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Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:51 am
by bobbyhawks
chrizow wrote:
that said, i personally am not really that impressed with blanc - i am good with paying top-dollar for interesting, "gourmet" burgers, but blanc just doesn't cut it after you've tried the food at similar places around the country that do it way better. in kc i am very much content with mccoy's for my occasional burger fix (though plaza iii probably has the highest quality meat on their burger in the city in my experience). it is unfortunate that blanc appears to have let the success of the westport, then plaza, locations go to their head - the likelihood of them forging a successful, self-financed chain is tremendously low.
I've eaten at Blanc twice. One time my burger was solid, and the other it was incredibly disappointing. Every time I have been to BRGR, I have had an awesome burger. Not just good, but best burger in town good. Perhaps I've just had some bad experiences, but I think the BRGR concept kills Blanc. If BRGR opened in Westport, I'm not sure that anyone would ever go to Blanc in their hidden parking lot enclave of the Plaza. Blanc was a good idea, opened in the right place, at the right time. I'm sure I will be back since it is a lot closer to me than BRGR, but I 100% agree that it seems Blanc let success go to their heads.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 10:33 am
by PeeJay
bobbyhawks wrote:
I've eaten at Blanc twice. One time my burger was solid, and the other it was incredibly disappointing. Every time I have been to BRGR, I have had an awesome burger. Not just good, but best burger in town good. Perhaps I've just had some bad experiences, but I think the BRGR concept kills Blanc. If BRGR opened in Westport, I'm not sure that anyone would ever go to Blanc in their hidden parking lot enclave of the Plaza. Blanc was a good idea, opened in the right place, at the right time. I'm sure I will be back since it is a lot closer to me than BRGR, but I 100% agree that it seems Blanc let success go to their heads.
I have been to BRGR one time, and I will not be going back, ever. It does not even come close to Blanc in my book. The burger was greasy and fell apart after one bite. I left the place smelling like a grease pit. It was disgusting. No reason to drive to the burbs for this.....
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:03 am
by Pendergast
PeeJay wrote:
I have been to BRGR one time, and I will not be going back, ever. It does not even come close to Blanc in my book. The burger was greasy and fell apart after one bite. I left the place smelling like a grease pit. It was disgusting. No reason to drive to the burbs for this.....
You have to be in the very small percentage of people that feel this way, though you do smell like a grease pit when you leave.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:15 am
by bobbyhawks
PeeJay wrote:
I have been to BRGR one time, and I will not be going back, ever. It does not even come close to Blanc in my book. The burger was greasy and fell apart after one bite. I left the place smelling like a grease pit. It was disgusting. No reason to drive to the burbs for this.....
I didn't notice the grease pit smell, but it is possible that I was salivating too much to care. I'm not sure how greasy your burger was, but perhaps we have different definitions of what a good burger is. If I order a burger and it doesn't have some hot goo squirting out the side when I take a bite, it is a bit disappointing. Otherwise, I'd just order a dry chicken sandwich. My sample size on Blanc is 2 and BRGR 2, so I probably should try them both again, but I would emphatically vote for BRGR today. I had the Kobe Jucy Lucy and the Kobe BRGR at BRGR, both fantastic in my eyes. At Blanc, I've tried the Au Poivre which was a bit dry and bland and the Classic which was very solid. I shouldn't have been so negative earlier toward Blanc. It is a solid burger joint, but they baffled me by moving to such a crappy location.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 3:26 pm
by mean
PeeJay wrote:I have been to BRGR one time, and I will not be going back, ever. It does not even come close to Blanc in my book. The burger was greasy and fell apart after one bite. I left the place smelling like a grease pit. It was disgusting. No reason to drive to the burbs for this.....
I wouldn't go that far, but after three or four visits and being underwhelmed every time I don't have much reason to drive out that far. It wasn't awful, just very average burgers that needed more seasoning. Their house made sauces are very bad, especially the BBQ sauce. Ugh. Ketchup not much better. Everything else is alright. Just not really worth the drive.
Meatwise, I felt the quality was solid. I don't get how anyone would call it greasy. I guess it might seem greasy to someone who is used to making burgers with 95% lean, but I'm not interested in the culinary opinion of anyone who would eat such a thing.
$0.02
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:18 pm
by Jess
moosnsqrl wrote:
Not to split hairs, but Spin started in OP, then expanded to mid-town, then LS, IIRC.
Drat, I stand corrected...being a relatively recent transplant to the area bites me in the ass!
Still, though, I think it's nonetheless a decent exemplar of a particular concept working equally well whether located city center or a few miles away in a suburb. I think the whole, "Burb-ites just don't GET gourmet burgers and that's why the concept failed" thing is ridic. Really, who BETTER to "get" gourmet burgers than burb-ites?
Anyhow, dead horse. Or, dead burger joint, as it were.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:20 pm
by mudjack
PeeJay wrote:
I have been to BRGR one time, and I will not be going back, ever. It does not even come close to Blanc in my book. The burger was greasy and fell apart after one bite. I left the place smelling like a grease pit. It was disgusting. No reason to drive to the burbs for this.....
I tried it once as well.
It was busy, so people must like it.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:21 pm
by taxi
Just because people like it, does not mean that it is good.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:41 am
by trailerkid
Someone please put this Blanc vs. BRGR discussion out of its boring SUV-driving misery.
...and stuff in Prairie Village is busy because there's nowhere else to eat.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:14 am
by ChefColby
trailerkid wrote:
Someone please put this Blanc vs. BRGR discussion out of its boring SUV-driving misery.
...and stuff in Prairie Village is busy because there's nowhere else to eat.
WARNING WARNING!!! DON"T TAKE THE BAIT> CONTROVERSY POT STIRRING COMMENCING!!!!
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:15 pm
by trailerkid
ChefColby wrote:
WARNING WARNING!!! DON"T TAKE THE BAIT> CONTROVERSY POT STIRRING COMMENCING!!!!
Why don't you jump in here and weigh in on the grease content of gourmet burger places in the suburbs. I'm sure you're enthralled by the discussion.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:58 pm
by ComandanteCero
The one time i went to BRGR kitchen, they seated me, then promptly gave my table away to someone else while i was in the restroom washing up
Literally, when i got back there was this guy sitting at my table, my confused waiter standing with the beverage i had already ordered.
They then dumped me at the bar while they looked for another open table (because i guess they were more concerned about inconveniencing the guy who had just arrived vs. the customer they unfairly displaced...). By the time they cleared a table my burger was ready. I told them i was fine at the bar.
Got the Big Mock.... way overpriced, and the proportions of the egg bun to the patty and ingredients were completely off (a lot of bread). Not to mention... the presentation was awful, it literally looked like they slapped it together and rushed it out (had to manually correct the disheveled ingredients that looked like they had been tossed onto the plate). I really wanted to like it. Sorry. Not going back there again.
And, just to be clear... the place wasn't at capacity, there were a number of larger tables that were empty, as was the bar.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:03 pm
by KCMax
I like BRGR, but I find it quite a bit overpriced. Still, I'm glad its there as a locally owned place that is a bit trendier than the likes of Waid's and Jose Pepper's.
I am splitting this conversation off.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:32 pm
by mean
trailerkid wrote:Why don't you jump in here and weigh in on the grease content of gourmet burger places in the suburbs. I'm sure you're enthralled by the discussion.
I dunno, I think discussing the fat content used at various local burger joints is a reasonably legit food nerd topic.
Re: BRGR Kitchen & Bar - Prairie Village
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:45 pm
by SAC
I just ate at BRGR Friday night, so I've been enjoying this discussion. I wouldn't argue against the idea that it is a tad overpriced. That said, my burger was great. Add in a baked pretzel appetizer, tator tots, and tank 7 on tap and you certainly have a winner in my book. Being one of those SUV driving suburbanites with 2 small kids, it is a great place to take the family for dinner. Blanc is great too (I prefer their burgers), but not particularly kid friendly.
Oh, and it was crazy busy with a very long wait by 6 pm a Friday night.
Re: Closed Bars and Restaurants
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:52 pm
by Pendergast
ComandanteCero wrote:
The one time i went to BRGR kitchen, they seated me, then promptly gave my table away to someone else while i was in the restroom washing up
Literally, when i got back there was this guy sitting at my table, my confused waiter standing with the beverage i had already ordered.
They then dumped me at the bar while they looked for another open table (because i guess they were more concerned about inconveniencing the guy who had just arrived vs. the customer they unfairly displaced...). By the time they cleared a table my burger was ready. I told them i was fine at the bar.
Got the Big Mock.... way overpriced, and the proportions of the egg bun to the patty and ingredients were completely off (a lot of bread). Not to mention... the presentation was awful, it literally looked like they slapped it together and rushed it out (had to manually correct the disheveled ingredients that looked like they had been tossed onto the plate). I really wanted to like it. Sorry. Not going back there again.
And, just to be clear... the place wasn't at capacity, there were a number of larger tables that were empty, as was the bar.
It wasn't at capacity but they had you waiting at the bar for a table? How does that happen?
Re: BRGR Kitchen & Bar - Prairie Village
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 6:05 pm
by grovester
Re: BRGR Kitchen & Bar - Prairie Village
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 6:16 pm
by earthling
Pretty good replacement for Fran's... could have been worse, a chain, but better if it were another 24 hour breakfast diner.
Re: BRGR Kitchen & Bar - Prairie Village
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 6:32 pm
by kboish
At least it is a local chain.
I could have sworn somebody from the rag was saying a 24 hr spot was going in here???
Re: BRGR Kitchen & Bar - Prairie Village
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 7:41 pm
by KCPowercat
Definitely a difference in calling BRGR a "chain" with 2 locations and calling Applebee's a "chain".....at least in my mind.