As you know, no one is immune from the Burger Dude, no matter how hard you try and hide.
All it really says on the outside of the Burbank Tennis Center as you enter is ‘Restaurant’, but inside is what matters. The center’s website says the name of the restaurant is the 40 Love Cafe but the menu inside says Courtside Café. Either someone is confused or no one seems to care.
I knew this might be a challenge, but I do it for you, the burger loving public – even for those of you who hate me!
Once you walk inside you find a nice, clean café that is lit well. There is a small menu when you walk up to the counter where you order. Of course, I ordered the cheeseburger and was told that all they had was either Swiss or provolone cheese – no American or cheddar. I knew this was going to be rough.
The $6.95 price also included an order of fries which I asked for well done. The girl at the counter was extremely polite and friendly and wanted to know if I would like ranch dressing for the fries which I thought was great considering the price.
What was not great is the price they quoted which was about $10 higher than it should have been. After some questioning, they came up with the right price. I do not believe it was done on purpose, but it was a small warning sign.
When the burger came I was truly hoping for the best. What I got actually did not look bad. The patty was a decent size, although it had probably been frozen at one time. What I was amazed with is that the cook had the amazing insight not to put the patty on the bottom bun.
The bottom bun had some nice thousand island for the spread with the patty sitting on a bed of lettuce, onion and pickles. The bottom bun was in no danger of a collapse! I can’t believe a place like this, who can’t even have the right cheese on hand, would know how to load up the bun the right way. There are many $12 burger places that could take a lesson from this.
One bite in, I immediately tasted the Swiss cheese and it just did not work. What is sad is the rest of the burger actually had a good, not great, taste. The bun might have been a little fresher but it was not terrible. About half way through I just thought what a great burger this could have been and it was like they had just settled for this.
The one thing I will say about the Courtside Café is that the place is nice and clean to walk into and the employees are extremely friendly. Maybe this is a changeover from the old business (Burbank Tennis Center should update their website) and these people may just be starting out with very little experience. I think if they figure it out they have real potential to put themselves on the map, the burger map that is!
Side Notes: I asked for my side of fries well done and they were prepared exactly that way. What I did not know is that they used fries as wide as tennis strings and they were very thin so well done became very crunchy – that was on me.
Courtside Café is located at 1515 N. Glenoaks, Burbank. Inside of the Burbank Tennis Center
747 200-5752. Call for hours – none listed
Courtside Café receives: Could Use a Rewrite
myBurbank Ratings:
Tops In Town (Outstanding)
On The Marquee (Really Good)
Could Use A Rewrite (Average or Slightly Below)
Don’t Quit Your Day Job (Poor)
If you would like us to consider a location for a review – let us know HERE
Dear Burger Dude,
Thank you for stopping by Courtside Caffe. You experiencing our transitioning Cafe (from 40 Love Cafe to Courtside Caffe) and providing feedback was the best thing that could happen to a new business. Your journey through our cafe from the cleanliness to our burger allowed us to know what our community wants and needs. Being not only an owner but a Burbank resident as well, this cafe is dear to our hearts and we want to represent our community well. We have heard your notes, the good and the encouraging and are dedicated to makeing your next experience an A+.
Thank you once again and we invite you back for an awesome, spectacular, well built American cheese filled burger, with a hint of crunchy on our tennis fries.
We are passing this on the our Burger reviewer and I know he will give you a second chance, or as he calls it, a re-fire!
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