Bru Burger

Man, I've done a lot of reviews of hamburgers on this site so far.  They really aren't my favorite food by a long-shot, even though it would seem that way from the percentage of posts I've done about them here.  I do enjoy a good one now and again, but...yeah.  These reviews are disproportionate to how often I actually eat burgers in my every day life.

Nevertheless, last week I met some friends for dinner at Bru Burger.  Looking at the menu online beforehand (as I tend to do), I was impressed by the variety of toppings they offered.  I was interested in several of them, but I was particularly interested in the Ahi Tuna Burger:  Sweet chili mayo and mango-cucumber slaw on a multi-grain bun ($11).  While I felt a little guilty about not trying a beef burger my first time at this burger joint, it's actually something I seem order often, and I wanted to compare.  The tuna burger was my favorite option at Scotty's Lakehouse (now closed) and it's also my go-to option at Boogie Burger, so I figured I'd see how this one stacked up.

It was pretty good.  The tuna itself was packed more tightly than the tuna was on Scotty's version, and I'm not sure I liked that--in the picture, it looks more like a turkey burger, and honestly I could have been eating turkey for all I could tell from the dense texture.  Scotty's tuna was diced and loosely-packed.  The mango-cucumber slaw was good, and the sweet chili mayo gave it a nice Japanese flavor profile, although, again, I found it pale in comparison to Scotty's wasabi-teriyaki punch.  It just seemed to be missing something.  I enjoyed it but I'm not dying to have it again.

I also think it's a bit lame that you have to order your side separately when you're already paying $11 for a burger--this is a complaint I had about Scotty's and do still have with a number of other 'fancy burger' restaurants.  If the burgers were just outstandingly amazingly good, with top quality beef, and cooked perfectly, I can get down with paying that much plus more for a side (Room Four and Scratch Truck are good examples of such burgers, although Room Four includes fries, actually).  I got the onion rings, a $3 charge, and received 4 large rings that were beer batter-dipped and freshly fried.  The first two, eaten early, were delicious and crispy, but by the time I got around to the last couple they were kind of limp and greasy.  Not that that's unusual for fried food, but it reminded me of just how unhealthy they are (and who needs a reminder of that?).  The homemade ketchup was actually really delicious--fresh tasting, and pretty tangy.  I had ordered ranch for my rings but actually ended up enjoying the homemade ketchup far more--it lightened up the heavy greasy taste. 

I'm not sure I'd return to Bru Burger if I was picking the restaurant, although I wouldn't mind going with friends if they picked it.  I should probably try an actual beef burger, huh?  But I just wasn't blown away by my meal, and I need to be if I'm going to return voluntarily.  There are just too many excellent restaurants in Indy now to pay for mediocrity.

Website:  Bru Burger