The Beer Snob Visits Burgatory AKA Burger Mecca

If you're a man's man then you can appreciate a good burger. Let me give you this scenario. You head out with your buddies craving a burger. All of you finally settle on a particular place. You head inside to get a table and you're told that the wait for one is approximately two hours.

What's to keep you from saying hell with this place and heading to the nearest Wendy's? Guess what? I'm about to make a two hour wait for a table sound worth it.

Burgatory, at the Waterworks Mall in northern Pittsburgh, has always been one of the prestigious burger joints around here. I just haven't made it there until this past weekend. The group I went with was told that we had an hour and a half wait for a table, which ended up becoming two hours. Let me say that by the end of my dinner, I would have waited double that amount of time to get another shot to eat at Burgatory.

To start, this place isn't just known for the burgers. It's also known for its milkshakes. The shake menu will make your jaw drop to the floor so be prepared  before clicking this link.

Two words: donut chunks.

I chose to go with the Coffee and Donuts shake, which had fine-grained Kona coffee and chunks of donuts in it. I never thought that having to chew contents of a shake after sucking it up through the straw could be such a rewarding experience.

Aside from my shake, I was also able to try the Apple Pancakes and Bacon which had a bit of bourbon mixed in. Not as good as the one I had, in my opinion. Other shakes that stick out to me on the menu are the Caramel Pretzel and the Campfire Smores.

For us craft beer folk, there is a pretty hefty selection to choose from. Always a plus if you aren't up to stomaching one of those hearty shakes.

The main course of your meal will definitely be some form of a sandwich. The burger/sandwich portion of the menu is actually somewhat disappointing, given the reputation Burgatory has, as you only have eight burgers/sandwiches to choose from.

I highly recommend going the route of making a custom burger. On your table you can take a small form and build your ultimate burger. You start my choosing your meat (beef, chicken, crab etc.), type of bun, meat rub (Angel Dust, Bayou Cajun, Sweet Onion etc.), cheese (Buffalo Cheddar, Amish Gorganzola, Horseradish Cheddar etc.), some sauce and sifting through a truckload of toppings.

Took five minutes to plot out an eating strategy.

As you can see the possibilities are pretty much endless. It also makes up for the deficiency on the actual menu. I decided to go with beef rubbed in crushed peppercorns with sharp provolone. I chose the house sauce which appears to some chipotle mix. As for toppings, I went breakfast style and got ham with a fried egg. I didn't forget about the lettuce and tomato so stop worrying. All of this was somehow fitted under a baguette. I couldn't believe it.

The picture I've supplied has sweet potato chips on the side. this is the default side Burgatory gives you, but I'm told that fries is also a possibility.

Burgatory truly provides you with a meal that makes you want to pass out once you've found a way to consume it. According to the website, there is a miniature version of Burgatory at Console Energy Center. Check it out.