425 W Foothill Blvd
Claremont, CA 91711
909-625-8992
Claremont? Yep, Happy Meal and I made the trek to Mount Baldy. He really liked riding the chairlift, and I figured I could sneak in a burger review along the way. Boca Burger had taken over the long since closed Burger Bar location. Burger Bar had garnered weak reviews, but the Yelp crowd had taken a liking to Boca Burger. Parking was free and abundant in the strip mall lot that Boca Burger shared with Trader Joe's. The twist at Boca Burger was that the burgers had some Argentinian flare. I forgot to get the chimichurri sauce on the side. Lucky accident...the sauce was really good, and it was a welcome addition to the burger. The menu also featured empanadas and hand-dipped shakes...next time.
We ordered at the counter, marveled at the spotless, cramped kitchen, and waited about 7 minutes for our cheeseburgers to arrive. A single, 4.5 ounce cheeseburger (Boca Burger) was $3.39--$6.09 with fries and a drink. That was a heck of a deal.
Keep in mind that phone service was non-existent on Mount Baldy, and my phone/camera went dead trying to communicate with the world. Fortunately, Happy Meal's Nintendo DS had a pretty good camera on board. But...it seemed that I could not edit those photos...so it goes.
The Burger Breakdown...
The Beef: Not bad, not bad at all. The beef at Boca Burger was 100% Certified Angus Chuck, and it came in at 20% fat. The Chuck was beefy and juicy. The flavor was simple, but the complex chimichurri sauce filled in the gaps. The bite was firm. I noted some grill flare ups as my burger patty cooked, but there was no more than a trace of carbon. As a result, the burger had a nice "backyard" flavor to it.
The Seasoning: Boca Burger hit the burger patties with Gary's Seasoning Salt as the beef was on the grill. The tart and peppery chimichurri sauce was a perfect complement to the beef.
The Sear: The sear was spotty. It would have been a miracle had they gotten a solid sear on a burger patty that small by using a grill.
The Preparation: My cheeseburger arrived a juicy Medium-Well. The irregular burger patties were formed during the prep cycle. The beef arrived pre-ground (medium grind), and it had not been frozen. The burgers were turned once as they cooked.on the gas-fired grill.
The Cheese: The cheeseburger at Boca Burger came with a slice of unmelted American cheese. The cheese sat atop the chimichurri sauce. This was a mistake. The sauce should have gone under the burger patty or on top of the cheese.
The Bun: Boca Burger used a soft, fresh, buttered, and moderately toasted, potato bun. The bun was savory and just a little yeasty. The bun provided no crunch, but that did not deter from the dish.
The Meat To Bun Ratio: This was perfect.
The Toppings: The tomato slice was ripe and fresh. The Romaine lettuce was fresh and crisp.
The Fries: The fries at Boca Burger came in frozen, peeled, and par-cooked. However, the fries were excellent. They were battered and cooked to a perfect crispness with creamy centers. The seasoning was light.
The Value: Hell yes! The value was strong with this one. 6 bucks for a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink was very fair.
Boca Burger served up a really fine variant of a cheeseburger and at a great price. Great care and pride went into the preparation of the burgers. The fries were great, too.
Burger Review : A good burger at a really good price.
Rating...4 Bites (3.5 Bites with a .5 boost due to the superior value)
Claremont, CA 91711
909-625-8992
Claremont? Yep, Happy Meal and I made the trek to Mount Baldy. He really liked riding the chairlift, and I figured I could sneak in a burger review along the way. Boca Burger had taken over the long since closed Burger Bar location. Burger Bar had garnered weak reviews, but the Yelp crowd had taken a liking to Boca Burger. Parking was free and abundant in the strip mall lot that Boca Burger shared with Trader Joe's. The twist at Boca Burger was that the burgers had some Argentinian flare. I forgot to get the chimichurri sauce on the side. Lucky accident...the sauce was really good, and it was a welcome addition to the burger. The menu also featured empanadas and hand-dipped shakes...next time.
We ordered at the counter, marveled at the spotless, cramped kitchen, and waited about 7 minutes for our cheeseburgers to arrive. A single, 4.5 ounce cheeseburger (Boca Burger) was $3.39--$6.09 with fries and a drink. That was a heck of a deal.
Keep in mind that phone service was non-existent on Mount Baldy, and my phone/camera went dead trying to communicate with the world. Fortunately, Happy Meal's Nintendo DS had a pretty good camera on board. But...it seemed that I could not edit those photos...so it goes.
The Burger Breakdown...
The Beef: Not bad, not bad at all. The beef at Boca Burger was 100% Certified Angus Chuck, and it came in at 20% fat. The Chuck was beefy and juicy. The flavor was simple, but the complex chimichurri sauce filled in the gaps. The bite was firm. I noted some grill flare ups as my burger patty cooked, but there was no more than a trace of carbon. As a result, the burger had a nice "backyard" flavor to it.
The Seasoning: Boca Burger hit the burger patties with Gary's Seasoning Salt as the beef was on the grill. The tart and peppery chimichurri sauce was a perfect complement to the beef.
The Sear: The sear was spotty. It would have been a miracle had they gotten a solid sear on a burger patty that small by using a grill.
The Preparation: My cheeseburger arrived a juicy Medium-Well. The irregular burger patties were formed during the prep cycle. The beef arrived pre-ground (medium grind), and it had not been frozen. The burgers were turned once as they cooked.on the gas-fired grill.
The Cheese: The cheeseburger at Boca Burger came with a slice of unmelted American cheese. The cheese sat atop the chimichurri sauce. This was a mistake. The sauce should have gone under the burger patty or on top of the cheese.
The Bun: Boca Burger used a soft, fresh, buttered, and moderately toasted, potato bun. The bun was savory and just a little yeasty. The bun provided no crunch, but that did not deter from the dish.
The Meat To Bun Ratio: This was perfect.
The Toppings: The tomato slice was ripe and fresh. The Romaine lettuce was fresh and crisp.
The Fries: The fries at Boca Burger came in frozen, peeled, and par-cooked. However, the fries were excellent. They were battered and cooked to a perfect crispness with creamy centers. The seasoning was light.
The Value: Hell yes! The value was strong with this one. 6 bucks for a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink was very fair.
Boca Burger served up a really fine variant of a cheeseburger and at a great price. Great care and pride went into the preparation of the burgers. The fries were great, too.
Burger Review : A good burger at a really good price.
Rating...4 Bites (3.5 Bites with a .5 boost due to the superior value)
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