Blog

By: Amanda M. Faison

Category: Table Talk

Posted: December 7, 2012 12:00 PM

Tags: TAG Burger Bar, Park Burger, Madison Street Grill, Juicy Burgers and Dogs, Highland Tap and Burger, Haystack Mountain, H Burger

Burger Biz: TAG Burger Bar

For a city with a glut of high-end burger shops (Park BurgerH BurgerHighland Tap and Burger, and Juicy Burgers and Dogs among them), you might wonder if there's room for another. TAG Burger Bar, which opened in mid-October in the rejiggered Madison Street Grill space, thinks the answer is yes. The menu relies heavily on choice: You select your protein (from salmon to bison), bun (gluten-free to butter lettuce), and style (Thai-inspired to caprese-esque). Voila, your perfect, customized burger.

I like the idea of it all—and I loved my selections: the Colorado Proud, pictured, with roasted chiles from Pueblo, Haystack Mountain goat cheese, and local wildflower honey served on a bison patty; and the One Night in Bangkok with green papaya slaw, crushed peanuts, mint, and lime-Sriracha aïoli on a salmon burger. But, honestly, I found the menu confusing. There are too many choices, too many areas to scan and process. The saving grace: Servers are trained to recognize the befuddled look in diners' eyes. They swoop in to save the day.

This "little bit of everything" phenomenon seems to be a holdover from Madison Street, which tried to please everyone. At TAG Burger, though, the philosophy hangs together better because it's unified by a single theme. That said, for the best experience, study the menu before dining to get a handle on its chaotic style. 

Don't Miss: An order of the fried Brussels sprouts (a carry-over from Madison Street's menu), the exceptionally well priced craft beers, and the house-made pickles.

1222 Madison St., 303-736-2260

—Photo courtesy of Adam Larkey Photography

Follow food editor Amanda M. Faison on Twitter at @5280Eats and on Pinterest.

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