It's about time we had a burger place here, and what better choice than to go with the lone Boston location that I've visited? Eagle's Deli, located in the Boston suburb of Brighton, is known for doing burgers and doing them in a big way. Right across the Chestnut Hill Reservoir from Boston College (that's where the Eagle's name comes from), this place has been a tradition for the students of the northern-most ACC school for years, which is why they've been visited by Man vs. Food and claimed No. 21 on the Chowdown Countdown.
What makes Eagle's so beloved is not that they do burgers big, they do them right. Every burger is flame-grilled to perfection and topped with whatever you've chosen to devour. Sure, they have the standard toppings, but they're very willing to throw some specialty burgers up there for your pleasure.
The Cowboy Burger, for example, features bacon, grilled onions and a healthy dose of barbecue sauce. The Ranch Burger, which I chose to go with, gives a new flavor to the standard bacon cheeseburger by using ranch dressing instead of mayonnaise. Want to try a version of Philly on a burger? Order the Bianco, with onions, peppers and mushrooms. There's a lot of options available.
Of course, this being a deli, Eagle's also shines in their sandwiches. Turkey, roast beef, ham and chicken pesto are just some of the high-quality ingredients that dot Eagle's menu. Want breakfast? They've got you covered there too. There's something for everyone here.
What takes Eagle's to the next level, however, is their mammoth burgers. Eagle's is home to the legendary undefeated Challenge Burger, born out of the restaurant's idea that hungry college students consistently want to eat more and more. Originally, the restaurant's non-specialty burgers were the King Kong and the Godzilla. The King Kong weighed in at a half-pound, while the Godzilla was a full pound. Sizable, but not insane.
That was what the Boston crowd thought, too. So Eagle's upped the ante, introducing the Cowabunga Burger, a two-pound cheeseburger with two pounds of fries. Not even that satisfied everyone, so Eagle's added another pound of burger and created with the challenge.
The rules were simple and made the challenge unbeatable. If anyone could finish Eagle's Challenge Burger, that burger would be named after the person who completed it, and Eagle's would add another pound to the new challenge.
Today, as a result, you can order a Reilly Burger (3 pounds) or a Paul Jones Burger (4 pounds). The menu hasn't been updated, but recently, someone finished the 5-pounder, making the new challenge a 6-pound burger. Oh, and just to make the challenge more fun, they throw in five pounds worth of fries. No big deal there.
But these burgers don't need the size to be incredible. They're grilled to perfection, given just the right amount of char to juiciness, with a perfect complement of toppings that create burger bliss. No matter how hungry you are, a visit to Eagle's is always a good idea.
Recap
Time to go: They serve breakfast, but the burgers are the best thing about Eagle's. Given the choice, I'm coming for lunch.
Wait during my visit: Get ready. This place is famous and you're going to be waiting a while for your meal. The BC crowd loves this place and will be there at any time of day that it's open. I waited with my brother Zach for 40 minutes when we went...and this was on a Sunday afternoon when the New England Patriots played a playoff game the night before. Be patient, it's worth it.
Location: Eagle's is at 1918 Beacon Street in the Boston suburb of Brighton, Mass., right across the street from the Cleveland Circle T stop on Boston's transit system.
Parking: Even though it's Boston, you can find parking here. Just be ready for a short walk from your car to Eagle's. You won't be able to park next to the restaurant unless you're really lucky.
Website: Eagle's Deli
Signature items: Burgers
How many different ways are there to serve a pancake? Well, if you take the word of Nashville's Pancake Pantry, the answer is 22. Yes, the Pancake Pantry offers that many selections of just pancakes on its menu, and it offers other selections as well for those who don't feel like trying the restaurant's namesake.
But if you're coming here, chances are it's for the round griddle cakes that are cooked to perfection with the lightest touch. Pancake Pantry's philosophy is to never pat a pancake because that squeezes the air out of them and changes the texture to something that is below their standards of quality. The result is several delicious cakes with a plethora of toppings available.
Want to go with fruit? You have your choice of strawberry, blueberry, cherry, raspberry, lingonberry, orange and an apricot-lemon mix. In a mood for the sweet stuff? Try the sugar and spice (pictured at top), Carribean, pecan, Swiss chocolate or chocolate sin (chocolate raspberry) pancakes. Want a mix of sweet and savory? Pigs in blankets or Santa Fe corncakes with green chiles are for you. In short, if you can't find something you like here, you just plain don't like pancakes.
Now, to address my meal here. As you probably gathered, I went with the sugar and spice pancakes, which are made from a cinnamon sugar batter and topped with powdered sugar and butter, then served with applesauce and either maple or cinnamon cream syrup. I chose cinnamon cream. I also added a side of hash browns, because they're pretty well-known for those too. If you go this route, I recommend pouring the applesauce on there too and getting all those flavors mixed together, like so.
The flavors work incredibly well together, and these are not small pancakes. They will fill you up, and you will not leave here hungry unless you haven't eaten recently. If with a friend, I recommend asking for one thing of hash browns if those interest you (the potatoes are really high-quality) and splitting them along with your separate pancake orders.
If you want something besides pancakes, Pancake Pantry also serves French toast, waffles and several egg-and-meat dishes. They'll go up to seven ingredients in their omelets. They also serve lunch items here, strangely enough.
As far as the atmosphere goes, this place attracts all of Nashville, but be ready for the college crowd. Pancake Pantry is right between the campuses of Vanderbilt University and Belmont University, which makes it an easy walk for students from both schools to get their breakfast fix. While I was here, I saw the Belmont softball coach take a player to Pancake Pantry as part of her recruiting visit. It's a great tool for those schools.
Recap
Time to go: Breakfast, and come early. Although Pancake Pantry is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., the line increases exponentially after 9 a.m. Come at the wrong time and it'll take forever to get a table.
Wait during my visit: Get comfortable. The line was to the door when I arrived at 9 a.m. I spent roughly 20 minutes waiting for a table to pop free. When I left, the line was well out the door and circled around a side of the building. You have been warned.
Location: The Pancake Pantry has been at 1796 21st Avenue South Nashville, TN 37212 since it opened in 1961.
Parking: There's a lot behind the restaurant, but this is also part of the come early recommendation. The lot is free if you use it for less than 90 minutes. If you're there at the wrong time, you'll have to spend a couple bucks.
Website: The Pancake Pantry
Signature items: Um...pancakes.
