BurgerClub

Barclay's was selected from a recent trip to Philly due to it's high placement on GQ's top 20 Burgers in America. The Auther, Alan Richman, places this "Gormet Slider" at number 5 on his top 20 list. That was enough to pique my interest.

It's hard to start with out mentioning that this 2 oz baby with carmelized onions and gruyere cheese costs a whoping $7.50. Wow. And no, there are no fries, sweet or salty, no onion rings or salad or even a lettuce, tomato, pickle on the side. But this isn't some dirty burger stand, its a serious steakhouse. We sat in the bar area which had a sort of cold modern feel to it. The service was pleasant though. I was certantly disapointed when found out they were only serving on of these things for 7.50, but there was no going back now. McKaki and I each got one Kobe Slider and a Bloody Mary, thank you very much.

The Burger is served on a crusty buttery brioch bun that complements the rich Kobe patty with perfection. The finger size burger is some how cooked med rare, well....maybe more medium, but its still pink. The meat is nicely charred with crumbly edges that nearly disolve in your mouth. The loosely packed kobe product is deliciously juicy and flavourful. The melted gruyere and reduced onion is a perfect complement to the meat and bun, and obviously, no condiments are needed. Although one of these little mommas merely wets ones appetite, it was so rich you wouldn't want to eat many more. Well ok, I could have eaten two if I wasn't going out for chinese afterward.

Finally I would like to say that it wasn't what I look for in a burger experience, but man was this good. Its at least an A-. The setting and cost clearyly hurt this burger. How bout two for $12 Barclay?

I will admit I have been a royal slacker when it comes to writing this one review for some reason. The pilgramage to Philly with Dr. Sannwich was quite a while ago, but a recent disappointing slider incident in NYC made me realize that I needed to proudly stand up and write about this venue's accomplishments in the same arena. From here on in this review, let me just say I will no longer call this little burger a slider, for that only cheapens it. This was honestly a mini gourmet creation, clearly above and beyond any other mini burger I have ever seen. This place really perfected the bun hands down. Perfect, buttery brioche proudly craddling the two ounce kobe baby inside. There was honestly not one element of this creation that did not work. The cheese was a slighly salty gruyere which fantastically ofsets the sweetness of the bun and carmelized onions, while not a bloody medium rare, it was a beautiful pink, no condiments or other distractions needed. In fact, no fries even. While they would have been great I am sure, at $7.50 for just one of these little gems, if you are itching to spend more money, it should just be on getting two or even three of the burger babies. Next trip to Philly, this classic establishment with it's big leather chairs is at the top of my list.