J Michael's Burger Dip, Redmond, WA

I really liked this burger dip.  J Michael's is a funny little place in Redmond.  They had the Seahawks on there one day and they have pull tabs, which sounded like a fun activity, so we went for it.  I had to show off my reviewing skills so here we are.

Bread 4.  Pretty god.
Meat 4.  Burger good and plentiful and had a little char flavor to it that could have been an accident but added character and richness.
Non-Meat Toppings 4.  Onions were good and cheese was fine.
Jus 4.  Salty and good with a nice flavor.
Overall 5.  I have to give this a 5 because I really did like everything about it and wouldn't really change much.  Nice job, J Michael's.

Mushroom Dip at Red Door, Fremont, Seattle, WA

You don't see vegetarian dips every day.  I love mushrooms.  I'd already eaten and reviewed their standard beef dip.  $14.95 a bit pricey.

I went with tots and the aioli on the side.

It was bursting with mushrooms and had onions in there, too.  It looked pretty good.

Looks pretty good.

It did have filling fallout but what could one expect?

The money shot.

The bread was indeed prone to falling apart which was also a bummer.

The raw review notes.  

Setting the Scene

Was out to lunch with new coworkers in Fremont.  Mallory was leaving Tableau and we were saying goodbye.  I had been to Red Door many times in my earlier years and it was nice to be back.  They have a really nice patio and it's quintessential Seattle. 

Review Scores

Bread 3 fell apart and pretty much just your standard roll
"Meat" (Mushrooms) 4 were pretty good.  Portabello.
Non-Meat Toppings 4 onions were additive
Jus 3 was pretty weak.  Nice that it was mushroom-based but just not all that tasty.
Overall 3.5  just wasn't that tasty but I did like that they have an FD dedicated to mushrooms only

"Big Dipper" French Dip Sandwich at Kirkland, WA George's Awarded a 3 of 5 DeliciScore™ (Pretty Good) on this 4th day of April, 2017 - Provolone and onions make it good, bowl of jus

The Story

I was out for a walk from work and knew I hadn't yet completed the French dips at George's a diner and breakfast spot in downtown Kirkland.  I hymned and hawwed over whether or not I would walk back to George's to taste test their sandwich and then decided that I would.  I sat at the bar.  The salad was good.  The French dip was pretty good and I enjoyed my lunch.  I am nearly done with all of the French dips in Kirkland now.  Here's the to do list. 

Tasting Notes

• Choices between burger dip and roast beef (French dip) all under a single menu item.
• Good side salad with nice crunchy herbed croutons, cheddar cheese and pretty good dressing.
• Sandwich alone is good and bread is soft.
• Comes with a bowl of jus, which I hadn't seen in a while.  Compare to Gere-a-Deli, which also provides such an option.
• The roast beef was well done and somewhat chewy.  It wasn't bad but it also wasn't especially fine.  Probably a 3 of 5 overall since at least there was plenty beef.  The beef also "pulled out" of the sandwich which was a bit sad.  Sad!
• The sandwich overall has a garlicky taste, which is nice.
• The grilled onions and cheese do indeed add something.
• The jus was plentiful, dark, good and oily and served in a big bowl.  The issue with the bowl is that it had a flat bottom which made it shallow, so I do not believe this was an ideal serving vassel.
• The bread scores a 3 of 5 for being plentiful albeit somewhat "white bread" and kind of pillowy soft.  
• The onions are probably the best part of the sandwich.  I also liked the chewy beef, jus and cheese so overall we were doing well but I think the bread is where this thing primarily misses although it was also buttered and grilled.
• Overall this sandwich gets a 3 and possibly a 4. 
• The flavor of the sandwich was even a bit tart/sharp, tangy and definitely salty.  The cheese also added some balance, but being processed, was not exactly what I wanted and made the feeling of overall quality go down.
• The non-meat toppings get a 3 of 5 because the cheese brings the score down.  The onions were good.  Perhaps next time ask for non-processed cheese.  They had okay cheddar on the salad so I'm sure they have it.

Summary

• Meat 2 of 5 just because it was not overly "fine".  They gave you plenty, though, so that was nice.
• Bread 2 of 5 because it was too soft.
• Non-Meat Toppings 3 of 5.  They definitely added something and were good but I have to deduct points for using sub-par (processed) cheese.
• Jus 4 of 5.  It was good and salty and came in a bowl.  It wasn't herbed or anything too fancy but it was nice and oily, good.
• Overall 3 of 5.  This is a pretty good French dip sandwich and nice with the toppings but I have to score it a 3 of 5 because it was not overly refined and the meat was just kind of chewy.

Conclusions

This is a pretty good French dip in a pinch.  The jus is good.  The bread is a bit too soft for my liking.  Processed cheese does not helps its cause but the size and onions make it pretty good.

4 of 5 DeliciScore™ (Great) Awarded to Joker Pub & Grill for their Burger Dip Sandwich in Issaquah, WA on this 20th day of November, 2016 - Wonderful yet tiny Burger Dip.

Here Jessica and I are at the Joker Pub in Issaquah.  It was a Sunday in November and the Seahawks were playing.  Our current residence is without TV so we felt inclined to venture out to a sports bar to root on the 'Hawks as they took on the Philadelphia Eagles.  The outcome was a good one!

The menu.  We were lucky enough to be there when the owner, who we had never met, was there as well.  A table of folks next to us was partying it up and the people who we sat by were a very friendly couple originally from Toronto, Canada.

They have two dipped sandwich offerings on their menu: a French dip (which is actually a Prime Rib Dip) and also the burger dip.  I was feeling more like a burger dip (not sure what it is other than the wholesome, meaty goodness of tasty burger).

There's the burger dip and it comes with grilled onions and Swiss.  Both wound up being good complements and the jus, as they had claimed, was indeed rich.  Good job, Joker!

Here it is served.  It looks really normal but I laughed out loud at the size of the bread, which is quite small.  It is about the size of a hot dog bun, which I found a bit insulting and tricky.  The side salad was fine, the jus looked dark.  This meal followed a reasonable helping of Coors Light so I was ready.

Close-up of the sandwich innards including the grilled onions.  I'll have to get a better camera.

Jessica was somewhat disappointed that the salad dressing was oozing all over the fork.  I captured the disappointing situation.

Here are my detailed tasting notes as we devoured the food meal:

• The bread was very tiny and pathetic hot dog-like if not smaller in size.  LOL!  I had never seen a sandwich that small even though the owner made if very clear that it was A THIRD POUND OF BEEF.  Maybe true, sir, but the clear appearance of this sandwich is kind of silly.  I suggested to him that there be a "regular" and "large" size of it.  Perhaps a "hers" and "his" size.  The bread was probably two inches wide.  Sliders are bigger than this.   That said, of the snakelike looks, it was very tasty and looked very high quality as well.  Does size matter?
• The grilled onion was good and added to my overall satisfaction in the meal. 
• The Swiss cheese was well was generally additive. 
• The bread, albeit small, was white yet fine, receiving a score a 3 of 5.
• The sandwich when eaten alone without jus was uninteresting but also beefy and good, although tiny.  I give it a 3 and a 2 for size.
• The jus was indeed rich and quality as advertised, dark and good, winning a 4 of 5 possible points.
• The size of this sandwich was its biggest issue.  Had it been a little larger it would maybe even have scored a 5 of 5. 
• The meat was well done, good burger with a very pleasing caramelized flavor.  I truly loved the burger taste and texture, whereas Jessica claimed that she didn't love a burger dip.  A burger dip may be my singular favorite food. 

So in total, this was a really good Burger dip but its biggest issue was small bread.  It made me laugh how small it was.  It was like a kid's toy.  Very delicious and fine.

• Bread - 0 of 5 - for the size
• Meat - 4 of 5 - for tasty, caramelized, good-tasting burger
• Non-meat Toppings - 4 of 5 - for a conjoined benefit to the sandwich between the Swiss and grilled onion
• Jus - 4 of 5 - for its richness and serious, delicious flavor
• Sandwich - 3 of 5 - as it was not overly mind-blowing when eaten alone
• Overall 4 of 5 for this really tasty burger dip that could have been a 5 had the size of the bread not been something from Honey I Shrunk the Kids.