Hackney's Restaurant

Chris and I have been trying to try Hackney's for quite awhile... We went on the Saturday after Valentine's Day, but the line was too long (no, we aren't bright enough to make reservations for Valentine's Day weekend, and yes, we did end up at Burger King). We went one Saturday in the late morning, but they weren't open yet. But one fine day, our timing was perfect, and we went for lunch.

The menu is really simple. Just a few favorites and traditional American fare. I wanted to get a burger, because we read that they had been voted amongst the best burgers in America by the Food Network. I decided on the buffalo burger. You can pick your bread -- I went with what David calls an "eggy wegg" -- an egg bun. You have to pay for certain extras, unfortunately... Sauteed mushrooms, grilled onions, avocado, swiss cheese all cost up to a dollar each. I ended up getting what amounted to a twelve dollar burger, which reminded me of that commercial where a restaurant gets its Miller High Life priveledges revoked.

But after I got the burger, you know what? I would have paid twenty. Don't tell Hackney's.



The meat was lean, but not dry. I have to say this was maybe the best burger I'd ever had. I even liked the cole slaw, which I rarely do. I like the finely chopped, cold sweet and pale variety, and that's what I got (okay, so I'm no common-sewer)... I got it with cottage cheese instead of fries, because I don't like to waste a million calories on french fries when all I really want is that burger.

Chris got the turkey burger, but he liked mine a lot better. (So here's mine again).



What's more, I just loved this place. I loved the dark, cigar-stained, woody atmosphere, the placemats and the water glasses, and the old junk on the walls (real junk, like paint-by-numbers pictures and obscure trophies, all gathering a good deal of dust). It felt like the type of place that your fedora-wearing uncle would get you into with a secret handshake.

I'm going to go back, and try some other things on the menu. Gonna be tough not to get that same burger, though. Sucks to get it perfectly right the first time!