Legislative Office Building Snack Bar

The LOB is the kind of stone, faceless building one expects from a government building. Tucked away in a corner on the first floor/basement you'll find the snack bar, which again appears exactly as one would expect in a government building (think hospital meets school cafeteria). But it was in these humble beginnings where the first select committee meeting came to order yesterday.

So honestly, what can you really expect from a cheeseburger born of such austere surroundings. I watched in sadness as they pulled the precooked patty out of what appeared to be a small bucket of hot water and tossed it on the grill. But then, things improved as the bun joined the meat on the grill and the burger was covered in a slice of cheese that was allowed to melt and form a shroud of cheesy goodness over the burger. Bonus point, I even got a little bit of crispy grilled cheese hanging off the side of my burger.

I had zero expectations for this burger when we sat down to eat it. I expected cheesy cardboard or the taste of an old sofa, but I was mildly surprised to find a perfectly edible burger. I'd rate it a step above a fast food burger, but probably close to the same meat quality. It clearly won't be the best burger anyone ever eats (god willing), but it was definitely serviceable and I enjoyed the toasted bun and well-melted cheese.

If I had to rate the burger I would probably say 2/5, meaning I definitely wouldn't seek the burger out, but it's not a bad option if you're looking for a quick lunch in the LOB. On the whole, I'm sure it benefited from my complete lack of expectations, but it was still not a bad burger. And really, the LOB was probably the perfect place to convene the first meeting of the Select Committee on Raleigh Burger Appreciation (SCORBA).

The Committee Shall Come to Order!

Way back when, before the kids, Amy and I were on a mission with some friends to find Raleigh's best burger. Our co-conspirators in this project moved away, and we ended up having two little strangers move in with us, so events were put on hold. The quest was over, the mission: unfulfilled.

Then.

In Walks Brent.

Brent (or as he is known around the office "Lauren Z.") works with me. He likes a good burger, is willing to put the work in that is necessary and most importantly of all is a man of good taste.

So the quest continues.

Here is where we will document our search for Raleigh's best burger.

It works like this:

Go to Burger Joint. Consume Burger. If it is better than the previous burger, it ascends to the title of "reigning champ". If it doesn't, it's out. Fries don't count. Ambiance can't help you, but it can hurt. Fanciness wins no points.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

We started off at the Legislative Cafeteria Snack bar. (Hey Gotta start somewhere.) Post coming soon.

Feel free to leave a comment of a place we hafta try. And (unlike some committees we know) we are happy to take public comment and have you join us to influence our call.

This will be fun. And when we are done we will finally be able to settle this question. Just in time for Brent to buy a house and start climbing the suburban ladder