What goes into a great hamburger?
Is it the quality of the cut of beef, or whether it’s cooked over flame? Is it the quantity and type of lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese or other topping? Is it the magical just-right combination of ketchup, mustard, pickles — or dare I say it — mayonnaise? Is it the bun — pretzel, brioche, sesame, white, wheat or something else?
I found myself pondering all these questions and more at the Boys and Girls Club’s recent Burger Battle fundraiser, which featured unique burgers by Abel Brown, Cucina 503, Edgar’s Grille, Finch & Fifth, Manny’s Sports Off Broad, Midtown Tavern and Recteq. I didn’t get to stay long enough to taste this year’s winning burger by Abel Brown — topped with melted cheese and thin crispy fries and held together with a toothpick jauntily adorned with a tiny whole pickle. But I thoroughly enjoyed Recteq’s pork belly burger dressed in steak sauce, Cucina 503’s offer topped with a scoop of mashed potatoes and gravy, and Edgar’s Grille’s version with its kick of pickled okra.
So, burgers were on our mind when my husband and I had a Saturday lunch opening. “Let’s go to Gary’s,” he suggested.
As a lifelong Augustan, I feel slightly ashamed that until now, I’ve never eaten at Gary’s. The old-school burger joint has two locations — in North Augusta and on Washington Road. On the menu are fresh handmade burgers, including a classic burger and cheeseburger, double versions of the same, plus a bacon cheeseburger and a junior cheeseburger. There are other sandwiches too (Philly cheesesteak or catfish, anyone?), chicken strips and salads.
Early risers might want to try their stick-to-your-ribs breakfast menu, including a full breakfast platter with grits, your choice of meat, two eggs and a biscuit or a grab-and-go biscuit filled with steak, ham or other meat. The dinner crowd can also enjoy specialty dinners like country fried steak with their choice of two sides, or go for the full veggie plate.
We visited the North Augusta location, and going inside felt like visiting a restaurant I might have visited as a child, with cinderblock walls, wood booths and counters stained to highlight the grain and those square dark red floor tiles with black grout. On the main counter were a roll of paper towels and bottles of ketchup and mustard that you could grab for your table.
After ordering at the counter, one of the staff brought our burger baskets to the table. We’d both ordered the cheeseburger, although I’d gotten the junior variety, with the only difference being that it’s a quarter pound of meat instead of a third of a pound.
The burger is served on a warm bun, dressed with cool and crisp lettuce, tomato, tangy pickles and sliced onion. There’s sweet mayo on the burger, which is cooked well to give it added flavor. It tasted homemade — meaty, full of flavor and not greasy at all. It’s a little messy to eat, but that’s easily forgiven. And alongside it, I enjoyed nearly perfect onion rings — great crisp seasoning on the outside, slippery tangy onion inside.
Gary’s isn’t fancy. If you want to compare, I googled “world’s most expensive burger” and found one costing $700 at a restaurant in Philadelphia that’s topped with caviar with a bun glazed in gold leaf. But I challenge that burger to be as tasty as the roughly $7 burger at Gary’s.
Make Your Reservation
Gary’s Hamburgers
410 Georgia Ave.
3909 Washington Road.
Find them on Facebook
Entrée cost: About $5 to $13
