Best BURGER(s) in Philly ?!? The DEVIL'S ALLEY burger? pics!

on June 15th, 2009, (Monday) I took the train from the Atlantic City area into Philly...
My GOAL ???  I wanted to see if the ROYAL TAVERN deserved the "best burger in Pennsylvania" award it received  in the Food Network Magazine (June-July issue..."50 states, 50 burgers"..
                       

This ROYAL TAVERN burger is $10.00.  (it is a big 1/2 pound burger)
And it includes bacon, which I passed on..
Fries are $4.00 extra..
 
Gotta warn you; these burger pics did NOT come out too good.... very dark place... I need more practice..

This is a unique burger, due to the GOUDA cheese, and the LONG HOT PEPPER...(the last of which gives it that extra "Philly touch"
It also comes with "Chili Mayonaisse"... I had asked for extra, so that's why my burger looks EXTRA MESSY..
(good and messy!!!)
 
I DEVOURED this burger!!
This NEXT pic shows just how nice and THICK is was!!
 
 
I had their "SAMPLER CHICKEN WINGS" for an appetizer...($10.00)  they were decent, but in retrospect, not really necessary .....(I should've totally saved myself for that burger)  ...I just picked at the wings, anyway..
 
 
The ROYAL TAVERN is located in South Philly, on Passyunk by Carpenter St...
it is near the Italian Market , which I walked to afterwards...(had to work on burning off those burger calories!)
 
So what do you think, Roadfood guys & gals?!?  Did  ELLEN believe  the ROYAL TAVERN burger deserved the status of "Best Burger in Pennsylvania???????
(and as they say on TV, "Come back tomorrow to find out" !!!)
 
And there will ONE MORE BURGER STOP coming up.... the DEVIL'S ALLEY.... (much better burger pics, I promise!)
 

A local restaurant critic who surveyed the Philadelphia region's burgers a few years ago went with Good Dog bar on 15th Street in Center City for his top pick.

Yum- a burger with gouda cheese!!!I would have passed on the wings-$10.00 for 10 wings?

That was kinda Overkill on the sauce wasn't it? How can You eat a Burger when its slip sliding away?

$4 for those fries? They look soggy!

Anyway...$10 for the burger, $10 for the wings, $4 for the fries...

Assuming you got a drink and gave a tip you spent over $30??? Seems about 3 times what it should have cost. The burger looks good, but WAY overpriced.

Mmmmm. Gouda on a burger, why didn't I think of that! Thanks for the report Ellen, as always very enjoyable and informative.

Sounds like a good burger, Ellen.  I like the roasted pepper addition.

I have to agree with the others that $14 for a cheeseburger and fries seems a tad high for what appears to be a neighborhood tavern.  I'd pay it to try what is billed as the best burger in Philly, though! Once, anyway.

annpeeples

I would have passed on the wings-$10.00 for 10 wings?

Even worse, as it was just 9 wings for $10.00..
not a good deal!

The Burger does look good, and I can't believe how thick it is....  With that much sauce it really must have been hard to hold onto.

My question is, what flavors are those wings?

lovely burger, mmmm. I'm with you, I adore bacon on it's own, but I want to just taste the burger and other stuff on it.
and yeah, you got ripped on them wings! hope they were good.
around here, I can get six wings for three fifty.

Foodosaurus aka braunsteinm

My question is, what flavors are those wings?

Mango habanero  bbq chipotle, and regular buffalo....
(the mango ones are the light ones on the far left, bbq ones are the real saucy dark ones)

I guess I need to learn to count all over again...

jellybear
 

How can You eat a Burger when its slip sliding away?

I had said "extra chili mayo on the SIDE", but they brought it all on the burger...
Yes, my burger was SWIMMING, but I had a very enjoyable SWIM!!

 

I do believe I'd eat that burger, especially since it's a very nice pink inside!  Is it flattop-grilled?

So is Passyunk pronounced "pass-yunk", "passy-unk", or "pa-sie-unk"?

Brad

Other than the Kobe Burger at Barclay Prime, the burgers at Rouge are highly rated :

In July 2005, Alan Richman of GQ ranked the Rouge Burger #4 on his list of “The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die.” Glancing at the menu, I quickly settled on the famed burger because I love a well-executed burger and I aim to eventually eat all twenty someday! By the way, Rouge’s neighbor Barclay Prime holds the #3 spot on the list with their Kobe Beef Sliders.

Also, the burgers at Standard Tap in Northern Liberties  and Loie(www.loie215.com ) on S. 19th Street are very good.

Hey Ellen, what's the best burger in Florida in that magazine?

Florida: El Rey De Las Fritas | Frita Burger


http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/04/food-network-magazine-lists-the-best-burgers-in-the-us-america.html

Oh, it's that online list.  Never mind...
 

Ellen, The Royal Tavern certainly looks worthy. That's a nice pink to the burger.

In Minnesota they chose the burger at Vincent's which is one of the finest French restaurants in town across the street from where I used to work in downtown Minneapolis. The fine dining restaurants are kind of going on the economic defensive in coming up with inexpensive menu items. Normally, Vincent's could set you back a hefty sum of money. I've eaten there for a light lunch costing me over $20. The burger is new since I last ate there and is served at the bar as I understand. Coming from Vincent's I would say I'll have to try it someday but there are so many other menu items I would rather have. Too bad, I no longer work downtown or I would have been there when that article came out.

Brad_Olson


  Is it flattop-grilled?

So is Passyunk pronounced "pass-yunk", "passy-unk", or "pa-sie-unk"?

It's actually charbroiled, although it's hard to tell under all my gook...
 
Real good TRY on all  those "PASSYUNK" pronunciations...!!
I used to always pronounce it your 2nd guess, "PASSY-UNK"...
cause I did'nt know any better...
 
Then a native Philly guy corrected me, and said  it was officially "PASH-UNK"

acer2x

In July 2005, Alan Richman of GQ ranked the Rouge Burger #4 on his list of “The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die.”

So did you like your ROUGE burger, acer Steve?
I actually had a Rouge burger in late March....(I'll post pic asap)
Although I enjoyed it, I much preferred this Royal Tavern one...
I remember the Rouge being plainly cooked (no char, and just a little sear)... although they use good meat...
 I found the ROYAL'S to have a MAJOR  BEEFY TASTE, which I LOVED!
The meat quality was excellent, good fresh taste...
 
Stay tuned for Italian Market pics !!!
And the DEVIL'S ALLEY BURGER !!!



 

Ellen,

Actually, I liked the ones at Loie and Standard Tap better. Now I'll have to try Royal Tavern although all that mayo doesn't appeal to me at all. Yes, South Philly natives call it "Pash...Unk"

I wish they would at least give us the top two or three in each state.  Many of us have our own opinions and at least this way we'd know if they tried some of the others that we might think are equally as good ...or better.

For instance in Pennsylvania - I'd like to know if they actually tried Tessarro's in Pittsburgh.  Or, in New Mexico, did they go to Bob Cat Bite, too?  In New York, where else did they try a burger?  In Florida, how about Jack's Famous, Le Tub, The Brickyard.............
I found the site for El Rey De Las Fritas..They give a brief description of their Cuban burger made with special seasonings, special sauce and shoestring potatoes.  So, we have a Cuban burger and that is the best burger in our State...Good to know.
 
MD - Maybe you can try it? You've been to the Brickyard, probably been to Le Tub, Jack's Famous, too. 
 
 
 

AaronM

Anyway...$10 for the burger, $10 for the wings, $4 for the fries...

Assuming you got a drink and gave a tip you spent over $30??? Seems about 3 times what it should have cost. The burger looks good, but WAY overpriced.

Yes, overpriced !!  (I got so caught up with trying out this burger that I did'nt even realize how overpriced it was till you guys all alerted me!)
The burger SHOULD'VE been $7.50-$8.00 with some fries  THROWN IN...
Your math is right, too... as I did end up spending over $30 ..
I had a "Rogue Chocolate Stout" beer for $5.00
 
My bill was $27.00 (I think he forgot to charge me for the fries, perhaps?)
So I walked out of there for $32.00, after the tip...
But , at least I walked out of there VERY satisfied!
 
On YELP.com, there are 90 REVIEWS for ROYAL TAVERN...quite a lot, huh?!?
It gets 4 stars (out of a possible 5 stars)
However, I'm about to be the FIRST person that will actually put a PIC of the BURGER on that site!   (all those reviews, but yet not one pic of that luscious piece of meat!)  (gotta do my good civil duties!)
I've been checking this thread every few hours , (every break I've had from dealing poker!)   More coming later when I get home tonight!
Very exciting responses thus far; thanks guys and gals !!!!!!!

 

I just joined Yelp.com so I could use it on my iPhone. I haven't posted any reviews. Didn't know about the picture thing. I could be dangerous there. I know MiamiDon has done some reviews. Anyone else?

Baah Ben, Like anything else the 50 burgers is just an opinion. Get 50 different people doing it and you'll get 50 different lists. It is a starting point to take with a grain of salt I think. Locally an article just came out in a weekly newspaper that ranked the five top new burger joints in the Twin Cities and I couldn't agree with it just with the two I had tried.

<<My bill was $27.00 (I think he forgot to charge me for the fries, perhaps?)
So I walked out of there for $32.00, after the tip... >>

Like somebody else said, we're talking about a neighborhood tavern. And it's in a city noted for it's low prices in its neighborhood taverns. $32 for a burger, wings, fries and a beer is ridiculous. I'm thinking if i went there with my wife and daughter and we each had the same thing it would be a hundred dollar meal!
 
I wonder if the prices were lower before thier burger became the Best Burger In Pennsylvania....

Anyway, nice report Ellen, looking forward to Park Two. Thanks.

Ellen, that Royal Tavern burger looks mighty fine, but there ain't no way that I'm paying ten bucks for a burger that doesn't even come with a side, be it fries, coleslaw or whatever. Here in Chicagoland, there are a number of places ( Hackney's, Country House, Moody's Pub ) where you can get a half-pound charbroiled burger with fries, coleslaw and a soft drink for around fifteen bucks, and that includes tip ( all three places are excellent, BTW. ) 

Davydd

I just joined Yelp.com .  I know MiamiDon has done some reviews. Anyone else?

YES !!  ME !! 
I've posted reviews, complete with pics..
I espescially like being the first one to review a place, and/or being the first to post food pics.
Miami Don and I often share our reviews with each other, and also paste them onto our Facebook page.
I am one of about 60 "Ellen F" 's that post on there...
 
Reviews are sorted by names of the restaurants, etc, (and it's more than just restaurants)
and ALSO by the dates written , which I love... 
  

Here's the ROUGE burger; (date visited March 2009), Philly

It had a juicy "butter burger" type of taste....  a little TOO thick, though ( tough to fit in mouth)..

...
 
 

nocarolina


Ellen, that Royal Tavern burger looks mighty fine, but there ain't no way that I'm paying ten bucks for a burger that doesn't even come with a side, be it fries, coleslaw or whatever. Here in Chicagoland, there are a number of places ( Hackney's, Country House, Moody's Pub ) where you can get a half-pound charbroiled burger with fries, coleslaw and a soft drink for around fifteen bucks, and that includes tip ( all three places are excellent, BTW. ) 

I'll have to try one of those after running the Chicago Martathon in October. Sounds like a good post-run meal.

My VERDICT ????
Should the ROYAL TAVERN burger deserve to be called the "BEST BURGER in PA"?????
(by the Food Network magazine staff, June/July issue)

My ANSWER???
An overwhelming YES !!!  Sure, why not??!?
It was a great tasting , beefy burger on a nice fresh brioche roll;
all the parts blended together SO well...
I just did'nt want that burger to END!  I savored every bite!
 
Of course, I have'nt tried EVERY burger in PA, but then again, neither did  the Food Network Magazine person who declared it the best....
 

Davydd - Good point.  I just have to stop getting sucked in to responding  to these lists.. It's just that when you feel your go to places are not on the list, you want to support them.

Baah Ben


I wish they would at least give us the top two or three in each state.  Many of us have our own opinions and at least this way we'd know if they tried some of the others that we might think are equally as good ...or better.

For instance in Pennsylvania - I'd like to know if they actually tried Tessarro's in Pittsburgh.  Or, in New Mexico, did they go to Bob Cat Bite, too?  In New York, where else did they try a burger?  In Florida, how about Jack's Famous, Le Tub, The Brickyard.............
I found the site for El Rey De Las Fritas..They give a brief description of their Cuban burger made with special seasonings, special sauce and shoestring potatoes.  So, we have a Cuban burger and that is the best burger in our State...Good to know.
 
MD - Maybe you can try it? You've been to the Brickyard, probably been to Le Tub, Jack's Famous, too. 
 
 
 

It's a local chain.  Yes, I've been to the one on Bird Road.  To my taste, Fritas Domino El Original at 936 SW 67th Avenue is better.  They make what I think of as "angel hair" fried potatos, instead of shoestrings.  I was told by another restaurateur that they have a special machine for shredding them.
 
  For anyone contemplating a visit, beware that both are kind of dives, and english is in short supply.

For anyone that is taking this list too seriously; I would like to point out the Burger they chose for California.  The Double Double from In-N-Out.

Baah Ben

 Davydd.......it's just that when you feel your go to places are not on the list, you want to support them.

I hear you Baah Ben, even though you were'nt talking to me...
Yes, it would've been cool if the "50 states, 50 burgers" article had a quick "honorable mention" 2nd place for each state.   
 
They could still write the big paragraph for the winner, and underneath it say "honorable mention: the Devil's Alley burger" .
 
I'd been thinking the same thing as YOU when I saw that CLANCY'S took down the NM burger award!
I too, thought, what about the BOBCAT BITE?!??
(hence I was very grateful to see BUFFETBUSTER'S Bobcat report and pics last night! )
 
Good suggestion, Baah Ben!!

After the ROYAL TAVERN burger, I took a short stroll over to the ITALIAN MARKET,   which goes along 9th St in South Philly

Pricey cheese in the ITALIAN MARKET, Philly

After the Italian Market, I hopped on a Septa city bus up 9th St.
Got off on Chestnut, for the DEVIL'S ALLEY,  which is near 19th st

Tons of reviews on YELP...
And the burger here was a much better deal ...1/2 pound for $6.95
(but if one wanted CHEESE , that was $1.50 extra, $8.45 total)
And FRENCH FRIES were only $1.50 extra to add on !

GREAT burger at the DEVIL'S ALLEY !
VERY similar taste to the Royal Tavern..
good chopped meat, maybe same butcher?!?

more pics coming! time to deal more poker!

Ellen, you are truly the Burger Hunter! Excellent, mouth-watering descriptions and pics, thanks for sharing!

close-up of the MOUTHWATERING Devil's Alley burger !
 
And my Devil's Alley bill was a lot cheaper than my Royal Tavern one..
10 bucks, plus tip, and I got out of there for $14.00  (a steal)
(I just drank ice water this time)

...
 

TnTinCT


Ellen, you are truly the Burger Hunter! Excellent, mouth-watering descriptions and pics, thanks for sharing!

And thanks for taking the time to write!  Nice hearing from my CT Roadfood bud..
 This DEVIL'S ALLEY brioche roll  really soaked up the burger juices..

..

 

Ah...............another wonderful report and another reason to get off my butt and call my daughterrer in Philly to take me out to lunch!  Thanks!

I pay no attention to lists-I pay attention to my roadfood friends...

annpeeples


I pay no attention to lists-I pay attention to my roadfood friends...

That is about the sweetest comment I've ever heard!
You ROCK, annie !!

Ellen, that Devil's Alley burger is a handsome thing, and I'm glad to know that it tastes as good as it looks ( just in case I ever get back to Philly. ) The price tag  makes a lot more sense than the one at Royal Tavern, too.

I appreciate your trips, Ellen. I may not always rock-but I try!!

And the downstairs BATHROOM area   at the Devil's Alley was  like being in one of those "dark" amusement rides at the Jersey shore!!

..