Tryout Tuesday: Stevenson's

At long last, the Quest has ended, and that which has long been sought has truly been found.

Yes, we have finally discovered the Best Burger in Cleveland.

The significance cannot be overstated. You would think that something to quench the burgerlust would be a dime a dozen in such an American city, but no. We've come across burgers aplenty, but never found the burger that truly satisfies that deep-seated yearning that occasionally seizes upon Foodgoat. For the burger must not merely be tasty, it must also encapsulate the full essence of burger-ness, which is more than a food. The Burger, for example, cannot cost $10. Any whiff of yuppieness and the burger essence is lost. The menu should be small and centered around burgers. The clientele should be neighborly. And of course, the burger should be delicious.

The archetype of the Burger is Nation's, but Nation's is many miles away, and we had nearly given up hope of finding anything like it here.

And then one of Foodgoat's co-workers (to whom we shall be forever grateful) pointed us to Stevenson's.


Stevenson's Bar and Grille is a tiny, scruffy place (on Lakeshore in Euclid), with a long dark bar along the kitchen, so you can see your burger being made.

The Burger Maker is meticulous, taking extraordinary care in making the burgers, and it shows. The bacon was slow-cooked, the crisp fries were freshly-made, and the bun was toasted. He was also a character, which adds another check mark in the Good Burger Joint evaluation.

Foodgoat was, shall we say, happy about the result. He's got the Big Guy, which has a tartar sauce.

Doesn't it look good?

And indeed, the payoff was dreamy.

Of course, we can't confirm that it's really that good unless we try it again. So in the interest of public service, we'll have to go back. Again and again.