About two months ago, Inferno Burger opened in Pickerington in a former Graffiti Burger location (their first one to close). This mini-chain is the creation of the founders of Medina-based Romeo’s Pizza, and is the second location to open (the original is in Medina).
Much of the interior of the restaurant is the same, thought the cheesy graffiti has been replace by a fire/flame motive. Flatscreen TVs on the walls were playing a mix of class rock videos and 80s new wave hits. The waitresses and servers were noticeably young (high school?) but friendly, knowledgable and attentive on my visit.
French Fries come served in baskets in a Beer-Battered version ($3) and a Sweet Potato version ($4). The regular fries are of the steak fry variant and have a nice rough crisp to the outside and a softer earthy center. The sweet potato fries are practically identical to the ones served at Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails, so if you’re familiar with those, you’ll know what to expect. The sweet potato fries are served with a honey-cinnamon dipping sauce that was a little too sticky and sweet for my tastes. Standard ketchup is provided on the table for the beer battered fries, but you can upgrade from the condiment bar to Inferno’s Spicy Bacon Ketchup, which has a rich smoky flavor with a medium level of heat.
Inferno’s Gourmet Burgers are each named after a city or state. The Maui is topped with ham & pineapple while the Wisconsin Burger has three kinds of cheese. Each one is $7.99, or you can “build your own” starting at $5.99. The menu also offers a “3 sliders for $9.99” deal. I decided to go this route in order to taste as many burgers as possible on one visit, in case you’re wondering why the burgers might look a little small. These sliders were larger than their White Castle counterparts and two of them with fries is really enough to fill your average person.
First things first: the meat and the bun. Inferno’s menu advertises that their burgers are 100% angus beef ground fresh daily, never frozen, and seasoned to perfection. I found all of that a bit hard to believe. The meat in each of these burgers was uniformly round and evenly pressed, indicating pre-preparation, possibly frozen, and lacked any sort of seasoning other than salt. Half the burgers I ordered were over salted almost to the point of inedibility and the other half were bland. I was not asked how I’d like our burgers cooked, and they were served well done. The buns used for the sliders were like small english muffin buns. I’ve had deli sandwiches served on this type of bread, but it was a first for hamburgers. Overall, the bun was a bit on the dry side, though the unique texture and flavor was certainly a creative touch.
Moving on to the individual burgers:
The namesake Inferno Burger includes bacon, sautéed onions, american cheese and a fried egg. The bacon was paper thin and had a flavor to match. Combined with the egg, cheese and muffin-like bun, I was immediately reminded of a breakfast sandwich, which is not what I imagine they were going for. Additionally, the greasy burger topped with greasy egg, topped with greasy bacon, topped with greasy onions all added up to be a bit on the heavy side. For a signature sandwich, I was underwhelmed.
The Seattle Burger is topped with round sautéed button mushrooms, swiss cheese and a bacon-ranch sauce. The button mushrooms were great, and the melted swiss helped to hold them in place. I thought that the ranch sauce was a bit out of place, and the sharp tanginess was an awkward contrast to the smoothness of the cheese. A sauce substitution could save this burger.
The New Orleans Burger is cooked with a cajun rub and topped with grilled shrimp, melted pepper jack cheese, and a chipotle ranch sauce. The slider version of this sandwich only came with one shrimp, which was a slight letdown as there was room in the sandwich for at least one more. The sauces and rubs worked well together, and the heat intensity grew nicely with each bite. One of the better burgers on the list, though this particular sandwich suffered from an overdose of saltiness.
The Memphis Burger includes shredded Pork, barbecue sauce and onion straws. Easily the best burger of the six that I tasted. The pulled pork was juicy and plentiful, the barbecue sauce was sweet and mildly tangy, and the onion straws were a crisp addition. I was a bit wary that the meat-on-meat presentation would feel overwhelming, but it ended up working quite well together.
The Cleveland Burger is stacked with Inferno’s own cole slaw, french fries, american cheese and mayonaise. This ingredient combination was originally made famous at Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh, so I’m not sure why it’s not called a Pitts Burger. Regardless, the toppings worked well. Inferno’s slaw is a coarse mix without much cream, but still has a nice flavor to it.
The Hollywood Burger comes with tomatos, onions and fresh guacamole. The guacamole was very sauce-like, almost as if it were a pre-made mix or prepared in a blender. Aside from the guacamole, this was a regular hamburger. There really wasn’t anything “Hollywood” about it.
In addition to burgers, Inferno features Gourmet Hot Dogs ($3.99) that are deep fried quarter-pound beef franks. A handful of 99-cent gourmet toppings can be added, including bacon, mushrooms, blue cheese, coleslaw and sauerkraut. Another dozen standard toppings can be used at the topping bar to customize your experience. Once again, I was underwhelmed. Not a bad hot dog, and some of the toppings are creative, but nothing truly “gourmet” about it.
Overall, I couldn’t help but feel let down at Inferno Burger. Their menu displays the word “gourmet” at least a dozen times, and their sign on the front of the building says “Inferno Gourmet Burger Bar”. Adding creative toppings does not make a hamburger “gourmet” if the meat is below-average quality and improperly prepared. If you’re just looking for a decent burger and a beer or milkshake, you’ll probably enjoy Infero. If you want a true gourmet burger, you’re better off heading to Till, Knead or Skillet, where I’m pretty sure they don’t even use the word “gourmet” to describe their versions.
Inferno Burger is located at 10503 Blacklick Eastern Road in Pickerington, Ohio. Hours are Mon-Thur 11am to 11pm, Fri & Sat 11am to Midnight and Sun 11am to 10pm. More information can be found online at infernoburgerbar.com.
