One of the most quintessential munchie foods of all time has got to be the Cheeseburger. There are so many components that can either make or break this seemingly perfect food. Was the meat prepared and cooked right? What toppings and condiments came on the burger? Did the bun stand up to the meat, or did everything just go to hell and the bun tear in half (that's the worst). Trying to eat a burger with a torn bun is like trying to smoke a bowl without the bowl (not that it's impossible…my good buddy Deem made a bad habit out of using his hand as a bowl back in college, but that's another story my friends). The point I am trying to make here is that you don't have to search high and low in order to find a good cheeseburger; however, if you want to find the perfect cheeseburger, then that, my friends, is an entirely different journey all together.
After eating my way through pretty much every single cheeseburger in the Denver metropolitan area, I was able to create a short list of about 2 or 3 spots, but only one was able to earn the top spot on the griddle that is my soul (what?). First there was the Cherry Cricket, which is pretty damn amazing, but there was just something missing. Then there was H Burger, with their liquid nitrogen milkshakes that if a waitress were to drop, would recreate the scene at the end of Demolition Man. You know the one where Sly freezes Wesley Snipes and then kicks his head into a million pieces? But lastly and most importantly, there was Park Burger. Park Burger, in my opinion, is about as far as a Cow could possibly go in this carnivorous world.
Before heading to this land of compressed meat heaven, I decided to medicate (obviously) with a fellow patient who got his hands on some overly nice OG Kush. This is another one of those strains that gained its fame in southern California and eventually migrated to the Rocky Mountain state. It is also another one of those strains that could silence a room just by its name, but once it became too abundant, some people hopped on the bandwagon and started cultivating it in less than stellar fashion. Luckily, it’s still an amazingly prime strain when the genetics aren't too burned out and it is grown in small batches. This particular situation just happened to fall under both of those categories. The herb tasted absolutely fantastic and was so potent that I actually turned down my second hit (no, not really, but I did turn down the 6th). It produced a very powerful, but uplifting high that kept us laughing on the entire walk to Park Burger.
Upon arriving at the (greasy) Pearly gates of Park Burger, the perfect afternoon helped us decide to take a seat on the patio. Now when it comes to what you want to order here, if you don't order a burger of some sort then you deserve a pickle to the face. They have a wide array of in-house recommendations for Cheeseburgers - everything from the classic build-your-own burger (I recommend the fried onions and pickles with American cheese) to the New Yorker (adorned with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and 1000 island dressing).
Now, no matter what you order here you are sure to be more than extremely pleased, but today, in an attempt to channel my inner Frenchmen, I decided on the Croque Burger. This masterpiece of meaty goodness is piled high with ham, Swiss cheese, and a perfectly fried egg. And oh man, if you have never tried a fried egg on your burger, you are missing out. The moment you first slightly pierce the yolk and it oozes out on top of everything underneath you know that from here on out you will put a fried egg on anything and everything you can. From sandwiches to chocolate cake, an egg just makes everything that much better.
The fries here are also equally amazing. They have original and sweet potato, but if you ask for a mixed basket they will gladly oblige. They also have an ungodly concoction known as "the works," a basket of French fries topped with ranch, bacon, cheese sauce, and scallions. This is no joke and is an amazing meal in itself, but if you plan on eating a burger after trying to tackle the works, you are in for a rude middle-of-the-night awakening my friend. Regardless…the fries are bomb.
Our burgers were just as delightful as I knew they would be: amazingly juicy and seasoned to perfection (and ooooh…that fried egg). I even managed to save enough room for one of their custom milkshakes. The flavor of the day just happened to be banana pudding. One of my childhood favorite desserts compacted into a frozen dairy treat?? It's like they knew I was coming, just as they know that I will certainly be coming back. Thank you Park Burger for taking something as simple as the cheeseburger and turning it into something as amazing as a fried egg on well...pretty much anything. Can't wait to return!
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Park Burger | ParkBurger.com
Platt Park | 1890 South Pearl Street, Denver, CO 80201 | 720.242.9951
Highlands | 2643 W. 32nd Ave, Denver, CO 80211 | 303.862.8461
Park & CO / Uptown | 439 E. 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80203 | 720.328.6732
