Rouge

You may have caught my recent theme that I have eaten in a few places that were deemed to have the best burger in the area judged by 94 WIP radio.

A few weeks ago, the esteemed judging panel in the WIP contest rated the burger from Rouge as the best in the area.  That of course means a job for the Fat Foodie.

It was interesting that when I attempted to reserve a table for lunch at Rouge that Open Table indicated there were no reservations around 12:00 for the next 2 months!  Hmm--  playing hard to get?  Not to be deterred, I called last Friday and asked about sitting at the bar and miraculously they got me right in at a regular table for that day.

Rouge is located in the heart of Rittenhouse Square at 205 South 18th Street.  We were seated at a nice table just inside the big windows which open fully to look out to Rittenhouse Square.

I ordered the Rouge burger as did my dining companion.  This sandwich is described on the menu as a Burger with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, bibb lettuce, tomato and a dill pickle on a challah roll with pommes frites ($16).  

The taste of the burger was excellent and it was cooked to perfection.  They do not tell you up front how many ounces the sandwich is, but I believe it is 10 to 12 ounces of meat.  So while the flavor was good, you might wonder what could be better?  For me, the roll cannot sustain this size sandwich with the juices flowing from the burger.  The bottom part of the roll was almost gone when I was two thirds done the sandwich.  You are left to ponder whether continuing to use your hands or switch to a knife and fork and this is a faux pas that should not be part of the equation.

As aforementioned the burger was delicious, but here are two other small negatives about Rouge.  First, the server (Jalina) seemed somewhat aloof and second the fries were not as crispy as one would typically find in a thinner fry like they serve.  That being said, the burger sells the place and some of its minor deficiencies.

Lunch for 2 before tip was $34.

Overall Rating:  4.25 brownies