Written By: Donald Saltmarsh '16
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| Courtesy of Bräuburgers
Restaurant Page on Facebook
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Published October 2014
Where did the ubiquitous American hamburger come from? Was it Louis’ Lunch in Connecticut that made the first broiled beef patty, or “Hamburger Charlie” Nagreen, who decided to smash meatballs together to create a meal one could eat on the go? Both claim to be the originators of the American burger, and while we can’t tell you who is right, we can certainly tell a good burger when we eat one. Lynchburg isn’t without its fair share of superb burger joint options: from the well-priced Texas Inn to the gourmet burgers of Robin Alexander or Mangia, we have plenty of excellent choices within a short distance. When we drove 20 minutes to Forest to try out Bräuburgers we had high expectations that were left wanting with an average meal.
For those who don’t recognize the name Bräuburgers, you aren’t alone. The restaurant just opened in June in the Forest Square Shopping Center, proclaiming a “better burger” as fast casual food, the same type of restaurant model as Chipotle. One of the trademarks of the fast casual food market is upscale fast food with limited table service, but this restaurant immediately surprised us as it had recently switched to full table service, therefore losing the classification of fast casual.
As we looked over menus we started off our
meal by ordering 12 wings ($9.89) and Black & Tan onion rings ($4.95)
dipped in beer batter for appetizers. The service for the appetizers was very
slow, and while our waitress was nice she was slow to refill drinks and take
orders. When the appetizers arrived, the onion rings had a light batter and
were perfectly fried so that there was a good balance between crunch and
flavor. The wings were also expertly cooked, but the sauces had us divided. The
bourbon molasses sauce had a very intense bourbon flavor that was not offset
well by the sweet molasses flavor. While the Thai chili sauce had a bit of a
spicy zing, it was rather bland. The wings were also fairly small, so if you go
here with the intention of filling up on wings, we suggest buying the large
order and hoarding aggressively.
After the appetizers and a nearly forty-minute wait in the half-empty restaurant, our burgers came, once more showing significant deviation from the self-proclaimed fast casual business model. Bräuburgers offers two burger options, either with cheese ($6.59) or without ($5.89) and a variety of free toppings similar to what you would see at a Five Guys. You can make each burger a combo with fries and cole slaw for $8.89 and $8.39 respectively, which we both did. The buns were cooked very well but the patties were slightly overdone. This was redeemed slightly by the toppings that we ordered including mushrooms, onions, lettuce, provolone, and their special Bräuburger sauce—a unique and tangy addition. The burgers came with very crispy and well done fries that reinforced what we had observed with the wings and onion rings: the fried foods were well done but other aspects of the meal were lacking. The food was served in baskets, with Styrofoam cups and plastic silverware, leading us to question the market in which Bräuburgers is attempting to position itself in with its recent switch to a full service restaurant.
For those that are not interested in the burgers, the restaurant also offers various sandwich options including classics like the BLT and Reuben to name a couple, as well as bratwurst and frankfurters. It also features a rotating local beer selection, with 11 local beers listed on tap as well as standard bottle domestics and imports. However, we found that multiple tapped beers listed were no longer in stock, showing a need to update the beer list with more regularity. If you are specifically looking for a broad drink selection you would be better to look to Rivermont Pizza or Robin Alexander.
Bräuburgers is an example of a restaurant that has not managed to find its core market, and with plans to franchise, it needs to find its identity—whether as a gourmet burger joint, sports bar, or fast casual restaurant. While the meal was satisfactory, it was comparable to what one would receive at a Five Guys, albeit with much slower service, less consistency in its food options, and no student discounts. The ultimate question is whether or not it is worth driving far outside the red brick walls instead of staying close by; for now we will be sticking with two Cheesy’s all the way, and the occasional trip to RA for the unorthodox and delicious options they provide.
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| The Layout of Bräuburgers Restaurant indicates an environment not entirely conducive to a full table service model Photo courtesy of Bräuburgers Restaurant page on Facebook |
After the appetizers and a nearly forty-minute wait in the half-empty restaurant, our burgers came, once more showing significant deviation from the self-proclaimed fast casual business model. Bräuburgers offers two burger options, either with cheese ($6.59) or without ($5.89) and a variety of free toppings similar to what you would see at a Five Guys. You can make each burger a combo with fries and cole slaw for $8.89 and $8.39 respectively, which we both did. The buns were cooked very well but the patties were slightly overdone. This was redeemed slightly by the toppings that we ordered including mushrooms, onions, lettuce, provolone, and their special Bräuburger sauce—a unique and tangy addition. The burgers came with very crispy and well done fries that reinforced what we had observed with the wings and onion rings: the fried foods were well done but other aspects of the meal were lacking. The food was served in baskets, with Styrofoam cups and plastic silverware, leading us to question the market in which Bräuburgers is attempting to position itself in with its recent switch to a full service restaurant.
For those that are not interested in the burgers, the restaurant also offers various sandwich options including classics like the BLT and Reuben to name a couple, as well as bratwurst and frankfurters. It also features a rotating local beer selection, with 11 local beers listed on tap as well as standard bottle domestics and imports. However, we found that multiple tapped beers listed were no longer in stock, showing a need to update the beer list with more regularity. If you are specifically looking for a broad drink selection you would be better to look to Rivermont Pizza or Robin Alexander.
Bräuburgers is an example of a restaurant that has not managed to find its core market, and with plans to franchise, it needs to find its identity—whether as a gourmet burger joint, sports bar, or fast casual restaurant. While the meal was satisfactory, it was comparable to what one would receive at a Five Guys, albeit with much slower service, less consistency in its food options, and no student discounts. The ultimate question is whether or not it is worth driving far outside the red brick walls instead of staying close by; for now we will be sticking with two Cheesy’s all the way, and the occasional trip to RA for the unorthodox and delicious options they provide.
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