I have posed the following question to many of my friends and dining companions: what food is Columbus best known for? I must admit the responses are all over the map. When I press folks with the question, it is really just a preface to sharing my humble opinion. I am not sure if it has always been true, but I believe Columbus is evolving over time into Burgertown, USA. White Castle and Wendy's both got started in Columbus. Several other premium burger joints have opened locations in and around Columbus - Culver's, Five Guys, Smashburger, Steak 'n' Shake, Bare Burger, B Spot, and the Flipside. Add to that the offerings of several other long-time locals like Thurman (& Son of Thurman), Club 185, and Brazenhead and I believe the evidence is convincing. Central Ohioans love their burgers. From the famous White Castle sliders on the small end of the scale to the Thurmanator on the other end. In fact, I think the Thurmanator really breaks the scale. Just ask Adam Richman of
Man vs. Food.
Although it may be hard to fathom, there was a time in my life that I would not eat a hamburger or cheeseburger of any kind. My aversion to peanut butter plus that might have earned me a 'picky eater' label through a good part of my childhood. Thankfully, at some point during my mid-teens, someone came up with the brilliant idea to add bacon to a cheeseburger. On a school trip, we stopped en route for a quick lunch at Hardee's. I was devastated to learn that this particular location of Hardee's didn't have the hot ham and cheese sandwich on the menu and I was forced to pick some sort of burger offering or go hungry. I bit the proverbial bullet and ordered a bacon cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. After enjoying every single bite, I decided that burgers weren't so bad after all. In the beginning I stuck to bacon cheeseburgers, but eventually decided I liked them even without the bacon.
Fast forward about thirty years and you will find that your Dining Scout not only enjoys a burger occasionally, but he will drive far and wide in search of a great one. Thankfully, I didn't have to travel too far from the office when I visited the Stack City Burger Bar in the Union Station Cap on High Street. I was joined on this mission by three good friends and co-workers - Stan, Alisha, and Gwennan. We made sure to arrive early to avoid the normal Friday lunch crush, so we were seated immediately. The atmosphere at Stack City is comparable to a couple of their local competitors - B Spot and Flipside. They are in the corner of the Union Station Cap with large windows on two sides to provide good lighting on this sunny winter day. The bar features prominently in the center of the dining room with both high top and regular tables along the perimeter with the larger part of the seating area furthest from the main entrance. I would say it feels it a little more like a bar and a little less like a restaurant than I expected. Maybe I missed the word BAR in the name. (
smirk) Bar or not, I think they must have been cooking a good ration of bacon in the kitchen when we arrived, as the air was filled with the fragrance of smoky, salt-cured pork.(
YUM!)
The menu at Stack City is fairly simple. A handful of signature burger options with specific enhancements, a few salads, other sandwiches, plus shakes, and soft drinks. Since this was a lunch outing and nearly all of us had to go back to work afterwards, we didn't even consider the adult beverage options. The selection of draft beers and other cocktails looked promising. Definitely will come back some evening after work to try something with a little higher octane.
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Big Stack City's
little brother (or sister?)...
The Earth Fare |
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Bigger picture necessary due to bigger burger.
BIG STACK CITY. Plus a fried egg. A chicken
was involved, but the cow was committed. |
On our first visit, we all leapt headlong into the burger features on the menu. Most of the options come in a 6 ounce or 9 ounce version. The Big Stack City Burger would be one of the exceptions. It comes with two patties tipping the scales at 9 ounces total. I am not sure what I was thinking when I ordered it. OK... Maybe I do. I struck at the heart of the beast by attacking the burger they put their name on. Just a tad messy for lunch. Left some evidence on my shirt. Guess that is why I keep a Tide stick in my top desk drawer. I suppose if I came back to work without the evidence, I would have been disappointed. The best burgers are always a little messy when you tear into them. This one was no exception. The Big Boy has been left in the dust. I always wondered what it would taste like if they REALLY put a respectable portion of fresh (never frozen) ground beef in it. My friends picked the Cowboy and Earth Fare, plus three different sides - simple fries, house made truffle chips, and onion rings. The waitress was kind enough to serve the sides so that we could easily share them. (
JACKPOT!!!)
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Onions Rings and Truffle
Chips. YES!
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Your dining scout is pleased to report that Stack City respects the cow, the potato, and the onion. The burger was juicy, flavorful, and served on a bun that was more than up to the job. The sides were all hot, crispy, and properly seasoned. (
sounds better than saying "ssaaalllltttyyy?") If you asked me to pick a favorite, I would go with the simple fries. This is only because I am not a huge fan of truffle oil in general and I like my onion rings cut a bit thinner. Hard to bite through them when there are super thick. You end up getting all the onion in the first bite and have half the breading still in your hand. Maybe it's just my cross-bite rearing it's ugly head and the rest of the world lives for super thick onion rings. This is in spite of years of corrective orthodontia, but I digress.
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Last, but not least... The
Simple Fries... mmmmm.
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After devouring the Big Stack City and eating more than my share of the cornucopia of sides, I didn't have any room left for a shake. That's just fine, I suppose. I will be back soon, especially if they decide to open for lunch every weekday instead of just Friday. (
subtle hint for the owners) I would suggest that if you find yourself anywhere close to downtown Columbus and are in search of a great burger and a cold beer, look no further than Stack City. Be sure to tell them Big Mike sent you.
Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd, aka "Big Mike"
http://www.stackcityburger.com/
