Give me Heartburn like I have when I go South.

April 24, 2009 1:27 PM

Is there any where in Greater Boston/Eastern Mass. where you can get what I would call "Southern Drive-In Style" --like at the Beacon Drive-In or The Varsity-- Cheeseburgers? (Especially Chili Cheeseburgers.)

There's a bunch of locally owned places in my home town Down South that serve this kind of food, but I've never met any in New England. I was wondering if the Hive Mind had encountered any up here.

posted by Any Moose In a Storm to food & drink (13 comments total)

Can you describe the style of burgers you are looking for, for non-Southerners?
posted by Rock Steady at 1:34 PM on April 24

Roadfood is an excellent resource for finding that kind of food.
posted by dersins at 1:38 PM on April 24

It's a relatively thin patty, previously frozen patty, somewhat greasy, I usually get a double chili cheeseburger when I order one. The chili is not runny at all. It's not gourmet, but one does get a craving from time to time.
posted by Any Moose In a Storm at 1:42 PM on April 24

I've never had it but when I think prev. frozen greasy chili cheeseburger I'd think Spike's, they have that and there are locations in allston, boston, somerville, rhode island.
posted by neustile at 1:46 PM on April 24

According to The Burgermeister, Charlie's is in the top ten in the country.
posted by torquemaniac at 1:47 PM on April 24

I don't have specific names for you in the Boston area, but it sounds like you are describing the kind of burger I have had at fried seafood shacks up and down the New England coast. On the Cape, places like Kream N Kone, Captain Frosty's and Spanky's are in that category. Probably the Saugus/Revere area is the best bet close to the city.

Spike's is also a good idea, but I've only ever had dogs there, myself.
posted by Rock Steady at 1:53 PM on April 24

torquemaniac: I am pretty sure the burgermeister means Charlie's Kitchen, which is known for their burgers-- and even if he did mean Charley's, they don't have a chili burger. Charlie's does, but theirs is not "drive-in style." If you want a real burger, then yeah, RFO's in somerville, Charlie's, audobon are all good choices.
posted by neustile at 1:56 PM on April 24

You might be interested in this article that appeared today on Boston.com. It compares East Coast vs. West Coast but there appears to be some styles similar to what you've described.

By the way, this thread is making me hungry.
posted by Rewind at 1:58 PM on April 24

No idea about Beantown, but I can hop over to the Beacon and FedEx you some Chili Cheese a plenty! I'm not sure if it would be better or worse when it arrives, though...
posted by cdmwebs at 4:33 PM on April 24

2nding Rock Steady. I definitely had a burger like that at one of the shacks on Revere Beach. But it was 7 years ago and I was drunk, so please don't ask me the name.
posted by lunasol at 8:42 PM on April 24

I don't know if it's exactly what you're looking for, but the burgers at R.F. O'Sullivan's, in Somerville are INCREDIBLE. I don't live in Boston anymore, but I still crave those burgers, and I stop there FIRST when I come back to Boston to visit.
posted by pazazygeek at 10:22 PM on April 24

This thought came to me literally in the middle of the night last night: What about greasy-spoon type diners? There are two in Somerville (the Rosebud and the Somerville) and I am sure others in the metro area. A cursory Google search suggests several right in the city, but I'm not sure how diner-y they are without further research.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:32 AM on April 25

cdmwebs - don't tease me like that

I've had RF O'Sullivans and that is exactly the kind of burger I don't like: A huge ball of too lean meat. I've had Flat Patties, and they're my current local favorite. The burgers I'm talking about are more similar to what the article calls West Coast Style, but there's a certain "Drive-In" taste those lack --sorry I can't articulate the flavor profile with more proficiency.
posted by Any Moose In a Storm at 4:16 PM on April 25