There’s a new spot for burgers in town, but this isn’t your average burger joint.
BuiltBurger.com has opened a “pop-up” store inside Pulp at 22nd and Ballard Ave for the month of August. The concept of Built Burger is kind of like a gourmet take-and-bake pizza, except it’s a burger. “The focus has always been on the outside of the burger,” founder Rebecca Makuen says. Built Burger is unique in that they put the goodies inside the patty.
They will create your burger from ten different combinations of spices, herbs meats and cheeses. Above is the “Magnificent Chorizo” made of all natural beef, house made Mexican chorizo, roasted poblano peppers, crumbled cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. You can either order online for delivery or stop in and pick up some patties then take them home and put’em on the grill. Built Burger will be doing a gourmet burger tasting at the store on Sunday during the Farmers Market, “because let’s face it. People need to taste them,” Makuen says. (Disclosure, BuiltBurger is a sponsor of MyBallard.)
New burgers ‘pop up’ in Ballard
I walked by this the other day. It seems like a neat idea, though I'm disappointed that they're not going completely local and grass-finished (just “sourced from the Northwest when possible”, which could be great or could be lip service), since they're obviously upmarket.
The display squicks me out, though. You can see it in the first picture up top, in the window. Dozens of what are portrayed as hamburger patties, sitting there wrapped in paper at room temperature. <shudder>
i don't get the price. $8 for a burger that you have to cook and supply garnishes and bun and then clean up?
i can appreciate that there is a lot of work that they do, but that just sounds like way more money than most people would pay… but i hope i am wrong for their sake.
Way too expensive for me, too. I got some great DIY ideas from the descriptions, though! Add some chopped prosciutto, balsamic reduced onions, and roasted red peppers to a pile of hamburger meat? You betcha!
I agree. I feel the same way about Zaw Pizza: They sure charge a lot for a take and bake.
I walked past this place a couple of days ago and wondered what the deal was. After looking at their website I've lost all interest.
Totally agree on the price issue. The cheapest burger I saw was $7. And I need more than just a burger to make a meal. At the total cost for burger, bun, side you may as well just go to one of the other burger joints and get the whole package.
Also, looking at their site it seems like you have to buy 6 or more. Their prices start as 6 packs. If I'm getting a burger I want it hot and fresh now. If I'm going to stock my freezer I'd just as soon make my own.
And finally, where's the savings. The 6 pack price comes down to the same price as each additional. ei $48 for 6 and $8 for each additional – that's $8 per burger period. Isn't a selling point of buying in “bulk” to save money? There's no incentive here to buy so many.
Totally agree the price is ridiculous. Plus, they're in Seattle and there's no veggie burger option? Some of the most creative burgers I've seen leave the meat at home.
Hey you know who else puts interesting stuff inside the burger? Hamburger Harry's. Where's the love, people… :D
This is how I make my burgers at home all the time. We had “Bruschetta Burgers” the other night. Burgers with pancetta,onion, tomato, garlic, fresh basil, shredded mozzarella and some balsamic mixed in. It was so good, and the benefit of loading with them stuff is that they don't dry out even if you cook them well done. It's super easy and way less than $8 a burger even when you buy specialty ingredients.
I have a ton of ideas for others, my mom makes a great salsa burger and an amazing turkey club burger.
Makes you wonder if they did any market research at all. Too bad.
Yeah,,,,come to think of it, for marginally more $$, I can go to to Hamburger Harry's, Hattie's Hat, or Bad Alberts AND have someone cook for me AND wash the dishes.
For about the same 8 bucks I can get a portobelo burger at Hattie Hat.
The whole point of “going out to eat” is to go out to eat. If I wanna make my own burger, I'll get good ingredients from Ballard Mkt. and cook at home.
Yeah, I tried Harry's once…tasted like cardboard was inside.
They do have a veggie option and a turkey soon to come and a thai chicken that sounds good!
Tried a sample at the market yesterday, and it was very tasty. Unfortunately, I'd rather spend $45 on a $6 lb of grass fed beef from the martket, a 6 pack of good beer, 6 buns, all the fixins', and still have $25 to do it again.
Well, I did say “interesting,” not yummy. :) They're ok… and at least they cook the burger for you.