Two of "Maine's 30 Greatest Burgers"

Pleasantly Surprised and Very Disappointed

Last fall I saw an article in DownEast magazine that touched my spirit. “Maine’s 30 Greatest Burgers.” I love a good burger. Many places have frozen, preformed, 1.800-ounce burgers or they serve a 3.5-ounce “hockey puck” where all the flavor has been smashed out of it. So, trying the 30 greatest burgers in Maine sounded like my kind of challenge. Sadly, many of the 30 best were in faraway places like Lubec, Caribou, and Bar Harbor. A bit far to drive for a burger. But many places were in the Greater Portland Area. Two of them I noticed right away as being near places I often go. One is a chain that I often see, sometimes on my way to or from my dentist or when I’m shopping at Stapes or Burlington on Western Avenue. The other I drive by often when I pass through Saco on my way to or from Biddeford. 

D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches

With shops in South Portland, Biddeford, Portland, Lewiston, and Auburn, it is easy to stop by a D’Angelo and have a sandwich. I have eaten their sub sandwiches for years. Typically, I’ve ordered the Steak & Cheese and the Steak Bomb (without mushrooms) on occasion. Frankly, I barely noticed hamburgers were on their menu. But, being on DownEast’s “30 Greatest Burgers” enticed me to order their suggestion—A “Steak Number 9 Burger.”

Seating & Ordering

D’Angelo’s is an order & wait type of fast food restaurant. Ordering is done at the counter. They let you know when the food is done. When we ordered, the counter person mentioned that a burger takes a little longer than most of their sandwiches and asked if that were okay. I said yes. The Steak Number 9 Burger comes in two sizes. A 1/3 pound and a double patty 2/3 pound burger. The magazine article suggested a 2/3 pound burger but I thought that might be too much food, so I ordered the 1/3 pound without mushrooms.

D’Angelo’s is the type of place where if you remain at the counter, you can see your food being cooked and prepared. As I watched my burger being prepared, never once did I see the cook mash the burger down to speed its cooking (and reduce its flavor).  It was cooked the way I would prepare it.

Food

The burger was amazing. The extra fat, seasoning, and flavor from the grilled steak, with the mixture of grilled onions and peppers, made for my kind of burger—flavorful. The 1/3-pound variety was more than enough food. I liked it very much; I’ll be back. My wife had the steak and cheese sandwich and, as usual, she loved it.

Ratings

Ambiance: 3 (Clean and open, good for conversations.)

Food: 4 (They took the time to cook the burger properly.) 

Service: 3 (The counter staff was friendly, but there is no table service .)

Price: 5 (A reasonable lunch cost under $10.00 plus tax.)

Value: 5 ($7 for a great burger is a great buy, add a drink and a bag of chips for $2.79 more, and you receive great value.)

Conclusion

I was pleasantly surprised that a restaurant that I’ve gone to on occasion has a great burger that I didn’t know about. 

Rapid Ray’s

When we first stopped at Rapid Ray’s, we didn’t understand the place. The atmosphere is more like an order window at a sports arena than even a fast food restaurant. We thought we’d drop in for a burger, but learned there are no tables. You might be able to stand along the ledge by the windows and eat but, we weren't in the mood for that. We left and decided to come back when we wanted to take out.

We returned and decided on a double hamburger, a “Big One” (a double cheeseburger), and a large order of onion rings. After a couple minutes, one of the guys asked how I wanted them.  Following the recommendation of the “30 Greatest Burgers” article, I said “loaded.” A minute or so later, they were ready, and I took them home. I have never been more disappointed in a burger. I’ve never seen tomatoes sliced that thin before. The single piece of lettuce was entirely hidden by the utterly unremarkable bun. The onion rings were awful. Many of them were stringy, the first layer under the onion skin, can’t bite through them, choke you when you swallow them onion rings. They were also greasy, leaving puddles of grease at the bottom of the box.

I couldn't figure out why it was identified as one of the “30 Greatest Burgers in Maine.” From their website, I learned that Rapid Ray’s is “Maine’s original fast food takeout,” that they stay open to 1:30 in the morning on Friday and Saturday nights (12:30 AM Monday thru Thursday), and that they opened in 1953. I guess that earns them a place as an iconic Maine eatery. But, the only claim to greatness I can think of is they probably taste great at 1:00 in the morning when you have the munchies and nothing else is open.

Ratings

Ambiance: 1 (No place to sit and eat.)

Food: 2 (Ultra-thin tomato & lettuce, on a mushed bun.)

Service: 3 (The counter staff was friendly.)

Price: 4 (A double burger & fries is about $6.00)

Value: 3 

Conclusion

I was very disappointed that the “Maine’s 30 Greatest Burgers” article led me astray. I’ll never go back to Rapid Ray’s. Wendy’s, Burger King, and McDonald’s all have better burgers at about the same price—Oh, the Saco McDonald’s is open 24 hours.