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Last year, I published many reviews comparing different burgers served in various diners in town. The competition has been fierce lately and all diners have been upping their game introducing new burgers, new items to their menu... and Classic Burger Joint is no stranger to the game... Rumors have been circulating that CBJ have made some improvements in the kitchen so I wanted to check in on things...
My personal opinion about Classic Burger Joint is not too easy to explain and at times may sound contradicting. In a nutshell, I still don't understand why a place that serves only burgers doesn't offer different types of meat as well as offer choices that include Angus among others.
Let's start by enjoying the concept, the place and its colors:
- A yellow facade catches your attention from far away
- High stools make you enjoy the action outside while eating
- An industrial feel adds a funky American unique style
- Metallic electrical cables, air conditioning ducts and factory lights are few of the many interesting details
- Posters decorate the concrete walls
- The famous signature mirror makes the place look much bigger
- A brick wall, half painted in black adds a New Yorker touch
- To the left, a brown leather sofa is installed under the television
- Dark wooden tables surrounded by wooden chairs fill in the space
- Paper placemats and ketchup bottles decorate all the tables
- An open kitchen with mouthwatering grilling sounds
- Ketchup, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, Jalapeños and other ingredients are displayed on stainless shelves in front of the open kitchen
- Two LCD screens broadcast the latest sports events
- My favorite is the long leather Chesterfield green sofa that follows the wall under the main mirror
- A clock, setup high below the ceiling, reminds you that time is precious
Choose between one of their signature burgers:
- Classic
- Classic Cheese
- Swiss ‘n Mushroom
- Classic Mozzarella Burger
- Classic Chicken Mozzarella
- BBQ Bacon
- The Mexican
- Chicken Grilled
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- The Lebanese
- The Blues Burger
- The Original Juicy Lucy
- The no-meat Quinoa veggie burger
Waiting for the burgers, we asked for some fries and mozzarella sticks. The fries are excellent, even superb. Crunchy golden fries unpeeled and covered with paprika. You know, the kind of fries your grandma used to prepare for you, fried two times and mastered to perfection to please the kids. Adequately cooked and crunchy without being oily and most importantly not feeling commercial. What a success! The mozzarella sticks are as good as the fries. A new flavor, an interesting crispiness and a perfect non-oily touch of enjoyment.
The burger comes in a white plate covered with CBJ branded paper that helps with the decoration as well as absorbing any oil residue from the fries
The burger described:
- A beautiful and perfectly round piece of bread decorated in many exotic colors.
- Yellow, green, red, brown and grey activate all your senses
- Classic Burger Joint has the best bun in Lebanon and by far. It is spongier than others, bigger in size, different in consistency and covered with oats and sesame seeds making it unique of its kind
- Inside, the many different ingredients are layered one on top of the other in a classy and beautiful setup
- A thin slice of crunchy fresh iceberg lettuce
- Thick sweet pickles add an American touch and taste to the mix
- One or two thin tomato slices, depending on their size, are peacefully deposited on the lettuce
- The upper bun is covered with the CBJ signature deli sauce, light or any other you order
- At the bottom, embracing the mix is a thin piece of 130g meat wearing a yellow cheese robe
My wife and her parents loved their burgers. Honestly mine was not impressive. I was hoping to discover something new but what I tasted was the same taste and an overall feel of excess salt that's unnecessary. Here is where I think things will sound a bit confusing. I did enjoy my burger as it is; at least the first few bites before it started to get cold. Here is where the commercial taste of the meat erupts.
I say this again - for a place that only serves burgers, many improvements must be done. I didn't even want to adventure into the "cold meat test" tonight.
What has my opinion been on Classic Burger Joint's Burger to date?
- CBJ has the best burger bun in Lebanon
- It is "The" burger of all generations, appreciated by the youngest generation up to elderly people who want to cheat from time to time and remember their childhood moments
- The burger should be eaten immediately to be enjoyed; but when ordered as a delivery, CBJ's burger becomes the worst burger. It becomes close to inedible after 15 minutes.
- In my opinion the meat is too commercial. If eaten alone it brings forward some flavors one doesn't want to discover - the color is grey, it has a condensed feel, the lack of fat moist, Its greyish look, the way it shreds to pieces...
CBJ offers the best bun in town; use the freshest of vegetables... so why not also offer the best meat. More so, why not give us the choice to choose the quality of the meat as well as its thickness. Offer the choices and write it clearly on the menu. CBJ should be the trendsetter.
I still enjoy this place and love the concept. I adore the spirit, the colors, the staff and how they have been trained. The portions served are very generous, the fries are amazingly good... The music, the beverages, the decoration. I believe that CBJ will continue to be the nation's favorite burger place for many years to come.
