Friday, May 29, 2015

Best Burgers in Orlando at Teak

Flavorful Excursions' readers voted loud and clear in our Facebook poll for National Hamburger Day on May 28: Teak Neighborhood Grill has the best burgers in Orlando. So, my husband, myself and my family decided to try some of the burgers and other tasty food at this popular gastropub for ourselves.

We made it just in time for happy hour, which features great specials on beer, wine and cocktails. Our Blood Orange Cosmo was delicious and well-balanced - not too sweet. We wanted to try every burger on the menu: there are 35 to choose from. Plus, we were given a peek at the Underground Menu with even more outstanding choices. Be sure to ask your server for this when you go. There are a ton of fascinating burgers that are not on the regular menu.

One of the burgers we ordered was The Drunken Monk, which features Angry Orchard onion jam, roasted tomatoes, smoked bacon, herb mayo and provolone cheese. This is one of the most popular burgers at Teak and we can see why. While it was delicious, we thought the herb mayo needed more flavor. "Along Came Danny" is another sky-high burger, topped with pulled pork, fried plantains, tomatoes and cilantro mayo. Surprisingly, the flavors worked together perfectly. 

However, our favorite burger was the Kobe Burger. It's $15 price tag is worth every penny - and then some. We like how it is a bit more simple than some of the other burgers with several different ingredients, so the glorious flavor and texture of the Kobe beef really shines through. This one is topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms and melted Swiss cheese. 

There are so many unique burgers at Teak, that we can't wait to go back and try others. Plus, executive chef Philip Romano will be rolling out six new flavors throughout the summer. It is not just the innovative flavor combinations that make Teak's burgers so great, though. The gastropub takes care to use fresh, local ingredients and 100 percent Angus beef.The quality - and passion of the staff - shines through in the taste of the food.

Even though you will be stuffed after eating the mammoth-size burgers, you have to leave room for dessert. We tried Teak's scrumptious version of the "cronut", The Ultimate Cronie, which is a light, flaky layered dough deep fried to a crispy outside, covered in cinnamon, powdered sugar and caramel sauce. Served hot with vanilla ice cream, the Cronie is my new favorite dessert in Central Florida. We also had the hot Lava Cake, topped with vanilla ice cream, and it was delicious and decadent.

Let us know your favorites at Teak in the comments section below!