While walking around Savannah, my wife was getting hungry (go figure, it wasn’t me this time) and we used the TripAdvisor app to find the closest restaurants to our location. We came up with #78 rated (they also have a #145 rated location on another street in Savannah) B & D Burgers. I didn’t think much of it when I came upon the building. It looked like any normal restaurant/bar.
I found abundant outside seating with almost every table covered from the sun under giant umbrellas. There are also fans on the walls to help keep patrons cool. Under each umbrella are either speakers or lights, I didn’t get closer to identify which they were. You’ll notice on the right in the photo below is a post holding a projector and speakers. At one time during the weekend we noticed the NHL finals being played on the large white wall across from the projector. Having a bar environment along with the restaurant, I’m sure this is a popular feature here. There’s even a TV along the wall so diners can keep up with their favorite teams.
Also outside are a group of wicker couches for those wanting to relax and socialize with a few drinks. Additional seating flows along the wall, with more fans and umbrellas to keep everyone cool. Another TV sits on the fence in the back. Just to my right, outside the view of the photo is a small stage in the corner of the property where I’ll assume that live musicians often perform (I’m guessing they don’t normally have magicians or Broadway plays using the stage).
Stepping in the front door, you’re greeted by the bar with a “live alligator” box above.
The bar itself sits right in the middle of the downstairs seating area.
Booth seating lines the left side, with the alligator theme continuing on each seat. The menu even featured an alligator starter, Cajun Alligator Tail. It looked as though there was additional seating upstairs, but I never ventured up there to see what it looked like.
It wasn’t until I looked at the menu that I realized this place might be more than just a small burger joint like Five Guys. Their four page menu had half the pages designated to just burgers. Each choice was offered in a 1/3 lb., 1/2 lb., and 1 lb. version. For just 69¢ you can upgrade your side of fries to a multitude of different options.
If you don’t like their burger choices, you can build your own.
I only show the burger pages here, but for those that like the food challenges (think Travel Channel’s Man Vs. Food), B & D offers one of their own that’s posted on the menu. The “Bring It On” challenge is a 3 pound triple decker (i.e., two buns) burger, plus a pound of fries for $35. Eat it in 35 minutes or less and it’s free. You also get added to their leader board and receive a celebratory t-shirt.
I ordered The Whitefield Square. I wasn’t at all hungry after having two breakfasts, my lunch at Zunzi’s, and two ice cream treats at Leopold’s, so I stuck with the 1/2 lb. version for $12.49. Don’t be alarmed, we haven’t switched reviewers here, it’s still the same guy. I was just worried about overfilling myself. I already managed to do that during dinner at The Olde Pink House the night before.
My wife and I both went ahead and upgraded to the sweet potato fries.
The fries were cooked very evenly, and done just right. Crispy outside, and soft sweetness inside.
These are potatoes that really don’t need ketchup, even though I still use it. They also didn’t cheat me on the quantity, there were a decent amount piled on the plate.
Once I added ketchup to the burger and put the two halves together, it became quite a tower. The thick onion rings in the middle really added to the height.
The burger had an ample amount of cheese melted on top. The bacon, while not cooked to a crisp, was still a great addition as it would be to any burger. It was amplified by the full smokey flavor in the barbecue sauce. I usually don’t like raw onions on my burger, but today I decided to leave them on to get the full flavor as intended by the creative forces behind this meal.
The best part about this place is they give you the option to have your burger cooked how you want it. They list all the options on the menu, including rare. I chose mine medium-rare and they delivered.
You can also see here how thick the coating was around the onion rings. The breading around them was noticeable in each bite and I really liked the change in taste it offered from from what I’m used to with most burgers.
Rating: 7/10
We found this place by chance, but it ended up being a real winner. I had a hard time choosing between all the burger choices, and just the fact that they advertise the option for a rare burger (an old favorite of mine before we were scared into thinking it’ll kill us instantly) puts a lot of trust in me that they can produce a good burger, or least try to make the customer happy. I think this may be another place I’ll be visiting several times in the future to really sample their offerings.
