Albany's Gold Burger Winner 2018

Our final blog in this 3-part series!!!  If you've been following us, you made it! 

I got into a debate with someone recently about our choices here, so I thought I would clarify one thing.  We did not base this experiment on restaurant reviews; this experiment was strictly grading the quality and taste of the burger itself in these establishments.  When we got down to our top burgers, we ordered them take-out style and ate them at home, away from the restaurant atmosphere, whatever that may have been.  We wanted to judge the burger in its own right.  So you may disagree with the restaurant experience you had at any place; the service, the light through the window....but trust us when we say the BURGER itself is judged apart from all of that.  At the end of the day, it's about the food.

Enough defending our choice, let's get this done!

The Golden Burger Statue Winner!  The #1 Burger in Albany, Oregon!  The Gold Medal goes to....

WILHELM'S!!!!

What we love about the Wilhelm's Burger:

The Lock Jaw

Where do we even begin!?  The patties for these burgers are hand formed, fresh every day and when the menu says it's 1/2 lb patty....they're talking about cooked weight, my friends.  That's a meaty burger.  Every time we order their burgers, they are consistently flavorful, juicy and cooked perfectly.  And we've tried nearly all of them, even the Lock Jaw.  Just look at that sexy meat monster!

And during this process, YES, we pulled burger out of the bun and ate it on its own to get the flavor and texture of the actual meat, so....trust us when we say we were thorough!

The Heart Stopper

When we sat down to speak with the owner of Wilhelm's, we were surprised to find out how many people were involved in the creation of this restaurant/bar who we all know and love from The Buzzsaw days.  These are people who have lived here for years and love our town.  Yes, our beloved Kenny has moved away but the food (which is what we're focused on here) has not changed from day #1.  When the menu was being developed, the owner requested one thing and one thing only: Whatever they serve, whatever is on the menu, make it good and make it the same way every time.  And Wilhelm's, WE NOTICED!  Consistency is key to food and they 100% have it mastered.

Wilhelm's Cheddar Burger

If you're a dainty eater, beware.  These juices will run down your wrist, drip from your chin and nestle under your wedding ring.  Your mouth is watering right now, isn't it?  Yes, the pickles are crunchy, the onion is fresh, and the tomato slices are not too thick and not too thin....and that cheddar cheese.....just look at these pictures.

Since this is our #1, we decided to include a menu of the burgers available for you so you can plan your next visit!  It's not a conspiracy, we blanked out the prices because menus change; this blog is forever.

You may argue that this is not a restaurant, it's a BAR!  Well, it's both.  We included bar burgers in our search because...they're local businesses and they deserved a shot at this!  It may be a bar, but it's clean, the kitchen staff knows what they're doing and the food here is more popular than you may imagine.  Like we mentioned, they do take-out orders so...if you really want the family to try these, you can make it work!

Side note:  Order the cajun tots....why these are so beloved is a mystery but .... they're wildly popular and just delicious.

The Blue Ox Burger
(No, the Blue Cheese does not
over-power this burger, it's
juuuuuust right.)

No, this isn't an organic burger.  After our Silver and Bronze burgers, you might have thought we would choose a grass-fed burger.  We did too.  But flavor and consistency count for everything!  Wilhem's makes a bad-ass burger and if you disagree, we think you should go have one to prove us wrong!

The Thing Review:

Our Things rated Wilhelm's as their #3 choice.  Now, they're all far from being old enough to eat in this establishment so .... take it for what it's worth.  Like we said, they flip-flopped our top three in their ranking.  We are still working on their palates; it's a work in progress.  But the kid vote counts for something, so there you have it.

So what does all of these even mean!?  Well, to sum it up as we would recommend a 'good burger place' in Albany .... For families, we definitely recommend First Burger as it was our Things' first choice.  Great people, good food, grass-fed...it's the perfect option.

If you're looking for more of an upscale ambiance with a good burger, head over to Frankie's!

If you are craving the BEST burger in Albany and nothing else will do, if you have friends visiting from out of town who insist you share with them the BEST that our town has to offer, you head to Wilhelm's and sit down for one of these divine beasts.

Old McDonald

Eat it slowly.

Savor it.

It's meant to be loved!!!

Congratulations, Wilhelm's!  You made this journey worth while for us!  After a really bad burger on this adventure, we would head to Wilhelm's to renew our faith in beef patties!!!  We will be back again and again and again....and we promise to try those ribs soon! ;-)

Albany's Bronze Burger Winner 2018

Welcome to our 3-part blog series on our Top 3 Burgers of Albany!!!  This has been a fun, interesting and long journey!  You can’t just eat burgers every day and slap out a declaration of ‘Best Burger in Albany’.  We respect our arteries.  As of the publication of this blog, we had not heard back from our top 3, but if and when we do, we will update our posts to include quotes and info from them directly.

We took our time with this project, carefully rated the burgers, in some cases went back more than once to be sure and, of course, had Things 2, 3, 4, & 5 do a blind taste test of our final three for you.  So yes, you will get the kid’s perspective as well.  This was definitely a family effort!!!! 

We will be sharing one blog with you each week until we reach #1!!!  Take the journey with us each week; visit and enjoy these burgers and the quality put into them!  Please keep in mind that we love ALL of these burgers and we will repeatedly enjoy them all! BUT…  they had to be ranked, so we got down and did it.

So let’s get started with our #3 - The Bronze Burger of Albany:

FIRST BURGER!!!!!

What we love about the First Burger:

The Iron Woman with a 50/50 patty

We just can’t get enough of a burger restaurant that uses grass-fed beef.  The flavor of grass-fed beef is just…amazing.  We love knowing our family is eating healthy meat, that is probably our #1 goal with every meal we make and order while dining out (ideally). There is also nowhere else in town that offers the option for a 50% Beef / 50% Bacon patty or a 100% Buffalo patty!

The Smoke Stack

The local factor is huge for us, we love supporting local businesses!  This restaurant is locally owned, and located in our beloved growing downtown district that is quickly becoming a foodie paradise.  (no complaints here, Albany!)  They also use local ingredients whenever possible.  The produce on the burgers is always so fresh; it’s like eating a burger made at home.  (and we make some mean burgers)  Local growers, bakers…..this restaurant supports our valley, our state, and we support them!

Since First Burger is (obviously) a burger-centric restaurant, their variety is to die for.  Thing #5 loves their milkshakes, I love their fry sauce (dreamy - try it with the onion rings!) and their specials are incredible.  So many burgers to try, so little time!!!!  They know burgers and they know how to play with food…a perfect pair!

The Thing Review:

The Iron Woman, Assembled

The overall consensus among our Things was that First Burger was their FIRST choice!  Yes, friends, these burgers are not only kid-approved, they are kid-preferred!  Keep in mind, they tasted them blindly and went on flavor alone.  So be sure to take the kids with you, because they are going to LOVE these burgers!  Bonus:  we mentioned the grass-fed beef, right?

We award First Burger our Bronze Burger Statue!  So this week, while you wait for the announcement of our #2-rated burger, head downtown and try a First Burger!!!  Take the family, order take-out…whatever works for you,  but throw them some love because they are doing grass-fed burgers RIGHT!

The Fatty Melt - 50/50 patty between
2 grilled cheese sandwiches!

Congratulations, First Burger!  We’ll be back!









The Silver Burger winner has been announced as well, check it out HERE!

Tangent Inn

Formerly known as 'Dixie Creek Saloon', the 'Tangent Inn' has been remodeled and is now open for business!  We've all been watching and waiting for this classic to re-open and it's finally here! Although the Grand Opening hasn't happened yet, and from what we were told the menu will be expanding, we dropped in to see the face-lift and sample the menu.  We were excited to see in which direction the new owners would take this.

The parking is still the same, the exterior is very familiar, but the interior is clean, updated and much more pleasing to the eye.  The bathrooms were clean, the floors were shiny and the staff was polite and helpful.

The menu is simple; appetizers, soups & salad, sandwiches and burgers.  We were very impressed with the polite and attentive service we received; the staff is knowledgeable and was very helpful with menu recommendations.

We started with appetizers as recommended and tried the Fried Zucchini which is Panko-battered, sprinkled with shredded parmesan.  Nothing frozen here, these were real, juicy zucchini spears and they were delicious!  It comes with ranch or honey mustard, but we asked to sample all dipping sauces and we actually determined that the bleu cheese is the dipping sauce to order with this.  The flavor doesn't overpower the zucchini as ranch and honey mustard both tend to do.

The Beer & Cheese dip was our 2nd appetizer, made with Gilgamesh Classic Ale, cream cheese and

cheddar cheese.  It is served with homemade pretzel bites.  This was good as well - a bit heavy on the salt in both the cheese sauce and the pretzel bites, though not uncommon in a bar establishment.

For dinner, Brownie ordered the Tangent Burger with tots.  This 1/2 pound brisket/chuck mix patty is made with a cheese skirt and comes loaded with hickory smoked bacon (no skimping here) and a roasted

garlic aioli. As you can see in the photo, it's a good size portion.  Eating through the crispy cheese and bacon ends is a delightful pathway to the burger - enjoy!  The burger itself was a bit dry and overcooked, though we tend to believe this may because of the timing of the cheese skirt rather than incompetence in the kitchen.  Time will tell as it's been less than two weeks since they opened their doors.  As for the tots .... tots are tots.  They tasted as you would expect tots to taste.

Cheese. Skirt.

I ordered the Roast Pork Loin Sandwich; thinly sliced pork loin, smoked gouda cheese with sage mustard

on homemade sourdough bread.  The pork was tender and flavorful, though the smoked gouda flavor didn't come through as much as the sage did for me.  I love sage and it was delicious, so no complaints there!  My sandwich came with fries, which are hand cut in the restaurant; our waitress proudly told us this when ordering.  They are well worth ordering as a side!

Ask for this mustard, it's divine!

Overall, we enjoyed our experience. The staff was so friendly and helpful and the atmosphere is a lively bar; we even got to enjoy a  couple dancing near our table when a slow song came on.  Minors are allowed in the dining room until 9pm just in case you want to bring the family to eat.

We were told that the menu will be expanding soon during or after the Grand Opening to include family-style options and a breakfast menu.  We will not be giving Tangent Inn a Brownifer star rating until after we sample all of these options.  Too bad for us, right!? :-)

Until then, we highly suggest you head out to Tangent and check out Tangent Inn!  The prices are reasonable and from what we experienced, you'll enjoy your time at this new restaurant, they're off to a great start!

Cheesy Stuffed Burgers - Albany, OR (Review)

We've been hearing so much about these burgers - we had to try them!

We don't do fast food unless it's the occasional run through the Burgerville Drive-thru.  We try really hard to stick to healthy, local foods.  So when we saw that Cheesy Stuffed uses grass-fed beef, we hopped in the car and drove into town.

Food trucks have their own niche in the restaurant market and most of us can agree that some of the best munchies come off of food trucks! This was a bit different as we were served in our vehicle; I liked the convenience of just waiting in my warm car!  The staff was very polite and I easily paid with my debit card on their tablet - they made it all very simple and convenient.

We ordered two burgers, an order of fries and I was curious about the lumpia, as we've made these and I used to eat lumpia as a kid in Hawai'i at my Filipino Grandma's house.  So the picture to the left was our neat little bag of goodies that we took home with us :-)

When we got home, we unwrapped our burgers and set out our sides to start trying everything.


The burgers were, in fact, stuffed with cheese.  I wouldn't say impressively so.  As we ate, we compared the burgers to what one would receive at a fast food restaurant and pondered what we thought a grass-fed burger from a food truck would be like. Brownie was a little disappointed with the portion size.  He was definitely expecting a larger burger.  If we went back, he would order two.

We also discussed price.  For $6 - $8 we couldn't really justify buying two burgers at a time.  I reminded him that grass-fed beef is much more expensive than your average ground beef.

In general, we liked the burgers, but I do have to say that just like other fast food burger drive-thrus, ultimately our opinion was that we could make a better burger at home.  Definitely have.

The fries were good, but the lumpia was either a bit overdone or cooked in oil that could have used changing.  I liked the sauce they served with the lumpia though.  We did wait until 15 minutes before closing to pop in, so not sure it's fair to judge at that time of night.  We will try them again earlier in the day sometime and try more of the menu.

Overall, we wouldn't say these burgers are bad by any means, but maybe they just didn't live up to the hype for us.  If you're not incredibly hungry, this is definitely a healthier choice than any of the chains here in town and I hope they become more popular for this reason.  The more people ditching Burger King for small, local and grass-fed - the happier I am!

As for presentation - how do you judge a food truck on how pretty their food is after being wrapped in foil and stuffed in a bag?  It is what it is out of necessity.  We definitely won't bash any food truck for that.

On the Brownifer scale - we give Cheesy Stuffed Burgers 3 1/2 stars.  (out of 5)  Stay tuned, however, this blog can and will be updated upon a second, third, fourth visit :-)  Maybe we'll bring the kids and let them weigh in on the experience!

Any chance to support local food, we support!  Take our comments for what they're worth and try it yourself!

Sybaris Bistro - Albany, Oregon (Review)

Sybaris Bistro - Albany, Oregon

A Brownifer Review

An impulsive decision to have dinner out on our kid-free night of this week brought us to Sybaris Bistro.  We have been wanting to try this restaurant for some time now, always checking the ever-changing menu and wondering if we
could afford to truly experience what it had to offer on a budget.  Tonight we decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it!  Sybaris opened in October of 2001, why we've waited this long to visit is truly beyond us.

I'm pleased to say that we thoroughly enjoyed our evening and we can't wait to share it with you!

The first thing I noticed when we approached the building was how quiet it seemed.  Brownie wondered if they were even open, but when we opened the doors, the bustling of the dining room burst upon us. While we waited to be seated, we found a series of books on a table by the door with old photos of Albany over the past century and beyond, which we promptly snatched up and began exploring.  Not only was this space the infamous Anderson Sporting Goods where we bought our letterman jackets in high school, but exploring these books and the history of Albany taught us that it was also originally the site of a mechanic's garage!  Love our town.

We were lucky enough to be seated by the wood-burning fireplace, which was beautiful and set the mood for a special evening out.  We were even permitted to bring the photo books with us :-)

Sybaris has a unique menu that changes with the seasons.  The owners pride themselves on sourcing their ingredients from Oregon; what comes to the table is what happens to be locally available at the time.  This clearly showcases the bistro's identity in the straight-forward one-page menu.  Which is one thing that always made me nervous about this restaurant: I am not a fan of winter vegetables.  Silly?  Maybe.

Once we had ordered, we enjoyed our homemade bread (made in-house daily) and butter while we waited for drinks.  I scanned the walls and noticed that they showcase local artists and at this time, they have a variety of paintings by a local woman covering quite a bit of space.  It was beautiful.

Scottish cold smoked salmon,
traditional garnishes, rye crackers

We chatted and enjoyed the atmosphere while waiting for our appetizers, then enjoyed our salmon and a salad we'd ordered to share.  Our waitress, who just happened to be one of the owners, let us taste some red wines she recommended to pair with our menu choices and we each chose a glass.

Antipasti salad- mixed greens, marinated mushrooms,
salami, cheese, garbanzo beans and a hard-boiled egg

I will take this time to mention the service, as this is the point where I began to notice that I was impressed. Brownie will tell you I'm a service snob when it comes to dining.  Now, I can eat with my hands, man-handle a sloppy burrito from a food truck and gladly carry my own plastic utensils to a picnic table to enjoy a wide range of delicious food BUT...when I dine out and I'm expecting to shell out some Benjamins for an amazing meal, I do have my own expectations.  I like the experience to be thoughtlessly blissful.  By this I mean, I want to talk and sip my wine and enjoy the food and flavors and conversation and I don't want to have to think of a thing regarding my meal other than getting it into my mouth.  That being said, Sybaris is one of the good ones!  While we were finishing our salad, we were brought the silverware we would each need for our main courses.  And I fell in love. For the rest of the meal, I didn't have to ask for a thing.  My water was always full, she forgot nothing and I got to sit back and just enjoy everything from start to finish.

Veal chop parmigiana, bucatini, red sauce
& plenty of cheese

When the main courses did arrive, they smelled delicious. Brownie ordered the veal chop parmigiana, which turned out to be a monstrous bone-in chop that would make Fred Flintstone drool. Truly a man's delight.  He did let me taste it, however, and it was scrumptious. The sauce had one spice that Brownie couldn't quite pinpoint, I suspect he will be rifling through our spice cabinet tomorrow.  While we were discussing the plating of the food, I asked Brownie if his dish was visually pleasing.  His answer:  Is Italian food ever really plated with that in mind?  No, it really isn't.

Lentil cassoulet with duck confit, lightly cured pork,
garlic sausage, winter vegetables

I ordered the Cassoulet and with three kinds of meat and winter vegetables, it's pretty difficult to incorporate much color and variety.  But my dinner was full of flavor and and seasoned very well.  Upscale comfort food that incidentally paired amazingly well with the cabernet I had chosen.

Creme Brulee ice cream w/caramel

Dessert?  Why yes, please!  Brownie had the creme brulee ice cream and I had the chocolate souffle - both a perfect ending to our meal.  We shared a cup of coffee with dessert, which was piping hot and perfectly brewed.  We sipped away and looked through the books at the table next to the crackling fire, marveling at how Albany had changed over the years.  Our waitress made sure to let us know about a walking/driving tour available by map through the Albany Visitor's Association and even pulled it up on her phone to show us.  I truly felt like I'd had a local experience during my time in this dining room!

Valrhona dark chocolate soufflé,
red berry love potion

Sybaris offers Albany a Portland-esque dining experience without having to travel out of town.  With locally-sourced ingredients, fresh baked daily bread, the owners serving and befriending their guests and small Albany touches everywhere you look, this restaurant is a foodie's paradise.  I dare any Portlandia cast member to ask anything about any of the food on the menu.  I would bet money they knew the name of the duck that was served in my bowl.

If you're looking for a romantic evening out, a comfortable spot to dine and visit, or you've been curious about Sybaris but trepidatious about making a reservation ... it's time to book your visit now.  The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, the staff is beyond amazing, and the food will surprise you in the most delectable ways.  Yes, the menu is pricier than many others in town but we went all out and when our check came, we were surprised that we hadn't spent more.  The portions are very generous and you will likely come away with leftovers when you leave.

With our scoring system, we gave this visit 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.  We can't wait to visit again in the spring during the height of seasonal fruits and vegetables to see what Chef Matt Bennett has in store! Brownie is also dying to try the seafood tower, which requires three days notice - so we'll have to make a reservation for that one sometime!  We love that Albany is becoming a foodie haven with so many options popping up everywhere.  All we can say is, more please!

House of Noodle - Albany, OR (Review)

If you've never been to Oregon, Albany is about 1/2 way between Eugene and Portland right off Interstate 5. This is your standard blue collar town but lately, the food scene here has been expanding. Thai food in this town was unheard of 10 years ago, so when House of Noodle appeared, I was pretty excited.

This restaurant opened its doors in 2010 in the location of an old Pizza Hut and I dare say not the most convenient location to get in and out of, so many people speculated whether or not this little Thai joint would last. But last it has!

The restaurant is clean and simple with a TV and wi-fi, relaxed atmosphere and perfect for families. The staff has always been friendly and attentive with the occasional hiccup when it's busy.

The food is probably a bit Americanized to be considered 'traditional' but I think that's part of its success in this town.

The appetizers are what you would expect; spring rolls, won-tons, salads. As you can see in the pictures, impeccable plating isn't a strong point but I have yet to try an appetizer here that wasn't good! Their sauces are very tasty and are well paired with the food.

Spicy Chicken Salad (Larb), Siam Spring Rolls, and Westside Wonton

My favorite is their Drunken Noodles, so I had to include them in this review! Yes, these noodles do have a tendency to clump a bit, especially if you order take-out or delivery, but their flavor is delicious and you can choose your own spicy level.

Drunken Noodles with Beef

Ryan tried the Pad Thai this time around and ... the noodles were very good.  The shrimp was very bland, though; like it hadn't been seasoned at all.  May have been an oversight, bland is not usually a word I use when we visit this restaurant.

Pad Thai with Shrimp

If you're looking for a truly authentic, upscale restaurant to transport you to Thailand - this probably isn't the place you're looking for, but we really don't believe that's what this noodle joint is trying to be.  Take it as it is, but if you're in the mood for yummy noodles and a relaxing environment to just visit and eat ... this is perfect for you.  They also deliver - which you just can't beat on those weeknights when you don't want to cook.  They ARE closed on Sundays, which has been an inconvenience to me more than once.  Everyone deserves a day of rest!

We gave House of Noodle 4 out of 5 stars on our Brownifer scale.  It's clean, friendly and the noodles never disappoint.  It's consistently been what it is for 6 years ... we can respect that!

Brick and Mortar Cafe

We live near the town of Albany and the restaurant scene is booming in that little town!  Brownie and I tried out Brick and Mortar Cafe downtown a few months ago to check out their famous Bloody Mary Bar on a weekend when we had no kids.  We are in love!  The Bloody Mary Bar is everything you could ever want in your Bloody Mary and trust me when I tell you that there are endless combinations and possibilities - but be careful!  You can spend a lot VERY quickly building these drinks!  Is it worth it?  Yes, the novelty is unique and the ingredients and options are awesome.  I mean, a pepperoni straw!?  Fahgeddaboutit.  But unless you're feeling wealthy, I would stick to just one and order breakfast :-)

Which brings me to Brownie's favorite item on Brick and Mortar's menu:  Chicken and Waffles.  I myself am not a fan of sweet and savory together, but Ryan simply can't get enough of this dish!  He now wants a Belgian Waffle Maker so we can play with this idea at home.  So look out for that :-)  Even though it isn't my style, it smelled amazing!  The chicken was crispy and perfectly fried and as you can see, the waffle was perfect as well.  He drizzled it all with syrup and devoured it in no time!

I ordered the Eggs Benedict and while it was delicious ... the ham was cut too thick for my taste and it overpowered the flavor of the english muffin and hollandaise, which is my favorite.  It was cooked well and plated nicely, just too much ham for me.  Someone who likes more ham flavor would LOVE the Eggs Benedict here.

We returned recently so Brownie's two boys could try the Chicken and Waffles.  They are now just as in love with it!  This menu choice just never seems to disappoint!  I tried the Salmon Lox Benedict this time and it was DELICIOUS!  A little red onion, the lemon flavor in the hollandaise .. .all went incredibly well together in each bite with the salmon.  I can't say enough good things about it!  YUM!

This time, we also chose to try their espresso over Bloody Marys.  As you can see in the photo, they make the foam lovely.  Brownie ordered a salted caramel latte and he loved it, but was VERY sweet as syrup drinks usually are.  I ordered the honey lavender latte and it was beautiful!  Good, strong coffee flavor and a hint of lavender.  

Albany has been begging for a new spin on breakfast and brunch for years and I must say, Brick and Mortar is a breath of fresh air!  We highly recommend trying it!  Be prepared for a line, this town loves this little restaurant!