Crazee Burger

Well, I've often often written about the Missus's various short term obsessions. We've gone through quite a few over the years. The latest for the Missus is wild game.....I guess She really enjoyed that ostrich thinga-majiggy. The Lion's Share and Tractor Room quickly come to mind....but the Missus really wasn't into brunch or cocktails........ so I casually mentioned Crazee Burger. To be honest, I've always thought the place a bit more hype, with the game meats more of a gimmick. But heck, the Missus was game (no pun intended) so why not? We did luck out and arrived at 11am to find the place empty. it can get pretty crowded here.

We each ordered our burgers......of course we were told, as it seems to be fashionable these days, the "we recommend our burger cooked pink." Which is just perfect for me. We got our sauces on the side....after all, we wanted to taste the meat right?

And heck I'd always wanted a hopper to try kangaroo, which is what I got ($12.95):

The was pretty dry and gritty....it was also well done, so much for the "we serve our burgers medium" shtick, which is kind of a pet peeve. This was very mild with an off tasting, slight metallic after taste. The creamed horseradish sauce....was neither creamy, nor did it really taste of horseradish. Rather, it was like runny mayonnaise. This was also not seasoned, which it could have used.....some good salt and pepper, not what tasted like iodized stuff in the shaker on the table.

Now I'm determined to buy some kangaroo next time to see how it compares.

The Missus got an ostrich burger ($13.49), which did remind me of my previous experience with ostrich....that is, a bit on the dry side.

The flavor was clean, but again, this could have used some seasoning. The sauce provided, a lemon-chive-cream sauce was a bit better than the horseradish sauce, but still too bland and runny for me. This was also served "well done".

I explained to the Missus that based on my previous experience with ostrich, I expected dry, so when I made my burger, I added some minced red onion, a couple of tablespoons of panko, fresh ground black pepper, and roasted garlic olive oil. I tried to keep the mild clean taste of ostrich, but worked at keeping moisture as well. These patties looked like 100% meat.....the thought is nice, but man it can be dry.

In terms of prices, even though the burgers were no-frills, wild game is more expensive than beef. A regular 100% angus beef plain burger will just set you back five bucks here. The portion sizes are nice. There are about 8 draft beers on tap and several bottled....the interior is rather small and it was starting to get pretty crowded when we left. Two young ladies were nice....you order at the counter and they'll bring your order to your table. Overall, not terrible, but not all that great....the game meats seem more like a gimmick.......

Crazee Burger
4201 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104

Comments

[kat]

wow, crazy game meats...too bad they weren't all that moist.

[Faye]

I went there many years ago - hard to believe they were featured on that Guy Fieri show. I also found the burgers to be a bit on the dry side. I'm glad they seem to be doing well b/c the last few times we drove by the place, it was really empty.

[Kirk]

Hi Kat - They've got quite a collection here!

Hi Faye - DDD and MvF aren't really about great food in my mind....so I really don't take them seriously...frankly, I don't even watch those shows.

[SK]

We used to eat at Crazee Burger occasionally but I feel they have not kept up with advancements in the San Diego burger market made over the last few years, so they have fallen to "only if nothing else is open" status. The "exotic" meats have always been underwhelming though.

My favorite burger there is the venison (always nice and juicy, served with mushrooms and a slice of poached pear) followed by the Santorini (half beef, half lamb with a yoghurt sauce).

[Kirk]

Hi SK - I had entertained the thought of trying the Santorini....and maybe I should have.