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<\/a>The menu at Little Big Burger lists four food items in grade-school font: hamburger, cheeseburger, veggie burger and truffle fries. I consumed all of them over a couple of visits. They\u2019re followed by two other entries: fountain soda and root beer float, neither of which I bothered ordering. (Give me cold beer or nothing with my burger.)<\/p>\n
A sterile red-and-white scheme prevails, save for the bold geometric graphics on a large wall and the designer-gray color of another wall displaying merchandise.<\/p>\n
Run by a franchisee through Chanticleer Holdings Inc. \u2014 the same company that owns Hooters \u2014 the mom-and-pop factor is blatantly absent. This is quite similar to all of the other burger chains operating within a two-mile radius, including The Habit, In-N-Out, Shake Shack and Fuddruckers. In comparison, Little Big Burger is younger, cuter and smaller, with only about 17 locations in several states since launching in 2010. More are in the pipeline locally and nationally.<\/p>\n Strangely, since opening its two locations in the area months ago \u2014 both here and in El Cajon \u2014 neither offers a working phone number. So for now, pick-up orders can be placed via the website.<\/p>\n I love burgers just as much as any ravenous kid or foodie hipster. These are made with black Angus beef by Jensen Meat Company in Otay Mesa, which uses a 75\/25 lean-fat ratio. (Only the San Diego locations source from Jensen.)<\/p>\n In addition, some of the cheese options are rather chic for a fast-food concept; chevre and bleu reside among the usual lineup of cheddar, pepper jack and Swiss.<\/p>\n So why my lack of affection for these quarter-pound pucks?<\/p>\n When I asked one of the Gen Z grill cooks if the meat is seasoned, he answered, \u201cOnly with a little salt and pepper.\u201d As it turned out, that was all I tasted. The flavor of the beef was overtaken.<\/p>\n Also, I\u2019m not a fan of patties verging toward the shape of meatballs. These are small in diameter and chubby in stature. What you get are concentrated mouthfuls of meat in fewer bites compared to standard burgers \u2014 not necessarily a bad thing among some aficionados I know.<\/p>\n As the burgers sizzle on the griddle, they\u2019re squirted periodically with water. The cook said the H2O helps lock in the moisture. He was right. It made for a reasonably juicy outcome.<\/p>\n What I did enjoy very much were the thick-sliced pickles on the burgers and the moist, springy brioche buns. As for the Camden\u2019s catsup and \u201cfry sauce\u201d you\u2019ll find in squeeze bottles throughout the smallish dining area, they were forgettable.<\/p>\n The catsup tasted flat. And the sauce \u2014 an equal mix of the catsup and Hellman\u2019s mayo \u2014 struck me as unimaginative, like something that might have tasted edgy when I was 10 years old experimenting with condiments.<\/p>\n<\/a>