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| - You know I am the worst 'vegetarian' ever if I am writing a review of a hamburger joint, but actually, Create has a rather enticing salad selection. However, I did not try them. Sigh. I just can't work this protein thing out, and generally, if my friends want to try a new place where meat is the main attraction, I am happy to give it a shot. I just think it's a friendly way to be.
Me, Borg and Hendee (my artist pals) piled into the Camino (the El in the El) and headed to Create. I think it is a pretty nice environment. It definitely feels like it is part of a chain--very clean, bright and crisp, and there are plans for more locations and franchise opportunities; however, it is a locally owned business. The joint was jumping with mostly younguns, i.e. teenagers and 20-somethings. They had a wildly catchy pop soundtrack bumpin'. I admit: I sang along on more than one occasion.
The menu is a little overwhelming because there are a lot of choices. I knew I wasn't eating beef, though, so I quickly settled on a turkey burger with grilled onions, mixed greens, pickles and spicy mustard with a side of sweet potato fries. The bill came to a little over $6 without a drink, which I think is a darned good deal given that a "side" of fries was literally an entire sweet potato of goodness. They were not the best I have had, but I am always very happy to see them on the menu! Plus, they were hot hot hot, and food served hot always tastes a smidgen better. The turkey was a little dry; making a juicy turkey burger is hard. (The juiciest I have had is at Fat Burger.) My friends also ordered a Caesar salad, and I was able to steal a couple of servings of that tasty number. Unfortunately, we did not sample the custard, but that menu looked pretty delightful with both Fruit loops and Kit Kat, along with a bevy of other candied treats, on the topping list.
The standouts for me were the sweet potato fries, the selection of toppings and the salad offerings. For now, I am going to slap four stars on it because I am curious to go back and eat more salads. Oh, and I am feeling a little sheepish, as I just looked at their online menu and they have a veggie burger that I overlooked when I was there. You can also order a Portobello. My meat-eating subconscious must have just scanned right over that. Tricky little devil.
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