Burger Week: Metro Burger

They claim you can make 33 million different combinations from the choices available at this Highland Square fast and casual place. And they haven't even been to California to see what you could get at Hamburger Henry's!

When I moved to Akron, one of my bigger disappointments was that I couldn't find a place where I could get a burger "my way".  Since "my way" is a bit different, maybe even a little unique, I probably shouldn't have been sad, but I missed my peanut butter and shredded root vegetable concoction which was actually, truly, really, on the printed menu at Hamburger Henry's in Long Beach, California.

Then, suddenly, there was Metro Burger.  It popped onto the scene about two years ago in a brand new building on West Market Street in Highland Square.  Part of the revitalization effort for the neighborhood, it was the creation of Chef Scott Burford, who had more than 25 years of fine dining and deli experience.  The opportunity he saw was an over-abundance of pre-fabricated burger concepts, when what was really needed was a place where anyone could customize their sandwich.

So, Metro Burger starts by offering four types of patty, including chicken and vegetable.  There are three types of buns.  Then you pick from 8 cheeses, 18 toppings and 13 homemade sauces.  And that's before you even get to the ketchup, yellow mustard or regular mayo.  Sadly, I didn't find peanut butter among the toppings or sauces, but maybe Scott will get the hint after reading this.

There are also 8 pre-designed "Classic" combinations on the menu, and one of these, the "Southwest Veggie", was voted #1 at the 2008 National Hamburger Festival...which, after all, is the main reason we are blogging about burgers this week.  Metro Burger was also runner-up for our Akron Life & Leisure Magazine "Best in the City", Hamburger Division, this month.

I should add that I love their sweet potato fries, and I'm completely intrigued by the idea of fried dill pickles with beer cheese sauce.

Burford is actively attempting to franchise the concept, and complete information on that effort is available on their web site, here:  www.metroburger.com/