B365V3.4 - Stack'd

So I went to Pamela's this morning for breakfast.  Nothing unusual about that, I have been known to frequent their Oakland and Strip District locations from time to time.  Usually I will go when I have time to wait, but a combination of the inclement weather and me getting up earlier than usual.  But this isn't about me going to a place I have talked about before, instead it is about me going to a place I have never been before, Stack'd.

Stack'd is one of those pseudo gourmet burger places that have popped up throughout the region over the last couple of years.  Places like Burgatory and BRGR would also fall into this genre.  I call them pseudo gourmet because they try to take something simple, a burger and make it seem like it is more than it is.  Not that there isn't something to be said for a really good burger, there is most certainly is, but at the end of the day it is still a burger.

Well Stack'd opened a location here in Oakland about a month ago, in the location that used to be Joe Mama's and Bobby O's and Roy Rogers.  I guess you could say the location hasn't been great for restaurants in the past, but after my underwhelming experience at 5 Guys a couple of weeks back I wanted to see if this place was worth dumping a few extra bucks on a burger.

I am happy to report that indeed it was.  When seated you are handed a menu that is more along the lines of a mini golf scorecard, complete with the extremely short pencils.  You sign the card at the top and check the boxes for the items you want, from type of sandwich to type of bun, appetizers, milkshakes, everything they serve is on that card.  After a quick examination, I picked out a burger with mayo, mustard, and pepper jack cheese as well as lettuce, pickles, fried onions and mushrooms.  I got a side order of Cajun fries and for my appetizer I selected the buffalo potato skins because it has been a minute since I had good potato skins and hearing they were buffalo just added to an already tempting selling point for me.

The potato skins came out first and they resembled typical potato skins, topped with melted cheddar cheese and bacon but when I bit into one it exploded hot sauce all over my hand.  Which is fine, I well into full blown house pet mode and began licking the sauce off of my hand.  The potato skins were good, not quite as crispy as I like mine, but the taste made up for that.  Served with a side of sour cream they were muy delicioso.

Next came the burger and let me say it was a glorious sight, an eyeball and tastebud pleasing monument to burgerdom.  Rarely have I had a burger and afterward felt like I ate too much, but that was the case here.  The Cajun fries were very good, spicy but very good.  It took quite a few iced teas to keep my tongue from burning up.  The waitresses were wearing you standard college attire, black t shirt, tight black stretchy pants ( the big bad wolf in me would like to add "all the better to see their asses with", but we don't need to ruin a perfectly good meal with sex now do we?  Besides, in my life sex is like Bigfoot, I have heard rumors of it but never seen it up close and personal.