Back In The Burger Business, Ain't It Grand

Woodmont Grill
7715 Woodmont Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-656-9755

So lent was over, and Burgerman wanted to celebrate with me by indulging in the burger of my dreams at Houston's. There was live jazz playing when we walked in and were seated immediately, but a quick glance at the menu and then the glass window made me realize the restaurant had changed names, and my beloved burger was no longer on the menu. OH, the horror! We talked to the waitress, and apparently they've been making special exceptions for those patrons who won't let go of their hickory burger (the Canadian bacon was swapped for normal bacon, however) so I breathed a sigh of relief. I took the hickory, Burgerman took the bacon, and we asked for extra ketchup. It arrived before the burgers, and the tiny specks and dark color told us it was homemade. At first I couldn't place the flavor, but after a few more licks it was clear: one of the secret ingredients was celery salt. It tasted great in the beginning, but very quickly became overpowering. Maybe its purposeful, so you don't eat too many fries?

We noticed the woman in the booth across from us ordered a burger and sent it back, very dissatisfied; from my viewpoint, it looked quite under-cooked, so having ordered our burgers 'medium', we were a bit worried. When ours came out, we realized we had worried ourselves for nothing, as they were severely overcooked. Even my bun was burnt. When the waitress came to check in, we told her they were a bit overdone, and she collected our plates without hesitation and ordered us new burgers, and gave us a plate of crispy fries in the mean time. It was nice, but I soon because tired of the fries, which were quite overdone and not nearly salty enough. Or maybe I tired of the celery-flavored ketchup first?
Our burgers were much better on round two. Tons of fresh cheddar and chopped onion, a buttery soft roll, two thick bacon slices, and sweet hickory sauce. I'm not saying to say the beef wasn't good, because it was, but there was something about the shape and look of the patty that seemed a little pre-made to me. I like my patties hand-formed. Anyways it was tasty, but I missed the Canadian bacon, and the patty was smaller than it used to be while the price was $2 more. Ugh, all my favorite burgers are disappearing...first Ceiba, now Houston's! I'm not in a rush to go back there.

However, I am SO looking forward to Palena!