RESTAURANT REVIEW

Bill of Fare: Perrysburgers

Perrysburg joint disappoints with options

PerrysBurger Burger.

THE BLADE
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PerrysBurger Burger.

PerrysBurger Shake.

When you visit a restaurant that specializes in burgers, you expect them to be, well, special.

At Perrysburgers in downtown Perrysburg, the burgers are just OK. While gourmet burgers are showing up on menus everywhere in and around the Toledo area, that just doesn't cut it.

The restaurant boasts that it serves Angus steak burgers that are always fresh and never frozen. If that's accurate, they are using a press ó and why would you when uniformity doesn't do you any favors when it comes to "unique" food ó because all of our burgers were virtually the same size and thickness.

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MENU: PerrysBurgers

Our waitress didn't ask us on either visit how we'd like our burger cooked and was heard telling another table that the burgers are cooked medium well because that's how everyone likes their burgers.

No, we don't.

Service is friendly but woefully inadequate and offsetting.

During our first visit, we were told to get our own drinks. That sort of fits the "down home" feel the restaurant is striving for, but it's not realistic, especially if you have to go beyond the counter to get soft drinks (alcohol is not available). And in doing so, we got an unobstructed view into the kitchen as one cook was frying a couple of burgers on the flat top ó as all 10 tables waited for their food. During our second stop, however, drinks were delivered to our table

We waited a half hour for a basket of "unending fries" but didn't get our burgers for another 25 minutes. We were done with our fries when our burgers arrived, and asked for more fries, which didn't come until we were done with our burgers. By then, we were done eating and too disappointed to even touch the fries. We didn't wait as long the second time, but still longer than needed.

Adding to the awkwardness, when we asked for silverware all we got was forks ó no knives or napkins ó and were never given plates for the basket of chili-cheese fries that we split at our table.

The Texas burger ($9 for 8 ounces, $8 for 5.3 ounces) is Perrysburgers' take on the classic barbecue burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, and barbecue sauce. It also comes with jalapeÒo peppers, but we ordered it without and that might have been a mistake because without that heat the burger is lacking in any distinguishable flavor. The buns are overly buttered making that the primary flavor. On this option, the bacon was undercooked and chewy and the restaurant's "lonestar sauce" had no sweet, smoky, or spicy notes you look for on a cowboy style burger.

We felt the same about the pizza burger ($9/$8), a pretty ordinary option that can be easily duplicated at home with pepperoni, Dei Fratelli pizza sauce, and provolone cheese on a too-buttered bun.

The Hawaiian burger ($9/$8) shone through for sweetness thanks to the giant slice of pineapple, bacon slices, and sweet and sour sauce.

Skip the Kobe burger ($14), which came with grilled mushrooms, onions, and blue cheese crumbles. The price isn't worth it and it's supposed to be served medium rare but was somewhere between medium and medium well. Grease, unfortunately, is the overwhelming taste.

PerrysBurger Loaded Fries

If you don't like red meat, there are turkey, salmon, and garden burger options and every burger can be ordered as a chicken breast "burger" with a $1 up-charge. A special during one of our visits was a chicken bacon ranch served with tomato, lettuce, and onions. Again, the butter on the bun overwhelmed the chicken sandwich that was a bit bland in flavor ó and we'd be surprised if the chicken wasn't frozen.

The bacon chocolate shake was well worth the $5 price tag. The chopped bacon will clog your straw , so make sure to ask for a spoon.

The hand-cut fries at Perrysburgers are delicious and served in generous portions with all of its Angus steak burgers. You also can opt for specialty options of their "Big Basket O' Fries." You won't be disappointed in the chili cheese fries ($5) with layers of gooey nacho cheese sauce and a hearty chili (I would have eaten the chili on its own ó it was that good.). The sweet potato wedges are too large with the edges getting overdone in order to get the thick middle cooked. They are served with an odd mayonnaise-like sauce. Stick with the regular fries.

Unfortunately, Perrysburgers has a great name, but unassuming burgers and dining quarters.

Contact Bill of Fare at fare@theblade.com.

Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants. The Blade pays for critics' meals.