She Said: Burger Theory proves you can’t judge a meal by its cover

Pulling up to Burger Theory for dinner, I must admit I was a bit skeptical if I was going to like the joint.

The restaurant sits off of 44th Street and McDowell Road in Phoenix and is attached to a Holiday Inn, which took me by surprise. Restaurants attached to motels have a reputation of being filled with airport travelers, mediocre food and crappy drink selections.

Boy, did Burger Theory prove me WRONG!

A beautiful, modern restaurant awaits with nice little rustic touches that give this burger joint a welcoming atmosphere.

The menu is filled with American favorites but we knew exactly what we were there for — the burgers!

You have a choice of one of their signature burgers or you can choose to build your own. With over 4,320 possibilities, a gal could get a bit overwhelmed so I ordered their most popular burger, The Lone Star.

A beef patty with thick-cut bacon, cheddar cheese, Parmesan-panko onion ring and BBQ sauce, this burger was lip-smacking good! I chose a side of onion rings because I figured the one on my burger just wouldn’t be enough.

I had heard good things about their roasted garlic mayo and got a side of it to dip my onion rings into because, if you are going to splurge, do it right! It was a home run. I ate every last bite!

My dining companion decided to create their own meal and built a veggie burger with American cheese, roasted garlic mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, grilled onions and pickles. She was very pleased and said it was one of the best veggie burgers she has ever had, not one bit salty or dry which veggie burgers are notorious for being.

When I saw the house-made mini-desserts served in individual mason jars on the menu, I knew I needed to save room for dessert. We chose the Key Lime Pie and the S’mores flavors. Both were absolutely delicious and the small mason jar was the perfect amount of sweet after a heavy burger dinner.

Burger Theory also offers local craft beers with a great selection on happy hour daily. The bar seems to always have a constant flow of patrons giving the restaurant a nice, lively feel.

We did hear about their summer special which runs through Labor Day weekend: When the temperature reaches over 105 degrees, the Burger Theory Iced Tea (a Long Island iced tea) and the house margarita are half-off. Now that’s a refreshing deal!

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