Each Friday in the afternoon we take turns choosing and driving. This was my week so after picking up Barry and John I headed for Angry Angus out in Fracc. Las Americas. I had looked at their fb page and thought I saw that they were open at 1 PM. Well, for those that have been there before you know that that is correct but just on Saturday and Sunday. They open at 7 PM through the week.
Of course as will be said way too many times during this quest, old guys, retired, plenty-o-time so no set back is devastating in any way. Options abound when it comes to burgers.
The option that presented itself was Salamanca Grill.
We noticed it on the way to AA, no the other AA! So it was a likely stop to see if they serve burgers for lunch.
Now some may ask, "why would a well known steak restaurant not sell burgers for lunch?" Well, never take anything for granted here because things are not always, shall I say "what you might expect!"
Many of you probably know about the La Rueda steak houses. If you don't you certainly should! I know of two of them. Regardless both are open for lunch. The one out on Ave 2000 aka 128 is open for lunch but doesn't serve burgers until they open at 7 in the evening. The other in Emiliano Zapata Norte cooks burgers outside during lunch but they can only be purchased and carried away. No eating burgers inside until they are served in the evening. Just another one of those great mysteries that keep us intrigued here in Merida!
We found this out the day John and I returned to La Cabana Sonorense for steaks. We both figured that La Rueda would do a killer burger. So I stopped and john went in to see. FYI: John is our official "burger checker outer" (BCO) so he is sent in to recon any time we're not sure. It's good to have an official BCO along on the quest!
Moving on......we pulled into Salamanca's parking area and sent in our BCO. I mean no sense we all get out of the ac car and go see when you have a BCO! LOL!
After a minute or two he returned and gave us the high sign. Barry and I get out and we all go in and sit down.
As you can see it wasn't busy when we arrived but about 45 minutes later a few more tables started to fill.
So it was time to order the burger after we ordered our beverages of choice.
Then this is where the miscommunication comes in. Now I know we have just started this quest but to date no one understands that we want a burger cooked medium rare on a bun and nothing else. Huh? Say what?
We can only figure that when we tell them that they either think that we are old loco gringos or we're messing with them. And even though we are sure we have told the waiter exactly what we want in Spanish, (solo carne y pan, sin cebolla, sin lechuga, sin tomate, sin tocino, sin queso, sin habeneros, sin ketsup, sin mayonesa, y sin mostaza....nada mas solo carne y pan!) that between us, him and the cook, well, something gets lost. The waiter asks if we want it cut and we say yes....tres piezas.
The cook, once seeing the order, has to be in the back thinking that the waiter has had to of totally gone off the deep end and has screwed up the order because when and who, in their right mind, has ever ordered a burger on a bun and nada mas? Simply unheard of and he/she isn't going to send out any burger naked! No! No! Not on their watch!
Ok, now to all that you have to add the fact that there are three guys sitting at a table ordering this one, only one, very non conventional burger to be divided between them. Yet another huh from the waiter? WTF?
Yes, we explain as best as possible that we will each be ordering a burger after we eat the first one but that seems to get lost some where along the way.
So as the order is placed with all the "sins" the waiter, as he is walking away, I hear him say "solo?" I look at Barry and John, whom by the way are the Spanish speakers.......way, way better than I, and I say I think there will be an issue. They protest at my suggestion as it was made perfectly clear what we wanted.
So we're talking and drinking our chilled beverages as the burger arrives. As the waiter sits it on the table the melted cheese is oozing and the bacon is sticking out at weird angles from all four pieces.
We all look at the burger, then at each other and we start laughing and start scraping off cheese and bacon.
After the cheese and bacon were removed we tasted and commented and feel that the burger is very good. The burger was pre-made/pressed and came to Salamanca frozen according to the waiter, Alex, that replaced the first waiter after he didn't show up again. Loco gringos!!!!
We then ordered our burgers the way we like them........
Our combined thoughts were that the burgers were very good but the toppings were too slight for the size of the burger.
Two out of the three buns didn't seem real fresh and were dry. Of course we are talking about the top of the bun since the burgers are very juicy and the bottom of the bun was soaked.
The meat was cooked to everyone's satisfaction.
Two of us thought the fries were just a wee bit over cooked and the other thought that they were spot on.
None of us three burgerteers would have sent our burgers back but all agree that La Cabana Sonorense holds the edge.
Would I go back to Salamanca for a burger.....indeed!
We were burgering at Salamanca Grill on Calle 74 in Fracc. Las Americas.
There's another one on Calle 28 No 401 x 35 y 37 in Col. Emiliano Zapata Norte.
On a different meat note I will add that if you haven't been to Salamanca for a steak then you are without a doubt missing out on a wonderful experience, imho!
