Service is Key

17 June 2006-
Christopher's Burger**: 5295 College Avenue in North Oakland
Cost: $7.50 (bacon cheeseburger, fries extra)
** Denotes gmeow76's previous top reviewed burger

Image Source: blogger's own

So the first thing I notice when I step into Christopher's was the line. I think there were five orders in front of me when I walked into the restaurant, so I can imagine it must have been difficult on the staff to keep track of everyone's orders. For this tiny eatery, five orders means the line was literally out the door. I ordered a rare bacon cheeseburger with swiss. My burger was served well-done and my basket of fries came mid-way into the meal. Not the best eating experience either, but they did toast the bun, and Christopher's has a great selection of homemade mayos, chipotle and aioli which is actually great on fries. Still, a very tasty burger.

16 June 2006-
Beckett's: 2271 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley
http://www.beckettsirishpub.com/
Cost: $9.50 (bacon cheeseburger, includes fries)

It was the second time I've been there for burgers. Ordered a rare bacon cheeseburger with gorgonzola with a Lagunitas IPA on draft. The first and last time I'll order gorgonzola on a burger. There were a lot of things wrong with the service that night. First, when I was done eating my fries (which is usually the process), I noticed that my burger was served without bacon. So I was held up between 5 to 10 minutes between the fries consumption and my first burger bite. Needless to say, my burger probably wasn't at the optimal eating temperature...

It was still okay, though I'm not a huge fan of the seasoned pickles and peppers that they throw on the greenery. Also, Beckett's doesn't serve their burgers with any condiments, ie) mayo, sauces, etc. Just a pretty nicely toasted bun, and the meat and the greenery on the side. It was a pretty tasty and filling burger nonetheless.


Verdict: Between these two joints, Christopher's Burger was the weekend favorite. It probably wasn't a fair comparison due to unforseeable conditions. I'll need to go back to both places fairly soon to give it another test.