Chrome Horse - 11/16/12

Last Friday was our first Friday after work visit on the burger tour. Sure, we've had after work gatherings before, but never on a Friday. Nine intrepid burger reviewers joined forces to drink beer and review meat patties on buns. This week also featured the premier of Burger Tour swag, courtesy of our NewBo based friends, Eco Lips! 

That's right friends, Eco Lips! There for when the bun and burger leave your lips dry and chapped, Eco Lips will be there to restore moisture and puckerability to even the most parched of oral labium's. Eco Lips, for all your lip care needs! 

Editor's Note: Any praise heaped upon a corporate entity of any size is done solely at the discretion of the owners of this blog, and should not be construed as a reflection of said corporate entity, it's shareholders, or ancillary partners or subsidiaries. Don't take this too seriously, no one really reads this crap anyway. 

Chrome Horse

A pint of your finest ale my good man! 

I planned on this posting to be full of references to Sons of Anarchy, American Chopper, pictures of bikers, motorcycles, leather daddies, etc. I planned on this posting to be the announcement of a new leader for the title of Cedar Rapids best burger. Instead, I left the Chrome Horse on Friday feeling like this guy:

See the flames and the lava and the magma back there behind the heartbroken Obi-Wan. I think that's where mine and other's burgers were prepared, and then stored for a long period of time before being served to us.

I've been to the Chrome Horse for lunch many times, and always had awesome burgers. Burgers that were special, burgers that were something to look forward too. Burgers that I praised, talked up, and claimed to be "THE BEST IN TOWN!". In many ways, the Burger Tour was conceived to compare The Chrome Horse to other establishments in town. Prior to last week, I would have confidently put their burgers up against anyone's in competition for "the best". Sadly, I can not, will not, say that any longer. 

He only became sadder as the night wore on

The Burger

I am fairly sure that 8/9 of us ordered the 1st Gear burger (there's always someone who has to be just a LITTLE bit special!), a 1/2 lb. burger topped with bacon and cheddar cheese. Simple enough. Hell, I could make that at home. Hell, I could do BETTER than this at home, armed only with a slotted spoon and a melon baller. Heh...baller. 

As presented. That's a tasty lookin' bun!

And under the hood, note the toasted bun. Classy!

Mad praise to everyone who responded to the survey, we actually got 100% participation this time around! Chrome Horse burgers received a 5.0/10, our LOWEST score to date. I think I've made my opinion clear on what I thought of the burgers this time around. so let's get right to the group's comments:

• First gear burger, as presented. The burger was dry, and lacked the flavor that I expected. I was thoroughly disappointed.
• Frisco - burger, cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato. Burger was well done and a little dry.
• The cheese and bacon were very good and the spices in the burger were also tasty. However the burger itself was over-cooked and not juicy, which was disappointing.
• The burger was extrememly dry and tasted like it was dropped in charcoal. The burger was a good size with a large toasted bun, but the meat was extremely disappointing. Literally no taste to it at all.

Fries & Sides

Chrome's fries were narrow potato wedges, that were fortunately, better rated than the burgers. Fries received a 6.38/10. 

•  The best cold fries I have had in a long time (NOTE: This guy showed up late well after his burger had been ordered!)
• Great fries don't make up for a mediocre burger.
• Onion rings - tasted greasey
• Fries! Crispy, well seasoned, superbly done!
• I don't know how you can mess up cottage cheese out of a tub. It was standard.

Service

For a busy Friday afternoon, I thought our server did a good job. Beer arrived quickly, and food orders were brought out rapidly and correctly. Can't argue with that. Service received a 6.89/10. 

• I thought the waitress was great for a Friday night. Checking on us often
• Service was very quick and attentive.

Conclusion

Despite the mediocre burger, Chrome Horse continues to be one of my favorite places to grab a beer. Decor is awesome, and it's clear that they've put a lot of thought into the motorcycle/biker theme. In warmer months, there's plenty of outdoor seating, plenty of bar seating, lots of beer on tap, and the bathrooms are clean! 

Vintage motorcycles

"Would you eat here again, or recommend it to others?" Chrome Horse received a score of 3.67/5.

Personally, I will try Chrome Horse once more, possibly over lunch, but will no longer consider them to be "THE BEST" in town. That title is still very much up for grabs. The tour continues.....