Why do some restaurants...

sell such plain food such as a hamburger, bit of mustard, few onions and a plain bun? This really irks me and then they charge you around $5 for it. I don't mind paying the price but only if it is worth it.
 
Here is how I would make my hamburgers if I had a restaurant. My sister owns one and does a half decent job on her burgers and she has invited me to introduce the following but I don't have the time right now.
 
-toasted bun with mayo on top bun and mustard on bottom bun.
-1/4" slice of fried onion (or raw if specified)
-leaf lettuce
-tomato slice
-fried mushrooms
-two slices of bacon
-6oz burger dipped in warm BBQ sauce
-real slice of cheddar cheese (NOT processed)
 
This burger in Alberta could sell for $6.95 and the best part is that of the repeat business. How can one go wrong with a burger of this quality? Am I wrong in thinking this way? I hope somebody can enlighten me.
 
Another pet peeve of mine is food establishments that sell the cheap regular fries. I prefer the ones that have some outer skin left on them. Yes, homemade are the best but if you are going to sell frozen precuts, sell the best one possible.
 
Thanks for listening to my rant!
 
 
 
 

I believe they to it to make a profit----that five dollors doesnt just cover the meat,bun and whatever else is on the burger--but  also -the gas to cook it the refridgeration to keep it safe to eat,the rent on the building.the paycheck of the dishwasher,and cooks,the lights so you can see the food.the ice melt they put on the frozen sidewalk at the front door so you dont fall on your way in,---and who know knows how many expences--its a LONG list-----and if your lucky--maybe a little of that profit so you they can pay the bills at HOME and send the kids to college so THEY can get rich and support you in you old age when you get put out of business by the chain next door selling 99cent burgers!

===if I had a restaurant. My sister owns one and does a half decent job on her burgers and she has invited me to introduce the following but I don't have the time right now.
 
-toasted bun with mayo on top bun and mustard on bottom bun.
-1/4" slice of fried onion (or raw if specified)
-leaf lettuce
-tomato slice
-fried mushrooms
-two slices of bacon
-6oz burger dipped in warm BBQ sauce
-real slice of cheddar cheese (NOT processed)===

She requires your assistance in making this? What part of this burger does your sister have a problem with?

===This burger in Alberta could sell for $6.95 and the best part is that of the repeat business. How can one go wrong with a burger of this quality? Am I wrong in thinking this way? I hope somebody can enlighten me... 
...that sell the cheap regular fries. I prefer the ones that have some outer skin left on them. Yes, homemade are the best but...===

The best way to enlightenment is to open your restaurant and do it the way you want and for the price you want to charge. Selling a 1/3 lb bacon, mushroom cheeseburger dipped in BBQ sauce (!!!) and served with the works will be enlightening and your finances will become lightened...

mark

I frequent a sports bar here in RI that has 4 or 5 of this type of burger. The one I like is close to what you describe, except no mushrooms, the onions are onion rings, and the BBQ sauce is a topping, not dipped. It's $7.95 with fries, curly or regular, and I think the price is ok. It's a great meal.
What about Johnny Rockets? Pretty simple but tasty burgers there. The 3 we have in RI always have a line waiting. 
My $.02

Why not put some more items on the burger?

Perhap the reason they don't make their hamburgers the way you think they should is because they have a few customers such as me. I don't like lettuce or tomato on a hamburger. I don't like bacon or barbeque sauce on a burger. I do like grilled onions, but not fried onions, on a burger. And I'm allergic to mushrooms. And while I enjoy mustard (not yellow) and mayonnaise on a burger there are actually a few people who don't like mustard or mayonnaise on theirs. I've heard that some people actually like catsup on their burgers.

PS. There is nothing wrong with this burger, one of my favorite burgers is a BBQ mushroom cheeseburger. I have made them as lunch specials with the mushrooms cooked in the sauce as those shrooms absorb the flavor like a sponge.   ...And bacon always makes it better.
A quarter inch slice of onion would require a similar thick tomato on lettuce. Over a half inch of LTO. Using a quality bun is fine but mayo on top and mustard on the bottom is too much work for the cook. Even before you add the mushrooms, these items would affect $1.00 towards your food cost.

mark

billydee


sell such plain food such as a hamburger, bit of mustard, few onions and a plain bun? This really irks me and then they charge you around $5 for it. I don't mind paying the price but only if it is worth it.

.....

Thanks for listening to my rant!
 
 
 
 

Um, thanks for sharing it.

How much does ground beef cost up there in AK?  What about the cost in Alberta?  Please tell me if you're talking in USD or CD.

Now, about that "$6.95" in Alberta...is that USD or CD?

If it's $6.95 in Canadian dollars (you did say this was an Alberta price), that would be in the $5.60 USD range.  You're fooling yourself if you want to sell that burger for $5.60 US.  You're gonna lose your butt fast that way.

$6.95 US would be more like it...but that's a big difference from the $5 burger you're complaining about.  That would represent nearly a 40% increase in price...OF COURSE you would expect the extra "fixings" on the burger for a 40% premium.  I think your understanding of food cost, and the restaurant business in general, is lacking a bit.

So, what would YOU charge for that plain 6oz burger with just onions and mustard?  How much below $5 would it be?  Seriously...what is your food cost and what would you charge?  Thanks for helping us understand.

is that Canadian Bacon or good old US Bacon?
Do you dip the burger in BBQ sauce raw or after cooking? And Why?
By the way, I loved you in Star Wars.

I do not know when the last time was that I saw a hamburger (of any kind) offered for less than  6.95 in a restaurant.

Greymo


I do not know when the last time was that I saw a hamburger (of any kind) offered for less than  6.95 in a restaurant.

A cheeseburger at the Gahanna Grill is just $6.75.
 
http://www.gahannagrill.com/Files/Full_Menu.pdf

Oh boy, I didn't mean to cause controversy and I think most of you missed my point. I now know that I didn't make myself clear and will try again.

I dislike going to restaurants, concession stands, etc. where they serve hamburgerrs on a cold bun with hardly anything on it. A lot of them have the bun, a bit of mayo, a piece of lettuce and the patty and that is basically it. I then offerred what I thought would be an ideal burger and quoted prices in CDN dollars. With my burger, you would have more chances of repeat business versus the other basic burgers REGARDLESS of the price...within reason, of course!

My prices did not include fries or onion rings with them either. They would be ordered as an extra and sell at $3.50.

The same applies to hot dog vendors. If you sell 'basic dogs' only, you will have small number$ compared to sellers that load their dogs.

I've been in the retail meat business for 28 years and do know a bit about food costs. However, my sister who is in the restaurant business is the millionaire...not me! I did help set her up when she opened eight years ago.

"Give them something extra and they will be back". 

You pretty much just described the Hardee's Western Bacon burger except for the mushrooms.



Dennis in Cary

Billy, that's kinda like what that circus guy said years ago,. Hmmm, who was that??? :~)
Joe

That sort of sounded like our current president during the campaign...a lot of talk, but no answers to the question asked. 

JayL


That sort of sounded like our current president during the campaign...a lot of talk, but no answers to the question asked. 

Are you related to todd, levi and bristol?
Because bristol sure knows her way around a piece of meat.

Hello All,
Billydee, welcome to Roadfood.
I think I understand your point.
But I live in the south and until
lately, a burger that cost $3.50
would include almost everything
a soul would want.  In the last
few years, the prices have skyrocketed
and nothing has been added
to justify the cost.
We had Mom and Pop places that
offered good burgers with the basic
toppings and even unique toppings
for an excellent price, but Chains
and even fast food places showed
them that they could charge more.
Especially in the current economy,
I make my own food.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

Actually I'm just trying to figure out the real point here.  In one breath the guy is complaining about the price ($5) of a pretty plain burger...then goes on to tell how he'd do it with all the fixings for $7.  In reality he just took that plain $5 burger and added $2 worth of crap on it.  So why was he fussing about the price of the $5 burger to begin with?

You'd think, to have a REAL argument, he would have said that he'd add all the burger toppings and still charge the $5.  But instead he raised the price by 40%.  That's all well and good...but he started out upset over the price of the "cheaper" burger.  Just sounds like he's ok with charging for it, but doesn't like it when others do.

Found it strange the way it was all worded and asked a few simple questions the he should have been able to rattle off the answers pretty quick.  Those questions were ignored...which is ok.

It's just a "hamburger" thread on an internet forum...real traffic stopping news here.  LOL

I agree with most those who criticized on the basis of price and so on.  For the record I want my burger different in several details.  I would object to a sandwich with one leaf of lettuce and and one thick slice of tomato and onion.  I like a lot of lettuce and multiple thin slices of tomato and just a few circles of raw thin sliced onion - not a slab.  The tomato has to be ripe.  For me, if you don't do the vegetables as I've just suggested then you don't understand the place of lettuce, tomato, and onion on an American sandwich.  Add sliced pickle please.  Add catsup and hold the mustard.   No BBQ sauce.  Bacon, if present, has to be crisp and cheddar is the preferred cheese.   Mushrooms?  They are for pizza.  IMO unpeeled  fries are an indication of sloth,
 
I am glad someone mentioned Hardee.  I like Hardee's hanburgers which we don't see often enough, even in Georgia.  And a Whopper rates high also.  In north Atlanta, Rhea's Special  from the small local chain is close enough to my preferences to rate very highly.  It is reasonably priced although with a smaller meat patty than described at the start of this thread. 

Billydee,Just go to a Five Guys Grill and they will heap a bunch of toppings on your Burger at no added costs.

Michael Hoffman


Perhap the reason they don't make their hamburgers the way you think they should is because they have a few customers such as me. I don't like lettuce or tomato on a hamburger. I don't like bacon or barbeque sauce on a burger. I do like grilled onions, but not fried onions, on a burger. And I'm allergic to mushrooms. And while I enjoy mustard (not yellow) and mayonnaise on a burger there are actually a few people who don't like mustard or mayonnaise on theirs. I've heard that some people actually like catsup on their burgers.

Gee, Michael. For once, I'll have to agree with something you've said. 

jellybear is right - just go to Five Guys - they also have great fries made from fresh potatos.

Very good fries!

I just googled Five Guys Grill and it sounds like quite the operation and a place where I would really enjoy the food. They just opened their 400th location and I am hoping an Alberta location is in the future!

Twinwillow

Michael Hoffman


Perhap the reason they don't make their hamburgers the way you think they should is because they have a few customers such as me. I don't like lettuce or tomato on a hamburger. I don't like bacon or barbeque sauce on a burger. I do like grilled onions, but not fried onions, on a burger. And I'm allergic to mushrooms. And while I enjoy mustard (not yellow) and mayonnaise on a burger there are actually a few people who don't like mustard or mayonnaise on theirs. I've heard that some people actually like catsup on their burgers.

Gee, Michael. For once, I'll have to agree with something you've said.

That's sort of silly, don't you think? I mean, it's impossible to not agree with me 100 percent of the time.

what Mr. Hoffman said...

Michael Hoffman

Twinwillow

Michael Hoffman


Perhap the reason they don't make their hamburgers the way you think they should is because they have a few customers such as me. I don't like lettuce or tomato on a hamburger. I don't like bacon or barbeque sauce on a burger. I do like grilled onions, but not fried onions, on a burger. And I'm allergic to mushrooms. And while I enjoy mustard (not yellow) and mayonnaise on a burger there are actually a few people who don't like mustard or mayonnaise on theirs. I've heard that some people actually like catsup on their burgers.

Gee, Michael. For once, I'll have to agree with something you've said.

That's sort of silly, don't you think? I mean, it's impossible to not agree with me 100 percent of the time.

It's probably the first time Twinwillow has ever actually read what you posted instead of skipping over it.

Word!

Went to my very first Five Guys B&F today.

Two of us.  We had one regular hambuger (or should that read ham  burger) with let, tom, jalapenos, and onions...and one regular bacon cheeseburger with just mayo and ketchup...and one large fry.

The hamburger with all the fixings wasn't that good.  I feel the meat got lost with all the "stuff" on it.

The bacon cheeseburger was excellent.  The meat came through on this one.

The fries were not euphoric, but you could taste that they were fresh cut.  I'd have them any day.

I will say that the location we visited was the cleanest fast food restaurant I've even been in.  Absolutely spotless.  About 10 minutes after we ordered there was a slight lull in the order line.  The manager (and the guy who was taking all the orders) immediately came from behind the counter, swept the floor, thoroughly cleaned a couple of dirty tables...and get this...HE WASHED THE FINGER PRINTS FROM THE FRONT DOOR!!!  This place was absolutely spotless.  I was impressed by this fact moreso than from the food.  I highly commend the employees of this store.

Well, to me the perfect burger is simple and I don't much pay attention to the price. At our local joint, the See Zurh House (Bemus Point. NY), the basic burger is a half pound of angus beef (no frills), grilled to your liking with your choice of condiments. But, I am here to tell you (although I like mine with american cheese, and a thick slice of onion) the burger stands alone as a great piece of beef. Served on a toasted yellow burger bun, it is a  beautiful mouthful.

I have to say I like my hamburgers simple, too. If it's really good enough, not even ketchup. Just a hamburger on a bun. Sometimes ketchup or sliced or grilled onion. Never anything else.

If you put anything else on it, it's not a hamburger. It's a cheeseburger or a mushroom burger or a pizza burger or whatever.

Even the simplest of joints could benefit from having just a few optional condiments on hand.  A good strong German mustard is awesome on a hamburger.  A bit of horseradish or some good  hot sauce can add a lot.

But other than sending it out cold or undercooked, about the worst thing they can do is bathe it in mayo as some places seem determined to do.  Other than the fact mayo has no place anywhere near a hamburger, I'll decide how much I'd like to add if any.  Ugh.

And burgers can benefit from some good fresh baked bread just like any sandwich.  Enough of the white bread buns already.

My problem with this question is I do not know if the issue is restaurants that specialize in burgers, such as a 5-Guys or a Red Robin, or just any old restaurant that has burgers on the menu. 

Practically every restaurant has a burger on the menu for people like my son who orders one pretty much wherever we go (except maybe chinese).  For them, the burger is more of a concession or after-thought rather than a feature item.

Now if we are talking bars and such, most I find offer quite a variety of toppings to suit any taste.

Personally I agree with the Keep-it-simple crowd: 
- Mayo (just a coating, not a whole quart) keeps the bun from getting soggy.
- Tomato, especially in the summer.
- Some good sweet onion, sauteed, grilled or raw.

My fav. burger place of all (I believe it is the best burger I've ever had) is here in Huntsville at a place called Dallas Mill Deli. Their burger cost $4.50 and has mayo, your choice of cheese, lettuce, pickles and always a great tasting tomato. For me this price is OK, but when I take the grandgirls they get a burger, chips, fruit bowl and drink at this make each order around $10 so for the three of us to eat burgers out cost around $30.00. Of course I think they (the girls) are worth it and the burgers are great. And the best of all, the girls would rather go here than McDonald's and the burgers are made fresh for each order. Definitely worth it.

I know that most burgers come with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles and if I feel that the lettuce if yucky or the tomato is not fresh then I don't mind taking them off. I think that adding other condaments such as mushrooms, grilled onions and even cheese should be an option.

I just cant justify paying over 5 buck for a burger platter.  I remember going into a Cooker in Columbus years ago and a 1/2 lb deluxe(lettuce,tomato, onion slice and picle spear was $7.95 ala carte!  Even with fries included it would have been too much.
I remember working at a number of differentplaces in Denver in the 70's when the hand formed 1/2lb burger became the standard.  Now you can lowball it with a 4 dollar big macc or a 3.50 Whopper the Fudruckers and Red Roins fill the next niche.
Remember a Big Mac, fries and medium soda and get change back from your dollar!

In all of my years of enjoying hamburgers, I have convinced myself that the price is never going to be the determining factor in whether or not I enjoy it.

I have had excellent cheap burgers and lousy/ordinary expensive burgers.  At the end of the day, my favorite burger to date is served at Peter Luger Steakhouse in NY.  It is served from the kitchen simply as meat on a bun.  Ketchup and Luger's sauce is placed on the table.  I have never seen mayo, nor have I ever seen anyone ask for mayo.  I have added on various occasions some combination of one slice of American cheese, bacon, and one thick slice of tomato.  I do know that they serve an onion and tomato appetizer, so perhaps if one were so inclined, a slice of onion could be added, as well.  The basic burger runs $8.95 - and all toppings that I mentioned will incur an additional charge.

Regardless, if cost were the only factor, I would spend my life continually eating miserable fast food burgers.

I like it when the buns are toasted.Just makes a better burger to me.

The Travelin Man


In all of my years of enjoying hamburgers, I have convinced myself that the price is never going to be the determining factor in whether or not I enjoy it.

I have had excellent cheap burgers and lousy/ordinary expensive burgers.  At the end of the day, my favorite burger to date is served at Peter Luger Steakhouse in NY.  It is served from the kitchen simply as meat on a bun.  Ketchup and Luger's sauce is placed on the table.  I have never seen mayo, nor have I ever seen anyone ask for mayo.  I have added on various occasions some combination of one slice of American cheese, bacon, and one thick slice of tomato.  I do know that they serve an onion and tomato appetizer, so perhaps if one were so inclined, a slice of onion could be added, as well.  The basic burger runs $8.95 - and all toppings that I mentioned will incur an additional charge.

Regardless, if cost were the only factor, I would spend my life continually eating miserable fast food burgers.

...any burger tastes better with:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/dining/20united.html?_r=2&ref=dining

The best I ever had was cooked omn my grill by myself.My Grandkids all call the Papa Burgers.About 1/2 lb of ground chuck al ittle salt,pepper,garlic and worchestire sauce.love to top it with sharp cheddar lettuce,tomato and onion.

billydee,

Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce ...

And while you are at it: hold the mayo, hold the mustard, hold the tomato, hold the barbecue sauce, hold the mushrooms, hold the cheddar.  Even then, my family would not be happy with your creation.  In fact, you would even have to hold the 6 ounce beef patty to have a burger that everyone in my family would eat.

There is nothing wrong with your perfect burger.  However, there is less that 1% of your customers who would agree that your personal preference is their perfect burger.

We live in a BK world, even McDonald's has figured that out.

Cheers.

Travelin Man, I'm in complete agreement about the price of hamburgers. If all I cared about was getting an inexpensive burger, I would be satisfied with the franchised crud-burgers that can be found within a five-minute drive of my apartment. Saving money is not a priority, though, when I have an urge for a great burger. At least twice a month, I make the ninety minute round trip to Hackney's in Palos Park for one of their wonderful half-pound Hackneyburgers ( medium rare on dark bread... burger ectasy! ) The burgers come with terrific fries and good cole slaw. Including tip, the whole meal runs about $16.00 ( not including the tollway fees ), and I'm happy to pay it. That's how important getting a truly great burger is to me. We all have our priorities, don't we? 

At your request, nocarolina!



NYPizzaNut - So long as you are not suggesting that *I* need to put that sauce on my burgers, we're good....you can add it to whatever burger you like - even a beloved Luger Burger!

Thanks, TTM, for posting that photo. It's truly a wonderous sight to behold ( except for that cheese; it will never find it's way onto any Hackneyburger of mine. )

Isn't it wonderful that we are all free to build our burgers any way we wish?

And cook them accordingly.

It just does not get any better than that!

NYPIzzaNut


Isn't it wonderful that we are all free to build our burgers any way we wish?

And cook them accordingly.

It just does not get any better than that!

Yeah, and we're all free to decide what kind of pizza we like. Aren't we?

If you are trying to antagonize me you are doing a pitiful job of it.