They ‘mastered’ the towering half-pound burger at this South Beach spot
There are burger joints and then there is Burgermeister, which specializes in craft burgers on potato brioche buns. Meister means “master” in German and this place has mastered the hamburger.
The burgers are made with a specific mix of chuck, short rib and brisket. The buns are baked daily by New York Bakery in Hialeah. Condiments, including the pineapple jam for the Latin-style burger, are housemade.
The narrow steam-punk space has black walls, an old clock, Chicago brick and red accents. Chef/owner Alex Ringleb, who left Germany at 23, turned his former European-style deli into an affordable quality burger place.
Start With These Dishes
Get the made-to-order chunky guacamole with warm corn chips. Or try the jalapeno poppers, oozing cream cheese and guava jam. There are also fried Flyin’ High wings, tossed in tangy Buffalo sauce.
Or go with a cajun-spiced shrimp taco on a soft open face corn tortilla with avocado slices, coleslaw and cilantro salsa. Other tacos include chicken with queso blanco, bean puree and pico de gallo. The El Japones is teriyaki chicken with shredded carrots and sesame seeds.
Burgers are the star
Regulars know the only way to devour these towering burgers is squash them before taking a bite.
All burgers are 7-ounces of the beef blend, except the half-pound Truffle Deluxe. This patty is infused with truffle and topped with sauteed mushrooms, bacon, grilled red onion and truffle aioli. There’s also a bacon and mushroom burger with brie and caramelized onions. The Italian Job has melted mozzarella, pesto, crisped prosciutto and grilled bell peppers.
Other options are the turkey burger with guava mayo and coleslaw. The Fisherman is a grilled mahi sandwich with tartar sauce and pickled onions.
Vegans can try the new Impossible Burger 2.0, a plant-based patty made to taste like beef, complete with a rich, fatty, salty taste. It is coated with coconut oil so it crisps at the edges like a real burger. The truffle and Parmesan fries with truffle mayo are meant to be shared straight from a little metal fryer basket.
Save Room For Dessert
Churros, fried to order, are dusted in powdered sugar and drizzled in chocolate syrup.
Hidden Gems highlights out-of-the-way restaurants in Miami-Dade County. It is not intended to be an anonymous, critical review.
If You Go: Burgermeister
Address: 425 Washington Ave., Miami Beach
Contact: 305-534-0070, burgermeistermiami.com
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Sunday noon-10 p.m.
Prices: Appetizers $6-$8, salads $9-$10, tacos $5, burgers $8-$14
F.Y.I. Beer and wine available
This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 12:34 PM.