A Burger A Week – Shore
St. Armands Circle can compete in the burger game too!
Getting out to “The Circle” has been a crapshoot for a little more than a year. Yes, the construction of the Tamiami Trail/Gulfstream roundabout has made me think twice about making to trip over the John Ringling Bridge to this Sarasota shopping and dining magnet.
When I do roll the dice, I certainly want to make it count! And this trip across the span will not be for window shopping. It will be for some serious burger eating! 🍔
Shore (I think it used to be called Shore Diner. Somebody, please check me on that), for the uninitiated, is a place where you can shop for some trendy active wear. Or you can climb the flight and be treated to an upscale dining adventure.
I’ve always thought of Shore (at least for an afternoon meal) as a “ladies’ lunch” spot. Its bright and airy dining spaces really lend themselves to a leisurely lunchtime feel. They offer one of the best outdoor spaces to eat, drink, and catch up with friends.
The whole thing has a very South Florida feel to it. Their website even references their “cool vibe.” I mean, if you can’t put that right out there yourself, who are you going to count on to do it for you? And, to their credit, they pull that off!
But, to be honest, you know I’m not here for the cool vibe (although I loved it!). I’m here for the burger. Specifically, the Shore Burger!
Let’s take a look at how all of this turned out… 🍔
RESTAURANT: SHORE (465 John Ringling Blvd (941) 296-0301)
DATE OF VISIT: AUGUST 23, 2022
STOP #: 6 OF 52
BURGER TASTED: THE SHORE BURGER
📒 OUR TASTING NOTES
🍔 This burger is served as listed on the menu: Tillamook cheddar, bacon jam, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Served with truffle fries ($20).
Shore (and Baker & Wife) have had the two most upscale dining atmospheres of our burger-eating adventures to date. I like places like Shake Pit. But a little fancy has its place in the burger world too.
I had fantastic service. My server, Caleb, must have really paid attention during his employee orientation! Granted, this wasn’t all happening in mid-March. But they excelled on the service end.
I was a little surprised by how my burger was plated. It came “deconstructed.” Up to this point, all of the other burgers had been assembled for me. So, this presented a little bit of a dilemma. Should I add all of the toppings and shoot for the moon? Or should I add just what I like? Very tough choice… (If I order a burger to be made from the ground up, my preference would be for cheese, onion, and mustard. I know it’s boring, but that’s the way I like it!).
Tillamook cheddar is a delicious cheese. It makes this particular burger really sing. It was an excellent choice by Shore’s burger architect.
The bacon jam. I think my burger may have missed the jam station. If it was on there, it was a small amount and didn’t have much of an effect on the overall taste.
THE FRIES! These were (insert your own sports metaphor here) a home run. Call it what you want. They were outstanding! Sometimes truffle fries can be WAY overpowering. And I know that truffle everything had its moment years ago. The truffle flavor here was perfect. They were cooked crispy and salted just enough. So far, my favorite of all the fries (yes, I know there is a LONG way to go).
Let’s check out how all of this looked when I ordered it…
BURGER TAKEAWAYS: A fantastic burger stop on a shopping spree • At $20, it’s up there on the burger price scale • DO NOT miss the fries • A perfect burger place if a picnic table is not your thing • Top flight service
👀 SNEAK PEEK:The next stop will feature our very first “Burger Ride Along.” (That should be entertaining). We’ll be checking the burger out at one of 2022s “Best of” spots!
We want to hear about your Sarasota burger experience. So much so, in fact, that we’ve started up a special Facebook Group just for this A Burger A Week series. So, feel free to share your Sarasota burger experiences, photos, and anything else burger related you’d like others to know about.
JOIN SARASOTA’S BEST BURGERS FACEBOOK GROUP HERE!
🌟 We’re still looking for “Ride-Along” burger tasting partners. If you’d like to come on one of our stops, here’s a link to a form to fill out. We’d love to feed you a great Sarasota burger!
CLICK HERE FOR A CHANCE TO TASTE BURGERS WITH LARRY!
✅ Did you miss a week? No worries. Here’s a link to our A BURGER A WEEK SERIES ARCHIVE!🍔
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