Review: ‘Sam’s 50 Burger’ essentially a bacon-avocado burger

I’m on a mission to find the best burger in the city of Seattle. I travel to various Seattle burger joints and rate the establishment’s most popular burger on a scale of 1-10. Of all the measures I use, taste is most important.

Avocado is increasingly being featured on burgers in today’s age. Personally, I blame millennials, but I digress. I went to Sam’s Tavern in South Lake Union to try the “Sam’s 50 Burger.” It was the first time I’ve ever had avocado on a burger. While being very indifferent to avocado, I figure it’s only fair to eat the burger as served, without manipulating it.

It’s a good-sized burger that was cooked to medium. It’s 50 percent certified Angus beef and 50 percent Hickory Smoked Bacon, with Gouda, avocado, Buttermilk Bacon Ranch and more bacon to top it off. It’s a breakfast-like bacon, so it’ll be a bit more chewy than crispy, which is the version you might expect on a lunch-menu item. Surprisingly, with all that bacon flavor, it doesn’t overwhelm, which I appreciate.

The avocado is artfully spread on the bun. I can see how a restaurant could mess that up because there’s a fine-line between hinting the flavor and having your whole meal taste like avocado. Sam’s Tavern does an excellent job in this regard. The bacon ranch doesn’t ruin the meal, and it all comes on a bun so soft, you’ll think you’re eating a dinner roll.

It’s a heavy burger and the avocado contributes to that. The fruit is high in fiber which is why it can be such a filling snack. In fact, avocado is often used as an appetite suppressant. And even though you won’t be eating the fries (because they’re bad), should you be an average-size person, this one burger will be enough to fill you up.

Now because it’s so heavy and based on only a few ingredients, the taste will wear on you for the 10-15 minutes you spend eating it. It’s essentially just a bacon-avocado burger. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you don’t finish the meal.

The other negative is the price. It will cost you $15 for the “Sam’s 50 Burger,” but that does include endless fries. I’ll leave it up for debate if you’re getting your money’s worth, but I will tell you this: If you’re a sports fan, you’ll love this bar. Grab some friends, go there for a Seahawks game, order the “Sam’s 50 Burger” and you’ll have a great time.

Burger ratings

Biggest strength(s): Avocado, bun, Buttermilk Bacon Ranch

Biggest weakness(s): Price, tiring taste

I’ll give the “Sam’s 50 Burger” from Sam’s Tavern a 7.5/10

What do you think of their burger? Where should I go next? Tweet me @NewProducerTom on Twitter.

 Past reviews: 8 OZ. Burger (7.5/10), Little Big Burger (8/10), Uneeda Burger (5/10), Li’l Woody’s (7/10), CaliBurger (6/10), ShakeShack (8/10), Red Robin (7/10), BurgerMaster (4/10)