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| - Still on a quest to find a tasty burger in Pittsburgh, my boyfriend and I brought an out-of-town guest to Burgatory on a Friday night. I knew there would be a wait, since people mention that in all the reviews, but I figured it was one of those things where they say it's a 90 minute wait, but really it's 45 minutes, you know? Yeah, not so. They said 75-90 minutes, and I believe it truly was 90. Wowza. The place was packed with people waiting. If it wasn't so cold out, we'd have gone for a walk or something - they have a great text message alert system so they text you when your table is ready. We just got some beers at the bar - they had Strongbow cider on tap! - and jealously watched everyone else sitting down to eat.
After forever, we got to sit down. Service moved pretty quickly after that. We all did the build-your-own burger option, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the decisions. All their beef is hormone-free, which is nice, so I had no qualms about getting the regular beef burger. I got a whole wheat bun, cracked peppercorn rub, farmhouse cheddar cheese, roasted garlic mayo, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, arugula, and caramelized onion marmalade on mine. Also ordered fries instead of the usual potato chips that come with, but since I was so hungry and had consumed 2 beers, I can't say whether there was an extra charge for that or not. Probably. But I wasn't paying attention.
I did pay attention when I took my first bite of the burger - wow. Juicy and flavorful, perfect medium rare, leaps and bounds above any burger we've tried yet in Pittsburgh. The roasted garlic mayo was great, the avocado was fresh, and the bacon was perfectly crispy. There was a generous side of small, crispy fries which were the perfect accompaniment. Everyone loved their meals - I know my cohorts got fried eggs on theirs, which they enjoyed - and we all agreed it was a meal worth the wait.
I'd love to come back here - it reminds me of The Counter in Chicago, another great custom burger joint - but that wait is seriously killer. If I return, it'll have to be on a day when I'm really in no hurry at all. 90 minutes is a long time to stand around, watching delicious food go past. But there's a reason this place is so popular - whoever is cooking the burgers and sourcing their ingredients really knows what they are doing.
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