Dining Out: Towson eatery knows its burgers

by Lynn Williams
maindish@baltimoreguide.com
As you may have noticed, “sliders” are stylish. The once-jocular term for “buy ‘em by the bag”-type mini-burgers from Little Tavern or White Castle now un-ironically refers to a lovingly hand-crafted mouthful of Kobe beef, served between slices of toasted brioche and topped with foie gras and chevre, with perhaps a slice of heirloom tomato. It’s all part of the trend toward comfort food for rich folks; restaurants featuring lobster macaroni and cheese are likely to have sliders on their menu.
Even trendies no doubt want a traditional burger now and then, though, and Towson’s Burger Bros. is the place to find it. Big, but not too mammoth to get your mouth around, a regular five buck burger is hand-made of freshly-ground Angus beef, charbroiled and offered with a pretty good range of toppings. It’s a back-to-basics version of the burger: not fancy, but made with the quality ingredients and attention to detail that even foodies can respect.
Burger Bros. is colorful and cheerful, but there’s nothing much to talk about, ambiance-wise, so we can get right to the menu. In addition to the burgers—hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, turkey burger, or marinated portobello burger—the kitchen offers marinated boneless chicken breast sandwiches, hot dogs, wings, salads, fries, and onion rings.
We tried a cheeseburger ($5.49), which is not as easy an order as it would seem. In addition to the usual American, diners can chose between Swiss, Cheddar, pepper-jack, blue and feta cheeses, and an assortment of gratis condiments and add-ons including jalapenos and caramelized onions. The counter guy didn’t ask how we wanted our burger cooked, but it arrived medium, and as juicy as anyone could wish, and the pepper-jack added a bit of a kick. All in all, a fine burger.
We chose our Buffalo wings, which are available in several different preparations in addition to traditional Tabasco, with Old Bay seasoning. The ample order of 10 ($6.99) smelled tantalizingly crab-like, the wings were grease-free and meaty, and the blue cheese dressing sufficiently lumpy with actual blue cheese. (By the way, we ordered the wings bone-in. Not only can’t I imagine a boneless chicken wing, but isn’t gnawing on the bones part of the fun?)
A Greek salad ($5.79) was dinner-sized and, considering how much food we had ordered, supplied a healthy lunch the next day. The greens and grape tomatoes tasted fresh, and there were plenty of cucumbers, pepperoncini, red onions and black olives, and a ton of feta (this is a good thing). Greek-style vinaigrette was served on the side, and there was about twice as much dressing as required to give the greens a good soaking.
A small order of  “spuds” ($1.89) were hand cut and plenty for two, but a little disappointing. Shoving them into a cup meant mostly pieces and shards and few whole fries.

In a world of chains, it’s nice to know that these burgers are made by actual brothers. While we wish Mike and Tim Murphy success, here’s hoping that they won’t take the franchise path anytime soon. Right now, Burger Bros is one of a kind, and its fans and friends like it that way.

Burger Bros.
14 Allegheny Ave.
Hours: Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon to 8 p.m. Sun.
Phone: 410-321-1880
Our meal for two:  $21.37

The Latest Dish…
Aw, gee. I just go out of town for a couple of weeks, and when I return a little bit of Baltimore history has disappeared. I’m referring, of course, to the closing of Martick’s Restaurant Française, the restaurant whose speakeasy past, well-kept-secret appearance, expertly prepared French food and eccentric owner gave it landmark status. Everyone who’s ever been there has a Morris Martick story. I’ll never forget my first visit, when Martick let us in, cooked us a wonderful dinner, and then proceeded to sit right down in the dining room and pour himself a bowl of cereal. We’ll miss his pâté, but most of all, we’ll miss him.