Lima, Ohio - Zinum 12's Fat Burger

 

Kristina and I first visited Zinum with the understanding that they have highly-rated burgers. We are suckers for good burgers. So, we decided to give it a try. See Kristina's review on the Stacker Burger.

The Fat Burger was an 8oz. patty, double bacon, white American cheese, mozz sticks, and parmesan garlic sauce. 

Patty was seasoned well and cooked to my temperature. Juicy, not dry.

The bun was a soft potato-esque bun. Did it's job to hold the sandwich, yet not the star of the show.

The toppings were both a great combination yet walking over each other for the spotlight. Bacon is bacon, made in the right doneness of not burnt crispy but not rubbery. Mozz sticks were delicious. The cheese was just the cheese. The parm garlic sauce was not overbearing with the garlic, but was hard to find at times in the bites. There was no definitive star topping, which is good and bad. The "fat" aspect of this burger can be left to interpretation, however; if we were to center on the mozz and the bacon, this was a good topping choice. But throw in the cheese, which didn't really add much to the burger, ironically, and the hidden parm garlic sauce, it seemed either the toppings need a better balance or some intangible is holding this back.

I really enjoyed the Fat burger. It was a better-than-average burger. There is just something missing or something needs adjusted to make this burger hit the next level of quality. Still, definitely worth going to visit again to try different burgers (they have quite a few options). 

 

Four Burgers out of Five

-Nick
Nick@rateaburger.com 

Lima, Ohio - Zinum 12's The Stacker Burger

 With the relaunch of RateABurger, we decided to go to the experts of Google and see who they recommended for a good burger in Lima, Ohio. We decided to try Zinum 12. 

 

Zinum 12 is a funky bar. They occasionally have live music and have lots of amazing looking food nights, like a Taco Tuesday and Wing Wednesday menu. They recently won a best in region award for their burgers. 

I ordered The Stacker Burger. It is a 8oz burger topped with lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheddar cheese, fried pickle straws, parmesan fries, queso, and chipotle ranch. I ordered mine without pickle straws. Some day maybe my palette will change and enjoy pickles. 

The bun was a fresh soft bun. It held the sandwich together well. The burger was well done but still juicy. It was seasoned well and was tender. The lettuce and tomato served the burger well giving it a fresh crunch. The bacon got a little lost in the sandwich. It did not stand out. The cheddar cheese was a wonderful bite that mingled with the queso sauce. The French fries also got a little lost in the sandwich but I had a side of them and they were sprinkled with parmesan. If you closed your eyes and added some vinegar on them, you'd feel like you were at the county fair. When I hear chipotle ranch, I get excited. I like a little zazz in my meals. Unfortunately, it didn't bring the heat, but it added to the saucy deliciousness of the burger. 

Overall, I am very happy with my meal. I went through several napkins before giving up and switching to a fork and knife. That happens to be my favorite way to eat a burger. It means there is enough toppings. 

 

 

Four Burgers out of Five

-Kristina
Kristina@rateaburger.com 

Bluffton Dari Freeze's Pizza Burger

Kristina and I was having a joy ride around the area, and we decided to stop at the Bluffton Dari Freeze for supper.

One of my favorite sandwiches while I was growing up was a pizza burger. Two seasoned patties with some cheese in the middle of the patties. When we got this burger and it was what I imagined, I was overly happy. I didn't ask for toppings as I wanted to just have the patty.

The patty was okay. The cheese was there, but not abundant. The meat was a bit bland, but the cheese was able to cover for some of it.

The bun was a standard grocery store bun. It was there to carry the patty, and it did it.

This burger filled a nostalgia from my childhood, but it was not a good stand-alone burger.

Toppings: N/A
Patty: 4
Bun: 5

OVERALL: 3

Nick
nick@rateaburger.com

Fast Friday: Rally's Fry Lover's Burger

With everything happening in the world today, fast food and takeout is about the only option. We were in Bowling Green before the stay at home order had begun, so we stopped by Rally's.

Their Fry Lover's Burger has one patty, ketchup, mayo, American cheese, fries, and pickles.

I am a fan of Rally's fries. They are one of the few fries that are not needing any topping or dip. Unfortunately, it's tastiness didn't work into the burger. The patty is forgettable (as in I forgot there was one there).

Stay away from this. This is a waste of money and just lets your heart down.

Illusion's Kellar Burger

While in Columbus,  we stumbled across a gem for entertainment.  Scene 75 is located in the Tuttle Crossing mall. Think Dave and Buster's but bigger. They have mini golf, an arcade, an escape room, a 4D ride, and go karts.  They also contain the restaurant  Illusions.

The atmosphere at Illusions is so much fun. There were see through chairs and optical illusions.  I decided to order the Kellar burger

The kellar burger is a three meat blend burger topped with swiss cheese and sauteed mushrooms. I opted to add mayonnaise and exclude the veggies this time. I ordered my burger medium. 

The patty was very juicy. It had a  great salty flavor. Unfortunately, my patty came out well done. This was very disappointing because I could tell it made the difference between a good patty and a great patty. There was even a stake through my patty that read medium, so the chef knew what it was supposed to be.

The toppings were abundant.  I wound up having to use a knife and fork so I could collect them all. The mushrooms were a great texture. Firm, cooked, and not too squishy from the canning process. 

The bun was a little overwhelmed by the toppings and burger. This is another reason why I needed a fork. The bun couldn't hold it all together. 

Patty: 6

Bun: 3

Toppings:6

Overall: 5

-Kristina

Kristina@rateaburger.com

12 East Barnyard Burger

While on our way down to Columbus, we made a pit stop in Lima at 12 East, a Bar and Grill style restaurant.  It is conviently located not too far away from I-75 near a lot of little strip malls.

The Barnyard burger is served loaded. It has ham, bacon, hashbrowns,  fried egg, bourbon maple syrup,  and American cheese.  It is served with a pickle spear and french fries.

There isn't much to say about the bun. The type of bread isn't listed on the menu. It was soft and sweet, but an average toasted white bread style bun to hold a cheeseburger.

The patty was juicy. I had to use a lot of napkins between the toppings and the patty. The patty had a great charred flavor on the outside. It was tender and seasoned well.

The toppings were also great, but a little unidentifiable at times. I couldn't  taste or locate hashbrowns or ham in or on the burger. The egg was a lovely over medium that allowed just a bit of yolk to drip down the burger. The maple syrup added a surprising sweetness throughout that paired well with the bacon. I also enjoyed the cheesey layer.

I don't usually comment on the sides, but it was an unexpected but pleasant surprise to have a powdered cheese topping over my fresh hot fries.

Toppings: 6
Bun:4
Patty: 6

Overall: 5

- Kristina
Kristina@rateaburger.com

BG Burgers Cheese Curds Burger With Bacon

Tonight I decided to try a burger I had not had before from BG Burgers. I ordered their Cheese Curds Burger with Bacon.  The half pound patty is topped with cheese curds, cheddar cheese,bacon, lettuce, tomato,  and red onions. You then could pick either 1000 Island Dressing or Spicy Mayo for a sauce. I tried it with the spicy mayo.

The burger bun was tasty! It  was sweet and soft. It did not turn to mush with the burger toppings or juiciness. It was a great thickness to toppings ratio and met the burger meat at the edges. I hate when you have a lot of extra bread at the end of your burger. This worked out perfectly.

The toppings are also a star of the burger. The cheese curds were freshly fried and gooey.  The cheddar cheese does a great job of helping hold in the ingredients. The lettuce is crispy. The tomatoes are juicy and red.  The red onions give the burger a nice crunch and flavor. I wish I had paid better attention to the bacon. I don't recall it's flavor, or if it was even on the burger. Guess I will have to order the burger again!

The patty was even better than the bun or toppings. It has an amazing grilled char on the outside. I ordered my burger medium rare. It had a beautiful center and was juicy. It was seasoned well. You can te the meat is fresh and not frozen. That is one thing I love about Bg Burgers, all of the ingredients are high quality.

BG Burgers is definitely a place you should stop and eat. We may be known for living burgers, but we can't wait to try the rest of the menu!

Toppings: 8
Patty: 10
Bun: 9

Overall: 9

-Kristina