Beerhaus Brat

Beerhaus Brat at Beerhaus

theparkvegas.com

B

Beerhaus is exactly the kind of place where you want to pregame before going to a hockey game or a massive rock concert, and that's why it's planted next to the new T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip. The menu is mostly beer with a few tasty snacks and sandwiches, and this brat is one of the highlights: An IPA-infused cheddarwurst topped with smoked bacon and onion jam and crispy fried shallots. It does feel like it needs some cheese on top, perhaps instead of these fancy condiments, because you just get a taste of cheese from within the sausage. But the flavors are otherwise on point, and the snappy brat is just the right size of snack so you won't get weighed down for the rest of the night. You might have to come back for another after the show.

BLTG

BLTG at the Goodwich

thegoodwich.com

A-

Now that the Goodwich has moved on up from a Las Vegas Boulevard streetside kiosk to a real restaurant space with a real kitchen and plenty of place to sit and eat every sandwich these guys make, it doesn't really make sense that any other Las Vegas sandwich shop could be the best. Nobody does it like this. These meals are creative, make use of the best ingredients and never go too far in search of the best combinations. The BLTG is the Goodwich take on a classic bacon-lettuce-tomato. How is it different? The bacon is made in-house, and it's meaty and not too salty or smoky. The lettuce is actually leafy, dark greens, fresh from the garden. The tomato is juicy and ripe and actually tastes like a tomato. And the cheddar bacon grits are creamy and rich and ... oh wait, did we forget to mention there are cheddar bacon grits on this freaking sandwich? Yeah, that's the G. Combine it all with slightly tangy house-made aioli on thick slabs of olive oil-toasted bread and you've got a lunch to remember. And now, it's much easier to get that lunch. Downtown Vegas, you are one lucky son of a gun.

Fatburger

Fatburger at Fatburger

fatburger.com

A

How is it possible that in more than five years of allsandwich we've never reviewed one of our all-time favorite burger joints? Crazy, huh? Yet here it is, for the first time, the classic Fatburger. This is the Medium Fatburger, to be precise, since these days they come in five different sizes; it's plenty big, though. It's got the works—mustard, relish, onions, pickles, tomato, lettuce, mayo, plus added cheese—decorating a 5.3-ounce patty of fresh, beef, griddled to near crispyness on the outside. (The Large Fat is a half-pounder, and then it just gets crazy from there.) I've been eating Fatburgers in Las Vegas for more than 20 years and it's always good; its consistency is second only to In-N-Out. It's a messy delicious treat—the combination of condiments and the overwhelmingly beefy flavor are the defining factors here—and combined with a thick milkshake and thick-cut "fat fries," this is pure fast-food bliss. We might not have reviewed it until now, but we've been eating it all along.

Santa Barbara Style Charburger

Santa Barbara Style Charburger at The Habit Burger Grill

habitburger.com

B

Another highly regarded burger chain comes to Las Vegas? Yes, that. The Habit started making its "charburgers" in Santa Barbara, so it only makes sense that our first taste is the menu's Santa Barbara Style Charburger, right? Right. There is significant char on these fresh beef patties, adding some nice flavor—kinda what Burger King should taste like. But it's the dominant flavor; the meat is mostly underseasoned. This mighty, satisfying double burger comes on grilled sourdough with melty American cheese, avocado, juicy tomatoes, shredded lettuce and mayo. The avocado and tomato brought plenty of gardeny goodness to the party, helping distinguish this concoction from all the other signature burgers at the various burger joints we've sampled. Is the Habit habit forming? We're not sure, yet.

Shackmeister Dog

Shackmeister Dog at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

B

We thought this special Shack dog was a new addition to the menu but it now seems like a limited time item as we can't find it anywhere. But maybe it'll come back sometime. If so, consider eating it: A Vienna beef dog split and grilled on the flat-top in a potato bun with fried onions and lots of that cheese sauce that makes Shake's Shack otherwise pedestrian crinkle fries taste so good. It's a messy treat.

The 1/3 LB Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger

The 1/3 LB Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger at Carl's Jr.

carlsjr.com

F

I really don't know what to say here ... For some reason, every so often I feel compelled to try the new Carl's burger creation, and it's always disappointing but this one made me feel bad about myself. Allegedly 100 percent Black Angus beef, roasted peppers and onions, pepper jack cheese, bacon and—sweet lord, no—"Santa Fe sauce." What could that possibly mean? The only joy here is how this burger's name reminds of Will Ferrell doing his Dubya impression and claiming that Tex-Mex is his favorite kind of food. I bet the real Dubya wouldn't eat this thing.

Double Shack Burger

Double Shackburger at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

A

Since we got a little obsessed with Shake Shack this year (as it came to Vegas with not one but two locations) it only seems appropriate to close 2015 with another go 'round at the Shack and a definitive statement, for once and for all, whether it has tested our fast food burger loyalty to In-N-Out. As originally discussed last December upon our first-ever Shackburger tasting, the only way to properly compare the two chains is to get a double from both, and make sure they have the same toppings. So we did it. And In-N-Out still wins. Although every Shake Shack product reviewed here at allsandwich has received an A grade—and we love the fries and ice cream, too—the Double Shackburger, for all its indulgent, nostalgic deliciousness, just can't top the Double-Double. The beef is higher quality at the Shack, with thicker patties for more fatty flavor and greasy fun, and all the other ingredients are fresh and satisfying in all the right ways. But when it all comes together, turns out the champ is still the champ. Out of the many, many times we've grabbed a Double-Double at In-N-Out, it's never been anything other than perfect. Ever. We ate plenty of Shackburgers this year and enjoyed them all, but it wasn't as consistent an eating experience. It just wasn't. Love you, Shack. Don't be mad.

Shack Stack

Shack Stack at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

A

Compared to pretty much every other burger joint—especially the much-hyped ones here in Las Vegas—Shake Shack is decidedly sane. Logical. Rational. Simple, even. I mean, you could say the same thing about In-N-Out, but they've got that secret menu stuff, Animal Style and Four-By-Fours and all that, and that's pretty crazy. Shake Shack is not crazy. Until you find your way to the Shack Stack, the only insane item on the menu. It basically slaps together the standard, delicious Shack Burger with the Shroom Burger, which is (laughably) the Shack's vegetarian option: crispy fried portobello mushroom caps filled with gooey, molten muenster and cheddar cheeses. Maybe it's vegetarian, but it certainly doesn't eat like something that's supposed to be better for you. Anyways, put the Shack's melty-cheese-topped Angus beef patty under one of those crunchy, explosive portobello pucks of glory—and put it all between the puffy bun with lettuce, tomato and Shack Sauce—and you've got a cheese-messy, wonderful accident waiting to happen. It's silly, but it's good. It might not be what you go to Shake Shack for, but mix it up sometimes. Keep it interesting.

Breakfast Rye

Breakfast Rye

homemade

B-

The best breakfast sandwiches are the ones you make. Dark rye toast, soft scrambled eggs with a fuckin' Kraft single melted on top, and a layer of pre-cooked turkey sausages sliced in half so they they won't roll around. That's it, dude. That's all you need.

Double SmokeShack

Double SmokeShack at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

A

National Hamburger Month isn't over yet, so let's get back into it. The SmokeShack is probably the single best bite at Shake Shack, and maybe it should be the signature burger. Maybe it already is, but it seems like the standard Shack burger is more popular and iconic. This one, however, offers more unique flavors, a spicy and salty combination not readily available at most fast-food burger spots. Shack's supreme-quality beef is topped with smoked applewood bacon—we're talking legit bacon strips with fat and everything, not the paper-thin bacon flakes that sometimes spoil fast-casual bacon cheeseburgers—and a sort of chopped cherry pepper relish, two elements that bring smokey, savory, vinegary notes to the beefy-cheesy party. Those peppers cut through all the fatty richness like no other Shack burger ingredient can. Add some creamy, tangy Shack sauce and it's quite the combo. The only thing that prevents me from going A+ on this one is the simple fact that too much of a good thing is a real concern when it comes to Shake Shack; I prefer these burgers with a single patty for perfect proportions. This double is a monster … a super-delicious monster.

Chicken Ring Slider

Chicken Ring Slider at White Castle

whitecastle.com

F

"Like our sliders? Then put a ring on it. Two lightly breaded, crispy Chicken Rings made with all white meat, that is." Gotta love the timely Beyoncé reference from White Castle. Also, the way they just throw Chicken Rings out there so casually, as if Chicken Rings are just an accepted part of our society. And I don't believe these are made with all white meat, because these things are chewy and rubbery in a very McNuggety kinda way. Stick to White Castle's more familiar fare.

Bacon Cheeseburger

Bacon Cheeseburger at San Gennaro Burger

San Gennaro Burger at Yelp

C-

So Vegas burgers are great and fancy and even the food court burger stop in a giant, beautiful casino resort like the Venetian is gonna be way better than any fast-food burger or any burger you cook at home or anything you're used to eating. Nope. Sometimes the haters are right. Sometimes what appears to be an overpriced, totally mediocre burger is exactly that. The relatively new San Gennaro Burger makes a decent effort with brioche buns and fresh, crisp produce, but the whole isn't greater than the sum of these parts. Not melting the generic American cheese over the beef patty is a sin of epic proportions, as is failing to season your meat. If you find yourself in the Venetian with a burger craving, head over to Mario Batali's place or Daniel Boulud's place. You're still going to pay too much, but at least you'll have a delicious meal.

Original and Cheese Sliders

Original and Cheese Sliders at White Castle

whitecastle.com

C+

How did I go almost 40 years without ever eating a single White Castle slider? Easy. I'm a West Coast guy. I've never even been to New York. Could I have just grabbed some frozen White Castles at the grocery store and gone to town on them one night when I'd had too much to drink? Sure. Could've. But I never had the urge because hey, they look disgusting. And now that White Castle has opened an actual restaurant smack in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip, I can see that the authentic version also looks nasty. But I have to admit—they are quite tasty, in their own disgusting way. You already know this. Everybody already knows this. The main strength of the White Castle slider is its perfect proportions of meat to stuff to bun, and the fact that it's small enough that you will have finished it before it has a chance to get soggy. This is the most onions you could ever fit on a sandwich this small without being able to see any actual onions. And then there's the one pickle, which just doesn't make any sense. Adding a square of nuclear-yellow American cheese is a great idea, the tang blending into all that onionyness and doing what it always does to cheap ground beef—masking its shortcomings. After my first few bites, it's easy to understand why these things are so famous and how they've become beloved. But that doesn't mean White Castle sliders are legit sandwiches.

Shackburger

Shackburger at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

A

In less than 16 hours, Shake Shack arrives in Las Vegas. It's the only Shake Shack west of Chicago, and it swings open the doors right on the Strip at the New York-New York casino. It's kind of a big deal. I don't believe that because it's so good, though everybody raves about it. (This is my first taste of Shake Shack.) I think it's a big deal because this is the first time Shake Shack has opened in the same state as In-N-Out Burger, and in fact you could drive away from the Strip on Tropicana Avenue for just a few minutes and find In-N-Out. Those people who rave about Shake Shack's delicious quality and noble simplicity remind me of the west coast people who stand loyal to In-N-Out for the same reasons. So now, really for the first time, we can compare the two fast-food burger sensations side by side. I can't do that yet, because my sneak peek tasting at the Shack included this single patty Shackburger, and my normal order at In-N-Out is the Double-Double. Eventually, I will eat Shack's double, and then we'll see what's what. But for now, let's focus on this Shackburger and only sorta compare it to In-N-Out because, well, it's very similar. A thinner patty of obviously fresh, high-quality beef, not at all over-seasoned as to allow its satisfying meaty splendor to shine. It's all-natural Angus beef, freshly ground, a secret blend of specific cuts of cow, cooked medium unless you say otherwise. The bun is soft and almost spongy, different from In-N-Out because there's potato starch in it. Melty American cheese, lettuce, tomato, no onions unless you order them, and spread, er, Shacksauce. The sauce is certainly derivative of the ketchup-and-mayo "secret sauce" everybody uses, but it's thicker, creamier, more voluptuous and indulgent than most, including In-N-Out's. The Shackburger is not huge. It's the perfect size to force you to consider a second cheeseburger after you've quickly devoured the first. And it's decidedly delicious, pinpointing everything we love about a cheeseburger and all the satisfaction included therein. The whole point of the Shackburger is to take it apart, find the best possible everything, and put it back together again better than ever. And it's successful in that attempt. But yeah, I have to have the double. The thing is, the Shake Shack cheeseburger and the In-N-Out cheeseburger cannot be equal. They are too similar. They must be compared, and there must be a winner. Everyone must choose for themselves.

Bacon Cheeseburger

Bacon Cheeseburger at Wimpy's

Wimpy's at Yelp

D-

I really wanted Wimpy's to be great. It's unclear whether this middle-of-nowhere North Las Vegas burger stop is related to some sort of franchise, but it does use the Wimpy iconography. (You know, "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." No? Am I the oldest guy in the room?) I drove all the way out to Centennial Parkway and Commerce just to get a Wimpy burger, all but sure this would be the next great find, a dive worth the trip, a burger worth talking about it. And yet, disappointment. It happens. It's not the fault of anyone in the kitchen here. They seem to mean well. It's just a matter of using the most standard, most boring, cheapest ingredients possible. The thing is cooked well enough but has no flavor or juiciness. The bacon and lettuce are crisp. The bun is soft. But nothing tastes like anything. Somehow the bread was room temperature, the burger was warm, and the rest was ice cold—including the unmelted cheese. This is what happens when you cook frozen patties. In a restaurant. That's supposed to be a burger joint. Sorry, Wimpy.

Ill-A-Delph

Ill-A-Delph at Coast 2 Coast Deli

c2cdeli.com

C-

I've been wanting to sample the goods from this Las Vegas food truck for a long time, and when I finally got the chance, I'm sorry to say it was a bit of a disappointment. The menu supposes to specialize in sandwiches from across the country, or at least sandwiches inspired by different cities, and the description of this "Loaded Philly" sounded totally delish: a roll stuffed with shaved NY Strip and ribeye steak, beer-cheese sauce, caramelized onions, crumbled bacon, scallions and a ranch dressing drizzle. The meat was just sad, fatty and gristly stuff that was much closer to cheap ground beef than shaved steak. So it goes with cheesesteak meat; you never know what you're gonna get. The sauce, allegedly made with local brewer Tenaya Creek's Calico Brown Ale, was tangy and smooth and quite tasty, but there simply wasn't enough to go around. The onions were also barely present. The other ingredients were fine, though the roll was a bit dry and crumbly, and toasting it slightly seemed to be an attempt to cover for poor quality. It seemed like a great idea and it sure looks good, but the flavor just didn't follow through. If I find this truck again, I'll give it another chance, but I'll order something as far from a cheesesteak as is available.

New Mexico Burger

New Mexico Burger at Bobby's Burger Palace

bobbysburgerpalace.com

A

This tangy creation might be our fave burger so far at Bobby's, the celebrity chef burger joint that has yet to disappoint. Its juicy patty is generously topped with a smooth queso sauce, roasted green chilies and pickled red onions, a combination of creamy, fresh, spicy and sharp. It's an ideal flavor mix to match up with the simple, natural richness that exudes from a perfectly cooked burger. There are still other interesting options left to explore at BBP, but it will be hard not to order this again on our next visit.

Steak Burger

Steak Burger at Dispensary Lounge

thedispensarylounge.com

A-

There's at least one Las Vegas food writer who believes the half-pound burger (for just $5.95) at the classically weird dive bar Dispensary is one of the best in town, and so we went there with this guy, we marveled at the wall-to-wall carpeting and the water wheel, and we ate this burger. And you know what? He's right. This thing is a masterpiece of simplicity, a thick, juicy patty of fresh beef ground just right and cooked by someone who knows what they're doing. Put whatever cheese you like—we did American—and enjoy the ideal toppings of lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Saturate your steak burger in one of the kitchen's house-made sauces or the chef's special spicy mystery mustard. Appreciate the ideal fries that come along with it. All those extras are just icing on the cake, though, as this thing is pure burger success.

The Natural

The Natural at Farmer Boys

farmerboys.com

B-

I'm almost feeling Farmer Boys. The Natural is a third-pound patty of all-natural beef, ground and shaped to a nice, loose and juicy consistency, dropped on a fluffy, chewy potato bun and topped with two slices of American cheese, yellow onion shards, Thousand Island dressing and dill pickles. The double cheese meltiness and simple, classic toppings are quite pleasant, and the bun is impeccable. But it could use some lettuce crispness, and the meat is a bit bland. This seems to be a recurring threat with burger joints that go the natural/organic/farm-inspired route. We appreciate the plain beefy flavor of grass-fed cow, but that doesn't mean you can't season this bitch up. It's a solid burger, it just needs a little more attention.

Philly Joe

Philly Joe at Hank's Philly Steaks

hanksphillysteaks.com

B

The owner's of Hank's hail from South Philadelphia, and they claim to be the only true Philly steak shop in all of Las Vegas. We are not concerned with such proclamations. All we care about is if this cheese steak is delicious, and it is. The Philly Joe blends tangy Cheez Whiz with an American cheese sauce created at Hank's, and drops a lot of it all over these tender, satisfying slices of hand-trimmed ribeye steak. This is not a chopped steak sandwich, with thin ribbons of meat, which seems to be the most frequently munched style of cheese steak sandwich around town. This is a little bigger and bolder, topped off by a truly wonderful soft roll holding it all together. Is it the best? Not sure. But it's good enough to go back for more.