Is Boston's Best Burger at Pop's?

The burger at Pop's reminds me of that hot guy that you went on a date with who turned out to be a bit of a dud. Looking at him, you couldn't stop staring at him and were psyched to even be sitting at the same table with him. You couldn't help but feel that everyone was looking at you, heck, even staring at you, wishing they were in your shoes. But then you got to know him a bit and see what he was all about and he became less appealing by the minute.

No doubt, the Pop's burger ($14) is a head turner. As it made its way from the kitchen to the spot in front of me at the table, people were watching, enviously. For sitting in front of me was a massive burger piled high on an exaggeratedly big, glossy bun and a tall cone of golden french fries spilling out of the top. I couldn't help thinking that this just might be one of the largest burgers that I've seen since my quest started.

Excitedly, I tore into it, revealing an initial bite of strong pepper followed by intense sweetness, thanks to the bun which, while had a nice flavor on its own, was almost dessert-like and overpowered everything. Hiding under the bun was a little pile of caramelized onions, a sparse scattering of button mushrooms, bits of bacon and a thin layer of cheddar cheese. While a traditional choice of toppings, they didn't bear traditional flavors and I found the onions to be too sticky-sweet and the bacon, while crispy, to be off tasting. The cheese and mushrooms weren't significant enough to even make an impact on the overall flavor of the over-peppered patty.  The fries were odd too; while seasoned well and golden brown, they looked the part but weren't very crispy and instead were dense and lacked that deep, desirable potato flavor.

While Pop's atmosphere is a comforting one, its prime South End location ideal and the service terrifically attentive and friendly, this burger was a bust.