The Middle Ground of Burgers

At home, Jake and I try not to eat too much red meat. But I love a good burger and Memphis has many great options for them. But there are levels of burgers - you can do the Wendy's or Backyard Burger fast food burger for the carnivore on the run, you can do it Memphis style with a Huey burger, or you could even go high class with a specialty burger from Encore downtown. Price wise, you're talking a range of 2$ to 15$ for just the burger. And money gets you a lot - the lower end of the price range gets you a thin patty on a generic bun and a more expensive burger could have a toasted sesame home made bun, Gorgonzola cheese, and bacon.

For the every day, however, I'm not all about the fast food option but don't have the money to shell out for a specialty burger. In the spirit of compromise, I've discovered two places that serve burgers that I find quite delicious in a moderately unhealthy way. For the same price of going to a sub shop (and a little less than you'd spend at Panera or its counterpart), you can go to Tops BBQ or Ubee's and get a cheeseburger and fries. My mom and I went to Ubee's and then later in the month Jake and I went to Tops and both times we got 2 burgers, fries, and drinks for about 14$.

My opinion:
Tops BBQ is a Memphis staple with multiple locations. Known for being the "fast food of BBQ," my dad and I used to go after tap dance lessons when I was younger. Because of that, part of what I'm drawn to is the sentimental value. The burgers are great for the money - thicker than a fast food burger but not as thick as a restaurant burger, and you get two sides with the combo (choose from BBQ beans, chips, fries, or slaw). And as you drive by, you can't resist the smell!

Ubee's is on the U of M campus, on the Highland strip. It is a part of the Dyer's family and opened last year. They have a huge menu, nice facilities, and double as a bar at night. Their burger is pretty similar to Top's but I like their fries a lot more. They are shoestring handcut fries that taste a lot better than Top's fries - more fresh. It is really clean there and there is a lot of room. Interestingly, I've never gone when anyone but us was there so that makes me nervous for their future.

When you're in the mood for a burger and want to go somewhere and sit down but don't want to pay restaurant prices, maybe one of these two are the place for you - budget eating style!