Charred Burger + Bar — Restaurant in Lincoln

Seems Charred opened about six weeks ago. Being a dude of simple tastes, I can't resist trying a new burger joint. Charred did not disappoint.

The atmosphere is casual. I'm reminded of a burger place I tried in Las Vegas one time, but this is pretty down-to-earth by comparison. There's plenty of space, a lot of tables, and a lot of windows for natural light.

The burgers are, naturally, the main attraction, dominating most of the menu. They do have chicken wings and a few other offerings, too. And of course, being a burger bar, the back half of the printed menu has a variety of drinks.

The burgers are made from Wagyu beef, which is meant to set them apart from other burger places. I can't deny that mine was juicy, tender, and tasty, so maybe they're on to something.

Did I mention I have simple tastes? I ordered the Classic burger and I was surprised the server didn't ask how I wanted it cooked. It took several minutes while my food was cooked to order, and my burger arrived hot and fresh. I was a little surprised at the size of it-- I guess I had expected something beefier (sorry, couldn't resist). I guess it might have been barely a quarter of a pound before they cooked it up. But whatever it may have lacked in bulk, it more than made up for in flavor, texture, and satisfaction. It was a delicious burger. Even though I normally order my burgers medium well and this one had no pink at all in it, it was quite perfect in temperature and juiciness.

Whereas the portion size on the burger was relatively small--it was only $8.50--, the $3 side of tots was mountainous. It was a very generous portion size, and the tots were cooked to crispy perfection. The garlic aioli dip included in the price (they have many other dips to choose from) complemented the tots perfectly, but even without it, they'd have been a treat. They had exactly the right amount of seasoning, to enhance the flavor of the tots without being overwhelmingly salty.

The soft drink options at Charred include Coke products (more's the pity), iced tea, and lemonade. The lemonade was curiously balanced between sweet and tangy, and although the Mason jar in which they served it was filled with ice cubes, the beverage was never watered down at all. It remained strong and satisfying all the way through.

The service was friendly and helpful, and I learned that Charred is locally owned (and not some franchise) by the same folks who run JTK (in the Haymarket) and the adjacent Ollie & Hobbes eatery.

All in all, the food was excellent, the price was very affordable, and I hope Charred will get the attention it deserves from local burger fans. I reckon I'll be wanting to go back...

Ate here on 5/1. I got the regular burger (+Cheddar instead of American and +Bacon), split a Haystack (tots), fried pickles, and the bacon croissant sundae. My wife had the bacon and beer cheese burger. We both had Mules to drink.

One missing star is due to the Haystack.

Service was great. Well attended. You could tell it is new though and still working out some kinks. Employees seemed to be doing their best.

Fried pickles are really good. They are spears, which is how I prefer them. We both agreed these were really good.

We both really liked our burger, they were both Mediumish and juicy.

The Haystack was meh. The flavor was ok, but you couldn't really distinguish the cheese and there wasn't much bacon. It ended up being mushy tots with a bit of bacon occasionally and no cheese flavor. I might try this again, but with fries, or just get something else altogether. Only downside. That said, they still tasted ok as mentioned. Wife felt the same.

The dessert was pretty good. I really liked it overall. The bacon is peppered, which was unexpected for a dessert. Wife really liked it without the bacon. Next time, would probably get the bacon on the side if splitting.

Mules were pretty good. Wife had a Raspberry. I had a Strawberry and a plain one. Not badly priced. I would probably just get plain in the future. The fruit ones have mashed fruit in them, which isn't really my thing.

Overall, we agree it was really good and would go again.

Update early 2023.

Still a...

I am not one to write reviews typically but had to make others aware. I was very excited to go as all the reviews looked so good and so did the items on the menu. Upon arrival i ordered the fried pickles as an appetizer which took over 10 minutes. We ordered the fungi burger and a bacon beer cheese burger as well which were both quite underwhelming. the buns tasted stale and not edible. the mushrooms on the fungi burger tasted like rubber as if they were on a stove top all day long and then taken off and then re heated. our server was super sweet but the service was very lacking. at the beginning of the order we asked for separate checks. the only time we were checked up on was upon ordering and one time during our meal which was towards the end when i asked for a to go box. we waited over an additional 10 minutes for the check only for it to be all on one when we again we asked for separate checks at the beginning. it got to the point we were going to get our stuff and just leave without paying which as a server would never cross my mind to do. over all it was just a horrible experience and was deeply disappointed. no hate to the server or the establishment but it was extremely frustrating. also one last thing there was HAIR. on our cheese curds. oh and there were only two other tables there...