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 Kozy Lounge in Hazel Park, a locally-loved bar.
Next stop: Kozy Lounge, Hazel Park
We’ve heard some rumblings about Kozy Lounge in Hazel Park, and have seen it on some lists from time to time. We also received a ton of recommendations from our viewers to check this place out. So, to Hazel Park we ventured.
Kozy Lounge is just as it sounds: A small-ish, comfortable local bar nestled on a corner off 10 Mile Road. We got to ordering our burgers pretty quickly (it does help that we only order one thing ever).
I ordered a 10 Mile burger, which comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and American cheese for $9. Carmichael ordered the pop’s burger, which came with double meat, double cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle for $13. I ordered my burger medium, and Carmichael ordered his medium rare.
It’s worth noting that burgers were not smash patties, including the double -- it was literally two whole, thick burger patties stacked on top of each other.
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
Cassidy: Not as much lettuce as last time, but we’ve got a lil’ stack of shredded lettuce again! And the interior of the bun is nice and crispy.
Carmichael: Don’t even know how I’m going to bite this.
Carmichael makes it work. First bites commence.
Cassidy: I’m getting a buttery flavor right away. Must be the bun.
Carmichael: Me too! I think butter is the No. 1 flavor profile right off the bat.
Carmichael: I can’t tell if mine’s medium or not. It’s also dark in here, which doesn’t help. I think they’re sort of well done.
Cassidy: Mine looks pretty well for asking medium, but it’s got a little pink in it. I like the raw unions tucked under the patty.
Carmichael: There’s something crispy here and it’s delicious.
Cassidy: That’s the bun. They definitely nailed the flavor and toast of the bun.
Lots more chewing -- especially for Carmichael.
Cassidy: I like the flavor here, but it’s not feeling very special. If we hadn’t just had amazing burgers at Coach Grille, I’d say this is pretty good. I mean, it is a decent burger.
Carmichael: I think the bun is my favorite part.
Cassidy: ... And you have two patties, and the bun is still the overwhelming flavor? That’s interesting. That says something.
Cassidy: I do love this bun, too, though. It’s so perfectly buttery and crispy.
Carmichael: Mine got kinda soggy from the meat over time. Probably because there are two giant patties.
Carmichael: What do you think about your ratio? I think mine’s a bit excessive -- I didn’t think it’d be this big.
Cassidy: I like the ratio, for mine anyway. The patty is decently thick, the veggies are nice and fresh. I do think they needed to add more cheese; there’s just not enough.
Carmichael: Especially on my double burger. After a while, I was like, “Is there even any cheese on this?”
Cassidy: I took a bite of the meat on its own just now, and it’s not very strong in flavor. The most potent flavor I’m getting from it is black pepper.
Carmichael: It’s just so funny to me that I have double meat, and my favorite thing is the bun.
Cassidy: I think everything works together fine, but it’s just not jumping out at me.
Cassidy: It did come with sliced pickles on the side, so I’ll add one to see how it helps. Does that. Yep, that does help.
Cassidy: I just wish they seasoned the burgers more.
Carmichael: Yes! But it still has more flavor than Miller’s Bar.
Cassidy: Definitely.
Carmichael: You can tell this is a good quality burger. And the price is really good.
Cassidy: Agreed. I would come back here and try more burgers, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.
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 Kozy Lounge: We thought the burgers were of good quality, but weren’t as flavorful as we’d hoped. The ratio was also sort of unpleasant for the double burger -- something we wouldn’t order again. Overall, it wasn’t a bad tasting experience, but also wasn’t anything to rave about.
Our ratings are as follows (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best):
- Carmichael’s rating: 6.8
- Cassidy’s rating: 6.9
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.