Max & Erma's Burger Platter

After my visit during opening week at Cheeburger Cheeburger of Oaks, I decided I needed to visit Max & Erma's for comparison.

At Max & Erma's, I ordered an Erma size (6oz burger) Tortilla Burger platter. That comes with french fries and a soufflé cup of their signature tortilla soup, for dipping. I have to admit there was no cole slaw as at Cheeburger Cheeburger. There were more fries, however. I asked for sriracha sauce in case the jalapeños didn't deliver enough heat. Max & Erma's doesn't have sriracha sauce. They do have Tabasco sauce. I ordered unsweetened iced tea. The glass was 16oz. and tapered like a pint beer glass not a mason jar with threads near the lip, as at CC. The price of a soft drink includes free refills.

Now for the food review. The burger was cooked as I requested. The toppings that came with the Tortilla Burger made it downright tasty. The fries were a bit thicker than those at CC and as at CC, cooked correctly. The dipping portion of the soup was great with both the fries or poured over the burger. But I do have a fondness for a bowl of tortilla soup at M&E's. Overall, I liked the platter better than at CC.

Apart from the food, one difference between the two is that M&E's has a rewards card they call Good Neighbors. CC doesn't. If you ask for a Good Neighbors card, you immediately receive a 5% discount on every order. If you visit M&E's 27 times within a calendar year, the following year you receive a 10% discount with every purchase. Register your card with an email address and you will receive special offers via email.

I have a Good Neighbor card. The night before I stopped in for this meal I was offered $3.00 off any burger platter, plus the 10% discount. So for this meal I spent a grand total of $8.21 including 6% PA sales tax.

Now maybe I entered this contest between Cheeburger Cheeburger and Max & Erma's with some bias. However, I believe I made a rational decision. I still think CC is too expensive for a cheeseburger platter and the decor and comfort of seating doesn't come near that of M&E's.

As for the ambiance, there is quite a difference. M&E's is all artificial light in the bar, where I usually eat for speed of service, compared with mostly daylight streaming through the entire glass exterior at CC.  There are no tables near the vestibule door, as compared to CC. There are two big screen TVs, which only show sports or news networks without sound, as compared to CC which has one larger screen TV.

I did hear the bartender/server at M&E's say that CC is pricing their menu to compete with M&E's. So, when I return to CC, after a period of time when I think they have worked out the kinks, I will test the burger platter again for taste and to see if there is any price competition for burgers in Oaks. For now, I will continue to go to Max & Erma's when I want a burger, comfortable seating and tortilla soup.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

First Burger at Cheeburger Cheeburger of Oaks

I stopped by Cheeburger Cheeburger in Oaks on Friday, the fifth day the restaurant was open for business. (note: one or more animals were killed to complete this review)

Since my last post about Cheeburger Cheeburger, I ran into a few people anxiously awaiting the restaurant to open. On Thursday I spoke at length with one of these zealots. A man I have been acquainted with for six years on a professional level. I respect his opinion when it comes to house renovations. So after hearing his flowery rant about Cheeburger Cheeburger I began to waver on the prejudgements I made about the restaurant being pricey compared to Max & Erma's.

Source:btsource

He told me he has been traveling 25 miles round trip from West Norriton to Cheeburger Cheeburger in Frazer, PA on US 30, the Old Lincoln Highway. With him traveling that distance for a hamburger, I figured the burger must be good. Or maybe it was the fries, onion rings or milk shakes. Then again, it just might be the atmosphere. A 50s diner kind of vibe- hard chairs, formica counter and tabletops, quilted stainless steel, neon lights and chewing gum popping smart mouthed waitress with stiff starched blouses, pleated skirts and tiara type head-wear might be what draws him as a porch light draws moths. The only way for me to tell was to visit the Cheeburger Cheeburger in Oaks, PA.

The very next day at noon, I stood before Cheeburger Cheeburger ready to try their burger and fries. It was already fifteen minutes into the lunch hour. The restaurant was only about 2/3 full. Upon entering, I was immediately greeted, asked if I was eating in or getting food to go. I was shown to a table for four by a waitress that wasn't chewing gum nor was smart mouthed. Not one server was wearing a highly starched blouse or skirt, either. They were all dressed in slacks and black T-shirts with STAFF spelled out across their backs in large letters. The decor was stylized 50s but the staff was styleless teens.

Ordering a platter would be the best way to sample a burger and fries and compare it to a platter at M&E's. I noticed on the menu that the Angus Burger Platter included a "Fresh, Never Frozen 10oz. patty." A 10oz. patty is way too much for me to eat. Darn, I eat a Whopper, Jr. at Burger King along with fries and a drink and I am filled. Besides, I usually order a 6oz. burger at M&E's. So, I asked the person who seemed to be the host, if I could substitute a The Classic Burger, 5.5oz. pre-cooked weight, for the 10oz. patty. The answer I received was that I could, but, there would be a $4.00 up charge. I was incredulous! I gave him another chance to redeem himself and reworded the question, "You mean that if I get a smaller burger on the platter, it will cost me more money?" This time I received a positive response. I took that to mean it would cost me more to purchase less. Still not believing there would be an up charge, I figured I would ask the waitress when she arrived to take our orders.

My friends ordered before me - fried pickles, The Serious Burger, tap water, The Classic Burger and lemonade. When the waitress looked to me for my order, I began with my question about substituting a The Classic Burger for the 10oz patty. She, too, was incredulous about the up charge and said she would look into it after I completed my order. So I ordered a Angus Burger Platter with a The Classic Burger, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and srirachi sauce. Then, being difficult on purpose, I asked who would  decide how much srirachi sauce would be placed on my burger? How would they know in the kitchen how much I preferred on my burger. The waitress then asked if I wanted the sauce on the side. I told her that would be just fine if she would do that for me. I then chose french fries and cole slaw for my sides and a cup of coffee. Off she went to place the orders. She returned almost immediately with an answer that there would be no up charge for less meat. I was liking the place, again.

The drinks arrived quickly. The cold drinks were iced and in mason-like jars with threaded lips. My coffee was delivered hot in a white ceramic mug. 

While we waited for the food, the three of us looked around the place. There were two bulletin boards hanging on the wall. Each of the BBs had photographs pinned to them. One BB was for children who had eaten a 1/2lb. burger. The other for adults who have eaten a one pound burger. CC was only open four days and already there were two children's and fifteen adult photographs on the BBs. I think they might soon need larger boards.

There were no children in CC when we were there. After all it was a school day. There were two obvious groups of diners at lunch hour that Friday. In one group consisted of people in their thirties and probably at lunch from their workplaces. In the other group was made up of women over 50 and there were at least three of them to a table. 

It wasn't long before the food arrived with the fried pickles showing up before the main courses. We all sampled them. My friend thought the batter too thick and held onto an excessive amount of oil. I thought they tasted OK. Tangy and crisp and I agreed the batter was thick and oily. The sauce, Tangy Horseradish, had a vinegar taste but not much, if any, hint of horseradish. There was more of a french dressing taste than anything.


The main coursed arrives several minutes later. My platter had most of the sides and sauces in black plastic soufflé cups- cole slaw, srirachi sauce and an unexpected chili/chunky chili sauce with the french fries on the plate. It didn't look like a large quantity of fries but I shared some with my fellow diners and along with the burger, cole slaw and chili and two mugs of coffee, I was full when I left the table.

As for taste, the burger was good, cooked to my specification. The fries were crisp on the outside and done on the inside. The cole slaw was dry and bland. The chili was darn near cold, tepid at best and tasted canned. The coffee was OK, drinkable. Overall, my platter was OK, not great. In no way did it rise to the level the CC zealot described on Thursday.

As soon as the main courses arrived I requested the checks be totaled individually. The server told me that would not be a problem. We did wait what seemed like a long time before they arrived. Upon their arrival I studied my check. There wasn't much time needed to figure out how the pricing of the platter worked.

The platter was the price of a burger plus $4.99. You can see The Classic Burger is priced at $5.99 then add the $4.99 up charge to bring it up to a platter price. What the host told me was almost correct, but I think he was a little confused. So my total for a 6oz. burger including cheddar cheese, mayo, sriricha, french fries, cole slaw and chili sauce and a bottomless mug of coffee was $13.17 plus PA state sales tax for a grand total of $13.96.

I will readily admit the staff was green and needed to mature. So, before I decide whether a burger platter is not as good a deal as M&E's, I will give CC a bit of time to work out the kinks and return at a later date for another taste.

In the meantime, there are other bars, taverns and restaurants in and around Oaks, Norristown, Phoenixville and King of Prussia that I just might be stopping into for a taste.

I was not offered nor did I receive any food or compensation during or after this visit.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Cheeburger, Cheeburger Opens Jan 21 in Oaks, PA

Adding to the food scene, I can only guess, is spawned by the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks will be +Cheeburger, Cheeburger. The space was originally Dolce Italian Restaurant, a failed upscale restaurant complete with hostess station. +Cheeburger, Cheeburger will be a closer match to the needs of the movie crowd and employees of nearby large box stores.

As you can see, the opening is scheduled for Monday January 21.

It appears to be designed like a 50's malt shop. Lots of formica, chrome, neon and quilted stainless steel. The table and chairs remind me of the kitchen with which I was raised. I can clearly hear my mother and father telling me to stop leaning back with the chairs. They had their point. Once the rubber tips are worn off the legs the hollow tubes cut through the linoleum on the floor. Another thing I clearly remember is that those kind of chairs are uncomfortable.

Each table has sitting on it, what seems to be, a roll of paper towels placed in a chrome holder. I wonder if the food is messy by design? It won't be long before I know.

The Cheeburger, Cheeburger menu was taped to the glass beside the front door. Just a quick look at the headlines. Seems the place might have been named Invent. Invent your shake, fries, cheeseburger, platter, drink and salad. I wonder if I can invent a cheeseburger without the cheese. Nah! That would just be uninventive.

As for price, $6.95 for the (yellow highlighted on the printed menu) Semi-Serious Burger, 7oz. of meat, precooked. I am confused as to whether fries are included at that price. If not, a 6oz. burger at Max and Erma's is a better value. Fries are included there. Max and Erma's entrance is but a few hundred feet away. A short walk if either place is crowded. The consumer wins again. At least if you want a burger.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Oaks Gardens Gone - The Face of Oaks Is Changing

Oaks Gardens, the garden market at the intersection of Egypt and Mill Roads, has closed their doors forever. As of the first day of January 2013 their lease expired. 

On Wednesday 2 January 2013 the final remaining items were being gleaned by the owners. 

Source - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Limerick-Gift-and-Garden/314524315320821

Everything being moved to thier new location at +Limerick Gift and Garden, in Limerick, PA.

The buildings that once cast shade upon the tuberous begonias and impatiens stood bare, mere structures without flesh, without a heartbeat.

A few pieces of pottery were still to be collected for the move.

Not far away slept freezing behemoth brooms soon to sweep the floor clean. A new year and a new beginning for this old patch of earth.

It is rumored in the spring, from this earth will sprout a crop of commercial properties that will include a bank, +Wawa, +Wendy's, +Buffalo Hot Wings, a drug store and several other stores yet to find lessees.

The complex will extend to Black Rock Road where there is already construction in progress on a +Chicago Grill and possibly a Chili's.

Speaking of eateries, there is a already a new bar at +Arnold's Family Fun Center, called +The Water Tower. I expect to wander over there real soon. +Cheeburger, Cheeburger is opening later this month in the once Dolce Restaurant location behind Max and Erma's famous for their own hamburgers. There is also a rumor of a Golden Corral to open within walking distance of the +Expo Center.

I guess all the food groups will be covered soon - hamburgers, beer, pizza, beer, cheeseburgers, wings, beer, sushi, hot dogs, hot peppers, beer, soft serve, liquor and chocolate fountain.

Even with all the eatery choices I still see room for an Asian buffet, Indian tandoori, Korean bar-b-que, Irish pub, Brazilian grill, Medieval feast and tournament, Roman food orgy and an all night steak sandwich window service.

The face of Oaks, PA is ever changing. I can only wait and hope.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved