Dining Out Southeast: Burger 101, Gadsden, AL

A few months ago, a new restaurant opened in our town. Burger 101 has a great concept:   Focus on cooked-to-order smash burgers with the freshest ingredients. Their goal is to provide each customer with a “Back to the Basics” old fashion burger experience combined with a bit of modern flair.

The burgers are the "smash burger" style in that they are thin burgers, which means you can stack up to four patties for a quad burger. We both chose the double burger, which is served with lettuce, tomato, and special sauce. Mayo, mustard, and ketchup are available if you wish to add those to your burger. Combos come with either fries, sweet potato tots, or a side salad along with a medium drink.

I'll start with the burger and go from there. Sometimes, I take a few bites and immediately instruct myself to slow down because I don't want to get finished too quickly. Today was one of those times. The burger was served HOT, so we knew it was freshly prepared. The bun was a soft, old-fashioned hamburger bun. None of this pretzel bun nonsense. Yes, I call those buns nonsensical. An old-fashioned burger calls for a normal bun. (End of Lolly's sermon on the bun.) The special sauce had a little horseradish kick. I'll ask for extra next time!

I requested fries with my combo, and they were also served hot and well seasoned.

Dr. Pepper was my drink choice, and I would be remiss without talking about this fountain drink. Fast food drinks tend to be a little weak and even watery at times. But this Dr. Pepper was the best I've had in a long time. Sweet, syrupy, and full of flavor.

Sweet Harold had an identical burger, but with sweet potato tater tots.  He mentioned several times that these little bites of goodness were served HOT as well. It's refreshing (but also sad) that we were so excited for our food to be served hot. So many times, you can tell your food has been resting under a heat lamp.  He gobbled these down before I could even sneak one to try! Also, kudos from SH for offering Coke Zero as a drink option.

Their menu also includes salads, fried or grilled chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and chicken fingers.  Trust me, we will be back to try these menu offerings.  

If you're not too full, there's also ice cream cones and milkshakes for dessert!

All the staff wore masks, and the owner was sanitizing tables and chairs when we arrived.  He also made a special point of visiting each table to ask if anything was needed.  How often do you see that happening in your neighborhood fast-food establishment?

I know we will be repeat customers, so look forward to more reviews!