Bayli Foley reviews a restaurant that puts a twist on your average burger.
Let’s talk about 80/20 burger. Never have I ever had a better burger in my whole existence. 80/20 Burger Bar is a small-ish restaurant and bar in Ghent open for dinner Monday-Saturday 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
They spend all day preparing their burgers for dinner and use local grass fed beef and all local ingredients. The prices for burgers range from about $12-$14 and every order comes with a side of fries of which you can choose three styles. My personal favorite was the house fries, which are made with garlic, rosemary and parmesan cheese. Some other options you have are the nye spice, inlet (these feature old bay style spices) and border. If you come to 80/20 burger and you’re ballin’ a little bit then you should consider an appetizer which are all almost as good as the burgers. I’ve personally had the pickle chips (you really can’t ever go wrong with fried pickles) and the 80/20 wings. I’ve gotta say, for a burger place, their wings are pretty great! Their house-made barbeque sauce is a perfect mixture of sweet and tangy and their hot honey garlic is equally as delicious. Get both.
When it comes time to order your burger, you’ll find a list of somewhat peculiar names for each option. Of the 22 listed, each one is unique. For example: The Nanny. This genius creation is a PB&J burger. Before you write this off, let me tell you, I was also hesitant but hear me out. It has house-made bacon peanut butter, pepper jelly, and… more bacon. The flavors on this burger come together so beautifully that it is unlike anything you will have at any other restaurant. The pepper jelly brings together the salty and the sweet to just the right spot. The peanut butter is crunchy from the bacon, which adds some excitement in each bite and also works to bring together the salty and sweet flavors. However, none of this overcomes the star of the dish, which is the burger patty itself. It is prepared, seasoned, and cooked to absolute perfection. Since the restaurant spends all day preparing their patties, they are bursting with flavor.
Whether you want PB&J on your burger or not, any one you choose will be to die for. With a restaurant whose simple goal is to serve you the “best d*** burger you’ve ever had,” they flourish.
Bayli Foley
bmfoley@vwu.edu