Revolution Burger

Located at 433 Spring Garden Street in Greensboro, Revolution Burger offers grass-fed burgers as well as salads, shakes, and fries. It is open from 11-10 Sunday through Thursday and from 11 to 11 on Friday and Saturday.

Revolution Burger was one of several restaurants to open late last year at the Morehead Foundry, giving diners some much-needed options in the stretch between College Hill and Downtown proper. Along with its neighbors Four Flocks and Larder and the Baker and the Bean, it comes courtesy of the Fresh Local Good Food Group. Like that group’s established eatery, the Iron Hen Café, Revolution Burger is appealing yet inconsistent.

Revolution’s interior is deep with high ceilings and brightly colored walls. While the orange-hued farm scenes suit the ownership group’s identity, there is almost nothing, aside from a stray “Viva La Farmer,” that suggests “revolution.” Still, it isn’t unattractive, and there appeared to be plenty of seating.

Ordering here is done fast-food style: approach the counter, say what you want, and take a number for your table. The menu features seven burger combos (side and drink included), and as befitting any burger bar these days, you are free to cobble together your own. For our first time out, my wife and I went with a #3 (lettuce, onion, fried green tomato, bacon, and rev sauce) and a #4 (greens, tomato, bacon, smoked gouda, and BBQ sauce) respectively, and we each opted for fries.

It was not busy during the time (around 7 p.m. on a Sunday night) of our visit, and we hadn’t long to wait for our food courtesy of the fast and friendly staff. The results were decidedly mixed. While Revolution uses high quality meat, its pressed into thin patties and overcooked. At least being asked for a preferred doneness would have been a welcome touch. The fries that we initially received were also repulsively stale, but after my wife pointed this out, we were furnished with a new batch. The replacements were delicious, crisp, and nicely salted. Neither the burger toppings nor the portion sizes left room for complaint, and Revolution seems to do sauces well. Both the rev sauce (a smoky, spicy ketchup-mayo blend) and the cider BBQ sauce imparted welcome flavors.

Revolution’s pricing is a bit tricky to gauge. At $10-$12, the combos at first seem high, yet the inclusion of a drink makes them considerably more reasonable. Should you go the build-your-own route, the starting price ($6.50) seems fair, but add cheese and a side, and you’re already over $10.

All told, the location and the plethora of sauces, toppings, and other burger options are enticements enough to make Revolution Burger well worth trying. Still, it’s hard to imagine the establishment cracking Greensboro’s upper burger echelon (Hops/Big Burger Spot/Emma Key’s) even with a dose of much-needed consistency.

7.5/10