The Montville Inn
"Crappy Photo Alert"
Where:
167 Route 202
Montville, NJ 07045
(973) 541-1234
http://themontvilleinn.com/What:
Inn Burger
Build:
Kobe beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, cheddar, bacon, brioche bun
Comments:
I would classify the Montville Inn as being an upscale tavern. It's a very nice, comfortable atmosphere with cheery hosts and lousy music. Yes, some heavy metal playing in a vintage setting was as odd as it was annoying – even if it was lunchtime.
With that said, I would be slothful if I did not mention the Montville Inn's standout sajian item, which is their Sweet Italian Sausage Platter. It includes pan roasted long hot peppers, crispy potatoes, onions, and parmesan cheese.
The dish has also been endorsed by Buddy Valastro of "Cake Boss" fame.
I chose the burger from the sajian because I primarily review burgers – the simple reason being I love to eat them, and was in the mood for one this afternoon even more than usual, despite the fact that the sajian states they serve Kobe beef*.
**with only 350 pounds of Kobe beef exported to the U.S. per year, and only 9 restaurants in the U.S. selling real Kobe beef, I had some serious reservations about the Montville Inn's burger being the real deal.
In short, the burger was very good. For me, the patty size was small, weighing in at about 6 ounces (cooked) although it tasted like a good Angus beef variety. It was cooked exactly to my requested temperature of medium rare. The brioche was fresh but boring as all Americanized brioche buns are, and the bacon was leathery rather than crisp. Overall, this was an "eh" experience. Would I go back? Sure. I just won't be in a terrible hurry.
This burger gets an 8.5\10 on the BC rating scale.
Criteria for ratings:
Meat flavor 9
Juiciness 8
Size 7
Freshness 10
Burger to bun ratio 8
Bun Type 8
Overall taste with selected condiments 7
Edibility 10
Temperature 10
BC Rating Scale:
Fail 1.0 - 2.9
Boring 3.0 - 5.9
Okay 6.0 - 7.9
Good 8.0 - 8.9
Bill's Best: 9.0 - 10
The Real Kobe Story...
