MADISON HEIGHTS, 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 spots like Miller’s Bar, Grey Ghost, Redcoat Tavern and more. Now, we’re stopping at a local favorite, but lesser known, sports bar in Madison Heights.
Next stop: The Coach Grille, Madison Heights
After receiving several recommendations for The Coach Grille sports bar in Madison Heights, we knew we had to give it a try. This spot hasn’t made its way on any lists that we’ve seen, but locals have said their burgers are the best.
The sports bar, which serves traditional American bar fare, was simple enough, and the staff were friendly. To remain consistent, Carmichael and I ordered the All American cheeseburger, which came with American cheese, onions, house made sweet pickles, shredded iceberg lettuce, and a “secret sauce.”
The half-pound burger cost $13.75 and came with a whole pickle on the side. Like all of their burgers, our burgers were made with wagyu beef.
I ordered my burger medium, while Carmichael ordered his medium rare.
We attached 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
Carmichael: This is a massively tall burger.
Cassidy: There is so much lettuce. Laughs. I don’t know if all of this lettuce is on the burger, or is just surrounding the burger ...
Carmichael: That is a lot of lettuce. I mean, I like a lot of lettuce ... but we’ll see if I like this much lettuce.
Cassidy: I like lettuce too, but I do think it makes more sense in leaf form than shredded for a burger. Oh well. I think I’m gonna cut this tall burger in half. Cuts burger. Opening it up, this bottom bun is pretty soggy already.
Leafy green chit-chat aside, we take our first bites. Cue the “mmms.”
Carmichael: This burger’s got flavor! I mean even just the meat.
Cassidy: There is a lot of flavor in that first bite. Mine’s cooked perfectly, too. It’s a pretty wet burger.
We spend a few minutes eating -- it’s too good to talk.
Cassidy: Ooo I just got some of the pickle. It adds some sweetness and a sharp tang. That was a really nice surprise. Tries other pickle on side. The pickles on the burger are different.
Carmichael: There’s a flavor in the burger that I can’t put my finger on. I wonder if that has anything to do with it being wagyu.
Cassidy: You know, I don’t eat wagyu beef enough to know the difference. But this does taste rich -- maybe that has to do with the extra fat in the meat? Takes another bite. This is seriously ******* good.
Carmichael: It’s funny, the waitress gave us ketchup, mustard, mayo ... but I wouldn’t put a thing on this.
Cassidy: Not a thing. It’s already really wet, so it doesn’t need any more moisture. But in terms of flavor alone, this thing is kickin.’
Carmichael: Yeah for real.
Cassidy: The bun is really smushed. You can squish it really easily. I don’t know if that’s a bad thing, just an observation.
Carmichael: Yeah, it doesn’t bother me. It actually kind of helps, since the burger is so tall.
Carmichael: Also, for me, the flavor of the beef is so strong, I almost don’t even care about the bun. At other places we’ve been to, the bun has been the star of the show. But here, the meat is the star.
Cassidy: Totally. I mean, in the end, the goal is to find a burger with a bun, meat, and cheese that are all stars at the same time, but this isn’t a bad bun.
Carmichael: No, not at all.
Cassidy: All of my lettuce has pretty much fallen out, as predicted. I have a whole salad on my plate. Laughs.
Carmichael: I’m picking up the fallen lettuce and putting it back on as I go. Laughs.
Cassidy: I normally don’t like a soggy bun, but I’m not even mad about this bottom bun being as soaked as it is because there’s sooo much flavor in it. If the flavor is coming from the juices from the burger, that really shows how flavorful this burger is. It’s such a good flavor.
Carmichael: I really think the wagyu is making a difference here. And the patty is thick enough to notice just how much it shines, especially compared to a smash burger that usually tastes mostly of char. You can actually taste the difference.
Cassidy: This is the perfect size patty. I mean, it’s huge because it’s a half pound and I’d normally choose a smaller size, but the proportion of it is perfect. The cheese is in perfect proportion, too, and it’s nicely melted.
Carmichael: What is this sauce? There’s something else here. It’s really savory, but not overwhelmingly.
Cassidy: It kind of has the vibe of a French dip sandwich with an au jus -- the flavor is not the same, but it’s savory, and salty, and the bun is soaked in it.
Carmichael: I can see that! The burger itself is actually juicy, too. They cooked it really well.
Cassidy: This one is up there for me, Carmichael. It’s hard to say for sure, but it might be one of my favorites. This is a perfect American burger. The flavor -- with the sweet and savory combination -- is so well rounded.
Carmichael: It’s probably the most well rounded burger we’ve had so far. You know, I didn’t really think we’d find one of our favorite burgers in Madison Heights!
Cassidy: Me neither!
Overall rating
As we taste more and more burgers, our ratings may change in the future. Until our final results are published, all of our ratings will be considered preliminary. Still, we have established a baseline, and where the burgers fall on our grading scale is becoming clearer and clearer!
For The Coach Grille: We came hungry, and left incredibly satisfied! This hefty burger was one of the most flavorful cheeseburgers we’ve tasted so far. The beef was delicious and of noticeably good quality, and the other components complemented it well. Among the top burgers for Carmichael, and the current favorite for Cassidy.
For now, our ratings are as follows (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best):
- Carmichael’s rating: 9.2
- Cassidy’s rating: 9.5
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.