Sandwich Island Fever (Part 4)

Aloha, Readers!

If you were not aware, these blog posts about Hawai'i have been thoroughly enjoyable for me, not only in the experiences had trying sandwiches in our 50th state, but in the memories brought up by reminiscing about them.

For example, this week's sandwich may not have been the best one I've ever tasted, but the memories of hiking prior to dinner made the day, and this memory all the better.

One of the main stops we wanted to make during our stay on The Big Island was to Volcanoes National Park. Situated at the southern end of the island, this massive park provides a ton of fantastic hikes, beautiful scenery, and the chance to see cooled lava flows and the devastation left behind.

It's really a fascinating experience, and one that we didn't think would take an entire day, but it did. We left the park around five in the evening to find a place to eat before we returned to see the lava glow at Kilauea at nightfall.

There are not many places to stop at in the areas around the park, but we did happen to find one spot that drew us in, not far from the park and off of the main road.

Situated in a densely tree-lined road, Lava Rock Cafe called out to us with its glowing neon in the fading sunlight. The inside was a cozy, cabin-like setting filled up with locals and other hikers from the park. Settling down with a menu, local flavors again caught my eye but in the end I ordered a burger solely because its added ingredients interested me.

The Magma Burger is a local grass-fed all-beef patty with taco seasoning mixed in, topped with salsa and Muenster cheese. With our mindblowing experience at Volcanoes all day, this burger had a lot to live up to, and sadly did not.

The patty was nothing substantial, which I had been looking forward to after a day of hiking. There was a mild flavor, but the taco seasoning definitely did not stand out. The Muenster cheese on top was melted well but only provided a little bit of its sharp flavor. The salsa added a cool contrast with a little bit of spice, but overall this burger did not live up to the high expectations I had hoped for.

Besides the food though, this was a great stop to rest after a day of touring, with a mostly quiet atmosphere and occasional evening music provided by local musicians. Service was excellent and they have quite a few local beers on tap, mainly Kona Brewing though. If there was a better meal or sandwich on this menu, it might have gotten a higher rating. As far as places in the area of Volcanoes National Park though, you could definitely do much worse than the Lava Rock.

Maybe next time I'm there, I'll give it another chance.

Next week, I wrap up my week long stay in Hawai'i with what could potentially be the best sandwich of the five.

Until then, Readers...



Magma Burger
*** Stars
Lava Rock cafe
19-3972 Volcano Rd.
Volcano, HI 96785
http://www.volcanoslavarockcafe.com/

The Burgers of Burbank (Part 10)

 Greetings, Readers!

Have you been waiting patiently over the past week to hear more from our exciting Burgers of Burbank tour?

A few days ago Bryan and I hit up two excellent places, starting off with Apollo Charburger.

This tiny, greasy-spoon type restaurant at the corner of Magnolia and Glenoaks Blvd. is a place I have known about for quite some time but had never tried, mainly due to its very limited hours.

During the week they close up at 4pm, so the race was one as soon as I left work at 3pm.

Arriving only 20 minutes before they closed, I was greeted by two burgers that Bryan had already ordered (and with quality decision making skills): The Pastrami Burger and a Bacon Cheeseburger.

I know what you're thinking, Readers: "We appreciate your dedication to the art of sandwiching, especially when you share two burgers at the same time just for our benefit."

It's a hard job, but someone must do it.


Both burgers were pretty straightforward offerings with cheese, lettuce and pickles topping the burger patty and their differing additions.

Speaking of the patty, it was delicious in both cases. Even though it was a fairly thin patty, it was full of delicious all beef flavor that permeated the sandwich and worked well with the condiments, never giving them a chance to even partially overpower its flavor.

For someone who enjoys pastrami as much as I do though, the Pastrami Burger was the lesser of the two burgers. Sure it was topped off with a healthy dose of pastrami, but it was a bit chewy and the flavor didn't shine through.

The Bacon Cheeseburger worked much better. The smoky bacon flavor mixed very well with the beef patty, and the crunchy lettuce and pickles broke up that flavor with their salty and fresh flavors.

Despite my love for pastrami, my love of bacon once against trumps in this burgering adventure as well. Even if you're not a bacon or pastrami fan the burgers here are pretty basic, yet solid and delicious offerings. You won't be disappointed even with a straight up cheeseburger.

Until next week, Readers.



Pastrami Burger
3 1/2 Stars
Bacon Cheeseburger
4 Stars
Apollo Restaurant
401 N. Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502

The Burgers of Burbank (Part 5)

Greetings, Readers!

One of the most surprising things of this run of burgers is the sheer number of places in Burbank that are known for a particular burger.

Not counting diners or major chains, this town has an impressive lineup of this particular type of sandwich.

Not surprising on this outing was that we would find a burger worth trying at the world famous Bob's Big Boy.

Teeming with history, this location of Bob's has been around since 1949 and it's quickly noticed how much of an effect this restaurant has had on fast food and burger culture from that point on.

Take for example our choice for this visit, the Super Big Boy. Similar looking to a particular major chain's marquee burger, this sandwich quickly shows off why it's the superior option.

A double-decker burger with medium-sized patties, topped with fresh lettuce, melted American cheese, a special relish and a sesame seed bun, this burger was very enjoyable.

The burger patties have a great beef flavor that is still noticeable over the other ingredients. The lettuce adds a great crispy crunch, the American cheese was thoroughly melted and the relish adds an excellent tangy flavor to complement the delicious beef patties.

Overall delicious and so simple, the Super Big Boy shows you how it is the perfect template for a double-decker burger. Something that particular chains should take note of.

The Super Big Boy also is noted for having 50% more meat and double the cheese of the regular Big Boy, so if you're going to order a burger here I'm going to have to suggest the Super Big Boy over the original just to get more bang for your buck.

So the next time you're in Burbank, make sure to get a window booth at Bob's Big Boy, order up a super Big Boy and revel in the history of one of the oldest burger joints in the area.

Until next time, Readers...


Super Big Boy
**** Stars
4211 Riverside Drive
Burbank, CA 91505
www.bobs.net