2.04.2011

Is Boston's Best Burger at The Fireplace?

The Fireplace Burger
Finally! A whole month into 2011 and not a good burger in sight and then, in a totally unassuming place, a good burger was had.  It was my week to pick this week's burger destination and sort of a whim, I picked The Fireplace, located in Washington Square.  I don't know what made me select this location, there's a not a lot of buzz about it on the burger front, maybe it was just meant to be?  Either way, The Fireplace has one good burger.


With a cozy and inviting atmosphere, with brightly painted walls and historic decor surrounding a huge fireplace that is situated in the center of the bar area and jazz music playing softly in the background, The Fireplace is welcoming.  The staff is friendly and attentive and I was surprised how busy they were on a late and chilly Thursday afternoon.

Hi Melted Cheese, it's been a while, I've missed you.
Getting to the meat of the post (haha, get it?) the burger itself was quite tasty, super juicy (my napkin was a wreck when I had finished) and although it was cooked more to a medium than the medium-rare temperature I requested, it was still very flavorful.  The burger was encased in melted cheddar cheese and then hugged by a well-fitting sesame studded bun.  It was served with crisp, freshly made fries and a pickle spear that was vibrantly salty yet sweet at the same time.

Crispy Fries
Although overall this was a great burger, there were some areas for improvement.  The first being that the bun was a little too toasted with the edges and some of the sesame seeds having a charred taste to them.  Additionally, I could have used some more cheese, especially since I paid extra money to have it on there, I think this baby should have been smothered with it.  But then again, I've never had a burger that meets my unrealistically high cheese standards.


Overall, I really liked the burger and am totally psyched to have found a good, decently priced burger.  The Fireplace can be a bit pricey for dinner, but for lunch, I think it's priced just right.  The burger comes in a mere $10 with bacon already on it (I declined the bacon) and if you want cheese (choice of cheddar or blue) it's an extra $2.

Ahh, finally a good burger! I'm positively giddy.

Fireplace on Urbanspoon

12 comments:

Boston Food Diary said...

YAY! So glad you got a good one- Fireplace lunch makes me happy :-)

LOVE that last photo-gorgeous colors!

Lara @ GoodCookDoris said...

I love The Fireplace! For restaurant week they had a brisket sandwich that was out of this world. They always have delicious soups and a great brunch. Now I'll have to try the burger too!

Emily @ A Cambridge Story said...

Hooray! I've had this very same burger at their brunch and was totally pleased. Looking at this at 1130am is making me VERY hungry :)

Beth said...

It doesn't help that I am reading this at lunch time. I now need to go grab something since I am practically drooling. :)

Fun and Fearless in Beantown said...

I haven't been to Fireplace since trekking out Brookline isn't the most convenient for me but I think I have a Groupon there and have heard great things about the place!

Elizabeth said...

Resident fry admirer here. Those look gooood. I went to the fireplace for brunch a while back. I really like the atmosphere.

Kristen said...

YAY! I was gonna say it DOES look like the cheese is slathered on, but for an extra $2?! damn. Well, it was super cheap overall in comparison to some others. I love the fireplace's brunch so don't doubt they do a stellar lunch.

The Small Boston Kitchen said...

All this talk about their brunch is making me totally want to try that. Although now I know that they hae a great burger, it will be hard not go there and have that!

Delicious Dishings said...

The words "decline" and "bacon" do not belong in the same sentence. :) I'm glad you had a better burger, and at least the cheese was melty!

Anonymous said...

The Fireplace is great! My husband and I went there for brunch and really enjoyed it!

Mom said...

Wow!! So happy you finally found a great burger! This place sounds incredible....next visit to Boston we definitely need to go!!

Jen said...

I'm a little late on commenting, but I'm glad you found a good burger for once. I haven't had The Fireplace for lunch, but maybe I should check it out.

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