clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Big Four, Bluegrass Burgers' Actual Qualities Barely Mentioned By Critics

[Photo: Facebook]

This week we once struggle to discern what our local critics actually think of the food at the restaurants they visit while wading through several extraneous thoughts. Here is the sum total of Robin Garr's thoughts on his actual Bluegrass Burgers meal, brief enough to fit a Yelp synopsis:

We were delighted with both a bison burger and a black bean burger, generously portioned and flavorful, perched on quality buns … . Fries are thin-cut and crisp. Onion rings are thick-cut, crisply breaded and grease-free, ranking among the city's best.

To fill out this brief bit of opinion, and for those Internet users who can't click links or use search, Garr lists several items from the Bluegrass Burgers menu, including both beef and bison burgers, ahi tuna, chicken, "a healthy commercial Garden Burger" and even food that's not currently on the menu including "an all-beef frank, a Philly-style cheesesteak … or a marinated portobello mushroom." Further bulking up may account for Garr's bolted-on intro bit informing readers about burgers that are not "healthy, or at least virtuous," a screed that starts with "greasy fat," winds its way through McDonald's wages and is so confusing Garr himself asks "where am I going with this?" [Voice-Tribune]

Marty Rosen definitely had a burger, as he notes

in texture and appearance, the quality of hand-formed, good-quality ground meat shows up in the simplest burgers (like the hefty Big Four Classic, with cheese and the usual American garnishes, $9.99).

He also very likely had a "Big Blue lunchtime burger," as he describes its "cool crumble of mild blue cheese and smear of garlic aioli" as well as its side of "standout garlic fries, crunchy and tender." But while he mentions several other dishes, it's impossible to say whether he ate them. Are the following paragraphs impressions of a meal, or merely menu descriptions?
[T]he composed burgers will win plenty of fans. One is stuffed with chorizo queso and garnished with roasted chilies, pickled onions and fresh guacamole ($12.99); another is encrusted in crumbled bacon and topped with blue cheese pimento spread ($12.99); and though the menu doesn't offer it, a server said if we wanted to combine those ideas into a stuffed, encrusted extravaganza of a burger, the kitchen could accommodate.

A house-made veggie burger is built around avocado, sprouts and more with roasted tomatoes ($9.99), and another is flavored up with Henry Bain sauce, bacon, Jack cheese and onion straws ($12.99). And a list of proteins, buns, cheeses and toppings offers diners the chance to build pretty much any imaginable burger.

There's a turkey burger with cranberry relish and melted brie ($9.99), and a selection of other sandwiches, including a hand-breaded fish offering ($9.99), and a hand-breaded fried chicken sandwich with a salty, peppery pop and great crunch ($9.99).

Rosen seems to like Big Four Burgers, a place he describes as having "a bistro vibe with hardwood floors, fine light and plenty of mixed, comfortable seating." He should eat there more often. [Courier-Journal]
· Bluegrass Burgers: Virtuous, Local and Delicious [Voice-Tribune]
· Bluegrass Burgers [Official Site]
· Big Four Burgers + Beer bridges well-composed sandwiches, friendly service [Courier-Journal]
· Big Four Burgers + Beer [Official Site]
· All Eater Week In Reviews [~ELOU~]

Bluegrass Burgers

3334 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40207 502-614-6567 Visit Website