The Max Burger Fatty Melt experience

For those not in the know (or from out of town), Max Burger, in addition to being the latest offering from the slightly ubiquitous Max Restaurant Group, is West Hartford's newest burger joint. With its opening, we West Hartford-ites can now choose from three "burger dedicated" restaurants located within a mile and a half of each other (with Plan B and The Counter completing the trifecta). Oh, and then there's Red Robin, but I wouldn't really count that place.

Last night, the Professor and I stopped into Max Burger for dinner. I was instantly struck by the decor, which, to me, rang in as "calculated casual." That's not to say the place wasn't nice. It just felt like someone in the planning room said, "How can we, you know, slum it down a bit while staying classy?" Then someone else said, "How about old-timey milk glasses for water? And we'll have the waiters wear jeans!"

But we weren't there for the decor. We were in for the food. And, let me tell you, the burger I ordered may have been one of the most decadent sandwiches I have ever eaten.

It was called the Fatty Melt. An 8 oz. burger with cheese served between two grilled cheese sandwiches, it was a messy mouthful. Oh, and did I mention that one grilled cheese had tomato and the other was filled with bacon?

Yowza! What a burger!

The Professor got the Inside Out burger, which had a cheese center. I have to say, hers was cooked more to order than mine, but they were both delicious and were served with pickles, house fries and a garlic aioli for dipping.

We finished with the house whoopie pies. While quite tasty, the cake was a bit dry.

As we drove home, our stomachs full, we debated if Max Burger was "better" than its competition. Our conclusions were mixed. In my opinion, Max Burger will never have the neighborhood feel of Plan B. Perhaps this is because of its high class upbringing, as a fair amount of the customers looked as if they would normally be at Max's Oyster Bar or Max Downtown, but "wanted to see how the peasants ate." (A good example of this was the guy sitting at the table next to me, who The Professor noticed made an exaggerated eye lift when I announced, not terribly loudly, that I had eaten everything on my plate. Of course, he then proceeded to cut his burger in half - cardinal sin - and eat portions of it with a fork).

But as I said earlier, who cares about the decor, right? The Fatty Melt is a foodie's dream come true and the type of burger that can make a place famous.

So, is Max the best burger place? I'm going to have to say that I can't say. The sandwiches are wonderful, but are in almost every way similar to Plan B (sans the extra flair). And the menu certainly doesn't give you the fun options that The Counter offers, but that's to be expected. However, there's something oddly unique at Max Burger that makes its existence make sense. I guess you'll have to try it for yourself.

Max Burger can be found on LaSalle Road in West Hartford.