I’ve been working on research over the past several months to find my favorite burgers in SWLA, and I wanted to make sure I covered all the places in the area.
Recently, Lagniappe ran its annual “Most Wanted Burgers” section. This is an annual advertorial feature and in no way ranked the burgers. I’m using that section, which covered 32 burgers, as part of my list of burger places to review.
My list will include 40 burgers in all. There are places I’ve already tried that were not in “Most Wanted Burgers.” My list will have no chain restaurants. Don’t get me wrong; these chain spots have good burgers. But I only care about local business and promoting our food from my home. I have been seeing people on Facebook rate chain burger joints as having the best burger, or ranking the same place rated twice because there are multiple locations. That’s just wasting a spot that could be used to promote another of our fine burger spots.
I’m going to review two to three places each time. They’re in no specific order. But at the end, I’ll rate all of them from my favorite burger to my least favorite.
I’ve tried some great burgers at places where I normally wouldn’t eat a burger at all; or should I say, places that aren’t known for their burgers. And I’ve ended up getting a surprise treat.
5th Wheel Conoco
500 N Beglis Pkwy., Sulphur
528-3156
When I got ready to start this project, I asked my friends on Facebook to recommend places they thought had great burgers. Well, my friend from high school Margo Broussard told me I needed to come try the burger at her spot, so Chelsea and I swung by one day on our lunch break.
Now clearly this is a convenience store that has a food service set-up in it. I was a tad concerned about the type of burger I was going to get. Anybody who knows me knows I am not a fan of these quadruple decker stacked burgers that have the kitchen sink in them. It’s not that they aren’t good, but they aren’t burgers you can sit and eat in your backyard with your friends.
At 5th Wheel, I ordered the cheeseburger with everything on it. The cooks use a Hawaiian bun, which in my opinion can never be a bad choice, as I enjoy the sweetness of the bread in contrast to the seasoning on the meat. I’m not sure if they do anything special when they prep their meat. But the burger was thick and juicy. When I was done, I was more than filled. And we only had burgers, so that’s a good deal in my opinion.
Don’t let this spot’s location or the fact that it’s a convenience store fool you. Inside, they’re making some good, filling burgers.
Cotten’s Downtown
110 Broad St., Lake Charles
436-9115
I read a piece here not so long ago that called Cotten’s the “King of Burgers” in Lake Charles. Twenty-plus years ago, I would have said it was in the Top 2, with Perkin’s Fat Burgers being the king.
Now Kate Cotten has taken over Mary Ann’s Café downtown on Broad Street and opened Cotten’s Downtown. Her father should pat her on the back for putting another incarnation of Cotten’s into the top burger conversation. Kate has stuck to what made Cotten’s such a long-lasting restaurant. Sometimes it takes fresh, young blood.
My buddy Garret told me I needed to go try the new location, so we went by for lunch. I wanted to sit at the counter so I could watch Kate work, because chefs like to watch people prepare food.
Kate’s a one-woman wrecking crew in the kitchen. Clearly she picked up a ton of knowledge from her father. But her style seems to be all hers.
I got the double cheese burger with caramelized onions and everything on it. Damn, that was a good burger. Put it this way: I ordered fries, but the burger was so good that I hardly came up for air to really eat them. I was so full when I left, I felt like I needed a nap.
Cotten’s Downtown feels like an old school burger joint. I’m glad Kate made the leap to get out on her own. I’m sure her dad is very proud of her. He needs to watch out, because the king may be getting replaced by the queen of burgers.
SPECIAL NOTE
Food rankings should never be about a popularity contest; they should be about the food. They aren’t about whether the place has the best location or the best vibe, or even whether the staff uses five star materials. They should just be about what comes out of the kitchen and goes into your belly.
A lot of the rankings I’ve been seeing online recently have been done by sites that aren’t even from this area. They just hit the popular spots and say they’re the best. That’s not fair to places like 5th Wheel, which would never be tried by the people doing these Facebook rankings. Some of the choices are right on point, but some have been so far off base that you wonder how they were picked. Find me someone who’s trying 40 different places and I’ll say that is a complete and objective review.
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