notes on new ideas about The Fix and the future of the brand, while showcasing all that is perfection in a construction site. The ability to foresee the new expansion isn’t about restaurant experience, isn’t about passion and for Covino, passion has led him to new heights in the past.

With a new space comes a highly anticipated level of change – and not just change on the menu but change in the culture assimilated with devouring a nice half pound burger and fries on a work day.

Among the added seating areas, expansive industrial look, open kitchen and a variety of function rooms, The Fix is adding a visual tap system designed to creatively flow beer from a central location to the tap and, of course, is hopeful to supply local craft beers to its patrons.

“We aren’t going to just stop at a great burger menu and beer. With our new location, completely surrounded by businesses, we want to add value to our lunches by expanding our function meal to include dishes beyond the burgers but we are also going to introduce the cold brew coffee tap and a few ‘mid day’ treats for those looking to come in a break away from,” says Covino. The nitro coffee is a brand new technology only seen in larger cities like New York and has seen success when first introduced at Sweet and Lock 50, and for The Fix, it’s going to help take their menu to a new level of kick-ass.

A quick peek at the progress of the new The Fix set to open on Grove Street in July!

Posted by Mass Foodies on Wednesday, May 25, 2016

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Best Burger? We Ate The Phat Albert At Evo

Evo's Phat Albert Burger

So it’s a dreary, fall day and my week of rest and relaxation is over. Still feeling gorged from the Thanksgiving festivities, but yet hungry (like the fat kid at heart that I am), I decided that I needed to treat myself to another burger. My travels bring me to Evo, nestled on the corner of Park Ave and Chandler Street. I’ve come for the infamous Phat Albert burger. This burger was recommended by an avid reader of my blog (shoutout to you, whoever you are!) and I can honestly say ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my red meat loving heart.

As I settle into my bar seat with a delicious Goose Neck Winter Lager in hand, I scanned over the menu, pretending that it was the first time I had seen their menu and acted like I didn’t know what I was getting before I stepped foot in the door. After seeing the various other hand-crafted dishes that the open kitchen had to offer, I placed my order with excitement and anticipation.

From what I have read about this burger, it sounds like Worcester’s and Evo’s take on a Juicy Lucy. For those of you out there who may not know what a Juicy Lucy is, or is not a binge watcher of Man vs. Food, Triple D, or Bizarre Foods, it is two burger patties that have cheese stuffed between each patty. This allows the cheese to melt and become a ball of molten, cheesy goodness when cut into. While the origins of the Juicy Lucy has been pegged in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it is still unsure of the specific bar/restaurant that created this culinary miracle, with two places still battling it out for Juicy Lucy bragging rights at Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club in South Minneapolis. Now you’ve learned something new! You’re welcome!

Anyways, back to my personal burger bliss. I decided to order my Phat Albert – Texas style ($12), which is a 1/2 pound all natural ground beef burger stuffed with cheddar and American cheese, topped with BBQ sauce, bacon, ale battered onion rings, served on a buttered brioche bun with a side of sweet potato fries. When the bartender brought my meal out, I was shocked at the sheer height of the burger. The bun looked like it was toasted to a nice golden brown, with a blanket of cheese enveloping a baseball sized burger, sitting on crunchy onion rings. I decided that I needed to cut the burger in half just to make it manageable. Cutting the burger exposed the deliciously pink ground beef and the perfectly melted cheese mixture on the interior.

My only negative with the burger, if I had one at all, was due to the size of the burger, it was slightly under cooked, even to my medium-rare standards. A little longer on the grille or in the oven would help cook the burger a little more evenly on the interior.  The bacon added a delicious smokiness to the burger and in addition to the BBQ sauce, I could picture myself sitting fireside, with horse nearby enjoying this burger in the plains of Texas. The bacon was actually more chewy than super crunchy, which is how I prefer it. I don’t want to bite into a piece of bacon and have it shatter like a delicate stained glass window. The cheesy interior melted and added a creamy factor to each bite, to break the beef and BBQ sauce tang. The buttery brioche bun was a great choice of bun, as it held up to the sturdy ingredients that were stuffed inside its confines. However, the size of the bun seemed to overwhelm the size of the burger patty itself. The sweet potato fries were seasoned with large, flaky sea salt right out the fryer and that salt helped cut some of the richness of the burger and bun.

As I finished up my beer and thoroughly enjoyed watching OSU lay waste to another overrated Jim Harbaugh coached football team, I contemplated where I should enjoy my next burger. Should I stay in the confines of Worcester proper or venture out of Central Mass? Should I go with a veggie burger or stay traditional? Where will my burger quest take me? I guess you will have to wait to find out. Until next time…

Have suggestions for burgers? Tweet me at @edioufuc5 and your suggestion could be my next spot!