Five Star Burgers

Five Star Burgers Restaurant Review:

Splashed in yellow and purple hues and jam-packed with families, the strip-mall outlet appears at first glance to be interchangeable with any other gourmet-burger franchise. But it isn’t, because this regional chain’s home-grown. From its penchant for local sourcing to its recycling and packaging programs, Five Star is green to the core --- but more important, it’s pink. That is, the open kitchen grills the naturally raised Angus-beef patties to order, so rare-meat lovers aren’t rebuffed --- an all-too-rare perk in itself. Juicy and huge in brioche buns, they’re heaped with winning condiments like wild mushrooms and sage leaves, Gorgonzola cream and aged cheddar, peach chutney and tzatziki. Of course, there’s a killer green-chile cheeseburger, as well as alternatives featuring lamb, turkey and crab cakes. The rest of the menu is slight: starters take a back seat (in fact, sides like fried green beans will have to suffice) and so do desserts (although, for a buck apiece, “ice-cream shooters” charm). But given the sheer heft of the burgers --- and the opportunity to sample local wines and microbrews --- you’re better off without the added frills anyway.