Drive-Thru Gourmet
Denny's takes you to burger town with all-American, diner-style classic
This week, I reached out for an America’s Diner Cheeseburger, new from “America’s Diner,” Denny’s with 1,700 restaurants dotting all 50 states.
I don’t know which is cheesier, naming a burger after your own slogan … or the burger itself. I guess if you say “America’s Diner” enough, it sinks in. Remember the quiz show The Weakest Link? The host said “weakest link” about 50 times per episode. Of course, it wasn’t too long before The Weakest Link was the weakest link in NBC’s lineup and it was gone. America’s Diner Burger should stick around longer.
Here’s the America’s Diner Cheeseburger breakdown: beef patty, caramelized onions, American cheese, and Denny’s new “All-American sauce” on a fresh brioche bun. Served with your choice of groovy-cut fries, hash browns, or fruit dish.
Total calories: 790 (just the burger). Fat grams: 47. Sodium: 1,630 mg. Carbs: 50 g. Dietary fiber: 2 g. Protein: 41 g. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $8.59. Your mileage may vary.
A trip to Burger Town
America’s Diner Burger is part of Denny's new lineup of "Burger Town, USA” burgers. You know where Burger Town is, right? It’s two exits down the highway from Guy Fieri’s “Flavor Town." Both cities should be Orlando, Florida, because that’s where Fantasy Land is.
Of course Denny's Burger Town is a response to IHOP or IHOB, or whatever its name is this week, going all in on its Ultimate Steakburgers menu. It’s the battle of 24-hour diners, and the 3 am crowd loves it.
Denny’s uses 100-percent ground beef, hand-pressed into thick, slightly irregularly shaped patties. Each burger is made to order, so it’s delivered to your table straight off the flat top grill. You can tell a burger that’s freshly made versus one that’s been sitting in a holding pattern. McDonald’s finally caught on to this with its Quarter Pounders.
Other debuts on the Burger Town menu: the Spicy Sriracha Burger (Cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapeños, sriracha sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles) and Bacon Avocado Cheeseburger (bacon, fresh avocado, cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles). They join recurring characters: Bacon Gouda Burger, Bacon Bourbon Burger, Double Cheeseburger, Slamburger, and Classic Burger. The Classic is your best value at $6.99.
Since Denny’s named the America’s Diner Burger after its catchphrase, this obviously is the headliner in Burger Town. It’s a big, straight-up cheeseburger – lots of beef and cheese. Really a good, solid burger. The only extra is Denny’s signature “All-American” sauce. What' that? Let's just say that I wasn't aware that Burger Town had 1,000 islands within its city limits.
Hash it out
All of these burgers come with groovy fries or hash browns or fruit. I suggest the hash browns, which I plop inside the bun, on top of the beef patty. That’s one of my signature moves. Feel free to use it.
Burger Town is open for business around the clock, morning, noon, and night. Everybody loves “breakfast for dinner.” Try a burger for breakfast some time. Don’t worry about strange looks from other Denny’s customers. What do they know about fine dining?
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Ken Hoffman reviews a new fast food restaurant item every Wednesday. Have a suggestion or a drive-thru favorite? Let Ken know in the comments or on Twitter.