Burgers at White Oak Tavern

It's our anniversary this week, so how do we celebrate? You guessed it: with a burger. Just so you know, we haven't been out for a burger since last January! I swear! We are very deserving of this meal out.

We chose The White Oak Tavern for one reason and one reason alone: I recently purchased a groupon to get half price off our meal. I am ridiculously frugal, and cannot pass up a bargain. After I purchased the groupon and made the reservations, I reread the blog I wrote after our last (and only) visit to this restaurant. Oops. I wasn't super thrilled with it! I gave our meal a B. Not bad, but not stellar. Has anything changed?

This time around, I remembered my cell phone and I took plenty of photos!

I started with a Breckenridge Vanilla Porter which was on special during Wednesday's all day Happy Hour. Only $4 for a 16 oz. pour. Not as rich as a stout, this porter was full-bodied, slightly sweet, and yummy. To keep it company, we also ordered a bowl of bacon ($6).

I thought it was a little strange how the long strips of bacon were served curled up and stuck together in a little tiny bowl! If I were serving this dish, I'd cut the strips in half to make it more like bacon chips. I might also serve a dipping sauce, but the bacon was candied with brown sugar, so I can't complain too much.

My hubby and I both ordered the White Oak Burger with fries ($15.50). I still think mine was cooked slightly over medium, but my husband disagreed. He thought both our burgers came out medium, exactly as ordered. However, he noticed that the caramelized onions on his burger were cold. I'm sure they're cooked ahead of time and spread on the burgers straight out of the fridge. Oh well. The combination of the onions with the white cheddar and arugula is very good. The brioche buns hold up well to the juicy meat.

The fries were fine--too thin for my taste, but I knew this ahead of time. The ketchup was very tasty, and I scraped up every drop.

We had the entire dining room to ourselves, and the rock music (some Tom Petty!) wasn't overly loud. So I would have to give the atmosphere two thumbs up. I'm guessing later in the evening, it could be a different story. Overall, I am sticking with my original grade for these burgers: B.

I'm still on the hunt for the best burger in Howard County. Please feel free to make suggestions!

#hocofood
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