Behold, the 5 fry, perfect burger.
If we've found the best burger in Ohio, is the search over? I don't think so - at some point I suppose I'll have to go to the Thurman, just to please everyone.
When Husband was in Cincinnati last fall for his Advanced sommelier test, a few of his fellow test-takers took him to Terry's Turf Club, where he tasted this divine treat and send me an email almost immediately that he had, indeed, found the best burger in the state.
For this reason, when we decided to take a long weekend in Louisville, I suggested we make a pit stop in Cincinnati so that I could taste this deliciousness for myself.
First of all, the space: Terry's is a shrine to all things neon - working neon. I'm a neon fan (who isn't, really) so I thought that was super cool. It's cluttered - sort of in the same way as the Thurman, but without the customers' additions of business cards, money, etc. There are all sorts of vintage beer adverts everywhere.
For a small bar, there is a large selection of great beers (we chose Hennepin) and a strangely large collection of eaux de vie and cognacs.
They also have the coolest coolers in the world. Behold, the Bevador - don't you think Liz Lessner needs one for Dirty Franks?
But who cares about all of that? We're here for the burgers, right?
But I did, briefly, think about getting the filet with sauce Bearnaise for $13.50.
Let's talk about kitchens for a second. People are always bowing down to chefs as though they are the end-all be-all of the food world, and yeah, chefs are great and all that... but I am always far more fascinated by the line cooks - especially in smaller restaurants - who can fill an entire flat top or grill with 27 different tickets and know exactly what's where and how it's to be served. I remember being in a busy Waffle House once where a blue haired kid was at the grill. He has about 8 pans going at a time on one side, cooking eggs to order, and on the flat top, he was making hashbrowns, bacon, and sausages, and with his other hand he was making waffles. Husband and I sat and watched him for over an hour, mesmerized, as he continued in the mode, nonstop. Never looking up. In a constant state of motion, never pausing. These are the people who make a kitchen run.
So it was in the Terry's kitchen. One grill cook, filling the flat top over and over with burgers, three rails full of tickets. Each ticket represents a burger with the diner's specific topping requests. In addition to the burgers, buns are toasting, onions are grilling, along with those tasty banana peppers. Nonstop. Every once in awhile, he consults the tickets for topping for each burger. When you are cooking in this situation, the grill becomes a map - a puzzle in grid formation. Each square relates to a spot where a ticket is on the rail, every time. You have to get into zen mode to work like this. If you over or under think it, the whole system is thrown off, and there's no time for that. You have to keep going until it's over. And, judging from the crowd at Terry's when we arrived, and the line waiting to get in, and the people walking down the sidewalk as we got to our car, it never ends.
There is a warning on the menu to be patient - your burger is cooked to order, according to your specifications, when you order it. Don't worry, it's worth the wait. And while you're waiting, there are peanuts and you can throw the shells on the floor. We were even scolded for returning our peanut shells to the peanut bowl!
Okay, I think that's enough suspense. How's the burger? I ordered mine with Swiss cheese, pickles, grilled onions and peppers, and lettuce. You're hooked at the first bite. A soft but sturdy toasted Kaiser roll holds the giant hand formed patty (half pound easy). The meat tastes nice and beefy, and is very lightly seasoned, if at all (I just like the taste of the meat). The cheese is nicely melted to the patty, and just when you think it's too rich, the tang of the grilled pickled banana peppers and the pickles hit you, and balance everything out. It's burger heaven. The patties aren't pressed when being cooked, so they arrive very juice. Seriously, drip down your elbows juicy. And it's not just grease. It's burger juice so yummy I found myself licking my arm. No. I'm not joking. You don't want precious drop to go to waste. You should be eating your burger over your fries or chips so that any drops fall on them and get soaked up for later eating. The guy sitting next to me commented that he couldn't drink his beer while eating the burger, because it never left his hand, and the other hand needed to be available for fry-eating.
This burger is so good that I was determined to eat every delicious bit. I almost made it, but about 2/3s of the way through, I just couldn't plow through anymore, no matter how delicious. Fortunately, Husband was there to bat clean up.
Immediately upon exiting, I said "it's worth the trip just to eat here." That's a serious burger.
I concur with Husband. I could find no fault with the burger or the joint. 5 fries.
Info: Terry's Turf Club 4618 Eastern Ave (Cincinnati) 513.533.4222
