DETROIT – 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 the historic and Black-owned Cutter’s Bar & Grill in Detroit’s Eastern Market.
Next stop: Cutter’s Bar & Grill, Detroit
It’s always fun to throw a historic Detroit spot in the mix of our burger tasting, and where better than Cutter’s Bar & Grill?
The current owner has been operating there for about 20 years, but the building’s history goes back much further. Last year, the general manager told us that the Purple Gang were actually the original owners of the bar in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (If you remember, the Purple Gang also hung out at Tommy’s Detroit Bar & Grill, where we also tasted some burgers.)
Cutter’s is known for their burgers, especially of the stuffed variety, and we knew we had to stop by. Carmichael and I arrived mid-afternoon on a weekday, and a party was already underway in the newly-refinished space. The music was bumping, and the staff were dancing and smiling. It was really fun and welcoming.
The general manager herself took our order: A cheeseburger cooked medium for me, and a stuffed cheeseburger ordered medium rare for Carmichael. Stuffed burgers are not typically on the menu for this series, but we wanted to give it a try -- though he ordered it with just cheese to make it like a traditional cheeseburger, which is what we’ve been focusing on.
My 8-ounce burger cost $13. Carmichael’s stuffed burger cost $15.50. The burgers came with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles on top.
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
Sizing up our burgers.
Cassidy: So this looks like an onion bun -- probably our first of this series. We didn’t have a bun choice, but I’m not mad about this.
Carmichael: I love me an onion bun. Though I do prefer a classic bun. But we shall see. Let’s do this.
Cassidy: I have to smash mine down a little bit to take a bite. The burger is tall.
We take our first bites. We’re pretty hungry at this point, so we chew for a bit.
Cassidy: I’m going to give it a few more bites before I assess. I want to be sure about the flavor.
Carmichael: Yeah totally. We’ve jumped the gun with praise before, especially when we’re hungry. Laughs.
Cassidy: OK, so. My immediate thought: This patty is a bit thick for me. I know you have a stuffed burger, but yours seems too thick, too.
Carmichael: It is kind of thick. I think I do like the flavor.
Cassidy: For being so thick, I’m not really getting much of a burger flavor. I just had a big bite of just the meat, without any cheese on it, and it’s kind of bland.
Carmichael: I don’t know if I think it’s bland -- it just tastes like meat. Honestly, I still need to take more bites to think about it. This is the longest it’s taken me to decide if I like a burger. Laughs.
Cassidy: I’m with you on that, actually. I don’t think it tastes bad, I just think the burger is too thick and has barely any flavor.
Cassidy: I’m gonna try it with ketchup. Does that. Yep, this burger needs condiments for sure.
Carmichael: Mine is supposed to be stuffed with cheese, but I am searching to find it. I don’t know if it’s just too small of a piece, but you can’t really see any.
Cassidy: Do you taste any cheese?
Carmichael: Yeah, a bit. I do regret getting this, though. I wanted a cheesier burger, and I thought getting it stuffed with cheese would make sure it’s extra cheesy, but it’s not.
Cassidy: It feels like decent quality. I do like the onion bun on it. My bottom bun is way too soggy, but there are some crispy bits on the top bun that are tasty when you get them.
Carmichael: Yes. At least, structurally, the bun’s holding up. Nothing’s falling out.
Cassidy: I just had another bite of just meat and it’s ... fine. It doesn’t really taste like anything. The cheese doesn’t really have much flavor, either, if I’m honest. And the proportion of cheese to meat doesn’t work for me.
Carmichael: Mine doesn’t taste like cheese at all. It just tastes like a hamburger. And because the burger is so thick, you can barely even taste the veggies that come on top of it.
Cassidy: I am just, sadly, unimpressed.
Carmichael: Well, are you unimpressed because of all the other burgers you’ve tried so far? Or would you still be unimpressed if you just had this by itself and tried not to think of the others?
Cassidy: Even without some of the best ones we’ve tried, I think I’d be unimpressed with this one either way.
Cassidy: It’s not unpleasant in any way, it’s just super average. This could satisfy a burger craving, especially with all this meat, but if you’re looking for spectacular flavor ... this wouldn’t be it.
Carmichael: Yeah. I think I just really miss the cheesy element. Laughs. And it’s the first time I’ve needed to add ketchup to a burger during this series.
Cassidy: It’s weird because the patty overpowers everything, but it’s still not flavorful. There’s a lot I would change.
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 Cutter’s Bar & Grill: We loved the vibe and the staff, but their burgers were not our favorite. We thought the flavor was lacking, and the proportions were off. We both agreed we’d be more interested in trying the other items on their menu if we visit again.
Our ratings are as follows (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best):
- Carmichael’s rating: 5.7
- Cassidy’s rating: 5.3
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.