Monday, November 8, 2010

Steve's Oriental Burger/ Steve's Charburger/ Steve's Burger (pick one - they all work)

(*alissa, gearing up for lunch)

Alrighty - sorry I've been so lazy about getting this bite posted, but I've been feeling pretty ambivalent about this place & so I've been having a hard time putting pen to paper. Err...finger to keys. Anyway, Alissa's mom complained about the lack of post the other day, so this one's for you, Pamela. You really do look quite lovely today, by the way. Have you done something different with your hair?


This past week's lunching started out on a sour note when we arrived at my place of choice only to find it closing for the afternoon. Seriously, why close a restaurant at 2:00 in Burbank? People late lunch 'round these parts! Mildly bummed & bemused, we headed east on Victory in search of a plan b. Luckily, we didn't have to travel far as plan b presented itself just a few blocks away, in the form of Steve's. Or Steve's Oriental. Or Steve's Burger. Or perhaps it's Steve's Oriental Burger? I'm really not sure. Depending on which side of the sign you were looking at, it seemed to indicate all of them.

Steve's is a modest little corner joint similar to that Norm's place we went to a few weeks ago. They have an outdoor walk-up counter to order from, an outside seating area from which to take in the scenic view of pavement & traffic, and a small inside seating area. They specialize in all things burger...and Oriental, I guess...And charred.



The Basics: This place has exactly what you'd expect from a "charburger" stand. Burger, fries, hot dogs, etc. But wait! There's more! They also offer a variety of asian dishes, which may actually be the way to go here...

Here's a couple amazing photos. If you look *REALLY* closely, you might just be able to make out what it says on the menu...



Cory: Still reeling from the early closing of my restaurant of choice, I begrudgingly ordered the Crazy Burger. When the nice girl at the counter told me exactly what it was, I quickly became less begrudged (yes, I know that's not a word) & eagerly awaited the arrival of my pastrami & chili-topped charburger with visions of greasy drippy cheesiness dancing in my head.
When my crazy burger arrived, I was a little surprised by just how tame it looked. I expected a giant hamburger patty piled high with a mountain of meat and drizzled with chili. I expected to walk out wearing at least 3/4 of it. I expected to get to fart all over alissa's office all day. Instead, I got a perfectly reasonable & manageable burger.


And it was actually pretty tasty! So, no matter how much I'd like to, I can't really complain. It was well-seasoned. There was just enough pastrami, the tomatoes seemed fresh, and the lettuce crisp. I could've used a little more chili but, like I said, I really can't complain.
As a bonus, the combo came with a drink & CRINKLE CUT FRIES (just like the kind I liked when I was 5!). All for around $5. Super cheap!


Alissa: So Cory was pushing me to try one of the Asian dishes- which actually would have been a good idea & something I would have suggested so we could give a more thorough report... but goddamnit I didn't want noodles so I got a fried fish sandwich and planned to eat as many of Cory's fries as I could steal.


I also got a Cherry Coke- I feel like if a place has Cherry Coke or Dr. Pepper or something I have to get it. So I did. Are you sure 'begrudged' is not a word Cory? Cause like... I am typing it: begrudged. Begrudged, begrudged, begrudged. And there is no spelling error on it. Stop claiming you've made up words that already exist. If anything you're just not using it right (cory edit - shut your facehole, alissa. Stop making me feel stupid for being stupid!). Anyhow- the sandwich was a fine fish sandwich. I think the best part may be the bun- it's one of those semi sturdy ones like they have at In-n-Out.


I just really upset my coworker recently when I told him I had only had grilled cheese from In-n-Out, as I have not eaten hamburger in over 10 years. But because of that I am EXTRA aware of the bun there. Which I like. And this reminded me of it. Also, I will report: there was enough tartar sauce. Lord knows this is the real question in a fish sandwich- did they screw you and give you a quarter size dollop or really give it to you like they know you want it? Anyhow no problems there. And if you like iceberg lettuce, you're in luck. I have recently decided it totally bums me out. I hate burping and tasting iceberg lettuce. That stuff shouldn't get to have a flavor whatsoever. But it does. I removed all of it- probably someone in there was shaking their head watching me do this but OH WELL MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. '

Overall a little better & voluminous(oh don't mind this really cool word- I made it up) than McD's. However- I think I would rather go ahead and eat the cheaper dumbed down version of this sandwich at a fast food joint OR get one of those 10 dollar jazzed up ones at a seafood restaurant. Fries were alright. I'm like... whatever about the whole place. But the lil young lady who took our order was nice. I will say that. She seemed perfectly happy working with Dad at their family run burger shack, and I like that attitude.



Good bite? Or just totally bites?
A: Boring bite. Not gross, just mediocre non-scary fare. There were a bunch of people in there though & again- we did not try any of the Asian dishes so... we could have missed out.
C: Gotta say, I'm totally on the fence with this one. It's decent & it's cheap, so that's what I'm callin' it - a decent cheap bite. You could do a lot worse


Info:
2320 West Victory Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91506-1227
(818) 846-6620

Open Weekdays 9am-7pm; Sat 9am-5pm

Here's one for the ladies...



**Our reports are based on one visit/meal- so we're far from experts on these joints! so if you have advice or experiences you'd like to share, please feel free to enlighten us & our readers! Our goal is to give enough info that someone might feel okay trying somewhere new (or know to avoid it!). Thanks for reading :)