RED ROBIN - RALEIGH, NC

It wasn’t chicken, but as a meal goes, there’s not much that can beat a really good burger. Tonight was date night and we visited Red Robin for the very first time. He’s more of a burger fan than I am. I’ve sworn off beef and pork more times than I care to count and something always brings me back. Tonight it was their infamous gourmet burgers.

We went late. Like we do. But no one had a problem at all with our late night adventure. Without a doubt the service was on point. Absolutely adored our waitress, a young woman named Lauren who had the brightest personality and a bubbly demeanor. She was well-versed on their menu and enticed us to go bold with our burger selections. As Lauren pointed out there was no point in settling for a regular old cheese burger when they offered so many selections. And honestly, they really offered too many selections and then those selections had selections because customizing your burger is encouraged. I could have spent a whole afternoon studying the menu!

Big Daddy opted for the Whiskey River BBQ Burger, billed as their smoky, tangy tribute to the Wild West. They roped together their signature bourbon-infused Whiskey River® BBQ Sauce, crispy onion straws, Cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo. 

I wasn’t as adventurous, choosing the Red’s Pig Out -style Tavern Double burger; two classic-sized patties, melted American cheese, tomato, and lettuce with an abundance of bacon and bacon aioli sauce. See, beef and pork, I can’t win!!! 

We both liked Red Robin. I only had one complaint with our meal and that was they forgot to put the bacon on my burger. Lauren remedied that with a substantial plate of bacon which I needed like I need a hole in my head! And his meal looked prettier than mine was. Otherwise, the burgers were cooked to perfection. Only had one serving of the bottomless steak fries but there’s no way either of us could have eaten our burgers and more than one serving of fries and not have needed a wheelbarrow to roll us out of our seats. 

Before leaving Lauren encouraged us to try their beer shakes the next time and I have to admit my interest was piqued. Big Daddy’s not a drinker but if you can mix beer and ice cream and make it taste good then I’m all in! 

We will definitely do Red Robin again.