Big, bulky burger beckons buddies and beers
Holly Szkoropad
Issue date: 5/4/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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The half-pound Angus Burger, served at the Naglee Park Garage on East San Carlos at 11th Street, is a refuge from my life as a starving college student.
For around $10, one can savor this pleasure piled high with your choice of toppings, anything from blue cheese to caramelized onions. I recommend them all.
After more than a year of munching more than I can count, I feel qualified to divulge key facts about this burger. The meat is chuck quality and never, ever will have a piece of plastic-covered American cheese ruin it.
It's cooked-to-order on a cast-iron grill, a spectacle easy to watch - with a cold brew in hand - from a seat at the bar.
Take this tip from me: When you walk up to the register, order it rare. It might be one of your only chances as a college student to have confidence in the quality of meat.
The burger is served with thick-cut fries and a small pot of homemade ketchup. The ketchup is great, but this is one of the few burgers I can eat without it.
The first bite is rough because it's hard to open your mouth wide enough while making sure the burger stays intact. If your juggling act fails, don't panic. It's perfectly acceptable to resort to a knife and fork.
Even if you think you have a large appetite, bring a friend. No matter how ravenous I think I am, I've always needed a bit of help to clean my plate. If you go alone, that's OK too, because the staff is really friendly and they might even drink a beer with you.
I know I'm a girl, and this stuff might matter to me more than it should, but the ambiance of the place makes it all worth it.
The restaurant is situated on a plot where an old gas station and garage once operated. Today, it pays homage to local bicycle culture and neighborhood art.
If you stop by in the summer, the front of the restaurant is littered with unlocked bicycles and the sound of live music bursts from the side garden where more seating is available.
The building is so small that it only fits about eight tables, so there isn't any need to worry about flagging down a waiter. The only problem with the restaurant's size is that you might have to wait in line.
To keep things fresh, the restaurant usually changes the menu every few months, but don't worry, the burger is always on it. It's that popular.
Although seats are usually stocked with patrons from the nearby Naglee Park neighborhood, I occasionally find a new friend in an SJSU student who wanders into the place.
The employees, on the other hand, are mainly SJSU students. I often run into them hanging out at the restaurant, even when they aren't working.
This burger keeps me coming back, not only because it's delicious, but because the restaurant captures that friendly, neighborhood vibe that is so hard to find in Downtown San Jose.
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