Toro Burger
I see they only offer the burger (not the sliders) during lunch hours on weekdays. Has anyone had any luck ordering it "off" menu not during lunch hours? Wish they would make it easier to order what has become such a trendy burger lately.
-
I was inspired by this thread to try the burger “messy”. I’ve been Toro before, but I have never tried the burger. I thought it was generally a good enjoyable burger, but I felt there was some room for improvement. I the patty was great. It was nicely charred, pinky and juicy in the middle, and rich due to the fact that it was made from short ribs. I liked the pickled red onions. They added a nice tanginess and crunch to the burger. I love the lime and pepper alioli, and I thought it did a nice job of cutting the bite from the pickled onions. But ultimately I did not think all the components worked perfectly together. I felt like the use of short ribs made the burger too rich for the alioli, as some of the subtle flavors were lost. The burger had a slice of American cheese, which really did not add anything except a slight plasticy texture. I think a stronger cheese, like a sharp cheddar, would have been better. Or just skip the cheese altogether if you get it “messy” as suggested by MichaelB. I also was not a fan of the bun. It was a simple, light, Wonderbread like bun. I get the appeal of this kind of bun if you are having a simple cheeseburger with ketchup and mustard at a cookout in the summer, but for this rich burger I would have liked something more substantial like a semolina roll. It was a good burger, but I don’t think I would go back just to have the burger. I think Toro has better options on their menu. Wild Willy’s is still my favorite burger.
-----
Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118Wild Willy's
46 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA 02472›2 Replies -
yumyum
Mar 22, 2010 01:19 PM
Finally got a chance to try this burger on Friday and it's definitely in the top 5 I've ever had. Ever. Maybe in the top 2? Or one? It's a magical thing of beefy beauty, as it should be, being made of 100% short rib and topped with, as Kenji Alt says "a massive spoonful of the same finger-licking, garlicky alli-oli, cotija cheese, and espelette pepper mix that they use to coat their famous grilled street corn". **
Best thing about the burger is actually it's restrained size. At 5 ounces you get just enough to fill you (my friend and I shared the uni toast app) but not enough to make you feel guilty for the next few days. The combo is very very messy, but it's not that hard to eat. Pickled onions cut through some of the richness. Some.
We also got into a long discussion with the guys at the next table who are also burger fanatics. They were dissing the Sully's meatball, talking up the Green Street (albeit different style) and were mixed on the Radius. Once I get my cardio results back ... heh ... I need to compare to the Craigie burg which I haven't tried yet.
Bottom line, I think this is one burger it's worth skipping work for, or finding SOME way to be in the South End at lunch. It's that good.
**See his full review here --> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2...
›9 Replies-
re: yumyum
nsenada
Mar 22, 2010 01:40 PM
And it's so easy to get a table there at lunch - the only drawback being you can't get the churro. You gotta have the Craigie burger right after your cardio results are in - either as a great way to celebrate your heart's resilience, or to go out in a burst of marrowy ecstasy.
-
re: nsenada
yumyum
Mar 22, 2010 01:45 PM
The cardio shout-out was especially for you. ;-)
My only beef (heh) with the Craigie burger is my beef with Craigie. Must I be pressed up against the window at 5 p.m. like an urchin to get a spot at the bar? It was so nice to be able to waltz into Toro on Friday with no velvet rope-like hassle, even on a gorgeous Spring day.
-----
Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118-
re: yumyum
While I too prefer to sit at the actual bar, you can always get a reservation for the bar tables, and the bar menu as well as the main menu are available there. I've often done that, and if there's an opening at the bar, tell the maitr'd you'd rather sit at the actual bar. Then you can have my cardiologists nightmare meal, crispy fried pig tails, followed by the burger, followed by an angioplasty.
-
-
re: nsenada
rchudy
Mar 23, 2010 12:06 PM
I hope the Toro burger is as good as advertised, my new $18 Craigie habit is getting expensive.
www.bostonburgerblog.com-----
Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118
-
-
-
-
re: yumyum
MichaelB
Mar 23, 2010 01:10 PM
I accompanied yumyum on this burger venture and the description is spot-on; that is one great burger. Crusty outside, super-juicy inside. I can't really think of a better one I've had in Boston. Note that you do have to order the burger "messy" to get the cotija-garlic-lime-pepper mixture on top; next time I would ask them to skip the slice of American cheese in favor of just the messy stuff. No need to have competing cheeses on the burger.
-
-
I was at Toro for Lunch on Thursday and asked about the Burger being ordered "off menu" during the evening and was told NO.....just the sliders. It was my first time trying the burger, I ordered it "Messy" per the Chow faithfuls suggestion and it is something to behold. Totally different then the Craigie Burger but I think it is just as memorable.
-----
Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118›1 Reply
