California Burger is the Fresh Catch

This podcast reviews a restaurant in Conway, SC that has tried to emulate the "California" style Burger formula.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to Fresh Catch with RJ and T-Bones Jones. Don't forget to like and subscribe to us wherever you get our content. And remember, stay hungry. California. Thank you for having California Burger.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

We're gonna have the number two combo. Cheese rice. And cheese on the burger. I like cheese on the burger. I'm gonna do a medium coke.

SPEAKER_02 0:28

And I'll do um a chocolate shake but with some Oreo in it.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

And I'm just gonna do the um the M's.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

That's gonna be a candy mix.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Candy mix. Small candy mix. Yeah. I think that's it for now. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Alright. That's gonna be 2587.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 0:49

Well, we made it to Conway.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

We made it to Conway, we made it to California Burger.

SPEAKER_02 0:55

Alright, so this is a place you've been before.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

Once. Once and it's it was um brought to my attention by my good friend Malim. And she'd been here, she told us about it, and we came and ate. It was great.

SPEAKER_02 1:11

So you know that there's a little history of the burger. I'll just talk briefly about what makes the hamburger a quintessential sort of American invention. Because it it probably existed in some shape, other places, but the reason it got so popular here is because it's a food that you can eat on the on the run. Yes. You can take it and hold it and walk around and eat.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:38

And that's what makes it different. So, like you don't have to sit down and have it on a plate with fork and knife. You can even drive around with it.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Well, people were getting off of ships or getting on uh carriage rides or train rides, and they needed something that they could easily give to people, and you could grab it and walk away. Yeah, you weren't stuck with it. So that's so here we are 100 years later, still eating the burger.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

But I feel like the way that they're making this type of burger, it's more as fresh.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

So California separated themselves from like McDonald's and your major burger joints with the a franchise called In N Out Burger. And it's known for uh fresh ingredients. That's what you go there for. Um, your burger is sort of good above average burger, right? But um the the lettuce and the tomato and the onions and everything, you can tell it was cut right there five minutes ago. Yes, and people pay for that. In fact, the line's always long and in and out. So we're in Conway, South Carolina, just across the bridge from Myrtle Beach. Yes. And they have a place called California Burger where they're trying to bring this fresh burger mentality to a place that is more about greasy spoons and and fast food restaurants. I was talking to the folks uh here and they said this is Angus beef. Okay, never frozen, nice, fresh ingredients. So, what did we get?

SPEAKER_01 3:16

We got the number two, um the double, with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, and everything on it looks amazing. It looks amazing. And also, we have the really nice cheese.

SPEAKER_02 3:35

The cheese fries.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

Cheese fries.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

And I've and I'm not a cheese fry guy. Like, first of all, you they don't sell cheese fries in many places. No. Right? It's just so here I'm digging.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Yeah, this is California burger. It's a lot different than any other burger places. Because they have different, they also have different types of items, you know, uh in the menu.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

Um, they got shrimp, they got chicken, they got salads, uh, I see they got corn dolls, they got burritos. Corn dogs burritos. Yeah, so it's it's they're bringing the California to Conway.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

And they also have some terrific ice cream.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

Oh yeah, they have really good, delicious.

SPEAKER_02 4:14

Um this is it's basically a vanilla shake with um MMs. Yes. And then mine's a chocolate with some Oreo in it. I'm a I'm gonna I'm gonna dip on it. I'm not taking the lid off, but you know it's it's brown and dark brown and good. It was good. Okay, so we asked them if they would cut the burger in half. That way we could each try it. The same burger, right? That way we can validate that what we're trying is equal.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

You're tasting what I'm tasting. That's right. Let's try some cheese fries while they're hot. You want to do that?

SPEAKER_01 4:50

Yeah. Let's do that. Alright, let's let's see.

SPEAKER_02 4:54

Look at that.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

Well, I already noticed the difference between any other burger place, right? The fries are more thick and they look like what's it called? The cur curly fries?

SPEAKER_02 5:13

These are crinkly fries.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Grinkrie fries.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

This is kind of like nacho cheese.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Yes, I was gonna say that.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

And um and it's just dripping and hot. And if you haven't tried it, you don't know how yummy it is.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

For me, it's it's it's it's great. I I really like it.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Licking fingers. I mean, honestly, you don't need fancy cheese. When you're talking cheese fries, fancier isn't better.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

Yeah. We pay 25 for cheese fries, a double.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

A double, and two milkshakes. Two milkshakes and a drink. Two guys eating for 25 bucks, it's not a bad deal. It's not. I'm gonna move this out of the way. It's not gone, it's just behind the drinks. You telling me? Anybody that was worried. But like, I'm I'm two-handing this thing. Yeah, go ahead. It's thick. You can see the different layers of the is it's obviously a smash burger because it's real, it's cooked flat. You've got the tomatoes and the onions and the pickles, the lettuce that's coming out the sides.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

The lettuce look fresh to me. Super fresh, you know? Like kind of they're choosing the best one every day, you know what I mean? Yeah, that kind of fresh.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Yeah, not just a bowl of nasty.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Like the ones that use a burger cake. Yeah, like just throw it. No, they seem like they're choosing the best ones to throw it in the burger. Sounds good. Alright, I got this side, you got that side. And uh, this is my first time trying to burger with tomatoes because I don't like tomatoes. You normally I normally don't like tomatoes, but I'm gonna try with the tomatoes this time.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

It's gonna get messy.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

Alright, give me let me give you that and I yeah, yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

Alright, so the first thing I noticed when I held it is it's got a really fresh, soft bun.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 7:28

And it had kind of like a grain on top. It was a like a premium bun.

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Now, what do you think about the meat?

SPEAKER_02 7:33

I want to taste the meat because that's the big deal. Yeah, but if what if I don't catch the fresh ingredients? What if the pickle doesn't matter? What if the tomato and the lettuce isn't good or the onion? So what I noticed is that in my bite, I felt and tasted all those crunches, and the flavors in my mouth was every bit about onion and tomato as it was about the meat. And that's the freshness I'm looking for. Got it. I hadn't tasted a McDonald's pickle in 50 years, and there's one on every burger I have ever eaten. But it's like an afterthought. Yeah, it's just a pickle. But I noticed the vegetables that were in this sandwich. I mean, it's a smash burger, so it's cooked through and through, but it wasn't, it didn't taste, it didn't, it didn't lose any of its good taste.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Okay, okay. Juicy, still juicy. Still juicy, yeah. Yeah, and I think the the way they prepare the burger here with I don't know if they use I don't know if it's a special sauce or or what, but the mayo is different. The mayo, I think they mince it with, it seems like they mix something there that it has that taste, you know what I mean? Can I go the piece of green lettuce right here? Like this is what I'm talking about. This is our green lettuce. This is fresh. This is for me, you know, usually you you know the lettuce like when they turn yellow. Yeah, this is not yellow at all.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

Yeah, this isn't pre-sredded and sitting around in a bucket all day.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

No.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

We're trying to decide does this place live up to the fresh California moniker.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Now, this place right here, it's uh I think it's the only one in the Grand Strand, Conway.

SPEAKER_02 9:32

We're basically at the junction of 501 and 378.

SPEAKER_01 9:35

Yes, right in the middle, by behind a subway.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

It's near a subway that's been there for a million years.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

Yes, and and I feel like they are making like having the thought of making sure that everything should be fresh. And I think it is what I expected. I feel like it's a burger that you would drive for. I will drive for it.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

It's it's a solid product. California Burger is definitely uh, I hope, the direction that Conway wants to go because they have some old spots. We need innovation, we need fresh new ideas.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

And I applaud Conway and California Burger for doing something different.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:18

So all you got to do is take 501.

SPEAKER_01 10:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

Cross the bridge, come across, leave the beach, come enjoy beautiful historic Conway.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

That's what I was gonna say. I'm sorry to stop you there, but there's a lot to see in Conway too.

SPEAKER_02 10:33

They are definitely uh reinventing themselves. It's not the sleepy old southern town it used to be. They're updating downtown. They have this beautiful river walk. Conway's gonna be on the map for a lot of different things in the next 25 years.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Yes, and I hope California Burger stays here and serves the same great food that's overnight. I really like it. For for to be a burger, I really enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

Conway is is dishing up one heck of a good cheeseburger, California style.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

We're gonna give this a solid, solid, solid nine.

SPEAKER_02 11:17

I'm gonna give it an eight. I think they have a lot of room to grow. Like the restaurant area here could use sort of an overhaul. Um, could get beautified a little more. I'd like to see California burger though. Just you know, we're become a uh a bigger, more important brand. And so they got some work to do.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

Yeah, I feel like, yes, it needs that, but they making the customer feel comfortable where they're at. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Yeah. So you you know, you tend to give them a little slack, and that's okay. I think we both love California Burger. I think that's that's a bottom, the common denominator.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

I'm I'm more about the food for sure.

SPEAKER_02 12:04

Yeah. So I come to a place that it's good and and working at being great, I'm the kind of guy that would like to come back in six months or a year and see more.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:17

Maybe not more food, but more, it just improve the overall experience.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Also, something they do here at California Burger, it's they have deals of the day. Something that I think is great for the people that you know we're talking about prices, right? Now they have the deals of the day every day of the week from Monday to Sunday, um, where prices kind of go lower.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

On certain items.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

Yes, so the double double on Monday, avocado on Tuesday, chicken sandwich on Wednesday, uh jalapeno day on Thursday. I love that. Yeah, that would have been good too. Fish sandwich on Friday, and single bacon on Saturday and Sunday. There you go. Thank you, Cardinal Burger. You know, we appreciate you letting us be here and you know raise your food.

SPEAKER_02 13:15

Absolutely. You know, with a score of eight out of ten for me, nine out of ten, that's a pretty high endorsement. We're giving this an 8.5.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:26

A mix between yours and mine. That's reason enough to come to Conway and try something different.

unknown 13:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

California Burger. Definitely recommend it. Um, and then also enjoy a day in Conway.

SPEAKER_02 13:39

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

You know?

SPEAKER_02 13:40

So uh California Burger is our latest fresh catch. Fresh catch is California Burger in Conway. Come try it.