The secret burger that’s not really a secret
The not-so-secret secret burger. Photo courtesy Polished Pig Media.
The folks at The River and Rail, the new restaurant in the old Lipes Pharmacy building in South Roanoke, are trying to create a little buzz with a “secret burger” that isn’t on the menu and can only be ordered at the bar.
They must not want it to be TOO much of a secret, though, because I got an email from their publicist about it last week. The description sounds pretty yummy: 8 oz. of grass-fed beef from Broadview Ranch, lettuce, onion, (tomatoes to be served when the season goes into full swing), housemade ketchup, housemade pickles, and housemade fries served on a Bread Craft bun. The burger costs $14.
If you want one of these gourmet burgers, you’ll have to belly up to that lovely concrete bar at The River and Rail. While you’re at it, I’d suggest washing it down with a cold beer. But that’s just me.
July 26, 2012 - 10:20 AM
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It’s a $14 cheeseburger. With tomato, pickles and fries. I must be missing something.
Sounds and looks a lot like the one at Remini’s which is half the price. Of course, the atmosphere at Remini’s is more casual, but Roanoke has a way of making everywhere casual it seems.
$14 bucks!!!!!!!!!!! They are out of their minds. Might want to keep that a secret. I’ll stick with my beef that has added growth hormones at a fraction of the cost.
I have been planning to give them a try soon. Have only talked to one person who has been there. She said her shrimp cocktail had translucent shrimp. Has anyone else out there tried R&R? I think I’ll wait to see/hear a few reviews. I hope a $14 burger does not represent their pricing for other items.
I’d try it! You’d pay $10 – $12 for one at someplace like TGIFridays. Why not spend a couple more dollars for a locally-sourced, organic meal at a locally-owned restaurant! It includes fries too… silly Roanokians.
We had dinner at River and Rail recently and it was really enjoyed it. Great food and service. But I don’t know about a $14 burger.
Do you think they’d knock a couple of bucks off if I asked them to hold the tomato?
$14 for a burger made with all local natural ingredients is not a bad deal. Grass fed beef is probably at least twice the cost of the ground chuck that most restaurants claim is their “gourmet angus” burger. You can spend about the same for a “triple prime” burger at Ruby Tuesday. If Roanoke wants to attract and retain the young adults, they need to keep up with the trends that major metropolitan cities. I’m looking forward to trying one!
With prices that steep for a burger, that place probably won’t last long.
Good luck to them if it is a hit. You never know what works unless you want to take the chance.
My personal style is blue plate, diner type burgers.
Give me 6 oz of medium well 85/15, two slices of melted American cheese, a fat slice of a real tomato, mayo and thick ketchup, inside a steamed bun.
I’ll pay five dolla, I’ll pay fifteen dolla. After years of practice, it’s what I know I want. I’m just a simple man…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHQ_aTjXObs
Scott A presents a point about the ingredients. Here’s my take – using grass fed beef on a dish that requires a large amount of fat is going to naturally be cost ineffective.
The question is, do you want factory produced ground beef? Or pasture fed ground beef? There’s a big difference for reasons other than the fat content.
Personally, burgers are my exception to the rule. Meatloaf, meat sauces, etc, I will use my preferred grass fed beef. With burgers, I just default to the LCD. Maybe that’s why I eat burgers so infrequently (once a month, maybe?).
I’ve had the vaunted 10:00 burger and Holeman and Finch Public House in Atlanta. I’ve had the Big Devil burger at Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington. The R&R burger sounds, ingredient-wise, to be on a par with both of those. The beef really does make a difference, and no, it’s not intended to take the place of Red Robin. It’s an occasional indulgence, and it’s nice to have the option here under the Star.
A bit pricey, but it would have been nice to have known the last time I was at River and Rail. I left to get a burger elsewhere.
Looks like a nice burger but it needs two buns for that price
I pay 4.85 per lb for a quarter of local, Franklin County, Union Hall born and raised beef. Generally about 100 – 110 lbs. Ground beef, steaks, roasts, etc. Ain’t no way I’m paying 14 bucks for a hamburger that I can embarrass on my grill with my beef at home. Not to mention tomatoes from our garden and homemade B&B pickles. My goodness…
I still maintain that the best burgers in town for the best price come from Burger in the Square, out on Brambleton near 419. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad burger from them.
The River and Rail burger sounds tasty, but pricy.
Once again…Big city concepts bring innovative ingredients! Go to NYC and plan to spend $14-48 for a gourmet burger!
http://guestofaguest.com/new-york/food/8-of-new-yorks-best-gourmet-burgers&slide=7
I’m not sure “Hey, pay NYC prices right here at home!” goes far as a marketing strategy.
I’m sure it’s tasty, but as a signature dish I’d think they’d pick something that most people aren’t capable of producing at home, or that was more unique to their spot.
Honestly, this was the best burger I’ve ever eaten. It was cooked perfectly, tasted delicious, was served professionally and I felt good about spending my money on food like this instead of mass-produced ingredients. I am so grateful the owners and chef believe in the importance of sustainably raised and harvested food and they make it delicious! I’m glad they have been willing to take the risk of opening this restaurant in Roanoke. We deserve it. I rarely eat out because there are so few options in Roanoke that offer delicious food made with quality ingredients i feel good about eating. I’ll be back to River and Rail with friends soon. It’s so nice to have another great option in town.
One more thing: I’d rather eat out less often so I can spend my money in restaurants that have business practices that are in line with my values. The choices I make about the food I eat matters to me, to my health, to my environment, and to the (physical & fiscal) health of my community.
The bottom line is that if your going to R&R $12 bucks is cheap. You cant make your own ketchup have a grass patty cooked to order,home made fries and buy buns from bread craft for that much. Try it before you knock it in my opinion its better that BITS because its not as greasy. Everyone is a food critic because everyone has an appetite and they like what they like.