Island Burgers: Which beef is best?
Milo Carr, Reporter

You’ve seen pizza reviews and coffee reviews — now it’s time to review something that occupies the menus of most restaurants on this island: burgers. While I didn’t have the space (both word count and intestinal) to review all nine shops that serve burgers, I knew I had to give an unbiased, standard experience at some of the most well-known restaurants and delis on the island.

Island Queen

Price: $5.95

What I ordered: Burger w/ LTOP, cheddar, ketchup, and mayo.

For obvious reasons — I work here — I may be a bit biased. That being said, the burger was amazing. I’m talking messy, juicy, finger lickin’ good. When one of my coworkers brought it to my table, I was a bit worried it was cold. We were in the middle of our dinner rush and the bun was about as warm as your average science lab. The moment I took a bite, however, all doubts were dispelled. The patty was fresh off the griddle, a well-formed quarter pound of grass fed beef topped with fresh and flavourful veggies. Everything was good, though I admit the cheese did take the backseat when it came to flavor. Not a great trait in a cheeseburger. All in all, a well put together burger for a decent price, though be warned: you will need plenty of napkins!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. The average burger. This burger sets the standard.

Perry’s Vashon Burgers

Price: $4.05

What I ordered: Cheeseburger (American, lettuce, onions, relish, mayo, mustard, ketchup)
I found the standard cheeseburger to be, well, standard. If you’re looking for a good burger at an amazing price, I highly recommend Perry’s Burgers. Though the patty was smaller compared to other burgers reviewed, everything else was pretty good. I ordinarily don’t like mustard, but somehow I didn’t mind it here. Nothing particularly outstanding, but I couldn’t find any faults. It was neat that I could watch the burger be cooked; no other Vashon restaurant offers that perspective.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. A good, standard, solid burger.

Hardware Store

I ordered: Old Fashioned Hamburger

Price: $12

The moment I got my burger, I knew it was gonna be good. Though difficult to eat — it was a bit tall — the patty had a smoky flavor that reminded me of a summer grill party. The veggies were fresh, crisp, and flavorful. Every flavor had its place in the burger, and nothing was overpowered or out of place. However, the price makes it lose some of its appeal. Though a delicious burger, the price was a tad too high for a casual diner. Therefore, I dub this the “Special Occasion Burger.”

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.A delicious burger made with feeling, but expensive.

Thriftway Deli

Price: $6.99

I ordered: Painted Hills Burger with LTOP, cheddar, ketchup and mayo.

This burger was HUGE. While most burgers sold on the island are standard quarter pounders, this bad boy was a whole half pound. I couldn’t even finish it in one sitting; while writing this review the night of, half a burger was sitting in my fridge. That being said, it was an amazing burger. Juicy, well formed, and topped with so many fresh veggies I thought I’d accidentally been given a small salad. A relatively short wait time–approximately ten minutes — this was by far my favorite burger. Ordinarily I’d take off a star due to price, but because this burger was half the size of my face, I’ll let it slide. If it wasn’t so big I’d have it all the time.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. A giant burger for a decent price.