Jordan Wright
April 2010
A café-style spot in McLean, Joe’s Amazing Burgers, is making killer burgers with local dry-aged all natural Angus beef, turkey, bison, lamb and Berkshire pork from next-door neighbor and supplier, The Organic Butcher of McLean. And the toppings are crazy.
Al Laroussi, owner of Joe's Amazing Burgers in McLean - photo by Jordan Wright
Twelve types of gourmet cheese, like Bel Paese, aged Gruyere, triple cream Brie or smoked Gouda for starters, and twelve sauces that go light years beyond mayo, like Asian barbeque, smoky Romesco, creamy truffle or wasabi lime aioli. Served on brioche-style toasted (Is there any other way?) buns, they come with sweet potato or regular fries.
The sweet potato fries are done just right – skinny, crispy and herb-coated with a tender interior. Skip the Mac-N-Cheese, which is gloopy, not terribly cheesy and full of too many inharmonious ingredients.
Millionaire burger at Joe's Amazing Burgers - photo by Jordan Wright
Start with the yummy fried jumbo olives stuffed with chorizo and try the Lamburger with feta cheese, tzatziki, green olive relish, melted onions and baby spinach, or the over-the-top Millionaire’s Burger made with Kobe beef, seared Hudson Valley foie gras, black truffle Sottocenere cheese, in-house pickled onions and truffle oil aioli.
This is a cozy neighborhood hangout, whose former incarnation was a French bistro…then Joe’s Burgers for a while. Al Laroussi, a young Morrocan-born US educated banker, added the “Amazing” part to the name when he took it over. He revamped the menu and ratcheted up the burger profile with top grade meats. In the process he has become a bona fide restaurateur with thoughts of opening a French bistro in the area.
When you visit order the local Holy Brew Purgatory Pilsner from Leesburg or the very popular Louisiana dark beer, Abita’s Turbodog. There are a smattering of desserts but, better yet, finish with an adult milkshake made with Haagen-Daz ice cream and a shot of bourbon and caramel, Bailey’s Irish Cream combo or the pina colada with rum. And just kick back.
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