Putter's Tavern and Grill

Review 25 @ Stop 32
Putter’s Tavern and Grill
6576 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd. (Liberty Township)
513.755.0222

This is the original location of the namesake that now has two other locations. Make no mistake, sports is the key. A large room for a crowd to play pool, darts, and video games; listen to live entertainment on certain days, and watch events on the 28 monitors and two big screens. Bucky says, “They have to show the Packers on at least one TV!”

Putter’s offers a large menu with many appetizers, sandwiches, and beverages. Different burgers are on the menu and each is available on different bread: white, wheat, rye, baguette, and roll. Great job on this unique feature! The guys went for the Original Putter Burger ($6.75) with chips and pickles. Patrons can substitute fries or onion rings for an additional 99 cents.

Then the downward spiral began. Wolfy couldn’t get medium rare, and then it’s served dry. Freddie’s patty was no where near a half pound, thus somewhere between a quarter and third of a pound. The meat lacked flavor and just plain blah. Since Bucky’s head had visions of seeing Favre-to-Driver touchdown passes, he proclaims the overall sandwich to be better than the meat, which cushions the blow of the lower scores delivered by his compadres.

Go to Putter’s and enjoy the fun atmosphere, but don’t expect a quality burger. Freddie recommends the blackened grouper sandwich and Bucky really likes the fish sandwich (cod served on rye).

Points: 3.5
Rating: Average

Next Review: The Blue Goose

Pilot Inn

Review 24 @ Stop 2
Pilot Inn
3921 Edwards Rd (near Rookwood)
513.531.4156

Found in the shadows of the ever-popular Rookwood shopping district, the Pilot Inn is a longstanding, neighborhood bar. Nothing fancy here. It’s a dark, narrow room with a long wooden bar area flanked by small tables with white, plastic outdoor chairs. You know … the stackable ones.

How did the Burger Guys discover this place? First of all, Freddie’s co-worker told him the Pilot Inn had the biggest burgers in town. They later discovered that a mutual friend used to frequently eat lunch and have an iced tea (believe that?) there on his daily rounds during his postal worker days.

Well then, the Pilot Inn is complete with a jukebox, video golf, neon bar lights, a few TVs in the corner, a posted list of daily specials, plus plenty of neighborhood bar flavor – therefore it can be smoky. (Visited before Election Day, November 2006)

The hamburger deluxe ($4.00) is a half pounder served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayonnaise with a side order of chips and a generous amount of sliced pickles. The hands forming the patty spread the meat over a larger area, thus its medium thickness.

Cooked to order? No.
Anything special about the bun? No.
The biggest burger in the city? No.
Seasoning? No.

Nothing special, but the Pilot Inn serves a nice basic burger in a classic, neighborhood bar.

Points: 3.5
Rating: Average

Next Review: Putter’s (Liberty Township)

Burger Bytes

Don't let the name fool you. We haven't been there yet, but we are told that Mac's Pizza (Clifton) is better known for its burger than for pizza.

Thurman's Cafe
We have received some raving reports about the burgers at Thurman's Cafe in Columbus. Informants rave about the big burgers! We've also discovered others love the hot wings, plus deep fried pickles are available.

Thurman's Cafe

183 Thurman Ave

614.443.1570

Wendy's Ultimate Burger
A reader sent us this burger recipe, actually for a cheeseburger.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground sirloin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 tbsp of your favorite barbeque sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Key Tip: Pour the sauce on top of each burger immediately after placing on the grill.