Welcome to the Louisville Restaurants Forum, a civil place for the intelligent discussion of the local restaurant scene and just about any other topic related to food and drink in and around Louisville.
User avatar
User

Robin Garr

{ RANK }

Forum host

Posts

22984

Joined

Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:38 pm

Location

Crescent Hill

Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Robin Garr » Wed Apr 12, 2017 9:39 am


Grind Burger Kitchen: not cheap, but worth it

LEO's Eats with Robin Garr

The Southern burger with a side of “What the Kale” salad at Grind Burger Kitchen.
Image

We all love hamburgers, don’t we? During a thoroughly satisfying lunch at Grind Burger Kitchen the other day, I found myself thinking existentially about the burger. What exactly is a hamburger, anyway? The Oxford American Dictionary gives us the basics: “A round patty of ground beef, fried or grilled and typically served on a bun or roll and garnished with various condiments.”

Okay, fine, that’s a start, but let’s pick at it a little: White Castle’s beloved little burgers are square, not round. Does this disqualify them? I think not. Indeed, some of the best, most artisanal diner burgers, hand-formed in rough patties, are far from sufficiently round to satisfy a geometry teacher. Yet burgers don’t get any better than this. Do burgers even need to be beef? Does a bison burger count? A tuna burger? Or even a veggie burger? Clearly, the definition of “hamburger” needs some work.

But enjoying a good hamburger requires no effort whatsoever, and happily for all burger lovers - which, as I said, includes just about everybody - Louisville is rich in excellent purveyors. On the basis of quality, I’m partial to Grind Burger Kitchen, delivers on quality with fresh burgers, hand-ground daily from regionally produced, hormone- and antibiotic-free, grass-fed beef.

Grind celebrates its fifth anniversary this month, and during that time owners Liz and Jesse Huot have built it from a food truck to spartan quarters in an out-of-the-way strip on Preston Street to its current digs in trendy NuLu, where it has become so popular that we had a hard time scoring a table at midday on a Tuesday.

Burgers range in price from $13 (for a burger with standard lettuce-and-tomato dressing and cheese, although you can ramp up the toll with a panoply of fancy fixins) to $15 (for the Old Fashioned burger with Capriole goat cheese, bacon and bourbon-scented Old Fashioned onions).

Tempting burger alternatives include a chopped chicken sandwich ($13), “adult grilled cheese” ($11), with Brie, Gruyère and caramelized onions on sourdough, or a Cuban Sandwich ($15) made with Kentucky ham, pork belly and Swiss. The full bar offers interesting wines, beers and cocktails plus a 50-selection Bourbon list that ought to qualify for the Urban Bourbon Trail.

Now, let’s address one contentious issue right here: Some people diss Grind for daring to break the $10 barrier, whining that the mid-teens is pretty spendy for, well, a hamburger in a town where most local, sit-down burger joints price their wares safely in single digits.

Bear in mind, though, that Grind’s burgers come with your choice of generously portioned sides that will set you back $4 each a la carte. Also, high-quality grass-fed beef isn’t cheap in today’s market. You get what you pay for, and at the end of the meal, Grind’s pricing makes sense to me. ...

Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/grind ... heap-worth

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly’s Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/

Grind Burger Kitchen
829 E. Market St., Suite C
213-0277
http://grindburgerkitchen.com
https://facebook.com/grindburgerkitchen
Robin Garr’s rating: 88 points
no avatar
User

Adam Robinson

{ RANK }

Foodie

Posts

277

Joined

Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:39 pm

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Adam Robinson » Wed Apr 12, 2017 10:44 pm

I'd give an alternate view that it really isn't even that expensive, compared to what's out there. A Buffalo Wild Wings' burger is just a few bucks less, and, sure, it comes with what pass for french fries, but if you want to set the burgers side by side, and remove the prices, I'd wager people would guess Grind burger as 2x to 3x better quality. :D

I'm biased, since I've been eating their burgers since they were a truck that occasionally showed up at Headliners, though.
User avatar
User

Robin Garr

{ RANK }

Forum host

Posts

22984

Joined

Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:38 pm

Location

Crescent Hill

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Robin Garr » Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:59 am

No, I totally agree, Adam. I took on the cost issue because it's floating around, and people use it as an excuse to put down Grind. I thought it was important to make clear that it's a fair price, and more than worth it. :)
User avatar
User

Steve Shade

{ RANK }

Foodie

Posts

1364

Joined

Fri Mar 02, 2007 10:53 am

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Steve Shade » Thu Apr 13, 2017 2:26 pm

I see no reason to criticize Grind or any other restaurant for the prices they charge. If you don't want to pay, than go somewhere else.

The "I can make it at home for ......" folks should just make it at home.

The couple of times I have been to Grind, I feel the prices were suitable.
"Don't accept your dog's admiration as
conclusive evidence that you are wonderful."
-- Ann Landers
User avatar
User

Robin Garr

{ RANK }

Forum host

Posts

22984

Joined

Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:38 pm

Location

Crescent Hill

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Robin Garr » Thu Apr 13, 2017 3:40 pm

Fine, Steve, but note again that I'm not criticizing Grind. I'm pointing out that their prices ARE fair, in spite of a consistent mutter from the cheapskate community. That needs to be addressed, because it's out there.
User avatar
User

RonnieD

{ RANK }

Foodie

Posts

1931

Joined

Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:09 pm

Location

The rolling acres of Henry County

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by RonnieD » Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:51 am

Yeah, Grind prices are totally fair. Given the price of beef these days, I can't quibble with anyone serving a freshly made burger for $10+ as long as the cook is right and it's well made. When you've got Red Robin charging nearly the same for a frozen, pre-pattied burger, I see no reason to pay a few extra dollars for top shelf stuff. Feel the same way about Mussel and Burger.
Ronnie Dingman
Chef Consultant
The Farm
La Center, KY
no avatar
User

Adam Robinson

{ RANK }

Foodie

Posts

277

Joined

Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:39 pm

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Adam Robinson » Fri Apr 14, 2017 3:18 pm

Robin Garr wrote:No, I totally agree, Adam. I took on the cost issue because it's floating around, and people use it as an excuse to put down Grind. I thought it was important to make clear that it's a fair price, and more than worth it. :)


I should have been clearer. I didn't think you meant that. It's just one of the most common refrains I've heard about it from people I know. I admit it isn't cheap -- my wife and my bill every time we go there gives me an eye pop for "burgers." But then again, I remember, short of my making them at home, there's really only one other place in Louisville (at least that I've had!) that comes close, and we've left happy every time, as opposed to my burger snobbery at some other places. I'm basically happy with awesome burgers, or the "you know exactly what you are ordering" cheap burgers. That middle ground of burgers is where I start getting a little judgy.
User avatar
User

Robin Garr

{ RANK }

Forum host

Posts

22984

Joined

Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:38 pm

Location

Crescent Hill

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Robin Garr » Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:39 pm

Adam Robinson wrote:there's really only one other place in Louisville (at least that I've had!) that comes close

Okay, and that would be ... ??? :)

I like Bluegrass Burgers on Frankfort really well.
User avatar
User

Jeff Cavanaugh

{ RANK }

Foodie

Posts

1008

Joined

Fri Feb 11, 2011 11:49 am

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Jeff Cavanaugh » Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:10 am

Robin Garr wrote:
Adam Robinson wrote:there's really only one other place in Louisville (at least that I've had!) that comes close

Okay, and that would be ... ??? :)

I like Bluegrass Burgers on Frankfort really well.


I like Bluegrass Burgers' product, I just don't love what has been a 25+ minute wait for a takeout order every time I've been in there recently.
no avatar
User

Adam Robinson

{ RANK }

Foodie

Posts

277

Joined

Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:39 pm

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Adam Robinson » Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:08 am

Robin Garr wrote:
Adam Robinson wrote:there's really only one other place in Louisville (at least that I've had!) that comes close

Okay, and that would be ... ??? :)

I like Bluegrass Burgers on Frankfort really well.


Yes, Bluegrass Burgers. Used to be my go-to good burger spot before Grind. Unlike Grind, though, it at least had some points in the day when it was slower and you could get food without waiting for a half hour! :D
no avatar
User

scott.wade

{ RANK }

Foodie

Posts

17

Joined

Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:35 pm

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by scott.wade » Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:28 am

I ate at Grind last week for the first time. I do think it was over expensive for what I got, but as posted already, I didn't have to go if the price was an issue. With Facebook and restuarant websites, the prices aren't exactly a secret.

The staff was awesome. From the people taking the order to the gentleman who was walking around making sure we had everything we needed.

The burger was very good. I could see it being a tad bigger (just in terms of a filling meal not about the price) and I do think the bun size, albeight a very tasty bun, was too big for the meat size in terms of burger to bun ratio. I also felt the condiments I added on for an additional charge (smoked katchup, carmalized onions, hot pickles) were very skimpy.

This "review" probally sounds more negative than my overall experience was.

Tasty Burger. Good Fries. Nice People.
User avatar
User

Robin Garr

{ RANK }

Forum host

Posts

22984

Joined

Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:38 pm

Location

Crescent Hill

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by Robin Garr » Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:15 am

scott.wade wrote:Tasty Burger. Good Fries. Nice People.

I think you wrapped it up on a positive note, Scott!
no avatar
User

CrisBanaszynski

{ RANK }

Foodie

Posts

48

Joined

Tue Nov 18, 2014 7:39 pm

Location

119 Saint Matthews Avenue

Re: Grind Burger Kitchen, not cheap, but worth it

by CrisBanaszynski » Mon May 01, 2017 4:36 pm

My friend and I ate lunch about 2 weeks ago at Grind and when we paid my eyes about popped out of my head. Of course we had 2 burgers, we both got fries, she wanted to share the Brussel sprouts, we got the ghost chili mayo and smoked ketchup, and had 2 beers each. The $50+ we spent didn't seem like much for such and amazing meal. I think that if you consider the high quality food, service, and atmosphere, the cost does not outweigh what you get. I'll be back to Grind over and over again. I just have to ask for a raise.
Never trust a skinny chef...or a fat vegan

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests

Powered by phpBB ® | phpBB3 Style by KomiDesign