I actually visited Square One a few weeks ago, but haven’t had time to write about it until now. Is this the best burger in Tampa? They make a pretty damn good burger.

We started off with a side of fries and onion rings. For some odd reason a random server brought us a random plate of fries that had been sitting out. While on the surface this seems generous, I’m not sure it was such a great idea. They weren’t as tasty as the fresh batch that was delivered moments later, and remained untouched for the rest of the meal. For my taste the onion rings were far better than the fries.

It goes against my nature to spend $14 on a burger, but one of my fellow eaters agreed to split the Kobe with me so that we could say we had tried it. We also decided to split a chili burger on a wheat bun.

We ordered both burgers medium-rare, but only one came that way. The Kobe came out medium. Frankly, I was underwhelmed by both burgers. The Kobe didn’t have the extra kick of flavor I was expecting. It’s just not twice as flavorful as good old angus. The Kobe burger comes topped with brie which is much too mild for a burger. On the chili burger side of the equation I was disappointed in the chili. Those criticisms aside, they are pretty great burgers. I love the way that the patties are loosely packed. It makes for a less dense burger than is generally served. i also like the fact that these burgers are on the smaller side. For some that has been a problem. When I go back I’ll order off the “make your masterpiece” side of the menu. Regular burgers run $8 plus a charge for extra ingredients beyond the basics. JB tried the vegan burger and pronounced it serviceable, though not particularly spectacular.

In their efforts to be a fancy version of Five Guys, Square One doesn’t serve regular ketchup and mustard, but a chipotle ketchup and a remoulade. The chipotle ketchup wasn’t as good as the Evo’s version, but the remoulade was delicious.

For an upscale burger joint Square One was packed with families when we were there on a Friday evening. When we arrived we were told it would be a twenty minute wait, but we probably hung around (and ordered beers from the bar) for less than ten minutes before being seated.

On the whole I thought Square One was a great night out, and I’d recommend it without hesitation.

Here’s a burger and slaw over at Flickr. Here’s another.

Here’s the St. Pete review from Jan. 2008.

Here’s a .pdf of their menu.

3701 Henderson Blvd
813-414-0101

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