25 Burgers

552 W Union Ave, Bound Brook, NJ 08805
510 E St Georges Ave, Linden, NJ 07036

http://www.25gourmetburgers.com

I get a lot of recommendations for places I’ve never heard of before. Sometimes, I can’t believe it because its just too good to be true. You’re telling me that there’s a place that has 25 different types of burgers on the menu and I’d never heard of it before? Yes, this place really exists in the real crazy world of New Jersey. (And no, I did not eat all 25 Burgers.)

The Place – 25 burgers is a fast casual burger joint, but the big red roof on the building makes it look like a fast food place from the 80′s. The service itself isn’t super fast, though, and you will be waiting for your burgers for a bit. This is especially true on the weekend. So don’t be pushy or expect a drive thru experience, because a good burger takes time to prepare.

Before We Get to the Burgers – I have to tell you that the other food is good too. In case being presented a menu with a truckload of burgers isn’t enough choice for you, there’s a bunch of other stuff, too. For sides, there’s onion rings with a creamy and tangy chipotle mayo sauce, french fries, sweet potato fries, and soups. In addition to 25 burgers, the menu also offers 10 different hot dogs, but I didn’t get a chance to try any because of all the beef I was about to ingest.

The Beverages – In addition to regular soda fountain drinks, they also have a selection of Stewart’s Root beers and sodas available by the bottle. They also have thick milkshakes. I’ve heard they occasionally have free milkshake Fridays, and, for the chocolate milkshakes, they put vanilla ice cream in with chocolate syrup. This is, in my own opinion, the proper way to make a chocolate milkshake.

The 25 Burgers – For this review, I tried to eat as many of the 25 main burgers as humanly possible. No, not all in one trip, as I didn’t want to die when my stomach would explode from the burger overload. I really did want to try and get a wide variety of the burgers before I made my recommendations, though. So here and now, I present for you 9 of 25 Burgers:

#4 Mushroom Swiss Burger - Personally, I try and stay away from mushrooms on burgers because the taste can be very overpowering. This one in particular wasn’t, but I think that there were a lot better choices you could have instead.#5 Bacon Cheese Royale - Oh Yes. This burger was perfect. Its a regular beef patty with bacon, cheese and egg on it. Its a great example of how good the burgers are here. They’ve got great tasting meats that are not so greasy that they fall apart all over the place. You’d think that egg would ruin a burger, but its like it was the ingredient that you never knew you were missing in the first place. If you buy just one of the 25 selections, get this burger.#7 Gyro Burger - This Greek-inspired burger has a patty made with lamb meat and is served with feta cheese. The lamb isn’t as thick as beef, and was a bit more like the texture of pulled pork. All in all, its a pretty unique tasting burger if you’re feeling adventurous.#8 El Paso Burger - Roasted poblano peppers, sauteed onions, bacon, quacamole, pepperjack cheese and a tasty chipotle mayo. This one had a lot going on here, and it was a bit messy. Still pretty good so long as you bring a spork.
#9 Maui Burger - A burger with a Pineapple on it. I must admit, it was the first fruit covered burger I’ve ever had. This one also had a teryaki glaze on it. I don’t know if i ever ate a sweeter burger. A very good choice.#11 Chili Burger - This one didn’t even need the burger. The hearty and not too spicy chili was good enought to be eaten on its own. It makes me wish I tried the chili dog. This ones also served with a helping of onions straws.
#19 Cholula Buffalo Chicken Burger- Ok. This one wasn’t really a burger, but a chicken sandwich with tangy if a little spicy Cholula buffalo sauce covered pieces of fried chicken on it. Still really good, even if it lacks a real burger.#21 Chipotle Bison Burger - A VERY good burger, and probably my second favorite. The thick buffalo meat is seasoned with chipotle, not spicy. Fried onion straws are also included on the patty as fixin’s. A great mix and a great taste.#25 The Monthly Special - The number 25 spot is reserved for a different burger each month. When I went, it was the Bar Burger which had beer brazed meat, onions, peppers and tomatoes on a miami onion bun. A pretty good choice but the fixin’s were a bit overpowering in this case.

So, as you can see, I made going here a project. My Eating Team and I went several times and we bought a bunch of burgers each. I’m happy that we got so many into the review, plus I’m happy that we got to have so many in the first place. This is a really cool place with great burgers and tons of choices. Go. If you don’t live close, then go on the weekend. You need to try these New Jersey Burgers.