Oh, UBurger, you!

After our literal pig-out earlier in the week, I should have taken a break from the carnivore lifestyle. But then my former work buddies invited me to Friday lunch at UBurger, and I could hardly say no, could I? That would have been most impolite.

The atmosphere at UBurger is burger-joint-modern: bright colors and corrugated steels walls, bus-'em-yourself tables, chalkboard menu.



When we turned up at noon, the place was buzzing with BU students, office workers and the occasional state cop. Though the busy lunch rush meant we had to hover for a table that would fit all eight of us, it also meant the line was long enough that I had time to check out the options and change my mind a dozen times before it was my turn.

There are the straightforward burgers with lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions (or the Cowboy, with bacon and BBQ sauce, or the Stunt Double cheeseburger with spicy Jack, jalapeños and banana peppers, ow ow ow). And then there are the build-your-own options, which include everything from guacamole to sautéed mushrooms. And that's if you ignore the left side of the menu, where the healthier choices (chicken sandwiches and salads and, um, hot dogs) live.

With the clock ticking and the cashier staring expectantly, I settled on tomato--no, wait--onion--no, wait--okay, definitely cheddar and roasted peppers.



Bun: soft and fresh.
Cheese: well, coulda been a thicker slice--it wasn't quite a generous enough serving to stand up to the other ingredients--but still pretty flavorful and slightly sharp.
Peppers: red and yellow, sweet with a gently vinegary bite.
Meat:

(reverent pause)

Mmmmeeeaaattt. Just right, in the Goldilocks sense. Not too McThin, not too macho-mouthful thick. Lightly seasoned so that the fundamental flavor was good and beefy, cooked to a medium-well that stayed juicy without being greasy. For $4.50, it was a satisfying and tasty deal.

Of course, it would have been remiss of me not to try a little of everyone else's food--you know, for reference.

Onion-ring perfection means different things to different people; The Boy likes his thick-sliced and generously battered. My preference is for thin, delicate rings in a lighter, crispier coating. And presto, that's how they do 'em at UBurger. Sweet onions, too.



The fries at UBurger are hand-cut, skin-on, lightly salted, not too greasy, not too crispy--they actually taste like potato (no, really!).



And then there are the frappes. I was tempted to get my own, but they're enormous (maybe 16oz). And given that they're composed largely of locally made farm-fresh ice-cream, it seemed wise to turn away from temptation.

So I just stole from other people. Which was the right decision, because they are so insanely good that I would have chugged a whole one myself. The strawberry frappe was velvety, not cloying, but with just enough citric-tart-sweetness that you want to keep feeling it hitting your tastebuds.



I also tried the mint Oreo which can only be described as, well, creamy-smooth liquid mint Oreo.

Did I roll out of there in a post-meatal daze? Of course. Was I marginally less productive for the rest of the afternoon? Sure. Am I likely to return (following a surfeit of vegetable-based dishes and power-walking)? Absolutely.

For more, check out the Boston Globe's review of UBurger.