ROYAL OAK, Mich. – We are on the hunt for the very best hamburger in Metro Detroit.
Like you, we’re sick of these “top 10 burgers” lists put out by every news organization and their mother. That’s why Carmichael Cruz and I, Cassidy Johncox, are putting our arteries at risk as we taste our way through the burgers of Southeast Michigan.
Together, we’re going to try every burger we possibly can to narrow down the best of the best of Metro Detroit. And we’re taking you along for the ride.
We’ve visited Miller’s Bar, Grey Ghost, and Tommy’s Detroit Bar & Grill. Now, we’re stopping at a fan favorite in Royal Oak.
Next stop: Redcoat Tavern, Royal Oak
It’s finally time to review a local classic: the burger at Redcoat Tavern.
This restaurant has long been included on burger-related lists for Metro Detroit, and has been consistently one of the most common recommendations from our readers. Even our beloved Local 4 anchors Christy McDonald and Jason Colthorp said we absolutely had to try these burgers, for they are the best around.
Let’s just say, the hype was built way up.
Since neither of us have tried the burger at Redcoat, we were ready to give it an impartial go. Now, this part is going to sting for some: We both ordered the “classic” cheeseburger.
If you’re a fan of this unique restaurant, you know they have a popular specialty burger, and an immense list from which you can compile your own ingredients to create a custom burger. That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t do much to help us when it comes to consistency (we are conducting a research project, after all).
No, we are playing by the book, which means we ordered the menu’s standard cheeseburger to compare with the other standard cheeseburgers we’ve tried and will try. This cheeseburger came with tomatoes, shredded lettuce, a “special sauce” on top, a toasted sesame bun, and a pickle on the side for $17.
As usual, I ordered my burger medium, and Carmichael ordered his medium rare. The burgers did not come with fries or anything, but we got onion rings on the side, ‘cause we were hungry.
We didn’t tell anyone where we were from (and we don’t plan to), but we did attach little microphones to our shirts so we could record our reactions while eating. To spare you from the gross chewing sounds, we’ve written out the conversation for you to read, instead.
Here’s how it went.
Chewing the fat
We take our first bites after snacking on some onion rings.
Cassidy: That’s good.
Carmichael: That’s good. What is that, mayo? Chews. You can really taste the char on the burger.
Cassidy: When you think of a standard burger, I feel like this is exactly that.
Carmichael: I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many sesame seeds on a bun before.
Cassidy: For me, the beef is the dominant flavor here so far, which is what you want with a burger.
Carmichael: These are cooked really well. Mine’s a perfect medium rare.
Cassidy: Mine’s cooked perfectly, too. The cheese is good and melty, but ... I think there could be a lot more of it? It’s just a light layer.
Carmichael: Given how thick the patty is, another slice of cheese would’ve made it so much better.
Cassidy: Agreed.
More bites are taken. Things start to take a turn.
Cassidy: I feel like the more I eat this, the more I realize it’s actually lacking in flavor.
Carmichael: Adds salt to a bite to see. The flavor is there, but the salt definitely enhanced it a lot. I think it needs to be seasoned more.
Cassidy: I’m also thinking these thick tomato slices, plus the lettuce layer, plus the healthy amount of sauce are actually dampening the flavor here. All of the add-ons are so neutral. They add texture and a lot of moisture, but they really dull the flavor.
Carmichael: In terms of proportions, the lack of cheese doesn’t help, either.
Cassidy: Adds dash of salt to bite. That makes a big difference. You know, people are going to hate on us for this. They’re gonna say we’re “salt queens.” But I promise you, I do not like overly salty food.
Carmichael: Nope! I don’t like super salty food! It just needs to be salted properly. But I’m not a major salt fan; I return dishes for being too salty.
Cassidy: I hope our viewers appreciate reading that. Laughs.
Cassidy: I do like the bun. I think it’s getting soggy kind of fast, but it’s not too thick. It’s a good ratio to everything else.
Carmichael: Right. It squeezes down well when you bite it, but still holds up to the wet elements -- and there’s a lot of wetness.
Cassidy: There’s a lot of everything. The burger itself is half-pound, so this is a pretty good portion size.
Carmichael: But even though the patty is bigger than everything else in the burger, it’s still not overwhelming me with flavor. I wonder how different each burger tastes here; if the others are better. Their list of add-ons was the biggest I’ve ever seen.
Cassidy: Right. I think if you did add more things, like bacon and onion, and took out the thick tomatoes and lettuce, you’d definitely have a more flavorful burger. And, I mean, add-ons are all personal preference, really. But that’s not what we ordered -- and this one’s kind of lacking.
Carmichael: I took a bite of the pickle with the burger, and that helped the flavor a lot.
Cassidy: Does the same. Definitely. If they would’ve toned down on the sauce, cut thinner tomatoes, and added some pickles, I think that would’ve made it all more flavorful, for sure.
Carmichael: Yes, yes, and yes.
Cassidy: When we were eating at Grey Ghost, for instance, and you asked what I would change about their burger, I said “nothing.” But with this burger, if you asked me what I would change, I could clearly list you five things easily. And that’s how I know this isn’t the one.
Carmichael: Yep, but it’s still a decent burger. You can tell it’s good quality.
Cassidy: Definitely. And if I didn’t have a critical eye on, and was craving a burger and got this, I wouldn’t be upset with it. But there are things about it I don’t care for. Laughs. Our readers are going to be mad.
Carmichael: Laughs with mouth full. Dear readers, please don’t kill us!
Carmichael: How about these onion rings, though?!
Cassidy: I like them more than I like the burger!
Carmichael: Me too!!
Overall rating
We’re still establishing a baseline, being only a few taste tests in, but where the burgers fall on our grading scale is becoming clearer and clearer the more we eat. Still, the first few ratings we’re providing are preliminary and might get changed down the road.
For Redcoat Tavern: We appreciated the portion size, the quality, and how well the burgers were cooked, but we both felt they were lacking in flavor (not just saltiness, people). Overall, it was a decent eat, but not something we really cared for, or would come back for.
For now, our ratings are as follows (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best):
- Carmichael’s rating: 5.9
- Cassidy’s rating: 6.2
Stay tuned for our next Burger Breakdown!
Find all Burger Breakdowns here
Why are we doing this?
After trying countless hamburgers in our lives, we are on the hunt for the very best burger Metro Detroit has to offer. We’re selecting restaurants from viewer submissions, the most common “top burger” lists, and from our own lists, and tasting them all to see which is really the greatest.
When asking viewers where the best Metro Detroit burger is, we received over 600 responses. While we can’t try 600 burgers (I don’t think we’d survive), we’re going to get through as many as we can.
In short, we’re on the hunt for the moment when we can say: “Now, that’s the best burger I’ve ever had,” and we’re reporting on what we find. We’re both huge lovers of food, cooking, and the social scene, and we’re frequently trying new food and places throughout Southeast Michigan.
This journey will take us to many different restaurants that cater to different budgets. While we can’t get to every Metro Detroit restaurant and burger, we aren’t excluding any specific type of establishment from our search -- save for chains that aren’t specifically local.
As we hunt for the very best burger around, we will stop in at some dives, some higher-end spots, and everything in between. Our criteria will be the same for everyone, and we won’t be rating the more expensive burgers higher for any reason -- they’ll be graded for their quality and value just the same.
Have a spot you think we absolutely have to try? Let us know in an email or in the comments below, and we may add it to our list! Again, we’re avoiding chains, unless they’re local.