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Mashed Burger from J. Anthony’s Italian Grill

The Mashed Burger from J. Anthony's Italian Grill in Auburn, MA.

A casual Monday night trip to Walmart and a hankering for everyone’s favorite All-American “sandwich” brought me to J. Anthony’s Italian Grill on Route 20 on the Auburn/Oxford line. Once again, this is another establishment that I drive by regularly and the parking lot always seems to be filled to capacity, even on weekdays. On the weekends, I’ve even seen parking attendants to help with overflow. With a customer following like that, it seemed like a place that I would need to try. Upon entering, you’re greeted with an unassuming ambiance. It is all very generic, with cliché Italian cues here and there throughout the restaurant. The bar area looked much more entertaining, with multiple flat screens playing the game of the day, dimly lit but bright enough to not need a flashlight to read the drink menu.

Taking a quick glance at the rest of the menu, it is easy to see why the place is always busy though. There are Italian classics up and down the menu, that cater to every palate and craving that you could have. They even have specials on certain nights of the week, to help drum up business I would guess. The burger I decided on for this dining event was the Mashed Burger ($9.99 – Mondays are $6 burger nights though!). This was a 1/2 pound beef burger, with mashed potatoes, onion rings and A1 sauce, cooked medium. Given the fact that I have tried many variations of beef/bacon/cheese/sauces that were offered on most burger menus, I felt the need again to try something out of the box.

The burger itself was cooked beautifully, and seemed bigger than the 1/2 pound of advertised beef. Usually when you cook a burger that large that has a decent fat ratio (80/20), the burgers will shrink significantly in size. This burger stayed large and moist and slightly pink on the interior. The mashed potatoes gave the burger an interesting texture. The potatoes seemed like they were on the drier side. If they were too mashed or fine, they wouldn’t be congealed enough to hold onto the burger. I would’ve liked for the potatoes to be seasoned more… some butter or garlic would’ve been the flavor boost that they desperately needed. The fried onion strings on top gave it a nice bite, with the tanginess of the traditional onion topping, with the crunch of the fried batter. The real kicker on this burger was the A1 sauce. It was delightfully tangy and enhanced the richness of the meat. It was like a BBQ sauce replacement, but thinner and smokier. The generous portion of fries were fried to a golden brown, but could’ve benefitted from some additional seasoning of salt and pepper.

Overall, I would call this burger quest a success. I had a delicious burger, enjoyed some great company and went some place that I had wanted to visit for some time. For those of you who were like me and drive by this restaurant everyday and haven’t stopped in for a quick bite, I highly recommend doing so soon. Have a suggestion on where I should visit next month? Tweet me @EDioufUC5 and you just might see your suggestion make the short list. Until next time my burger loving followers…

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JJ’s Mushroom Swiss Burger

Mushroom Swiss Burger from JJ's Sports Bar and Grill on Route 20 in Northborough, MA

Mushroom Swiss Burger from JJ's Sports Bar and Grill on Route 20 in Northborough, MA

It had been a long week at work. The normal adult stresses had crept in and made my brain the equivalent of cold oatmeal. Looking for a way to relax, unwind and enjoy some live music, I meandered down to JJ’s Sports Bar and Grill. I was looking for a familiar burger needed listen to some classic 80’s tunes, courtesy of local institution “The Flock of Assholes” to help soothe the ravages of the work week.

After a frosty beverage, I was in a better place to make my tough decision on which burger I would enjoy this evening. After perusing the menu, and passing on the “Heart Attack Burger” (2-10 ounce patties served between 2 grilled cheese sandwiches and all the fixings – maybe next time), I decided that the best option for me was the mushroom Swiss burger. This burger was topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions and like the name indicated, Swiss cheese.

Feeling as though I could eat a couple of burgers tonight, I was pleasantly surprised with the size of the patty when it came out. It was quite generous, and there was slight overhang from the hearty bun that they rest their burgers on. I had asked for the burger to be cooked medium. Unfortunately, when it came out it favored on the side of medium-well. Surprisingly, the over cooked nature of the burger hardly took away from its flavor and juiciness. The mushrooms and onions were a nice touch. The sweetness from the onion that was rendered down paired nicely with the earthiness of the mushrooms that I love so much. Now, when it comes to the cheese, I will admit that I am also not a huge Swiss fan (I’m beginning to see a trend for this blog – trying items out of my comfort zone). On its own, I find Swiss too tangy and bitter for my liking. In this application, I find it works well. It’s a hearty cheese so it hold up well and melts evenly when heated. One of the best parts about this meal though…the fries! They were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside…I don’t believe that even one was spared from the depths of my stomach.

As the band began to play, and I continued to enjoy a fall lager, I had a chance to reflect on my meal and my surroundings. JJ’s is a rather run of the mill sports bar, affixed with numerous Boston sport memorabilia, neon signs and rather cliché décor. However, it’s ability to host full bands, offer a dining area and two separate bars and have space for pool tables and dart boards takes it up a notch. I have been here several times and the food has always been consistent, never a complaint to be had about a restaurant with this attribute. As I listen to a stirring rendition of Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl,” I sit back and let five days of stress melt off my shoulders. Another burger in the books, another restaurant down.

Have suggestions for burgers in the Central MA area? Tweet me at @edioufuc5. Where will my burger quest take me next? I guess you will have to wait to find out. Until next time…