3.22.2009

Review #31: Bracken Store Cafe - Bracken, Texas



This past week was spring break for the TBG kids. Both kids wanted to pay Shamu a visit at SeaWorld in San Antonio. Before leaving on our trip, I searched my list of requested burger joints to find a good place to review in the San Antonio area. A search of my requested burger joints found a highly recommended burger joint named Bracken Store Café located northeast of San Antonio. I had received four requests for Bracken Store Café. I searched the web for information on Bracken Store Café and landed on their website which showed a picture perfect mom and pop burger joint. Also on their website I found that Bracken Store Café had been voted #1 by the San Antonio Guide for Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers. An award winning burger plus multiple review requests from TBG readers… I definitely felt confident I was about to discover another great burger joint in San Antonio. I popped in the address in my GPS, loaded the family in the car and headed west. Turns out it’s a good thing I had a GPS because Bracken Store Café is definitely off the beaten path. In fact… I think it may not even be on a path. The physical structure screamed it was a good find. The strange hours, 11- 3 pm on Mon-Sat and 11 - 7:30 Fri, screamed it was a good find. Multiple recommendations and an award from a local newspaper screamed it was a good find. I couldn’t hardly wait to get inside, place my order and see what kind of burger this picture perfect mom and pop burger joint offered its customers…


IMPORTANT: If you haven't already, please read the Texas Burger Guy terminology post. That will help you understand the terminology I use in this review.



Bracken Store Cafe Cheeseburger Review
Bracken Store Café has all the elements of a great mom and pop burger joint. First – you have to have a very ordinary, even rundown restaurant. The less “frills” a restaurant has – the better. Second – great burger joints need to be off the beaten path. No doubt Bracken Store Café has this requirement met. Third – despite the remote location – the restaurant needs to be busy. This tells me lots about the place. It’s out in the middle of nowhere, not upscale by any means yet the place is busting with people. This requirement was a little hard to gauge as we arrived around 2:15… well after the lunch hour. Finally – a great burger joint needs lots of “flavor”. As we walked into Bracken Store Café – it was clear to me that this place has lots of “flavor”. License plates, business cards, signs, neon signs and about everything in between adorned the walls. They also had uneven floors! Bracken Store Café seemed to have it all… now was the time to test the burger.

The most important part of my visit was about to begin… ordering and eating the Bracken Store Café Cheeseburger. Following the recommendation of the San Antonio Guide, I ordered the famous Bracken Burger with Cheese. I wanted to order fries and onion rings as well to give those a try… but they were sold out of both. I settled for tots instead. Disappointed about the fries situation, my family sought out a place to sit and enjoy our food. It didn’t take long for our food to arrive… or so we thought. Another person’s food was delivered but before we realized it we had sampled their fries… I guess this was the last batch of fries in the restaurant. No rings… but we did get to try the fries after all. Things were looking up. It wasn’t long though that our food was brought to our table and it was time to dig in.

Here is how I see the Bracken Store Cafe Cheeseburger ranking in the TBG categories:

Oooze Factor
The Cheeseburgers at Bracken Store Café are ½ pounders. I opened the burger and examined it to see if the meat is frozen or fresh. The patties are fresh beef. They don’t skimp on the meat they put on the burger either… it was a pretty good chunk of meat. Although it was big – it wasn’t too ooozy… not dry either… just not very ooozy. The white paper it was served in was white through the whole meal. This is a clear sign to me that a burger has an average oooze rating. Not dry… but far from ooozy.
Oooze Factor Rating: 5



Cheeseburger - Click to enlarge

Herd Killer
The cheeseburger was a nice size. It wasn’t small by any means but it wasn’t necessarily putting the fear of death in any herds anytime soon.
Herd Killer Rating: 6


Cheeseburger - Click to enlarge

Handling
The burger was a good size… although not a two or three hand burger. It isn’t small… but not huge either.
Handling Rating: 6


Cheeseburger - Click to enlarge

Bling Bling
The Bracken Store Café Cheeseburger is $4.69. That isn’t a bad price for what you get. We ordered the burger, a chicken salad sandwich, large order of tots, 4 drinks and two kid’s meals for 24 bucks. That’s a good deal if you ask me…
Bling Bling Rating: 8

Gravedigger
Since Oooze and Herd Killer are both coming in about average, I think Gravedigger will also come in about the same. For a burger to put the fear of death in me, it has to be a super greasy burger with substantial size. This burger just didn’t have that going for it…
Gravedigger Rating: 5 Shovels

I left Bracken Store Café satisfied that I had eaten a good burger and paid a good price for it. I was very impressed with the atmosphere in the restaurant which I will discuss later in the review. While the burger was good… it was far from a great burger. I feel a bit like Simon Cowell on American Idol when I say this… but the burger was just not memorable for me. I forgot about it in 10 minutes. Bottom line… my food was just good… not great. It’s simple and average. These are words that aren’t used when describing my favorite burger joint or even a good burger joint. If you are in the mood for a great burger in San Antonio, I’d look somewhere else.

Overall Bracken Store Cafe Cheeseburger Rating: 5

Restaurant Review
Much has already been said about how excited I was when I saw the old building that is Bracken Store Café. Adding to the excitement was the fact that the restaurant is very much off the beaten path. Visions of a San Antonio Mel’s Country Café danced in my head as I entered the place.

Once inside Bracken Store Café, I quickly realized I had indeed found a classic example of a mom and pop burger joint. The floors were uneven in places. The interior is filled from floor to ceiling with “stuff”. That “stuff” includes things like license plates, signs of all kinds, pictures, newspaper articles, hundreds of business cards I assume from regulars. I took a rough count of the tables in the main dining area and I counted 14. There was a smaller dining room that had 3-4 tables. I didn’t count the chairs on the bar but I’d guess another 6 chairs at the bar if you wanted to dine there. It’s not a big place by any means but it isn’t the smallest place I have eaten in either.

We tried the chicken salad sandwich, tots and the kid’s chicken fingers. I sampled Mrs. TBG’s chicken salad sandwich and I concurred with her opinion that it was just a chicken salad sandwich… nothing to write home about. The same could be said of the kid’s chicken tenders although the serving portion of the kid’s chicken tenders was pretty substantial. I’d recommend ordering one and having the kids share them. The tots were just like the other food… just tots… nothing special.


Tots - Click to enlarge



Chicken Salad Sandwich - Click to enlarge



Kid’s Chicken Tenders - Click to enlarge

Restaurant/Atmosphere
Bracken Store Café is a good casual place to sit down and eat. The food is just good… it isn’t great but its good food at a fair price. I’d definitely pick a Bracken Store Café over a fast food joint any day. Easily the best thing about my experience at Bracken Store Café was the staff. The lady taking our orders was nice but probably the best thing for me was the number of times one of the staff members came to our table and asked if everything was OK. They really were very helpful and very nice. We were there when they weren’t as busy but judging from the number of people they had on staff in the restaurant… I’d bet they could handle a lunch crowd pretty well.


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Directions
Bracken Store Cafe is located Northeast of San Antonio near Rolling Oaks Mall.

Address
Bracken Store Cafe
18415 Bracken Dr
Bracken, Texas
(210) 651-6515

Map
Bracken Store Cafe

Website
Bracken Store Cafe Website

TBG Overall Rating
Bracken Store Cafe provided a pleasant dining experience. I remember most the people and the service we received. The food was just OK. If you are ever in Northeast San Antonio and in the mood for a mom and pop burger joint experience, I’d check out Bracken Store Cafe.

Overall TBG Rating for Bracken Store Cafe: 6

3.01.2009

Review #30: Koppe Bridge Bar & Grill - College Station, Texas


On any given month, I receive a little over fifty emails requesting reviews of your favorite burger joints. To get to all of them is pretty much an impossible undertaking. There are a few burger joints for which I receive multiple requests. These burger joints grab my attention because obviously there is something worth checking out at these places. Koppe Bridge Bar & Grill in College Station, Texas is one such burger joint. I have received no less than twenty one review requests for this one burger joint. I felt obligated to check this place out. My curiosity peaked this past weekend and I made the trek to College Station to visit this highly recommended burger joint. Would I leave Koppe Bridge disappointed? Was there something to all the hype this place received? Would I find the greatest burger of all time at Koppe Bridge? These questions and more filled my head as I approached the wooden structure known to Bryan/College Station locals as the “Best Big Burger in Town”.

IMPORTANT: If you haven't already, please read the Texas Burger Guy terminology post. That will help you understand the terminology I use in this review.



Koppe Bridge Cheeseburger Review
With twenty one review requests received for Koppe Bridge, the numerous Best Burger awards adorning the walls of Koppe Bridge and the “Voted Best Burger 1999-2007” image printed next to the Koppe Bridge Cheeseburger on the menu… the expectations for the Koppe Bridge Cheeseburger really couldn’t have been set any higher. I halfway expected to see lepers rubbing the burgers on their bodies to rid themselves of their illness or maybe see a man walking on water after consuming a Koppe Bridge Cheeseburger… It hadn’t quite reached that level yet but it was rapidly approaching. With all the hype, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into one of these burgers and see what all the hubbub was about.

I approached the counter where you place your order, reviewed the menu and ordered. I scanned the interior of the restaurant for a table large enough to seat me, Mrs. TBG and my two little TBG kiddos. While waiting for our order to be called, an Aggie basketball game was being aired on one of the many flat panel TVs in the place. I’ll discuss the atmosphere of Koppe Bridge later in the review but what a fantastic atmosphere this place has!!! All that was needed to complete the scene was a fantastic burger and fries.

As I sat there watching the Aggie faithful witness a dismantling of the Iowa State Cyclones basketball team on national television, I couldn’t help but think about all the readers who enthusiastically recommended Koppe Bridge. I glanced around and read some of the certificates received by Koppe Bridge for their burgers. I couldn’t wait to receive mine. Finally – my name was called and I proceeded to the pickup area to gather my very own Koppe Bridge Cheeseburger. The wait was over. The time was now to find out if this burger was for real.

Here is how I see the Koppe Bridge Cheeseburger ranking in the TBG categories:

Oooze Factor
Probably since I have eaten more than my fair share of burgers and have now reviewed 30 burger joints, I quickly assessed the Koppe Bridge Cheeseburger as doing really well in the Herd Killer category. The burger was by no means dry. In fact, it looked quite juicy and very tasty from the outside. My first bite confirmed what I suspected... high Herd Killer but low Oooze. It was not dry at all but it wasn’t ooozing much on my hands or on the white paper lining the basket it was delivered in. In fact, no oooze was seen on the paper at all. Not dry but not dripping with ooze either.
Oooze Factor Rating: 6



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Herd Killer
I could clearly see why this burger was ranked “Best Big Burger in Town”. I mean… dude. The patty after it had been cooked was still a ½ inch thick! The picture should show what I’m talking about. I was VERY impressed by the sheer size of the patty. I wonder how many herds were thinned out for Koppe Bridge in any given day… it has to be pretty staggering. With the size of the burger being so large, the creator of this burger should take into account that a bite of the burger will include a huge chunk of meat and with that should also be some vegetables, mustard and cheese. In general, I’d say the Koppe Bridge cooks should consider adding more vegetables, cheese and mustard as the dominant flavor for me in nearly every bite was beef. The flavor of the vegetables and condiment was lost. The cheese was especially outmanned. My burger had one single slice of cheese on this large behemoth of a patty. I strongly recommend doubling up the cheese on the burger to give it more of the “cheesy waterfall” effect that I love to see happening on the side of my burger. Sheer size though is what Herd Killer is all about so I have to give this burger the highest rating possible...
Herd Killer Rating: 10


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Handling
If you can somehow eat the Koppe Bridge Cheeseburger with just one hand… I’d say you have a career in the NBA waiting for you. This is one serious burger with some serious size. Bring a friend. You may need them to help shove this thing in your face.
Handling Rating: 10

Bling Bling
Koppe Bridge offers a Cheeseburger Basket which includes the monster cheeseburger, fries and a drink for $6.95. For my family, we ordered two kids meals, a chicken sandwich and my monster burger and got out of there for about $30 bucks. All in all not too bad considering you probably won’t need to eat for another 24 hours after leaving Koppe Bridge. I was very satisfied with the value.
Bling Bling Rating: 8



Gravedigger
I’m sure eating at Koppe Bridge day after day would probably end your life sooner than expected. There was a lack of Oooze that I have to consider in this category but there was also a heaping pile of cow between the buns as well that would keep me right with my maker should I regularly dine on Koppe Bridge Cheeseburgers.
Gravedigger Rating: 8 Shovels

Overall - I glad I made the trip to College Station to dine at Koppe Bridge. The burger was definitely huge. The fries served with the burger are the natural cut fries that I absolutely love. The fries looked like they have a potato slicer in the back and fryer. If I had to guess, I’d say they make the fries fresh on-site right before serving them. It just doesn’t get better than that if you ask me. The issues with the burger were noted above. I would recommend Koppe Bridge consider evaluating their burger’s flavor more closely as I think the dominant flavor is beef which absent seasoning can be bland. Some added veggies, condiments and cheese could help add some much needed flavor to the mix. I will get into the atmosphere in a second here, but the cheeseburger was really good. If you are in the area and in the mood for a good ol’ fashioned burger joint experience, it’s hard to find a place better than Koppe Bridge.

Overall Koppe Bridge Cheeseburger Rating: 9

Restaurant Review
Approaching Koppe Bridge, Mrs. TBG said it was “ominous" and that it "looks like a club." Before you enter the restaurant, you are greeted with a sign that warns that the floors inside are uneven and to watch your step.


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When I read this I laughed out loud. I quickly thought about Lankford’s Grocery in Houston that has very uneven floors but I don’t think they have a sign warning people about them… Once inside Koppe Bridge it was clear to me why they have the sign posted outside. As soon as somebody walked close to you, you bounced. Literally, the floor was bouncing below you as somebody walked by. That’s just awesome! I don’t care who you are, if you can’t appreciate a place that stays as busy as Koppe Bridge while sportin’ bouncy floors… maybe burger joints aren’t your thing. I bounced to my table and found yet another VERY positive sign that this burger joint was unique. The tables have been carved up pretty handily by previous Koppe Bridge patrons.


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I just love seeing this too. It tells me this place has been in business for a long time and the atmosphere is relaxed and easy going enough that they don’t mind if you bring some woodworking tools with you to lunch. That’s just awesome!

We tried the chicken sandwich and the kid’s chicken fingers. Mrs TBG said the chicken sandwich was awesome. A quick bite of it confirmed her opinion. A sampling of the kid’s chicken tenders also confirmed why both mini-TBGs had clean plates at the end of lunch. Quite possibly the best fries I have had in a while. The closest to these are what are called Bosque Fries. These are homemade fries invented by a close friend of mine in Bosque County. They are awesome. The Koppe Bridge fries are right up there.



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Restaurant/Atmosphere
Koppe has all the elements of a great burger joint. It has a loyal following of customers. It has a very casual atmosphere. It is a great place to just hang out, eat a burger and watch a ballgame. If shooting pool and playing video games if your thing – Koppe Bridge has you covered. It’s a great place to just hang out with friends. You can also sit out on the patio as well if you’d like. The waitstaff was very helpful and polite. Despite being very busy they were able to get my food out pretty quickly and were willing to answer my questions about their menu.


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Directions
Koppe Bridge has two locations in College Station. I went to the original on Wellborn which opened in 1992. Their second site, opened in 2002, is on Harvey.

Addresses
Original Koppe Bridge
11777 Wellborn Road
College Station, TX
(979) 764-2933

Koppe Bridge on Harvey
3940 Harvey Road
College Station, TX
(979) 776-2833

Maps
Original Koppe Bridge

Koppe Bridge on Harvey

Website
Koppe Bridge Website

TBG Overall Rating
Koppe Bridge provided a great dining experience. If you enjoy a good old fashioned burger joint the way they were meant to be, come to Koppe Bridge. The burger was good. The environment was better. I’d go back again and again if I lived closer.

Overall TBG Rating for Koppe Bridge: 9