Good Stuff Eatery
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 10:18AM Like the President, we've put back a few Ray's Hell Burgers, and we've already done posts on BGR and Rogue States. So, to our minds, we were left only one upscale burger pad in the city to try: Good Stuff Eatery, at Pennsylvania Ave. and 3rd Street, SE. Known for its pseudo-celebrity chef, Spike Mendehlson of Top Chef fame, Good Stuff is also known for its long lines, so Angela and I got there early on a warm, sunny Saturday to sample some of Chef Spike's creative burgers and artisan milkshakes. We each ordered a burger, and decided to split some fries and a milkshake. The cashier handed us a buzzer, and we quickly nabbed the only available indoor seating left by the windows. At 11:30 am, the two-story restaurant was already filling up.
As we were waiting, we perused the selections of mayo (below, right). Being the food adventurers that we are, we got all of them (starting from the far end: sriracha, chipotle, Old Bay, and mango, which was placed as far away from Angela as possible so she wouldn't forget and try to eat it). The sriracha and sea salt sitting on the counter was also a welcomed touch.
After about 10 minutes, our burgers were ready to be devoured. Angela got the Colletti's Smokehouse, which came with applewood bacon, sharp Vermont cheese, fried Vidalia onion rings, and chipotle BBQ sauce, and was served on a Pennsylvania Dutch bun (below). The bun was perfectly proportioned, and the crisp bacon and crunchy onion rings picked up the textural slack. Normally, Angela doesn't much go for BBQ sauce, but this one was really subtle, giving up just hints of sweetness and smokiness.
Spike's Village fries come topped with fresh thyme & rosemary, and were sprinkled with sea salt (above). A couple of sources had warned that the fries would be soggy, but we didn't find that to be the case at all. They seemed fresh and had a nice texture. Perhaps we lucked out and were served off the top of a fresh batch. The amount of herbs that accompanied the fries was a little overwhelming, but we didn't mind too much, and were overall impressed.
For my burger, I had to go with the Spike's Sunnyside, made with dairy fresh cheese, applewood bacon, a "farm-fresh" fried egg, and Good Stuff Sauce, served on a brioche bun (below). My burger proved to be very drippy - but with a fresh egg on top, what would you expect? The sauce added some great flavor to the farm-made combo of ingredients and left me very happy.
While the creative aspirations were fully realized, we each had a few minor complaints. First, both burgers ran on the smaller side - which, by the time we finished our fries and milkshake, had turned from a complaint into a blessing. But had we not ordered accompaniments, we would have still been hungry. The meat quality was good, but you're not given the option to specify a temperature like at some of Good Stuff's competition.
The biggest complaint, however, is that Spike's fancy-dancy sandwiches are served fast-food style, wrapped in paper and then stuffed inside a bag. Even though we were eating in, by the time we'd unwrapped our burgers, they were all smushed. Don't you think that a burger that comes with onion rings on top of the patty should be given the benefit of proper presentation? As fancy and impressive as these burgers want to be, they're just not the same when you stuff them into a bag. All things considered, they're still pretty fantastic.
We also had to try one of the Spike's signatures milkshakes, and went with the toasted marshmellow. It tasted, well, exactly like toasted marshmellow. It was a little too sweet and thick for Angela, but I was pretty content with the selection. I'd been hearing the milkshakes were the reason to go to Good Stuff. I liked mine a lot, but wouldn't necessarily place this on a pedestal over others.
Our final verdict puts Good Stuff in a very solid second place (Ray's still has a cozy seat at the top) in D.C. The marketing and atmosphere of the Good Stuff brand makes for a fun scene and the burgers - even when wrapped-up and smushed - prove great, creative nibbles for the burger connoisseur. We're also excited for Spike's soon-arriving pizza venture. We, The Pizza opens next door to Good Stuff on July 12th.
Burger, D.C. in Reviews: On The Town
Reader Comments (6)
My favorite things there are the fries and mayo bar. Completely agree with you about the food being wrapped in paper and then stuffed in paper bags and sealed: not a good idea!
I had the turkey burger and although it was ok, it was nothing to write home about.
Olga-
It makes me so sad to see such pretty sandwiches given the paper bag treatment. I can only imagine what my impression would've been had they been served, maybe open face on a plate w/ a nice little presentation and uncrushed ingredients.. i thought the burgers were good, but that's the major difference between Ray's and here.
Love those milkshakes. Yum.
HI SARA!!!!!!
The milky way milkshake is ridiculously good. Agree on the bag treatment. Every Burger I've had was smashed
J-
I wonder why they do it that way, even with burgers that are eaten in house? It seems like it would be more work (and more wasteful) than just serving it up, sans bag. Oh, well, still yummy. I bet Mark would have LOVED that Milky Way milkshake, but we got too many Twitter comments recommending the Toasted Marshmellow to ignore them.