Gilbert's 17th Street Grill: "Hottest burger in South Florida"

A few months ago Gilbert’s 17th St Grill teamed with Bone Lee Tadpole and his signature Bone Lee’s Smoky Ghost Sauce to create the “hottest burger in South Florida.”  So obviously I had to make the trip up to Broward to try this delectable creation.

My brother and I decided to head up for lunch.  Luckily, we arrived just in time to beat the lunch crowd.  We were greeted at the door by Richard, who was manning the front of the house.  He didn’t even have to ask me what I was their for.  Now, being this was my brother’s first visit to Gilbert’s, he carefully studied the menu.  After a few minutes, he chose their Goat Cheese Burger - 8 ounces of certified Angus beef, with goat cheese and caramelized onions.  A fine choice, I might add.  The hottest burger in South Florida did not disappoint.  It had the perfect amount of kick and Bone Lee’s hot sauce was on point.  This sauce can add a zip to what is often ordinary table fare.  Meaning you can put it on anything!  People, you can rely on my palate.  This sauce had the perfect amount of spice and a tanginess that hit the spot.

We both ordered their home-made cole slaw as a side and I included an order of sweet potato fries.  For months I’ve been teased with these amazing pictures of their baby back ribs.  However, my bulging stomach was beyond capacity so I took an order to go.  When they say “fall off the bone” they mean it.  Being a barbecue aficionado, these ribs were in a word - perfect.  The meat was perfectly tenderized, had great flavor, and the barbecue sauce was finger licking good.

The thing I really love about Gilbert’s is their consistency in service, ingredients, prices and friendly atmosphere - all important for an ideal dining experience.  But possibly the chief aspect of the restaurant experience has to be the food.  The style of food is largely a matter of taste.  Whatever the style, I tend to appreciate simple “home” cooking with good, quality ingredients over fancy and elaborate food.

LoKal Burgers & Beer NOW OPEN!

Hot new burger joint LoKal Burgers & Beer about to take South Florida by storm. Based right in the heart of beautiful Coconut Grove, this place is sure to make a person's palate water! If you’re like me, you appreciate good taste & flavor so make sure to be their opening day. Keep up with constant updates on Facebook & Twitter.

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BURGERLISCIOUS FESTIVAL

The 1st annual Burgerliscious Festival took place on Thursday night at Fred B. Harnett/Ponce Circle Park in Coral Gables. It was presented by The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. I heard a rumor that the event was only planned for three weeks, if the facts are true then I tip my hat off to the event coordinators.

Burgerliscios went off without a hitch! You couldn’t have asked for better weather, food or crowd. There were over 20 participating restaurants at the event including, Crave, Anacapri on Ponce, Seasons 52, Fritz & Franz, Morton’s the Steakhouse and Route 9. Live music was also on the agenda with live performances by Fusik, ArtOfficial and DJ MAYNER.

My job was fun not to mention fulfilling as I sampled every single burger there. By far my favorite was from Crave. However 1st place the “Best in Bun” went to 1862 Room at the Westin Colonnade. Coming in 2nd place was Morton’s and there was a two way tie for 3rd with Just James & Two Sisters.

South Florida Burger Overload wants to thank everyone who worked hard to put Burgerliscious together. I was very happy and grateful to be part of this event. To be honest I’m already thinking about next year. Bigger & better I say!

Click on link to view full album: Burgerliscious 2011

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Big Pink

We’ve dined several times before at Big Pink for breakfast but never tried their burgers. Located on Collins ave in South Beach, the Big Pink is known for big portions, an overwhelming menu and a lively atmosphere. We decided to go for lunch and make it a burger outing. My brother and I have enjoyed breakfast at Big Pink many times. There is not doubt you get your money’s worth. You get a big plate with plenty of food on it! Their French toast and corned beef hash are to die for. Naturally, we were excited and expecting another good dining experience.

We sat down and right away our server asked us what we wanted to drink. Our waitress was friendly, but I guess she was new because we ordered two beers yet we were served two waters. It took close to 10 minutes for us to get our beers which were at room temperature once we got them. Besides that, everything else went off without a hitch.

We finally placed our order. I went with the BBQ burger and my brother ordered the Swiss and Mushroom burger. My burger was a 10 oz. Angus patty with apple wood smoked bacon, fried onions, barbecue sauce & jack cheese. My goodness I was disappointed! It literally tasted like nothing. I mean besides the sauce & cheese, the patty itself was dry and over cooked. My sweet potato fries where mushy and greasy as well. I couldn’t finish eating either. I ended up ordering a salad. My brother’s burger, however, was pretty good. Lots of Swiss cheese and mushrooms is always a winning combination. After our meal we decided to stick to breakfast at Big Pink.

I recommend this place, perhaps not for burgers, but like I said earlier, their breakfast is amazing. A big plus is if you’re staying in the South Beach area, they deliver until the wee hours of the morning. In any case, stop in and tell me what you think… maybe you’ll love the Big Pink.