PieHole went for the basic single burger and sweet potato fries from the extensive Kind Burgers menu. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
By JIM WILLIS
It took a last-minute invite from a frequent lunch companion to get PieHole to finally try Kind Burgers.
In July, 2013, the Fair Haven burger joint filled the River Road space left vacant when the beloved Le Fandy closed its doors, and no doubt part of us didn’t want to walk through that door and let go of the memories of cold winter nights warmed by cassoulet or pot-au-feu.
Of course it’s unfair to blame Kind Burgers for the demise of our walking-distance French bistro fare. No, the dearth of all sorts of culinary variety on the Green can largely be laid at the well-heeled feet of valet-parked diners who order Caprese salad in January and smile gleefully at paying $22 for $2 worth of boxed pasta and canned tomatoes because “it’s just like mama’s!”
So anyway, Fair Haven now has burgers instead of bouillabaisse, and in the interest of égalité, What’s For Lunch headed over there.
Kind Burgers offers an extensive burger menu that includes a chicken burger ($6 to 8), vegetarian options – a Portobello mushroom burger ($6.50) and veggie burger ($8.50) – as well as a gluten-free roll option.
We were there for the meat. The grass-fed Kobe burger ($8.50 to $12) sounded good, but we opted for a budget- and waistline-friendly single patty with Kind Sauce (ketchup, mayo, relish) and a side of sweet potato fries.
Our ordering at the counter was awkwardly interrupted as the cashier told us to wait while he answered the phone and took a phone order. After a short wait we got our orders placed, grabbed a couple of Stewart’s bottled root beers from the cooler and took a seat.
Lunch was served quickly.
Presented on a bulky potato roll, the burger thankfully lacked the greasy texture of fast food and had a decidedly homemade taste. The Kind Sauce complimented the burger well. The sweet potato fries were nice and crispy and we felt like we made the right call with this ostensibly more health-conscious option – until we tasted a few of our lunch companion’s regular fries. The regular potato fries were stellar, and we left the sweet potato fries untouched for the rest of the meal.
