Pine Grove Market 6.5 out of 10

Our hunt for the best burger in Jacksonville brought us to the Pine Grove Market http://www.pinegrovemarket.com/ .  First impression I have to say I like those kind of places.  Small neighborhood places where you can find some of the secret culinary places that give you the best experiences.
Let's get right to the burger.  The first thing that hit me was the presentation.  I think this was the first time I saw a burger cut in half.  My burger was ordered medium and right away I could see, yup, cooked perfectly.  As you can see from the picture it was a great size as well.  Looking at the burger I have to say, it looked great, smelled good, so the first impression was: 'Yes I'm looking forward to this'.  Once I took my first bite I have to say it tasted very good.  The mixture of spices and the meat tasted great.  As you can see from the picture I ordered mine with fries and with onion rings.  Holy crap those rings where huge.  They as well tasted very good as the fries did.

I'm sure you wonder why my score isn't higher with me saying everything was good.  Well, as you know I'm looking for the extra wow factor when it comes to burgers.  This was a great burger, but it reminded me to much of a burger I would do at home.  So, yes, I know, isn't that what it should be?  Great tasting burger you could get home?  Yes and no.  I'm looking for the burger which I can't do at home or blows my mind how well it was done.  In this instance I have to say.  Yes, the burger was great but somehow was missing the umpf sorte say.  Would I recommend going there to try it.  Absolutely I would recommend it.  Would I take the drive there though just for the hamburger.  I would have to say, no.
BurgerMeister
*********************************************************************************

My first BurgerGeek foray was to the Pine Grove Market in Riverside just east of Park Street.  The Market is a neighborhood jewel.  The kind of place I imagine exists on most NYC corners.    On to the review.    My first impression was this looks like my Momma's burger:  Thick and moist, made with quality beef.  That the burger and fries were served on a real plate may have added to the illusion.  Taking my first bite, I was pleased by the taste: not to much seasoning and not bland.  Moist but not falling apart.   Definitely fresh, quality beef.  Not frozen, trucked and thawed patties.   The only thing missing were the cross-hatch marks and that slight hickory flavor from a backyard grill.  The fries were nicely done.  Not to thick or to thin with a good flavor.  They complimented the burger well.   The available toppings were the expected minimum burger standards - which was more than enough for me.

That said, my rating is a 7 out of 10.  Why?  I really could make a burger like this myself.  However, for a quick fix of homemade on a hectic workday without the prep and cleanup hassle, this burger would sure do the trick.   Using the BurgerGeek drive scale, no, I wouldn't go out of my way to have this burger; but, if I was already in the neighborhood, you bet I would.

Becky