Biggie Bacon Cheeseburger at Cecil's Burgers, Hayward, CA

Located in Hayward, Cecil's Famous Burgers has been serving up burgers, fries and shakes for as long as anyone can remember. I actually tried to find how long they've been opened, but I wasn't able to find anything- they don't even have a website and rely on Yelp and other sites for their info.
Cecil's is conveniently located in a detached building in a strip mall with a walk up window, outdoor seating and lots of parking in the lot or even on the street. It's not in the best part of town but the street is busy enough that it's safe during most times of the day.

Cecil's Burgers

Cecil's burgers can be ordered in a variety of sizes ranging from the tiny 1/6 lb. regular to the 1/2lb. Biggie meant for big appetities. Not surprisingly, I went for the Biggie Bacon Cheeseburger. 

The flat top grilled beef patties were thin, yet moist. Bacon- crispy but what I liked the best was the buttered and grilled bun. It was like biting into garlic bread without the garlic. A crunchy buttery crust with nice chew. The special sauce, ketchup, onion, and tomato added to the overall girth of the burger- Damn it was good. 

Biggie Bacon Cheeseburger at Cecil's Burgers

If you are ever driving on the East Bay and craving a burger, the convenient location on Tennyson Rd. just off the 880 is worth the detour.

Aburgeraday rating: 7/10

Burger Disappointment- The Memphis BBQ burger at Carl's Jr

You've seen the commercials. The 2 hotties in dazy dukes and bikini tops trying to hoist the behemoth Memphis BBQ burger to their mouths. The burger bursting with BBQ pulled pork with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, cheese, and onion strings on top of a flame broiled patty. The marketing image makes the burger look big and highly appealing- however, what you actually get is nothing like it is advertised- even if you get the $6 restaurant burger version.

The Memphis BBQ Burger at Carl's Jr.

The Burger patty came dry, only had a few onion strings and the pulled pork was barely noticeable making this burger a wimpy wanna-be of Carl's Jr. marketing. I won't be trying one of these again.

Aburgeraday rating: 3/10

Colossal burger at California Burgers, Citrus Heights, Ca

Sometimes you go to a reputable or even highly rated restaurant and instead of getting the product that many others have raved about, you get a product that is more a result of the cook having a bad day, not paying attention, being distracted while having to fill the ice machine- whatever. Call it what you will but consistency, or the ability to deliver a quality product, day-in, and day out is a challenge all restaurants struggle with. I'm not sure what the exact reason was today- the restaurant was mostly empty, it was 5'o'clock on Sunday evening and it wasn't like there was a lineup and the cook was getting slammed...but the burger just wasn't as good as it could have been. A shame, because on a good day, this burger could have been spectacular. In fact, I think that this place churns out a fantastic burger more often than not...they have all of the elements for an awesome burger.

California Burgers

Located in Citrus Heights a suburb near Sacramento, CA,  California Burgers has a pretty substantial menu featuring everything from burgers and fries to mexican food- but today I was there for the colossal burger- a double patty burger topped with smoky pastrami.

The burger patties came out a bit overdone and dry, but you could taste the smokiness that came from cooking over charcoal. The pastrami was a little dry as well. The lettuce, tomato and special sauce added the needed lubrication to tie the whole burger together. What was noticeably absent was cheese...I'm not sure whether it's normally included, but a missing element that I would have preferred.

The Colossal Burger at California Burgers

Overall the colossal burger was good, something I'd come back to try again and hope that on my next visit that the beef will be perfectly cooked and juicy and the pastrami tender and moist. Until then, I'll be dreaming about how good this burger could have been.

Aburgeraday rating: 6/10