First off: I have no vested interest in or relation to either of the burger joints I'm about to discuss. I'm simply a shameless burger fiend and want to toss in my opinion.
Like some of you, I'm always (ALWAYS) on the prowl for an excellent burger. When I moved to the Post Falls area, it was one of the first non-urgent things I looked for. Many of the locals up here recommended Hudson's so my family and I gave it several tries. Bottom line: they serve a consistently decent burger (I've eaten there 10 or 12 times over the last year and it's been the same pretty much every time). While the burgers have been consistent, they're NOT great and definitely not the "best burger in Coeur d'Alene". Hudson's is a long-standing tradition operated by a local family - and they're all very nice folks who present a DECENT burger. But that's about it--the burgers are decent. Here's why I say this: #1 - While the meat may be ground fresh each day, the patties are very small. #2 - They tend to overload the incredibly small grill, which produces a steamed burger - meaning, you don't get that tasty meat-crust that is so desirable on a great burger - this results in a bland burger (unless you add a copious amount of their sauces). Good burgers don't have to have a lot of sauce, IMHO. #3 - Onions and pickles are the only options they offer. #4 - the buns are oh-so-run-of-the-mill buns and they don't heat or toast them. Now. . . Unrelated to the burgers themselves, but still a factor for me, is that they don't offer french fries. Pie, yes. Fries, no. :-/
We've tried burgers at 5 or 6 places up here -- out of all of them, we prefer Roger's Burgers. They're plenty big, cooked properly, and come with all the goop/fixin's most folks want on a burger (Hudson's only offers pickles or onions). Plus, the fries at Roger's are pretty great, too. (Disclaimer: I don't know anyone personally at Roger's and no one in my family works there - this is just the opinion of a foodie family). Anyway, I'm not saying to stop going to Hudson's or that their burgers are bad. . . their burgers are okay and I think it's always good to support our small business owners. If you haven't been to Hudson's, then I'd recommend giving them a try at least once and decide for yourself. But if you're looking for a GREAT burger, I personally recommend Roger's Burgers. (FWIW: I still haven't found an earth-shatteringly excellent burger joint up here yet - but I'm gonna keep hunting for one. . .)
