I was excited for this one. Good Dog bar has held claim to my favorite burger in the city/planet for some time now. A thick patty, stuffed with roquefort cheese on soft brioche bun, a side of crispy sweet potato fries and a cold beer? Yes, sir. That is some seriously good eatin. And Good Dog has been doing this consistently for years now. Any challenger for the burger crown is going to have to go through here.
 |
| Arcadia London Porter. |
Good Dog has always been a favorite of ours. It couldn't be more centrally located in the city - literally in the middle of everything. It's always an easy place to meet up with friends for happy hour. The first of three floors is a dark and cozy bar area, with booths lining the opposite wall. There's usually a Phillies or Flyers game on, and always good, seasonal beers on tap. I have a particularly good memory of watching game 7 of the Flyers dramatic win over the Bruins in the eastern conference semifinals in 2010 in the front corner booth. There should probably be a plaque there to mark the occasion.
Tonight I was drinking the
Arcadia London Porter - a great ale from this Michigan based brewery. An almost smokey beer with hints of coffee and little bitter at the finish. This one goes great with red meat. Why does it seem like every brewery in this unemployment leading state is stellar? I guess if you live in Michigan you need something to be happy about.
The second floor has another, smaller bar and additional seating. It's a good spillover spot from the normally crowded first floor. I've never been able to figure out why they have carpet up there though. Carpet in bars is gross. Rip it out and put some hardwood or tile down. Sheesh. The third floor has the same grody carpet, plus a billiards table but minus a bar. So, if you want to shoot pool you have to run downstairs every time you want a beer. I'm willing to overlook all this for the good beers on tap and that burger. Oh man, that thing is good.
 |
| the Burger with mixed yukon & sweet potato fries |
The famous Good Dog burger is a perfectly cooked 1/2 lb. slab of tasty ground beef, and stuffed inside is a deliciously rich hunk of roquefort cheese that oozes out when you bite into the burger. Roquefort is a French cheese that is in the blue family. Strong tasting with lines of green mold running all through it.
 |
| some good looking roquefort |
The pungent tangy cheese is such a great contrast to the slightly sweet beef, each heightening the flavor of the other. I think it helps if you like roquefort to begin with, but even if you're not a huge fan, you'll still love this burger. The allowable additions are applewood smoked bacon, gourmet cheese or caramelized onions. They don't mess with frilly toppings to hide a sub-par burger. Get the bacon & onions, you'll thank me. Skip the cheese on top, since the roquefort inside is more than enough.
 |
| sauteed onions and crispy bacon make this even more awesome |
The burger is just as good as I remember it. One of the best in the city. The fries were tasty too, but they were cut thicker than in the past. I was really fond of the shoestring fries they used to have - the current version are a little soggy and could maybe use a hotter fry temperature. The service is not overly friendly, but they are attentive and got all the orders prepared correctly and quickly. Simply put, Good Dog is one of the best bars in the city with that burger upping the ante to any possible competitors. They do have a full menu of other offerings, but I have yet to get past the burger section. Why bother??
-T.Kaso
Food Baby rating - Twins!!
Good Dog Bar
224 S. 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-985-9600
No comments:
Post a Comment