Thu, March 28, 2024

Business Lunch Review: Cheeseburger Bobby’s

Editor’s Note:
Our regular lunch reviewer, Wes Hennings, is taking a few weeks of paternity leave. While we assume he is still eating something, somewhere, he won’t be writing about it while he’s off duty. Meanwhile, ABD editor, Gary Kauffman will pinch-hit with the reviews of his lunches with a colleague, as a way to advise our business community on the good, the bad, and the tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let the restaurant know where he is going; his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review.”

Food Quality: 4
Service: 3
Business Meeting: 4
Value: 3

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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My wife and I sometimes visit Cheeseburger Bobby’s on Bobby Jones Expressway for “sprinkle dates” – we get their frozen custard with sprinkles – so I had the impression that this would be a more affordable business lunch option after a couple of pricier lunches the past few weeks.

I was wrong.

A trend I’m starting to see is sides priced separately. We’ve all become used to a combo that includes a side and a drink for a few dollars more than just a sandwich alone, or a salad with an entrée. But as prices continue to rise, it appears that at least some restaurants are pricing the sides separately, which naturally increases the overall cost.

One of the appeals of Cheeseburger Bobby’s is that you can create your own burger – order a plain cheeseburger and then peruse the condiment and topping station to add all your favorites or create new combinations. You can even do that to the fries with a variety of seasonings.

But the menu also lists ready-to-order burgers and chicken sandwiches. My lunch companion and I decided to try those. I ordered the Carolina burger while my guest chose the Bacon and Swiss chicken sandwich. I added chili cheese fries and a drink to my order while my companion chose onion rings and a drink. That’s when we discovered that there was no combo and the sides and drink were priced separately.

The chicken sandwich was an entire grilled breast.

It’s hard to judge the service at a place like this. You place your order with an unenthusiastic person at the register, get handed a device that buzzes when your order is up, and then pick it up at the counter. I gave the service a 3 rating but only because I was feeling generous.

My companion’s chicken sandwich contained an entire grilled chicken breast and they added lettuce and tomato from the condiment bar. It was deemed to be nice and tender, although average in taste. The onion rings were sparse, about six or seven of them, half of them small, and were about what you’d expect from a fast-food spot.

The Carolina burger came topped with bacon, slaw, and Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce so I didn’t add anything to it. The burger was good, and the bacon was crisp. In contrast to my partner’s onion rings, my chili cheese fries were plentiful with ample topping, but the taste was average.

The Carolina burger with a side of chili cheese fries.

My companion liked the ice for the drinks – I’ve never paid much attention to ice, but if ice is a thing for you, you might like it too.

The one nice part about Cheeseburger Bobby’s is that it was relatively quiet so it was a good spot for a business conversation, although it can’t be a big meeting. There is a larger table at the back, but most of the space contains booths or high-top tables.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad place to meet for lunch but my idea of saving a bit of money didn’t work out so well. My companion’s meal rang up at $14.50 and mine was nearly $17. At least we didn’t have to tip anyone.

The moral seems to be that we all have to get used to paying more for lunch, no matter where we eat.

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