Goodburger

I’m not surprised that Goodburger closed down. Especially with such competitors as 5 Guys or one of the many gastropubs that offer some very tasty burgers.
Goodburger was just A-​OK by my standards. But I won’t go crying over it anytime soon…

They closed. I knew it was only a matter of time.

So sad! Goodburger, your un-​pressed patties that could be ordered rare were truly the best around. We hardly knew you and now you’re closed.

So I just came across this place on the way to the church for a show. Me and the gf were hungry, and we haven’t tried this place before so why not? We ordered a cheeseburger combo to share. The burger took about 10 – 15 to get cooked up. It looked real good. Served on a kaiser roll with preferred condiments. Mmm it was good. Not the best burger I’ve had, but I definitely enjoyed it. The fries were tasty as well. I haven’t tried burgers elsewhere in Philly, but this place isn’t bad.

Yo this place sucks. I get burgers everywhere else and I decided to get a crab cake sandwich here. Granted that a good crab cake is hard to find, this one was worse than the usual bad crab cake. Filled with filler. The most amazing (by amazing I mean disgusting) thing that I saw here was the veggie burger my girlfriend got. I think it might have been homemade but it was literally dripping and oozing out of the bun and lima beans and peas were falling off of it. I’m pretty sure it had sandwich leprosy. Kenan would be so bummed about his namesake being used in this manner. It’s downright disrespectful.

There are so many burger places in Philly that I wanted to try out and after having 5 guys a couple days ago I wanted to try this place out simply because it was so close to my hotel. What I got was a so so experience wishing that I could give half stars on the ratings rather than saying it was A-​OK. First off the place is nestled in downtown Philly close to City Hall so it’s not the easiest of places to find. Second the seating was nice as there weren’t that many people there to deal with in the first place.
The food itself was pretty good, the burger was cooked to order and came out medium rare and it was spiced perfectly. Every bite seemed to overflow with juices and taste. The fries were even better as they were nice and crispy from the first to the last bite. The way they give you a cup of thousand island dressing reminds me of the animal style fries that they serve at In and Out back on the West Coast. It takes longer to get your food but none the less very good.
Now people may be thinking why I only gave 3 stars for good food. Well I can tell you that the service sucked. There was like a desire for something faster and more professional. It’s tough not being able to communicate with the servers or if they can’t hear what your saying. It took a good few minutes just to order a simple burger and fries! I usually don’t mind but this time it was just plain frustrating. I would still go back if I had the chance but do yourself a favor and bring some patience along with your appetite.

The obvious comparison is to 5 Guys. The burger at Goodburger is a little bigger and they will cook it to your desired «done-​ness», which 5 Guys will not (and they are actually pretty accurate when it comes to Medium and Medium-​Rare). The fries are much crisper than they are at 5 Guys, although they don’t leave the skins on — I like the skins myself. They also put a LOT of fries on the side, just like 5 Guys. They also give you a little cup of a 1,000 Island type dressing for dipping, which I like. I prefer the 5 Guys bun — the Goodburger bun is a standard issue Kaiser Roll, too much bun for the burger. Otherwise, you get an actual plate if you are staying (5 Guys give you a bag regardless of eat-​in or take-​out) and the seating is a bit nicer and bigger than the Chestnut 5 Guys. And they are about a buck cheaper on a burger/​fries/​soda combo.
So, all said and done — I think I like them a little more.

If there’s one thing that separates Goodburger from being Greatburger, it’s definitely the service. Wait time is about ten minutes on average and may take as long as fifteen minutes if you dare to order something besides a burger and fries. The girls working the register have a strikingly poor command of the English language and seem to conduct their job with an air of indifference. I don’t count this against a fast food place that much in my estimation, I just mention it here as a warning: you may find your first time ordering a tad confusing. Also, I’ve gotten the wrong thing handed to me twice here already, even though it was correct on my receipt.
Ultimately the question is: is it a good burger? The answer is definitely yes. There seem to be a lot of bars and restaurants in center city with a $ 12 burger on the menu, but good burger is equal if not better than most of these for about $ 9 (with a ton of fries and a soft drink). The meat is tasty and cooked to order and is definitely a less troubling thing to eat than the 5 Guys grease patty. Still, for any California transplants, this place has nothing on In-​n-​out burger.
Oh yeah, and it has beer on tap and I think maybe wine. Crazy.

Goodburger, like 5 guys is fast food that ISN’T fast. Both are awesome burgers, but I’d say Goodburger is a small step up from 5 guys in the quality department. Also, you can get alchohol at Goodburger which makes it amazing. Sometimes I wish i had a beer while waiting out 5 guys, but the peanuts had to suffice.
Goodburger gave us mountains of cheese fries with our fairly large burger. The music they play outside is what brought me in. The interior is nice and clean. 5 guys, I feel like they have tile everywhere for a reason, and that reason is to make bloody messes easy to clean.
I guess because I ordered a beer, it was more expensive that I was expecting. I was just taken off guard at the total they rang up.
All in all, I liked it a lot. Now I just know what to expect.

Let me start by saying, I’m a burger snob, and Goodburger made it just the way I like it! I give the burger 5 very bright stars, however, the service and speed were lacking. Also; the décor, it looked like they couldn’t decide on a theme.

I was really excited by the arrival of Goodburger. I showed up on opening day before the line snaked out the door. But it was a disapointment. The service was very efficient and eager. They seemed like they knew they had a lot to prove. I ordered the turkey burger and was shocked by the price tag. A burger plus fries for 11 bucks? (If my memory serves me right).
The turkey burger was okay. It tasted a little gamey. But I actually really liked the fries and am probably the only person in Philly who prefers them (slightly) over Five Guys’. My coworker loved her portobello burger but she also doesn’t have the most finicky pallet. I once saw her wolf down a half eaten tuna sandwich that had been sitting on the counter for 6 hours. Just sayin.
The ambiance was also cool, albeit strange at 12:30 in the afternoon. I felt like I needed to whip out my glow sticks.
I would go back and try the beef or chicken burger if they lowered their prices. Until then I’ll just have to suffer at Five Guys. And by suffer I mean die of orgasmic joy. Mmmm.

There is a reason why FIve Guys is spreading all over the nation. Goodburger hasn’t figured it out evidently. This place is just plain wrong on so many levels. Lets run a list.
$ 11 burgers
Toppings are not complimentary like Five Guys
Shitty shoestring fries
and eurotrash techno beats worming around in your ear while you eat=suck.
The Burger itself is tasty and all, make to order blah blah, but seriously, while Five Guys is, granted just a buck or two cheaper, and Goodburger is only cheap in it’s inherent tackiness.
Oh, and no this is not the place from goodburger the movie, I want my money back.

Not worth the price! When you walk in, there are signs and awards of how they are the best burger in Manhattan. Not only is it just a so so burger, they really brought the Manhattan price with them. Yes, everything is computerized and organized, and they have flat screens everywhere, but that’s not what I’m personally looking for when I want to enjoy a good grease burger!

I’ve eaten here twice and both times were OK. The food was GOOD, nothing to brag about but GODDAM they are expensive! Especially for how little they are, it was about $ 5 for a small burger that isn’t even BBQ cookout quality. I like that they reuse the cups and plates, I wish more restaurants did that (clean your tables, people!). The wait wasn’t too bad, but both times the restaurant wasn’t busy. As I’ve read in other reviews, the techno music is WAY too loud to be playing during the lunch hour. I felt like I was in a crappy dance club. I do like the open front window, especially on a nice breezy day. The front and back seating area don’t appear anything special, the front area looks bare and empty sometimes.
Overall, an A-​OK experience. I don’t highly recommend it but it is worth a try. Maybe once.

Little known fact about your pal Carrie E: cheeseburgers make me so happy that I have been known to break out into song while cramming one down my throat. It’s hard to hear what I’m singing but a funny sight to see. Because cheeseburgers are good. It’s that simple. They taste delicious, aren’t very healthy and fill you up. Seriously, what’s not to like about that (apologies to the vegans and healthy food people out there. Clearly this review won’t speak to you so much.)?
It’s not cheap and you won’t have to excuse yourself to have a private moment in the bathroom because of a taste sensation that just blew your mind, but in the universal scheme of things, Goodburger is a welcome addition to the other meaty choices out there. I have sadness because of the great tomato recall of 2008 but it’s not these guy’s fault. When you’re ready to clog your arteries with some tasty goodness and spend a little $, then shuffle over here. They’ll treat you well (good customer service) AND you can top your meal off with a Cherry Lime Ricky or a cold one. Yummers.

I was disappointed from the start when the cashier did not great me with «Welcome to Good Burger, home of the good burger can I take your order?» If you are going to rip off a tv show skit/​movie do it right! Also looking at the menu and seeing I was going to pay 6+ dollars for just a burger didn’t sit to well with my broke ass self. I had to try it though so I ordered my burger well done and it was done in a few minutes. The burger was pretty tasty and had a little kick which I liked but nothing overwhelmingly spectacular. The music was turned down to a low murr so I hummed along with the pop music that I am embarrassed to know the words to.
I will still stick with Five Guys when I am in the mood for a chest tightening burger.

Now I’m not a fussy eater, nor do I usually complain about spending money… I’m more than happy to throw down $ 15 – 20 on a meal as long as its worth it. However, I spend just under $ 11 today for a burger and fries alone. No drink. And the food was comparable to Burger King. I mean if you like techno music, loud obnoxious quotes that mean nothing written on the wall, the name of a place stolen from a kids movie starring Keenan and Kel, and an upcharge for «medium» done burgers and lettuce, then this is the place for you. I mean — what is the big deal about this place? They serve beer? Go to any pub in the city — get a beer and a burger for the same price as you’d spend on a burger here and it’d be bigger and better. I don’t get it at all… Never again!

Wow, I thought I was entering the dance scene in Night at the Roxbury when I got in line at Good Burger. With the pulsing rave music roaring at 11, I expected Will Farrell to take my order. Instead, I ordered in sign language, because I couldn’t hear a dang thing the manager was saying.
I got the turkey burger and onion rings. My lunch buddies got the burgers with fries. Sodas. And that rung us up at $ 35. That’s pretty steep for lunch.
The turkey burger was good. My buddies said they liked their burgers, even though we ordered takeaway because the tables were filled when we got there and our burgers were held in some oddball cardboard container. The hand feel on it gives me the willies.
The place is super clean and they have lots of staff doing what needs to be done to make a burger joint rock. We were 15^th or so in line, but it only took a few minutes to get up and do our Helen Keller ordering. Our food was done in about 5 minutes, and one of the tables cleared out, so we were able to get a window seat.
I liked it. But just kinda. It was good. The price was steep. The noise was enough for me to not go back to often (which is something easy for them to change). It’s way better than 5 Guys, just on cleanliness alone.
So…for the teeming masses spilling from Liberty 1 and 2, there’s a new place in town. Pretty good. I’ll go back and update this in a few weeks. Maybe 12:30pm on a warm Thursday is a rough time. Let’s see.

If I were only rating on the burger it would be a solid 5 stars.
this is a good fuckin burger.
Friendly staff. Beer. Yeay!!!1
The bad or not realy so bad but not spectaular: It took a little long to get my food. The fries were just «okay». The beer was a little small. The loud techno music and TV showing FOX news made me want to leave.
check it out. this place is cool. It may seem pricey but remember, its better than fast food and its fresh. That shit cost money.

As of May 13, 2008 while writing this review, Goodburger has been around for less than a month. I kept walking by this place last week to see it absolutely packed for lunch, thinking, «what is this, some kind of burger boutique?» Sure enough, Goodburger is one of the first locations to open up outside of their 4 in NYC, which is famous for taking almost any kind of food and making it look fit for a star.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
This place is nice and clean… as much as I like Five Guys every once in a blue moon, the fact that they make burgers and fries is about all they have in common– this place is very clean, the décor is modern and has a hint of style and sophistication you don’t often see at a burger joint. They have super-​high tech LCD menu panels and cash registers, as well as paper menus illustrating their offerings, some of which are refreshingly new to this type of place (read on).
GETTING THE FOOD:
I ordered a turkey burger, cheese fries and a Blue Moon for lunch, which came out to a whopping $ 15…pretty expensive for a burger, the beer accounted for $ 4.50 of it, so that’s not a surprise. When I got my food, which took longer than many other orders, I’m assuming because it was «special» items and not a burger and regular fries, I have to say I was expecting more.
THE FOOD:
The turkey burger itself was very good, they are fresh, with bits of diced onion and peppers baked in the patty (just like Dad used to make). I don’t know how the patties are made here (by hand or what), but this tasted nice and fresh. The cheese fries pissed me off– they are thin sliced a la Mickey D’s, and while they did taste better (I the cheese was some kind of mix of chedder and jack), they really didn’t wow me. Of course, my Blue Moon was tasty, but I don’t know about almost $ 5 for the size of glass it’s served in (roughly 8 or 9 oz). I left feeling satiated, but not for what I paid.
THE STAFF/​PROCESS:
They are mostly friendly, and the managers who are there are focused on getting these new hires on track, they are making their rounds, as with any new restaurant, asking how everything was. No complaints here. I do think they could re-​think the way they take customers from order to being served, they have the same number calling system all these other places have, leaving it up to the person to come grab their food if/​when they hear their number, and the numbers on the receipts are 4-​digit, while the numbers they call are 2-​digit, so any of this city’s numerous absent-​minded people are going to have problems with that.
THE VERDICT:
Pricey, surprisingly luxurious, clean and comfortable for a burger joint, friendly staff, definately worth a try!