City Grill

One word for our Quest to City Grill - OVERRATED!
Boy, for as much hype as is posted on the side of their building, I don't know what City Grill has that Applebees doesn't.
I did as I normally do while questing, enter with an open-mind, order a medium rare with chee and cast my judgment. Even with 90+ temperatures indoors, and extra, extra, extra long wait for everything, warm beers from the tap and crap service, I didn't judge (ish).


After sitting at the bar for nearly an hour and a half, the Questers finally, FINALLY, got their burgers which, to our dismay, were served on Ciabatta buns.
What? No one prepared me for this. I was expecting a hamburger bun, a freaking sesame seed bun. But, ciabatta?!?!?! WTF. It drowned the taste of the burger. Bun:Burger was totally off. If it weren't for the grilled onions that come standard with every burger I might have thrown this one against the wall with my hot-from-the-tap PBR following closely behind. Maybe it was an off day, but "Denver's Best Hamburger" was everything but, in my opinion.
No judges necessary. City Grill, you're dead to me.

Tom's Diner

Serendipitously, we ended up at Tom's Diner for Burger Quest Week 7. Originally, we thought it was time to decide for ourselves if City Grill was indeed "the best burger in Denver" as they claim. However, we were shunned as soon as we walked in the door. "Sorry folks. Hood's broken. No burgers today."
Stranded on the hot pavement of Colfax Avenue we were forced to make a decision. The nearest establishment with meat on a bun was Tom's Diner.And dine we did.
In this bastion of retrofried goodness, we found a contender for Best Burger over $5.
Tom surprised us with a toasty grilled bun, crispy leafy lettuce, fresh tomato, melty Cheddar Chee, pickles atop a perfectly grilled, medium burger.

As you can clearly see, it was a burger of near perfection. Not since the Cherry Cricket has there been so much silence and so many happy, full mouths. The way the burger melted together once inside your mouth was, well it was satisfying. There were 3-4 distinctly identifiable tastes in each bite, which is really all anyone can ask for when eating a burger.
Happily plumped full of red meat, all Questers agreed that City Grille has a lot to live up to.

Judges:

Though my burger rating skills are rusty, I would give it an 8. I felt sad when it was gone.

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8
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HOLY F*CKING SH*T!!!!!!!
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My afternoon food coma should attest to the quality of the burger.
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If i was to die and become a hamburger I would want to be a burger at Toms

Next: Back to City Grill