BFS Review: Late Night at The Great Dane

 

I am not one to go on a lot of late night burger runs but when an opportunity to visit one of Madison's top burger and suds joints presents itself, it is hard to say no.  The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co, now with 4 locations (3 in Madison, 1 in Wausau), has quickly become a Madison institution since opening its doors in 1994.  A unique menu and high quality ingredients have earned the brewpub a solid reputation for fantastic food, especially burgers. 

A friend had invited me to stop by after work for an election night victory party.  The Great Dane keeps the kitchen open until midnight.  Considering I would be at work until after 11:00, that was all I needed to convince me that an after hours burger excursion was in order.  This is a burger blog, not a political blog, so I won't go into any of my thoughts on the election results here.  I walked through the door at 11:37, and happily placed my order at the bar.  The candidate my friend was supporting ended up losing his election, which created a distinctly somber and reserved atmosphere.  I tried to come across as somewhat less than ecstatic that I was about the eat a great burger and drink a fine local brew.  I blended into the crowd and awaited my late night treat.

I have enjoyed both the food and drink at the downtown location on 2 previous visits.  This time I would be going to a newer location by Hilldale Mall.  I knew it wouldn't be the same as the original location on Doty St.  The building wouldn't have the same character and history.  It would be a new construction monstrosity, and instead of sitting in Madison's picturesque downtown district, it would sit astride the mall...but what about the burger?

On previous visits I have always ordered the Applewood Bacon Burger, eaten it with reckless abandon, and given little thought to the burger beyond, "mmmmmm."  Today would be different.  I went in with a plan to think hard about my choices, and to give serious consideration to each bite.

I've always held the opinion that the burgers served at The Great Dane are truly delicious, but it has never been my favorite burger place.  Heck, it isn't even my favorite burger in Madison.  Having never eaten a burger with the idea that I would be composing a review about it, I wondered if my opinion would change.  Would I notice subtle nuances that would accentuate the experience, and elevate the establishment to the "best in town" in my mind?  Could it go the other way, and become a "so so" burger for me?

Although tempted by some of the more adventurous offerings, I made the decision to keep the burger for my first review simple.  That was a tough one as I loves me a good bacon cheeseburger!  I ordered the Pub Burger ($7.95) which includes your choice of cheese, and a side of fries.  Placing my order, I inquired about the choice of cheeses available.  The list was too long for the bartender to recall every option, but he did specifically mention Cheddar, Swiss, Provolone, Gruyere, Mozzarella, Feta, and Gorgonzola.  Again, I let simplicity be my guide and went with the cheddar.  You can see from the picture that the cheddar achieved a melty quality as good as can be expected.  My usual preference runs towards the gooey-ness of American Cheese, but the cheddar did impart a nice flavor, and a hint of moisture to the burger.

I initially worried that the bun may overwhelm the burger.  They do offer an option to upgrade from a 6 oz. patty to an 8 oz. for an extra $1.  Maybe I should have thrown good sense and caution out the window on this one.  I was pleasantly surprised that the bun did a perfect impersonation of Morgan Freeman.  It wasn't the star, but it held everything together perfectly.

At The Great Dane, the beef is the star of the show.  Loosely packed, fresh ground beef of a high quality goes into the burgers served here.  I was a little surprised that I wasn't asked my preference for degree of doneness when ordering, given that the menu provides a guide regarding specifically that.  I decided that maybe that was for the best.  I would let the kitchen decide the appropriate temp to serve a burger.  I was picturing a burger cooked to medium.  It came out just shy medium-well.  Mostly gray, with the slightest pink interior.  I apologize that my autopsy pic didn't work out.  In a pinch, I used a cell phone to snap some shots.  Next time, remembering a better camera will be key.  There was a nice char to the broiled burger, and it had a nice flavor.  It may have wandered a little close to the dry side, but it was a simple and wonderful example of a great Madison burger.

The burger comes with the normal assortment of produce; lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles.  There is no bigger turn off for me food wise than a big old slice of raw tomato, so I opted out of that topping.  The remainder of the veggies were nicely crisp and well proportioned to the 1/3 pound patty.  The thick slices of pickle were especially good.

The fries are a thicker than normal (think thinner than a steak fry, but thicker than a McDonald's style fry), and they arrived already seasoned with salt and pepper.  That was a nice flavor kick for my taste, but I know some who aren't big fans of cracked black pepper.  These had a good potato taste after biting through the nicely crisped exterior.

If you visit any of the brewpubs locations, you are treated to one of the truly outstanding locally produced beers in Madison.  A wide variety of house label beer flows from the taps, and each of them I am certain are superb.  I have already had the Crop Circle Wheat, and the Old Glory American Pale Ale on previous visits.  This time I opted for the Emerald Isle Stout, A strong dark beer with a nutty quality.  It has a bit of a bite to it, but it was complimentary to the saltiness of the burger and cheese.

It has been a long time since I have visited some of my favorite places, but I am looking forward to getting reaquainted.  Will this go down as my favorite burger in town.  I guess that remains to be seen, but The Great Dane is a Madison burger joint to be reckoned with.