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Hello all, Dylan here again. Before we get started on the main content of this post, one thing: Towards the end of this month I am attending the 2024 Preparedness Summit in Cleveland, and I am seeking feedback on what sort of coverage I should provide on it. You can submit feedback on this matter here.

Today was a bit of a gloomy day - the clouds were low and gray, and rain did strike. However, the rain was not heavy enough to completely dash my plans, which was to head down to East Aurora to grab a nice lunch over at a burger joint called 189 Burger.

I, along with a friend of mine, left my house shortly after noon today. We took the trek down to East Aurora, which took just about 30 minutes to get there. Upon reaching the area, we managed to score a great parking spot - unfortunately, we were not feeling particularly peckish yet. To kill a bit of time, we decided to check out one of the famous shops in the area (which in turn meant we had to give up that parking spot), Vidler’s.

Natives of East Aurora (and the surrounding areas) will be quite familiar with the store, which has the “Vidler on the Roof” which I managed to snap:

Vidler’s is a variety store, which is split into several sections on two floors. There were several interesting wares available, including a dinner gong, some boxers with some cool graphics (one of these read “Gas Station”, and that was hilarious), vintage candies and dolls, a reasonable selection of playing cards including a Pink Floyd styled set, and more cookie cutters than one could shake a stick at.

Our excursion to Vidler’s lasted about an hour, by which point I was starting to feel the effects of hunger. So, after purchasing a few items there we proceeded back to where we were before. After obtaining a parking spot we exited and went inside first to Bar Bill’s right next door to the 189. It was packed to the gills! Quickly we left and walked the short distance to the 189, which is secluded right behind it.

Entering into the restaurant lobby, we immediately noticed the moose head that protruded out from the wall, before the hostess seated us at a hightop opposite the bar, which was stocked full of various liquors. There were two TV’s in the room as well, broadcasting a college basketball game.

Shortly after being seated, the waitress came over and provided us with menus and drink (water and coffee). The room

Let’s discuss the menu here. Per the name of the restaurant, you would expect that burgers would be front and center. You would be correct - the entire center third of the one page menu consisted of the burgers available to be ordered. The rest of the menu consists of appetizers, salads, and sandwiches. The burgers are all served on a sesame seed bun and came with the choice of fries, chips, or brussel sprouts (sweet potato fries and side salads were also available for an additional charge). There was even a meatless option, a black bean burger.

I comtemplated between two offerings: the ranchero burger, and their seasonal burger, which is topped with apple and fennel slaw, BBQ sauce, butternut squash aioli, apple chips and gruyere cheese. In the end I opted for the ranchero burger, with a side of fries. My friend chose the bourbon onion (although the All-American, which has a fried egg on top of the meat, was quite tempting!).

About 15-20 minutes our meals came in.

As evident in the two photographs above, the plating was good and the food was presented well. The amount of fries was impressive - similar to Cheeburger Cheeburger’s portion of fries.

But, of course, looks only say so much. The big question, is whether the food tastes good?

I put the top half of the roll on top and bit into the burger. This is the most important bite - everything only gets one chance to make an initial impression.

Wow. The flavors all melded together brilliantly - the heat of the ranchero sauce and the jalapeno, the crunch of the tortillas, and the smoothness of the avocado all combined with a perfectly cooked burger. Perhaps even a bit too brilliantly - a bit of the sauce dripped into my hands, which I promptly wiped off before I continued on with my meal.

The fries were good too - they were crispy and lightly seasoned, just the way I like it.

We completed our meal in about 20 minutes, with a good amount of conversation between the both of us. There was nothing left on my plate upon the conclusion of my meal:

I also had a taste of my friend’s Bourbon burger and brussel sprouts. Hers was cooked quite a bit rarer than what I had, which didn’t turn me off - if anything, it made the meat more juicy. Her burger also tasted very good; the sauce and onions synthesis being the highlight. The sprouts tasty good as well, if a bit crunchy for my taste (I prefer them softer and cooked a bit further).

Overall, the food was excellent, there weren’t any faults with my meal. The price was good for the amount and quality of food we received (coming to about 20 dollars with tax, a bit more for a tip).

Would I come back again? Absolutely! Well, as long as I can get there, the only real downside is the fact that it’s half an hour away.

If you liked this little review, please consider subscribing! There will be more food related stuff on the Muse soon:

Also, I’d like to see if others have tried this place. If you have, feel free to comment on what your experience was like.

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