How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
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If there weren't enough burger joints on Eighth Street already to satisfy your cravings, there should be now. Rockwell's Express recently opened its doors with a hefty menu featuring beef, chicken, turkey and veggie burgers, chicken wings, ribs and much more.
Rockwells' menu is likely to attract real meat lover's attention with its create-your-own, "mix-it-in" burger. Not many fast food restaurants offer the option of making a burger however you'd like, and the concept of mixing ingredients into the patty before it hits the grill is light-years ahead of the likes of Burger King and McDonald's.
But the ultimate test is how the burger tastes, not what's in it.
The menu is more than comprehensive; it took me five minutes to get through it all. In the end I went with the Kickin' Bayou Bacon burger combo, which included bacon and barbecue sauce, fries and a drink.
My total was $10.32, so I saddled up in a booth to decide if the expensive burger was worth it. As I waited, I watched the Miami Dolphins vs. Atlanta Falcons game, which was playing on three flat screen TVs — a nice addition to the trendy decor.
It took about six minutes for Rockwell's to finish the freshly made burger, but I was surprised when the burger arrived and I lifted the bun. Though I knew the ingredients were all added into the meat, I couldn't figure out how they cooked in the barbecue sauce, though they assured me it was there.
But with all the hype, I was a little disappointed with the flavor. The taste was nothing spectacular and the bacon and barbecue sauce didn't jump out at me.
I wasn't done yet though; now it was time to try what every fast food restaurant has tried to perfect — the french fry.
Rockwell's offers a number of dipping sauces, so I decided on a barbecue buffalo sauce and a chipotle mayo one. After the first fry I was delighted. The fries were golden, crisp and well seasoned. They provided the perfect crunch against the dips, and before long the fries were gone.
The buffalo sauce had a nice vinegar tang that didn't leave my mouth scorching. The chipotle mayo had a smokey barbecue taste that really beefed up the regular taste of plain mayo. The french fries alone may have made it worth the trip.
Rockwell's Express is not different from most other burger shops, even with its kitsch. And the prices aren't ridiculously cheap either, especially when milkshakes start at $5. The store does accept Campus Cash and the flat screens make it a great place to watch a game, which may be reason enough to stop in and see if it's for you.
3 out of 5 stars
53 E. Eighth St.
