Three Burgers, One Post - The Gallows, Burger's Priest and White Hut

The Burger's Priest - "The Priest" Burger

It's been a while since I last wrote about a burger and I've missed it. I think somewhere between fresh produce being available to me at the ready (thank you, summer) and the desire to cook more at home, I've neglected my dear friend, the burger. Please accept this post, with three reviews, as my formal apology...

The Gallows - "Our Way" Burger

Starting things out, The Gallow's located in the South End, is just simply a good burger. For a mere $10, you can enjoy their "Our Way" burger, served with American cheese, grilled onions, iceberg lettuce and homemade pickles. A thin patty bearing that favorable, crackly griddled crust and American cheese that's so melted it almost doubles as a sauce and adds extra richness to the burger. The pickles provide a further boost of briny flavor and the onions were cut thick and made sweet from the grill. The accompanying fries were hot and salty with a hearty crispness to them. The idea behind this burger isn't rocket science and there's no tricks or games. It's just a classic burger done really well and should be on any local burger lover's list to try.

The Burger's Priest - French Fries

The next burger up for discussion was enjoyed on my Toronto vacation. Obviously not a local burger, it still deserves mention because it was just that damn good. Burger's Priest is a tiny little restaurant marked only by the massive line that is perpetually formed outside of it. Offering only enough seating for about six people, most people get theirs to go. The menu at Burger's Priest is simple: a couple of burger options and fries, all with prices ranging from $7 - $15. Keeping it simple, I opted for the cheeseburger with mustard, tomatoes and pickles, although I immediately wished I had ordered "The Priest" which is a cheeseburger with a breaded and fried portabello mushroom on top (fortunately, I was able to steal a bite of it). Getting to my cheeseburger, quite simply, it was right up there with some of the best that I've had. The meat was buttery soft, loosely packed, juicy and salty. A perfect mess of melted cheese rested on top and the pickles were sweet and tangy. The whole burger was cradled into a cushiony bun that didn't steal the spotlight, and let the beef be the star. The fries, on the other hand, were forgettable; seasoned well but swapped a favorable crispy exterior for an undesirable soggy one.

The White Hut - Cheeseburger 

Lastly on the list, we move a little closer to home, on the other side of the state to The White Hut, located in West Springfield, MA. The White Hut is a classic burger joint that got its start in the 1930's and is still going strong. With a bare-bones approach to its burgers, their paper thin patties hit the griddle for a couple of minutes, and then can be topped with cheese (American) caramelized onions (which I recommend you not pass up) and mustard, ketchup and relish are added, to order. The cheeseburgers are ever so moderately priced at $2.75 each. (Although they're so tiny, you'll probably want two..) The fries were standouts with a crispy exterior, fluffy on the inside and rich in deep potato flavor. While the meat would have benefited from a bit of seasoning, everything was fresh, made to order and generously portioned, considering the exceptionally low price tag.

The White Hut - Fries

In future burger news, I plan to be getting back to my regularly scheduled burger posts soon and Burger Boy and I are going to be taking another crack at perfecting the homemade burger. Stay tuned, burger lovers and in the meantime, tell me, have you had any good burgers this summer?