The Grind Burger Bar: Beautiful Burgers, Bangers and More!

Awesomeness in a Bun!

Grinding out burgers and bangers are their forte!  Looks like word got out, The Grind Burger Bar is churning out scrumptious burgers, bangers and more in Section 17, Petaling Jaya. Barely two months old, everyone is sinking their teeth into the menu at The Grind Burger Bar though mouth and blogspace.

A few weeks ago, I paid a visit and got more than I bargained for. Three owners put their passion into work when they decided to venture into creating their signature burgers, hot dogs and a little more. It was late lunch on Sunday when I walked in and the restaurant was pretty much filled up. My family and I grab the last table by the window and happily check out the menu.

Surprised to see that the menu offers more than just burgers and hot dogs, we definitely like the concept that The Grind tries to offer a wider choice of dishes for everyone. While waiting for the food to arrive, we settled in and checked out the ambience. The interior design has a rustic and raw concept, showing off bricks, concrete, steel and wood in its full glory. From its panel of painted red bricks to its rustic brick bar, everything melded in harmony. It is clean and sleek yet warm enough to make one feel at ease while dining there. There is even an open glass kitchen for those inquisitive diners to see how the food is prepared.

Heading down to some serious eating, I went back twice in a week simply just because their food was so good! The menu consists of several sections of appetizers, soups, salad, burgers, mains, sides and desserts. We tried some of each section and found them all to be really good.

Even the beverage list has a good selection from soft drinks to floats, tea, beer and wines. Yes, they serve wines to go with their burgers… how’s that for another level up for them? I definitely love how the team at The Grind thinks! Going creative, they also aptly named their floats Brown, White and Black Cows. We ordered the Black Cow (RM8), a rootbeer float and a Coke. Rather ordinary, it’s the name of the drink that makes me feel a bit funky drinking a Black Cow!

Onion Rings, oh how I worship thee… I must confess to always ordering onion rings when I see this on a menu. The Grind’s Fried Onion Rings (RM9) is rustically served in a small metal bucket with a side of tartare sauce. The version here is nicely crumb coated encasing sweet onion and fried till golden crisp. Dip these babies into the lovely tartare sauce to extra creamy flavors!

Chili, not the chili pepper but rather Chili con carne the stew, was said to be made famous in Texas, USA. Here, it takes form in a cheesy gooey mess self-contained in a ramekin and served with nacho corn chips called Chili Pork with Cheese (RM12.90). Yes, The Grind serves pork in every way they can.

Back to the Chili Pork with Cheese, a homemade recipe from The Grind, the stew is filled with flavors of tomatoes and spices. Slow braised for hours, there is a deep richness from the chili and the crowning of melted cheddar further heightens the taste. Served with crunchy corn chips, addiction kicks in once the first chip is savored. I bet the chili would be awesome with French fries or even rice too!

The Grind may not be pioneers in the latest burger craze in the city but rest assured, they are one of few that do justice to the world of burgers here!  Offering choices of hamburgers in beef, chicken, pork and vegetarian, these patties are sandwiched with brioche buns, various ingredients and sauces and all served with herbed fries. Go for old school ones or brave the modern versions…

The Grind House Burger (RM19-pork / RM21-beef) stands above all with its behemoth list of ingredients and thick hand pressed patty. Mine came with juicy pork patty, bacon, sweet caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, usual greens, tomato and onion, fried egg and a fruity pink Dracula mayonnaise.

Taking a bite into this one requires a big mouth… wink! What makes a good burger in my books? Everything that goes in the burger has to be fresh and well executed. Starting from the patty, The Grind makes their very well in terms of thickness for a good taste of the meat. The pork patty was juicy and cooked just right with enough moistness from the ratio of lean and fat. Flavors are a good balance of savory notes and I can certainly taste the freshness of the meat. The brioche buns also fared very well with the patty as it was able to hold up the thick patty and ingredients without going soft and soggy yet the texture is soft and the flavor is eggy.

Caramelized onions are simply best friends with burgers if you asked me. Sweet soft onions cooked till deep amber colored will melt-in-your-mouth and possibly heart added richness to the burger. Then comes the bacon… bacon makes my world go round! I have concluded that every dish always taste better with bacon. House pink Dracula sauce gave the burger a lighter side with its lightly sweet and fruit creamy flavor. Other than fresh lettuce, sliced tomato and raw onion, the fried egg also makes a welcome appearance here. My only tiny gripe is wishing for the fried egg to have a molten uncooked egg yolk to coat the burger into awesomeness. That’s just my personal opinion but rest assured, the burger itself is already a winner with its juiciness and flavors!

If you asked me, my favorite burger of the ones I tried so far is The JD Burger (RM18-pork / RM20-beef). This pork version has just the right amount of everything for me from its textures to flavors. The patty again is thick, as thick as a slice of the brioche bun. Though it has fewer toppings than the house signature, there is the secret Jack Daniel sauce coaxing the burger to shine in flavors. I sort of regret not adding a fried egg to this as it would make it even more yummy.

We also tried The Wild ‘Shroom Burger (RM17-pork/RM19-beef) piled up with beef patty, Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms and the standard condiments. The beef patty is also really juicy and I like how they cooked it to medium pink. A bite of this had lots of juices oozing out. What made this burger yummy were the earthy smoky mushroom flavors working well with the flavors of the Swiss cheese!

Black colored food used to be a put off but these days, it seems to a yummy attraction! A first in the market here, The Grind unleashed their Big Black Dog (RM16). A juicy pork bratwurst is snugged between a split fluffy charcoal bun and capped with the house chili, minced fresh onions and a duo of melted cheddar and mozzarella.

Big Black Dog is bold in umami flavors, packed with a good bouncy bite of juicy bratwurst and filled with spicy cheesy good ness. There is no spicy heat in the dog but rather the taste of the spices in the chili itself. This is easily one of the best dog I have had in a while and I had it both times I was there. Simply a Must-Order!

All burgers and dog comes with herb fries. These French babies have just the right thick cut, enough to have you taste the potato and well-seasoned with sprinkling of herbs. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, dip these into what looks to be like thousand island sauce on the side.

My little four years old must have his pasta. Now the picky little fella likes his pasta plain and creamy in white sauce. We ordered a vegetarian Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti (RM18) for him and it came with sautéed mushrooms and a generous sprinkling of truffle crumbs. I thought oh boy, we were going to have to pick out the crumbs before he would eat this. However, the little one tried this once and went for the whole plate by himself! He kept saying this is really good! I stole a few strands and really agreed that this is good. The crumbs added a nice texture and aroma to the pasta. It’s fairly simple but executed very well.

It’s just one of those places where everything comes together so well. Great food with decent price, nice comfortable ambience and service was efficient even with a near full house. The Grind Burger Bar is really well planned and well thought off from everything you see, taste and feel. Not only are their burgers super scrumptious, other dishes are sufficiently good and well made. I can’t wait to go back again to try other dishes like The Honor’lulu Burger, The Fiery Peppercorn Burger, Swedish Meatballs and a classic favorite of mine, Spaghetti Aglio Olio.

Rest assured, I will be blogging about this place again with other dishes… and soon!

THE GRIND BURGER BAR

No.7, Jalan 17/45

46400 Petaling Jaya

Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: 603 7932 3883

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheGrindBurgerBar

*More pictures in my Facebook: ChasingFoodDreams