Burger State — Restaurant in Kansas City

I generally don't like to leave bad reviews but I'm making an exception in this case. We stopped by Burger State last Tuesday the 29th at approximately 3:00 pm. I was with a friend who is moving to the KC area and I've lived here the last 35 years. The hook that drew us to Burger State was reviews, especially if the green chili cheeseburger. Man, were those reviews wrong. First it's not a "green chili cheeseburger." It's a cheese burger with green chili salsa poured in it. Fair enough, not everyone has lived in places that know what a green chili cheeseburger is. The pattys had to be at least 93% lean and squeezed on the grill so much that they were the texture of modeling clay. Not my choice of meat for burgers. The meat itself was unseasoned and bland added to the texture made for a downright horrible experience. The bun was a soft brioche type bun that couldn't stand up to the sea of wet salsa that had collected in the bottom of the basket. The fries were ok but we're some kind of pre seasoned frozen fry. It would have been nice to have an unseasoned option. All in all a horrible food experience, but that wasn't the worst of it! The gentleman taking orders, running the grill and basically the only employee must have been having the world's worst day. He was snarky, surly and downright hostile in affect. The best example of this I could give was when my friend asked if he could get a single patty with the "green chili." The man snapped back, "Yeah, but it'll cost u a double!" He seemed to be too self absorbed to be polite. Which confused me because I assumed he was the owner due to his age, neat appearance and the off time of day we came. Surely I was wrong. When we took a table waiting for the food we looked at each other laughed and blurted out simultaneously, "Does this guy realize he's in the hospitality industry?"........ jinx!! When the food came, like I stated above, not great or even good. My friend was embarrassed because he had suggested Burger State, due to the reviews. I told him that's why I never put stock in reviews! To add insult to injury our tab for two burgers and fries was nearly $35..... unbelievable! Not saying Culver's is great or even good but they could learn a lot about customer...

After being open a few months I finally tried Burger State today. It is closer to home than another new and wonderful burger place, Smitty's Garage. The BBQ place that was here for a long time was an absolute disgrace, and I'm very invested in something being good and long-term in the neighborhood. Walking in, I must say I was shocked by the decor. It is open and "on-trend," but the tables are all the same size and height and the reception area is completely open with nothing breaking up the space. High tables along the windows, and perhaps booths on the back wall would definitely help. It is critical that this space be segmented to the eye because it feels like a barn. Also, a simple line divider near the register would break that space up as well. There is only one very small TV mounted on the back wall. It looks like the place was bootstrapped by the owner, with the food deciding whether it would make it. In my opinion, very simple and inexpensive decor changes would go a very long way in consumer psychology and help bring return business. As for the food, I got the fried burger and tots. The food is served in a basket and the presentation was just fine. The bun was pretty standard modern burger fare, buttered top and appealing. It held up well but was not too bready. It is clear that this is grass fed beef as it tastes very slightly gamey. Grass fed will definitely have "less taste," than burgers most of us are accustomed to, which are shockingly high in fat and salt. It is also substantially more nutritious. I liked the flavor and the crunch of the batter, which was very light. The tots were perfectly cooked. The staff was very friendly and helpful in ordering for a first timer. There are now two different specials, one for lunch, and a Monday night special as well. Getting a lot of traffic going into this space was always going to be a challenge. I really hope they can hang in there, because this neighborhood needs them to. I will also note that they have the "impossible burger" on the menu, which I will be trying in the future. I will update this review as I try more items. Please TRY...

My parents called ahead to ask if they cooked the burgers to order, and he said that they did, but when we came in later that day, he said no. Or rather, he reiterated that they did, but he has a misinterpretation of what that term means. He thinks that "cooked to order" means, "you order it, and then we cook it, as opposed to cooking it ahead of time, like some fast food restaurants." That is not what that means. 'Cooked to order' means that we can ask you how we want the burger cooked (e.g. rare, well done, etc.) and then you cook it like that. All burgers at this place are cooked the same. If you don't even know that much about how the restaurant industry works, you should NOT be in the business. Looking here at the FAQs, I see that this place has at least been open since the lockdown, which means that he has had plenty of time to learn how it works.

As for service, that was no good either. When we entered the building, he was sweeping the floors. Eaters, I'm telling you, there was no urgent mess whatsoever. He was just picking up crumbs and dust here and there. He asked us to wait until he was finished. If you've ever swept a floor with a broom before, you know how hard it is to be finished. You try to walk away, but then you see one more spot. If you don't just put your foot down, you'll never be able to end it. And he had a hard time. He just kept stopping and getting more. Like I said, if it had been urgent, I would have understood, but periodic sweeping does not make you any money. Stop what you're doing, and go help the customers. I didn't expect you to run behind the counter like Quicksilver, but start heading that way, dude. General housekeeping is something that you do when you have time, not while you're busy.

Plus, he didn't wash his hands between the sweeping, and getting to the counter. I can't say for sure, but my guess is he would have handled our food without washing either. I'm actually glad that my parents decided not to eat here because of the whole 'cooked to order' confusion. I don't know if I could have literally stomached it. Nothing about this place...