Hey, Five Guys, you’ve been challenged to a culinary throw-down by one guy — Bobby Flay. Sink your teeth into one of the famous TV chef’s burger creations, and you’ll become a Bobby’s Burger Palace fanatic, too.
Open since the beginning of the summer, Bobby’s Burger Palace joins the ranks of D.C.’s already-crowded burger scene. But unlike other stops, such as Ray’s and BGR, Flay’s first foray into the District offers carnivores options beyond the basic beef patty.
When choosing what to order, diners have the option of Angus beef, ground turkey or chicken breast — and it doesn’t stop there. The menu includes a list of designer burger topping combos that range from home-style to gourmet. The Palace Classic features American cheese, red onion, lettuce and tomato, or you can throw all health caution to the wind and order the signature Crunchburger, topped with double American cheese and potato chips.
Flay also crafts some more exotic offerings like the Napa Valley Burger, served with goat cheese, watercress and Meyer lemon-honey mustard. Other extravagant patties include the Miami Burger, which is pressed with an extra layer of ham. Since Flay is known for his Tex-Mex fusion, my personal choice was the Santa Fe Burger. It was smothered in queso sauce and garnished with spicy pickledjalapeños and blue corn chips — not just good, but so good. I’m not one to over-praise a burger (Shake Shack, for example, left me unimpressed), but my Santa Fe was hands-down one of the best things I have had in months. And I swear Bobby Flay is not paying me to write this.
Bobby’s Burger Palace is also home to the Topless Burger Salad, which allows diners to order any burger from the menu served on top of baby greens and dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. This option provides a sigh of relief for all those who felt their arteries hardening just by reading the above descriptions.
For sides, options include fries, sweet potato fries and beer-battered onion rings. Wash down the feast with a milkshake or malt with flavors such as blueberry-pomegranate and mango. For those of age, Bobby’s Burger Palace also serves beer and spiked milkshakes like the Mocha Kahlua Vodka.
The joint is located at 2121 K St. about a block away from Washington Circle Park, and it is well worth the $2 trip via Circulator. Though the burgers, priced between $6.75 and $7.75, cost more than a griddled patty from Five Guys, burger lovers will find it totally worth it.
