Dining With Monkeys: BGR: The Burger Joint | Restaurants

I'm pretty wary of going to new places just after they open because chances are they haven't quite figured everything out yet. The rule in journalism used to be that you'd give a restaurant three months before reviewing it. The Internet changed all that. However, I think in the case of a franchise, they should pretty much hit the ground running. So, with that, Warren and I took the monkeys (Satchel, 9, and Jiro, 7) to BGR: The Burger Joint that just opened by the "new" Target on Sunday.

BGR is in the new strip along with Yogurt Mountain, Chipotle, etc. On the outside it doesn't look like much. The inside is pretty cozy and cute.

I'm not sure what the connection to the 80s is, but it's a very strong connection. Bon Jovi, Men at Work, and other famous bands line the walls and 80s tunes fill the room. Billy Idol played as we perused the large menu board.

What's so great about this place you ask? According to the website there are 3 reasons: 1. They only use grain-fed cattle; all natural, no hormones, fillers or antibiotics, and most importantly they run free in the fields. 2. The buns are made for them locally and delivered fresh every day. (I saw the buns in the back and they looked freshly delivered but I don't know about local.) The tomatoes are the finest available. (Uh, vague much?) 3. Lastly, the burgers are grilled to temperature over an open flame -- not fried on a piece of stainless steel.

Jiro informed me that he wasn't hungry, but when I told him that he could have two small burgers, some fries, and a drink, he agreed to eat a kid's meal. (At $5.49, not a bad deal. Grilled cheese is the other option.) In front of the register were bottles of Cheerwine and Orange Crush, so he chose a Cheerwine as his drink. (The meal comes with a fountain drink, so I took note that I'd be drinking it.)

Photo: Flickr user staleyg.