Big Orange: burgers, salads, shakes
HOURS: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs.; 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat. (bar open with limited menu ‘til midnight)
ADDRESS: The Promenade at Chenal, 17809 Chenal Pkwy., Ste. G-101, 821-1515
BigOrangeBurger.com, Facebook.com/BigOrangeBurger
When we heard that the brains behind ZAZA—John Beachboard and Scott McGehee—were opening another restaurant, this one specializing in well-imagined gourmet burgers, salads and shakes, our mouths began to water.
Kings of the quality ingredient and masters of the well-paired flavor combination, Beachboard and McGehee made salad magic at ZAZA, and we couldn’t wait to see their creative take on burgers at Big Orange.
We weren’t disappointed. On our lunchtime visit, we started with the Tempura Asparagus and a bucket of the Kennebec Potato Chips. I’ve never been a huge fan of asparagus. That being said, the Tempura Asparagus is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. The batter was light and fluffy and subtly seasoned, and the asparagus was tender and flavorful.
As for the chips, they were nutty, savory and just slightly sweet. Sliced every morning from Kennebec potatoes, the chips are fried and then dusted with kosher salt, chili powder and black pepper and served with a house Chipotle Red Pepper Mayo. They would be perfect paired with a beer. Speaking of, there are eight beers on draft and about 40 in bottles and/or cans. Big Orange also serves more than 20 wines and nine signature cocktails, our favorites being the Perfect Margarita and the Rumchata Russian.
For the main course, my lunch date and I shared two burgers: the White Truffle & Pecorino Burger and the Farmer’s Burger.
Big Orange “keeps it real” by using Creekstone Farms’ naturally raised, USDA certified, 100 percent Black Angus Beef. Our tastebuds rejoiced when they savored the juicy, quality beef paired with the earthy flavor of the truffle; the rich, sharp flavor of the Pecorino; and the sweet stickiness of the fig jam in the White Truffle & Pecorino Burger.
Next up was the Farmer’s Burger, which was dressed with Havarti cheese, Petit Jean bacon, butter leaf lettuce, tomato, red onion and aioli. We chose to go with the house-ground, 98 percent fat-free turkey burger, which is an option for any of the restaurant’s burgers. The patty was everything a good turkey burger should be: juicy, hearty and quite palate-pleasing. Another patty option—one we might try next time—is the house-made vegetarian patty made with sautéed vegetables and a three-bean mix.
Salad-wise, the Border Town Wedge is a must-eat! A wedge of Iceberg lettuce is garnished with shaved cabbage and then piled with crispy fried chicken, avocado, red peppers, black beans, corn, cilantro, red onion and an addictive, spicy jalapeno-ranch dressing that also makes a great dip for fries and chips.
We couldn’t leave without at least trying a shake. In addition to their regular, on-the-menu shakes like the popular Lemon Ice Box and Banana Cream Pie, shake master Dylan Ylevich says Big Orange also whips up “of-the-moment,” seasonal shakes, like the Pumpkin Pie Shake, which tasted just like the real thing, graham cracker crust and all. It also comes in an “adult” version, which we highly recommend.