I may be late to the party here, but Five Star Burgers is incredible.
I am now on Summer Vacation, or as I like to call it, mini-retirement. The school year has ended, and I am now taking care of the kiddos at home instead of at school. We’ve been having a very relaxing, low key summer thus far, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.
The lovely wife, however, must continue to toil in the real world. Yesterday, I was tasked with getting new tires for her vehicle. I dropped the kiddos off at Grandpa and Grandmas when I received a text asking if I would like to meet for lunch near her office.* Not wanting to miss a chance to spend some alone time with my beautiful bride, I happily said I’d meet her at her office.
*The lovely wife gets an hour lunch break. Though she rarely uses it fully, the idea of an hour for lunch seems OPULENT to a teacher. In the last 13 years, the longest lunch break I’ve had was 26 minutes. In my current position, I serve milk to students, record their milk credits or debits, sit at a bench style table meant for 6-12 year olds, and keep watch over the herd as they devour their brownish lunches 174 days a year. When I worked at a public high school in the area, lunch was 19 minutes long! Now, I certainly realize teaching has many perks, but man, an hour lunch break to do with what you want sure is nice.
Five Star Burgers is just down the street from her office, and I had gone here once before with the kiddos back in December. Yesterday, however, we had the opportunity to eat out on the patio, and I left pondering if there is a better burger in St. Louis.
We were promptly seated and our drink orders were taken. I ordered a Schlafly Kolsch and the lovely wife got an iced tea (she was still at work, after all).
I had had the Dad’s Green Chile Cheeseburger on my previous visit, and thought I’d try something else today. So I ordered the Blue Ribbon Burger, medium rare. The burger is topped with bacon, port braised onions, and Gorgonzola cheese. Meanwhile, the lovely wife ordered the Gateway Burger, which comes with bacon, cheddar, onion rings, and barbecue sauce.
Finally, to go with our burgers we ordered a small basket of sweet potato fries to share.
While waiting for our burgers, I sipped the Kolsch and we enjoyed watching busy Claytonians (is that the correct demonym?) stroll by on their lunch break. We were further entertained by a group of financial wizards at the table next to us discuss the S&P 500 and their various off-color misadventures.
After a reasonable wait, our burgers arrived. The burgers are very large, and the lovely wife gave me half of hers. I intended of eating half of mine and hers, but that plan fell by the wayside upon biting into the Blue Ribbon Burger.
First off, the burger was cooked perfectly. Amply pink and exceptionally moist, the ground beef by itself was a treat. However, paired with the delicious meat were the oh-so-sweet braised red onions. They were a wonderful complement to the savory beef. Another thing I really enjoyed about the burger was the bacon. Rather than strips, it is served crumbled on top of the burger. Finally, the sharp, tangy Gorgonzola added a nice contrast to the sweet onions, savory beef, and salty bacon. Taken together, it was an incredible burger served on a lightly toasted bun.
As for the Gateway Burger, it too was good, but not quite as exciting as the Blue Ribbon. Once again, hers was cooked to her specifications (medium well), and the meat was very flavorful. I liked the cheddar, bacon, and onion rings on the burger, but found the barbecue sauce to be too sweet for my liking (In full disclosure, I much prefer ketchup and mayo on any burger to barbecue sauce).
Finally, the sweet potato fries were a treat. Served with maple cream, they were a fantastic complement to our meal. After devouring our meal, our check was promptly taken care of, and I drove the lovely wife back to her office fifty-five minutes after we had left. It was a nice mini-date, and I headed back to St. Charles satisfyingly full and ready to take on another day of summer relaxation.
Five Star Burgers worthy of your time over your opulent one hour lunch break. I really enjoyed everything about our visit: good staff, good beer, great burgers, and lovely company in an enjoyable setting.
If you find yourself in Clayton craving a hearty lunch, Five Star Burgers is sure to satisfy. Check it out. And if you do, you may find me there on my wife’s lunch break.