BurgerIM — Restaurant in Cleveland

Buckle up. We're about to take a BurgerIm journey.

It is January 2, 2022 and I'm doing Dryuary. My husband and I decide to get some mini burgers (vegetarian - they're delightful) after our date or taking a pleasant stroll in the nearby graveyard (Lakeview Cemetery, it's beautiful).

We make a joke about them having Christmas Ale on draft in January and I lamented that I could not partake. The two bartenders, Anthony (Anthony Blinkin) and Carl (Carlsbad or Carlpatra) tried to peer pressure me to break Dryuary. I persisted, but ensured we would return the first opportunity to drink (the first Friday of February).

My husband and I returned Friday, February 4th with our friends Emily (Emmdash) and Patrick. Nothing says normal like 4 middle aged people getting hammered at a fast casual burger joint near a college campus.

And this is how First Fridays was born.

They vary from tame to wild. Every First Friday of the month, you will find drunk 30 and 40 year olds in various states of debauchery. Sometimes it's just the original four (Burger Squad). Sometimes it's 20 people, all weary that they have to make the trek from Ohio City and Lakewood to the east side. No one ever regrets it. Well maybe they do in the morning when they're hungover.

Anthony (Anthony Blinken) makes an amazing gin elderflower purple drink. Adam pours a mad glass of resiling. Cierra (Sierra Nevada) will do a shot with you after her shift. Carlpatra no longer works here, but he does in spirit. The kitchen guys are a "smoke show" - they didn't know what that meant so I had to Google image that for them.

But. One rule at BurgerIM. NO OPEN WHITE CLAWS...

Better than average, but not amazing. I got the standard cheeseburger with the house sause on the side to see how the burger tasted without extras. The taste and flavor wasn't anything special, but certainly not bad. Just didn't have the extra awesomeness that makes you say, "Oh my God!!!". The sweet potatoe fries were ok. Still kinda bland and a little soft and squishy. But also not bad. The house sause is super thick and tasted like mayo with a subtle seasoning and tomatoes flavor. Good, but not what I want on a burger.

Price is on par if not cheaper than others in the area, $10 and change for burger fries and drink. I'm sure the students in the area will like this.

Service was great. A lot of helpful and respectful employees, which is rare in this area!

The layout is weird, following modern trends of less privacy to seat more people. Counter/stools against the front window, a hand full of tiny two toppers in less than ideal locations, two booths, a bar/counter and a half booth/table section in back. I just can't stand sitting super close to other people. Hard to avoid here.

However, the aesthetic is great and we'll lit. I will likely go back as I work nearby and like to mix up...

It doesn't matter if you go in the morning or evening, BurgerIM is one of my favorite places to stop for a bite or cocktail. If you go in the morning, the owners Mario and Maya will be there. They're both super friendly and actually took the time to get to know me a bit and they remember my and ask me about the pieces of my week I've told them about when I come in. If you go during the evening, you'll see familiar friendly faces there watching the game enjoying some wings and drinks! The servers are always good for a laugh and it's a very nice atmosphere. I usually go with the wings with the sweet crunchy sauce they make in-house. They get the wings fresh, never frozen, and cook them to order! If I'm feeling a burger, I usually go with the Spanish Beef when I want a little heat. I love lamb, and I've never had a lamb burger before coming to BurgerIM. Now I like them more than gyros! My favorite is the consistency throughout the day. They never disappoint and I've enjoyed becoming a...