[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the TWENTY-SEVENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!]
Establishment: Char Hut
Location: Oakland Park
Meal: Dinner
Drink: Cherry (Coke+Sprite)
equal parts Cherries Coke and Sprite from a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine
Appetizer: Truffle Mac & Fries
our signature white cheddar special, drizzled with white tru ffle oil.
Main: Big-Bite Burger
1/2 pound steak burger prepared from a special chef’s blend with select cuts of brisket on a Kaiser roll -- with toppings of bacon, cheese, mushrooms, mayo, bbq and lettuce
Side(s): Rosemary Fries
crispy, golden Char-Fries drizzled in olive oil with rosemary
Dessert: n/a
Server: Counter service but Mo took the order
Website: http://www.charhutinc.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharHutOaklandPark/
It's true. I do love a burger (which you could have figured out by now what with how many photos of burgers already appear in this series). As such, when looking for another burger option in the area, this local chain that started in Miami way back in 1976 that is looking to ramp up its franchising became the next choice. It is counter service -- and fast casual -- and it reminded me at times of Subway (with its "you tell me what toppings you want" section) and Noodles and Company (with its mac and cheese side) and even my favorite Eat-a-Pita place back in Chicago (where I regularly had pita stuffed burgers). Their motto is "one bite says it all" ... so I'll echo them and say that "one score says it all":
AMBIANCE: 8/10 (it was a quiet night ... which was probably good since the made-to-order concept would likely create a bit of a bottleneck on the ordering line were it busy ... but the dining room was welcoming and the supplies and add-ons [like straws, lids, condiments, etc] were well stocked ... and although it was too hot to eat outside that evening, there was a patio area shared with a smoothee shop and a dunkin donuts as an option -- speaking of which, one point is lost for the workers tearing down the outside a full hour before they closed as we were wrapping up our meal inside and another point lost for some dirt on the floor, as sweeping it might have been a better use of their time)
FOOD: 7/10 (kudos for having so many options as burger toppings and for being made to order to your temperature request right in front of you AND for offering the burger on a pita as a choice ... but a point lost for too much powder on the outside of that pita and another one lost for the excess rosemary sprigs on the fries [including one that got stuck in my teeth] and a final point lost for those flavored fries because they were missing basic salt)
SERVICE: 7/10 (as much as I appreciated Mo, who knew her menu in and out and was friendly as friendly as could be, there are two points lost for two different colleagues interrupting her twice during the order taking and a final point lost for breaking down the shake machine an hour before they closed, robbing us of our raspberry shake dessert)
BACON: 10/10 (when the menu says add bacon to anything for 80 cents ... that's an invitation to add bacon to ANYTHING for a very reasonable price ... my only regret -- and this is my fault -- I should have done it to the fries and the mac and cheese)
BONUS: 9/10 (+3 for Mo caring about her job as much as she did [I really can't say enough about her and her pleasant attitude], +3 for the pita option and +3 for the Coke freestyle machine [really, everyone should have one of these contraptions by now])
TroyScore: 41 out of 50 -- aka 82, a low B
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