After my bike fiasco last week, Marshall and I decided to go on a bike shopping trip on Monday morning. (I love Mondays because it is the only day of the week that Marshall wakes up with me because he didn't work until midnight or later the night before.) Instead of driving, we walked the 1.5 miles to the Sunflower Bike Shop downtown on Mass Street to check out what they had in stock. That was the second store we went to that morning. I just love that we are in walking distance to downtown!
I liked the bikes that we saw there, but they were pricier than what I had tested out at Cycle Works. As it was nearing lunchtime, Marshall turned to me and said, "How about we consider this a date and stop somewhere for lunch?" Truth be told, eating out rarely crosses my mind because I know that I can buy groceries for way less than a restaurant bill. However, it had been about 3 months since we last ate out together.
So after he did some convincing on my part, I agreed and we stopped by The Burger Stand. We chose that place because two weeks ago I watched as its head chef won the cooking challenge at the Douglas County Fair. I liked what I tasted at the fair's contest, so I was excited to try out his restaurant. It did not disappoint!
As we were preparing to leave the restaurant to walk back home, the Kansas summer sky let out a torrential downpour, typical for the Midwest. We actually had a great time walking back home, even though we were soaking wet upon arriving home. *Memories*
Here is my review of the restaurant:
What I ordered: Summertime Salad with the burger option--Kale, arugula, and romaine mix, cantaloupe, prosciutto, toasted almonds, with mango vinaigrette with the Spicy Shiitake patty which was a shiitake and crimini mushroom patty topped with habanero cream cheese and sliced avocado. I actually ate the House Salad--kale, arugula, romaine mix, blue cheese, bacon, cherry tomatoes, with avocado ranch, with the Spicy Shiitake patty (see below for details).
How I liked it: I loved that they had the option of ordering a salad with a bun-less burger because it gave me a chance to get some yummy greens along with the amazing flavors of a burger. The habanero cream cheese was really spicy on its own, but with the avocado and the mushroom patty, it tasted pretty great. It was still pretty spicy, so I probably wouldn't order it again, but it was a pleasant adventure for sure. The salad was delicious: I loved the avocado ranch with the duck fat fries dipped in...oh wow! They use very fresh ingredients and the tomatoes tasted and looked like they were freshly picked from the farm.
Summertime Salad
What the husband ordered: Barnyard bash burger--fried chicken topped with sliced avocado, applewood smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, spicy honey mustard BBQ sauce, and assorted greens and Duck Fat Fries-- fries made in duck fat butter, spritzed with orange zest and fresh herbs (we shared the fries).
How he liked it: Wow! Those duck fat fries were amazing. He said they were the best fries he had ever had. I would probably agree. He loved the flavor party of the burger and they did not skimp on the avocado portion size on either his burger nor my salad. The burger filled him up and we took the remaining fries home for later.
Customer Service Review: I had ordered the Summertime Salad Special, but I got the House Salad. I didn't notice this until halfway through when I was like, "where is the cantaloupe?" I had Marshall go up to the bar for me and ask them if they could adjust our bill since we didn't get what I had paid for, but they cheerfully said they would make up the Summertime Salad for me in a to-go box and it was ready in less than 5 minutes. I say that was EXCELLENT customer service!!
Overall: I give The Burger Stand a two thumbs up for flavor and customer service. The atmosphere is more like a sports bar, but it was pleasant enough for us--not too loud, and easy enough to have a conversation. We arrived at 11:45 AM when there were only a couple of costumers. However, once it was high noon, hungry people kept flowing in and I couldn't believe how many were in line. So I'd say if I were to go again, I would go before noon. In terms of price, it was worth every penny, but our tab was $25 before tip. You get what you pay for however, and I don't mind paying creative chefs for serving me delicious and quality food in a gourmet fashion.
If you're ever in Lawrence and want a familiar yet unique dining experience, I would highly recommend The Burger Stand.
It stopped raining a quarter of a mile before we got home.
You can't really tell, but Marshall is soaked to the bone!
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