We are in FLA for supremely and wonderfully laid back Christmas
festivities and while we ate in a good bit, we did get out to a few
places during our stay. Our host had won a couple of coupons at a
charity poker event for a burger joint with a couple locations on
the coast with a new one right in St. Pete. The interior of the
place looks like the three previous tenants had left everything
behind and the new owners decided to use everything. Cowhide,
chandeliers, red crushed velvet. It’s all here. |
|
Our server was efficient and friendly and got some help as anyone
runs plates when they come to the window. Smart when you are trying
to sell the public on paying more for quality and service.
We ordered some onion rings, eggrolls and two burgers. The onion
rings are made in house and are double dipped in a batter which
results in a thick but light flaky crust which clings to the lightly
sweet wreath of onion. Put a check mark down for the first onion
ring Steph ever really liked. Served with a side of SQ1 Sooner
sauce, a lightly spiced ranchy sort of concoction, they are that
good. The “spicy” eggrolls were filled with pulled pork in a wild
bourbon sauce, slaw, pepper jack cheese and another side of the
Sooner sauce. The pork isn’t overly sauced and it doesn’t have to
be. Succulent and smoky, the light kick of the bourbon sauce only
enhances well done bbq. The slaw is more along an Asian bent with
sesame oil, black sesame seeds, and light vinegar pickling the
cabbage. Interesting and tasty in the rolls and alongside the
burger.
|
Glorious Wreaths Of Fried Onion |
Surprisingly Simple & Scrumptious Spicy Eggrolls |
Square 1 has loads of different burger toppings but can also cater to your preference for meat (or unmeat) slab. Angus, chicken, pulled pork; sure no big deal. Lamb, bison, duck, salmon, turkey, veggie, vegan; sure, that’s getting a little crazy. Apparently you can even get things like gator or elk on special occasions. The only issues is the menu claims to have Kobe beef which is incredibly unlikely, much more likely it’s Wygyu which are American versions of the prime Japanese beef. We were looking to hit the most standard of fare for a first visit and got a couple of the angus burgers, the bleu bacon and the Juicy Lucy.
The burger patties are moist, well seasoned
and griddled to a beautiful brown Maillard crusty tastiness. The
bleu had two thick rashers of applewood smoked bacon, crumbles of a
sharp forward bleu cheese and the standard veg. It also came on a
whole wheat bun which was tastily topped with oats. |
|||
The Bacon Bleu |
Just As Described Plus A Bit |
||
I have seen the Juicy Lucy on a couple of tv shows but haven’t found
myself in Minnesota so I thought I would try one in the south. An
angus patty stuffed with cheddar cheese and topped with veg,
caramelized onions and dijonaise on a brioche bun. There had been a
bit of blow out but the tasty patty was still loaded with cheese.
All together they make a fine burger at Square 1. Tasty rings, good
fries. There are a lot of folks doing upscale burgers, this is one
of my favorites so far. |
|||
The Juicy Lucy... |
Ooozes |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
||
B+ | B | B | B+ | N/A | B+ | ||
Burgers & Rings |