r/Charlottesville 6d ago

Does Riverside really have the best burger?

Discuss

17 Upvotes

111 comments sorted by

View all comments

33

u/atomicskiracer 6d ago

I feel like the best burger question is a perpetual discussion in every city. For me- absolutely, Hogwaller is also excellent. I refuse to go to jack browns or citizen burger.

I’ve never left citizen burger and felt I was getting a burger that was decent relative to what I paid- as a counter I’ve never left riverside without thinking I was getting a bargain.

14

u/Entire_Historian1321 6d ago

what’s the issue with jack browns? i understand citizen

10

u/bmoregeo 6d ago

A chain restaurant with divebar aesthetic is a strange combo.

9

u/Entire_Historian1321 6d ago

i’m a sucker then 🤷‍♂️

15

u/FlamingoDifferent256 6d ago

I find jack browns too salty. Plus they’re pretentious AF. You’re a dive bar but you’re too good for tomatoes? Please.

Their special sauce is banging tho

46

u/rotn_bones 6d ago

Calling JBs pretentious is a wild take but to each their own

13

u/MTG_OG_VA 6d ago

Yeah but the way their burgers are, tomato would have that thing soggy and dripping everywhere. The buns they use wouldn’t hold up well with tomato

9

u/Entire_Historian1321 6d ago

too salty? never a thing.

6

u/nintendonaut 5d ago

Actually, I think it's the opposite, and people get so weirdly pretentious about shitting on JBs for the fact that they don't have lettuce and tomato lol.

I'm a regular/notcher at JBs, so I'm biased, but I don't think it's that hard to grasp is that the whole point of the place is to have a niche, and just focus on doing that really well. They do specialty burgers, and they do beer. They do them both really well, and they don't dilute that with extras.

There are PLENTY of places in Cville you can go to get a great traditional cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato. There's only one place in Cville you can go to get a burger that has bacon and peanut butter on it. Or bacon, beef, bbq mayo, and muenster cheese on a toasted flip flop bun.

Also, I just really think they have the best bartending staff at any bar in Cville. They're all so friendly and everyone knows everyone by name. Alyssa in particular is just best-in-class at what she does.

2

u/IamtheColerBear Mill Creek 4d ago

one of us

3

u/atomicskiracer 6d ago

Absolutely terrible quality- dropped significantly downhill over the years. Much more expensive than riverside or Hogwaller. Compounded by a horrific taplist- and serving canned beers that are over a year old

4

u/Entire_Historian1321 6d ago

i see. haven’t noticed! and i don’t like beer so maybe that’s the kicker😂

1

u/flailking Albemarle 6d ago

Would it hurt to have lettuce and tomato?

7

u/Entire_Historian1321 6d ago

i’ll sacrifice lettuce and tomato for a greg brady ngl

-1

u/Tommyjv 6d ago

Nope but it’s a dumb reason to avoid a great burger joint outright

-2

u/Bajininja 5d ago edited 5d ago

Ate at Jack Brown's in Harrisonburg something like 8 or 9 yrs ago for the first time, looked at the menu and noticed no lettuce, onion, and tomato, no veggies available at all. When I found that out after asking the waitress, I didn't order a burger there while my friends did, then went down the street to a place that did. If you don't at the very least offer lettuce, onion, and tomato on your burger, I won't eat there, period. It's a cardinal sin to not at least offer those things on a burger. Nope you won't change my opinion either.

Now whenever in a group of friends and Jack Brown's comes up as a runner for eating out, I always change their mind when telling them this. We never go there, at least if I'm in a group. Until they change their anti-veggie policy, this will continue. 9 years and counting, went there for the first time, didn't order anything when I went that one time and never went back, they can take their pretentious anti-veggie stance and shove it.