LOCATIONS: Columbia, SC
PRICE: $$-$$$ out of $$$$$
KIDS MEALS: If they have them, they aren't on the website
WEBSITE: www.burgertavern77.com
The burger has developed into the classic American food. We have burger joints all over the place. And you have a lot of freedom in burgers - kind of like pizza. You can go for something extremely simple and common. Or you can go about as crazy as your imagination allows. From what I have noticed, the burger joint is in another growth cycle. There is the obvious fast food class of burgers: McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Hardee's/Carl Jr's, Checkers/Rallys, Jack in the Box, In and Out. There is much variation within that genre, from the amazing quality of In and Out to the "how is this legal to serve" Burger King. But, largely, you get what you expect at a fast food burger place.
Then I identify three classes above this. There is the extremely high end burger places that charge more for a burger than for a bone-in ribeye. I will ignore this class because they are stupid. The two middle classes kind of have a delineation mark with if you order at a counter or if you order at the table. There is a great amount of fluctuation between these classes. When you have a wait staff, though, the price invariably drifts higher due to tipping. There also are usually more "non-burger" items offered at these places. This class also catches restaurants that are not limited to burgers, but are known for burgers. More local places seem to fall into this second category, as well. Here are some examples of the two classes, using chains, primarily, since they are more identifiable to the public.
Counter Class: Burger Fi, Five Guys, Smashburger, Burger 21, Bobby Flay's Burger Palace, Wahlburgers, Fuddruckers, Culver's, The Varsity
Wait Staff Class: Red Robin, Ted's Montana Grill, Ruby Tuesday, Chili's, Johnny Rockets
Obviously, there are some blurred lines between these categories - The Varsity and In and Out could fall in category one or two. While that "Wait Staff" class may seem smaller, more of the growth in the local area seems to be in that genre. As I was researching some of this, I found tons of local places that would have around five stores in a local market and that's it. They are usually well-loved, popular, high quality, and busy. The middle two classes are the ones that I have been working my way through in Columbia, along with my lunch buddy Greg Willson (gregwillson.com). Today I offer my first review, hopefully followed by about a half-dozen others within a reasonable time.
Burger Tavern 77 could be the poster child for what I am calling Wait Staff Class (Category 3). It is a stand along shop right on Devine Street in Columbia, SC. They have a wide variety of options. There are quirky items and promotions that make it stand out. It isn't overly large and is frequently busy. And it is very good. As of this writing, it is my favorite of the burger places I have tried. They just seemed to do everything well - which is something that is uncommon. Many places will have a super burger, but they will have greasy fries or food-service mass produced fried pickles. Burger Tavern 77 nailed it across the board.
To make us feel more like real restaurant reviewers, we usually will get an appetizer and a couple of burgers. We want to gain a good view of the variety at the place. Plus, we will usually get a "fancier" burger, rather than just a bacon cheeseburger. On this particular afternoon, we well all out and got The Capital City Combo appetizer platter ($12.50) while waiting for our burgers. This was stupid. The platter was so filling that we then guaranteed we would have to eat through the pain to actually finish our grub. The platter came with three chicken tenders, three cheese sticks, chips and salsa, and two pretzels with their accompanying sauces The tenders were very juicy and large and the chips and salsa were tasty. None of it appeared to be Tostitos or Tyson stuff on a plate, like some places can be (cough cough, Ruby Tuesday's). I am a bit of a cheese stick connoisseur. Some day I'll bore you with my opinions on those items. I'm a sucker for a twist on the traditional stick, though. These fit the bill - tortilla chip crust and pepper jack insides. Very tasty. The pretzels were made with Black and Tan beer, deep fried, and served with beer cheese dip. Yeah, that whole sentence was confusing to us as well. But they were super. The frying didn't affect them as much as I thought it would - it almost gave it the same chemical reaction the traditional lye bath would give pretzels. And you could definitely taste the beer flavor in the dough.
The burgers themselves took a lot of negotiation to order. They have a ton of options, in addition to a "build your own burger" menu. We decided to order two burgers and cut them in half and share them like some cute dating couple, but with a lot of facial hair. The Memphis ($9.95) came with Smoky Flavored Bourbon BBQ Sauce, Aged Cheddar Cheese, Crispy Onion Tangles & Two Strips of Bacon. We got that one with JoJo fries (translation: fries). The other burger was The Southern ($9.95) with chili, american cheese, southern slaw, dill pickle slices, and yellow mustard. That one came with sweet potato fries. We had to get the slaw on the side due to my egg allergy (that also killed our ordering of anything with pimento cheese spread).
Both burgers were cooked perfectly. They were huge and juicy and had great quality meat. The toppings completely transformed the burgers. The Memphis had a sweet BBQ joint vibe to it. It would have been perfectly at home in a BBQ place as an alternative on their menu. The Southern had the advantage to me, partly because it had one of the combinations that I have come to really enjoy on burgers. I call it the Chili Pup combo. If you've ever had a Chili Pup from Krystal, you know they come with chili, cheese, and mustard. Why in the world that works together, I don't know. If you take the mustard off, not as good. If you leave the chili off, not as good. You have to have them all together. When you throw dill pickle slices on top? Well, next level awesome. The chili was hearty without being too much. Sometimes a good chili can overwhelm a burger because it is already loaded (something Chili's burgers always have struggled with). But if you use some lame canned chili or ketchup laden monstrosity, the burger suffers. This one was just about perfect. Both of the fries were very good - seasoned well, not greasy, not just a bag Ore-Ida tossed in the fryer.
Overall, I would say Burger Tavern 77 is clicking on all cylinders. They have everything a burger lover would be looking for in a burger experience. Tons of varieties for the burger fiend, but lots of other stuff like chicken sandwiches and salads for others in the party. I love it when burger places offer their burger styles with a chicken patty option. If their chicken is good, you have a whole second avenue of combinations with different outcomes. Chili Cheese chicken? Not so much. But that Memphis chicken would be incredible. The two downsides to Tavern 77 was that it is not super family friendly. It is a tavern, complete with loads of beer options. But I don't remember a kids menu. That would be fine for my middle schooler, but my kindergartner would not like the place. Second, it is on the pricy side for a burger. Ten bucks, plus drink, plus tip, plus South Carolina's stupid hospitality tax. That adds up quick. Monday afternoons, the restaurant offers a BOGO deal on burgers. Definitely worth checking out to save some money. All in all, I would highly recommend Burger Tavern 77 if you are in the mood for some great burgers and a fun time with friends. Just leave the kids at home with their Happy Meals.
