The Burgery Company is a tiny little place, tucked in to a building in Emmaus that doesn’t quite look like a restaurant. It’s the latest to hop on the gourmet burger-wagon, which our culinary neighbors to the south (Philly) have been riding for a while. As evidenced by the $24 Whiskey King burger (which is amazing) and various other high-priced burgers, it was due time for the burger craze to hit the valley. It all first started with Emeril’s Burgers and More at the Sands Casino and now continues with the Burgery Company and other spots like Sonic and Wayback Burger.
So how does it hold up compared to everywhere else? Well, not well. I went for the build-a-burger option, pairing an elk patty with a white bun, cheddar cheese, the house Burgery sauce, and bacon to top it off with fries on the side. As I placed my order I noticed the gaggle of high school-aged teens and one or two adults behind the counter. At that point there was double the employees there than were in the restaurant and many weren’t paying attention and/or were having inapproriate conversations. The atmosphere of the place is one that is exceedingly casual, appearing more like a corner deli than a gourmet burger shop.
After placing my order I sat down and read over some news articles until I heard the call that my order was up. Apparently with all of the people mulling behind the counter they didn’t have enough people to walk my food over to me. After retrieving, I dug in. The taste? Bland. Not very great…didn’t wow me. The bacon was horrendous. It had a waxy consistency, like they stole it off of a burger from Madame Tussauds. The elk was overcooked and had barely a taste to it. The best part of the burger? The bun. The fries would’ve been tasty, but they were overcooked and slathered in so much oil it was impossible to enjoy them.
For $18 I expect actual service, a better atmosphere, and a far better meal. For $6 more you can go to Philadelphia and get yourself a grass-fed angus beef burger topped off with cave aged vermont cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, and a heaping crapton of foie gras with a milk stout potato bun on top. Better yet? Head on over to Burgers and More, grab something there for less money than The Burgery Company and use your savings to get a beer to accompany.
Final Rating:
No Blast Furnaces
The Burgery Company
1458 Chestnut Street
Emmaus, PA 18049
(610) 966-9900
http://www.theburgerycompany.com/