For many in the restaurant world, the emergence of the ‘Burger Bar’ is just a fad. Personally, the Burger Bar has absolutely no relation to the negative connotation of the word ‘fad’. It is by far my favorite restaurant genre, and you can measure your value to me based on whether or not I have taken you to my personal favorite, DMK Burger Bar (I am near the top of their ‘Frequent Fryer Club’, where the top prize is a cholesterol test kit… a terrible omen for my heart, but that is currently less important). The concept is overwhelmingly successful and here to stay. The reasons are national, social, economical, and gastronomical.
First, the gastronomy. At the heart of it, the concept is simple: burgers, fries, and beer. If a restauranteur is wise enough to invest in quality ingredients, those three things are pretty damn hard to screw up. It is also hard for any one being that uses food for sustenance (oh yeah, that’s about all of us) to not enjoy these American staples. With a bit of creative variation using quality ingredients (see the menu of DMK Burger Bar), you can even please those less-American, not-so-carnivorous beings of the population, through macaroni and cheese, salmon patties, lamb patties, veggie burgers, etc. If, need be, there can be something for almost everyone, or at least the largest and most hungry portion of the population, without overwhelming costs.
Secondly, and closely tied to the gastronomy, are the economics. This is where the true staying power of the Burger Bar lies. As mentioned, the ingredients are pretty simple, and apart from a small investment in high quality to ensure customer satisfaction, relatively cheap. Therefore the restauranteur does not have to charge much to make a decent margin. Coming with the lower costs are multiple visits and a wider customer base. More customers are able to afford your reasonably priced, high quality product (judging by how packed they are each and every time I visit), and they will be willing to come back because they don’t feel as if you robbed them like many cash-strapped restaurants these days (evidenced by my weekly visits on a college budget).
The most important part of the economics, however, has nothing at all to do with burgers, but the libations. The largest of restaurant margins are those on alcohol (think of that $20 of vodka you buy at the liquor store that costs you $12/drink at dinner). In the case of the Burger Bar, what poor excuse for an American doesn’t feel it absolutely obligatory to enjoy an alcoholic beverage with a burger? This is where another staple of any good burger bar comes in, the beer list. Specifically, the craft beer list. In a similar fashion to the food, the product is obviously simple, but quality is very important. A variety of beer types, as well as geographical locations are preferred to ensure diversity any customer can enjoy. Similarly to the alcohol [ed. note: beer is alcoholic, just not in the writer’s opinion apparently], it is also has a high profit margin, and thus an honorable beer list can only benefit the establishment. Surprisingly, a good Burger Bar most likely spends exponentially more time putting together their beer list than they do their menu.
The beer list of the Burger Bar is where the foray into social attractiveness starts. The craft beer movement in restaurants is strong and very popular. As much as we love our American beers, a good craft beer will render Bud Light in closer likeness to urine than any sort of refreshment. The popularity is booming, and just like our beloved and now obsolete American beer, craft beers go very well with burgers. Pairing these two current trends will create a caloric fervor that us obese Americans cannot contain.
To further the social nature, it is not a formal or serious meal, but it can serve as the setting just about any dining occasion. As mentioned, I have taken many there under almost any excuse I can use. I have used the Burger Bar for everything from first dates (she was originally ashamed to be going to a ‘burger place’ on a first date, but that changed quickly) to my senior day reception and everything in between, with my parents now refusing to take a trip to Chicago without a visit to DMK. Nothing this good of a value can be out of the question, regardless of the occasion.
Finally, is the nationalistic appeal mentioned throughout. There is nothing more American than burgers, fries, beer, and fat (all in excess, of course). So put on your most patriotic shirt, grab a few fellow Americans, and clog your arteries to your hearts desire (I know, the cliché may not apply).
Stanton Coville is a first time writer for the blog but has written on craft beer for other. An interview with the author can be found here.
For an introduction to a Burger Bar, the blog and writer recommend any of the following:
DMK Burger Bar,
Kuma's Corner, and
Burger Bar Chicago.
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