On rare occasions, I crave a burger. My burger of choice is a smash burger. Surprisingly hard to find a good one. I’d heard of Cow & Cheese a while back, but it’s on the opposite side of town, and I don’t get out there much. Recently, I took a workshop in the area, making it the perfect time to give it a try.
The Parking: A bit confusing since it’s a one-way lot, and I totally went the wrong way. However, there’s plenty of parking shared with the other businesses in the complex. You’ll definitely snag a spot.
The Atmosphere: I don’t know how to explain the vibe…. It is a fast-food spot. Where you order via a screen. But it’s up at the counter where you’d imagine getting in line and engaging with a human. There are only 2 screens very close together. I was a bit uncomforable cause the guy next to me was coughing up a storm.
Someone did greet me, and immediately gave me a cup after I ordered my fountain drink. It was an awkward model to see the staff and the whole kitchen, but not actually engage with them. If it’s a screen-only ordering system, I’d rather not see the folks working. Or have one person available at the register.
There was plenty of seating, but it wasn’t a place I wanted to stay in and eat. To be fair, I rarely dine in at fast food joints. The option is there, though, which is good. The design was very straightforward, nothing fancy, and I think that’s ok. I don’t know how to explain. It almost felt like a front, something off about the environment.
The Food: They have a C&C deal, which comes with a Double Cow x Double Cheese served with a regular fry and drink. I could have sworn they used to have a single burger, but I didn’t see it on the menu. I wanted that because I wanted to try the regular burger and the ‘doc’, the version with grilled onions. Since that wasn’t an option and the doc on its own was $11, opposed to the $12 deal, I obviously went for the deal. I upgraded the fries to the Kwame B’s Secret Rub Fries for an extra 99 cents.
The meal was okay. You get to pick toppings between lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles. I opted for just lettuce and pickles. You couldn’t select ketchup, mayo, or mustard on the burger. They come on the side. There is a CC sauce since you can choose to remove it or have it on the side, but I couldn’t tell you what it was. It felt like a very basic burger. The patty was pretty smashed and lacy. I can appreciate that. But nothing about it was worthy of coming back. In terms of fries, crinkle cut isn’t at the top of my preferred fry method. Much prefer a thin cut, even a shoestring fry. I can get down with curly fries, tator tots, and occasionally waffle fries. Crinkle-cut and steak-cut fries are not my favorite. On top of the crinkle-cut form, the seasoning, a smoky BBQ dry rub flavor, was not super exciting. I think I was most excited to try the Stubburn soda flavors. The pineapple cream and agave vanilla were interesting. I definitely got a sugar rush.
None of it was bad. It just wasn’t quality, flavorful, or interesting enough for me to recommend it to others. If you are in the area and need a quick meal, it’s a decent deal.
Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up with all the spots I’m trying, because it seems I haven’t reported on The Courtesy. Known as a cocktail bar, it probably has my favorite burger in town. During martini hour, Summer House has a great $5 burger. What’s your favorite burger in Greater Orlando?
Rating: 5/10
Address: 400 S Orlando Ave #101, Maitland, FL 32751
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