To celebrate my youngest daughter's birthday, we decided to try Centre Park Grill (just off Centre Park Drive in Ellicott City) for the first time. Monday is their burger bargain night: half pound burgers with fries or slaw for $7.77. In addition, all draft beers are half price. But how do the burgers stack up? Not too shabby.
I ordered the lamb burger, just to switch things up. It came with red onion jam, baby spinach, and a half pound patty, all on a "brioche" bun. The fries were shoestring thin, but not overly crisp. (This is not a complaint as I'm one of those weirdos who prefers soggy fries!) I requested a medium temperature but the patty was slightly overcooked, barely pink at all. Still, it was very juicy. The onion jam was such a thin layer, I really couldn't taste it. And the bun was too light and fluffy to hold up to such a large, juicy burger. However, even with all these dings, I enjoyed it.
To wet my whistle, I tried a very unique beer on tap: a grapefruit shandy. I've had a shandy before--normally a blend of lager and lemon soda. Great for a hot summer day. The grapefruit shandy was a beautiful shade of coral and tasted almost exactly like fermented grapefruit juice. I'd definitely go for this one again.
My daughter had the colossal crab cake which came with two sides. The carrots were quite spicy, heavily peppered, but nicely cooked. The crab cake was bursting with big chunks of crab meat, the serving so large she couldn't finish it.
My mom and husband also had burgers, but they selected the beef variety. For four of us, the tab came to about $77 for dinner. Not an outrageous cost, which included a glass of wine in addition to the half-priced beer.
The atmosphere in this cafe was pleasant enough. The noise level was low to moderate. The place wasn't too crowded, but this was early on a Monday evening. There is outdoor patio seating, but the entire patio had been reserved in advance for a party, so we didn't have that option.
As far as burger places in Howard County rate, I don't think I'd put Centre Park Grill in the upper echelon. I'd give my lamb burger a solid B, though, so not bad at all. I wouldn't want to pay full price ($14) but at $7.77, it's not a bad deal.
#hocofood
I ordered the lamb burger, just to switch things up. It came with red onion jam, baby spinach, and a half pound patty, all on a "brioche" bun. The fries were shoestring thin, but not overly crisp. (This is not a complaint as I'm one of those weirdos who prefers soggy fries!) I requested a medium temperature but the patty was slightly overcooked, barely pink at all. Still, it was very juicy. The onion jam was such a thin layer, I really couldn't taste it. And the bun was too light and fluffy to hold up to such a large, juicy burger. However, even with all these dings, I enjoyed it.
To wet my whistle, I tried a very unique beer on tap: a grapefruit shandy. I've had a shandy before--normally a blend of lager and lemon soda. Great for a hot summer day. The grapefruit shandy was a beautiful shade of coral and tasted almost exactly like fermented grapefruit juice. I'd definitely go for this one again.
My daughter had the colossal crab cake which came with two sides. The carrots were quite spicy, heavily peppered, but nicely cooked. The crab cake was bursting with big chunks of crab meat, the serving so large she couldn't finish it.
My mom and husband also had burgers, but they selected the beef variety. For four of us, the tab came to about $77 for dinner. Not an outrageous cost, which included a glass of wine in addition to the half-priced beer.
The atmosphere in this cafe was pleasant enough. The noise level was low to moderate. The place wasn't too crowded, but this was early on a Monday evening. There is outdoor patio seating, but the entire patio had been reserved in advance for a party, so we didn't have that option.
As far as burger places in Howard County rate, I don't think I'd put Centre Park Grill in the upper echelon. I'd give my lamb burger a solid B, though, so not bad at all. I wouldn't want to pay full price ($14) but at $7.77, it's not a bad deal.
#hocofood
Which restaurants would you put in the upper echelon for burgers?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, my most favorite burger spot recently closed! Bistro Blanc had half-priced burgers on Wednesday evenings which featured local, grass-fed beef, housemade buns and pickles, and fantastic rosemary parmesan fries. Hard to beat, but Victoria's Gastropub is a close second in my book. No half-priced burger night, however!
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