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Tittl: Famed Mervberger one to marvel over
| Wednesday, May 31 2006 6:25 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Jan 3 2007 4:56 PM
So I've often wondered, is The Prime Cut a meat market, or is it a restaurant? It sounds like the sort of question for the Supreme Court to ponder. Yes, there are fresh-cut meats in an old-fashioned refrigerator case, and an impressive freezer case full of fresh-made sausages. While I visited, I was looking into that case and the sausage maker himself walked by and started talking to me about the sausages. By far the most popular are the jalapeno (made with pork) or the jalapeno chicken. For those who need the extra kick, there's the XXX jalapeno. There are bratwurst, bangers (British sausages) and more, all in fresh casings.
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But then you walk past at lunch some day and the smell of the barbecue hits you. You walk up to the counter and see three absolutely gorgeous whole tri-tip roasts sitting in the hot food bin, waiting to be purchased. Cooking's overrated, you say. And I could certainly understand why people who love quality meat as much as the crew that works here would want to cook it up for the customers.
What works against the Prime Cut as a restaurant crowd is the inadequate seating facilities. You've got a few tables inside, a few plastic tables outside. Nothing close to luxurious, even for a deli. But I have read that the whole place is eventually going to move into a new shopping center with Action Sports at the corner of Brimhall and Calloway. Maybe the space will be bigger and the restaurant customer will get a better shake.
Why visit right now? To try the legendary Mervburger, made with three-quarters of a pound of ground chuck shaped in a long rectangle and served on a French bread bun. The picture on the tables or on the Web site is an appetite promoter, and it's available in various versions: Merv Jr. ($6.89 for a half pounder), Ultimate Merv with pastrami ($8.89), a regular version ($7.29) and the Merv with bacon ($7.79). That's the one I ordered, and the cool thing is when you order it you just circle the items you want on it on a little piece of paper. You can get mayo, barbecue sauce and double pickles if you'd like. It's easy.
The burger is seriously one of the best in town, top three for sure. I loved how juicy, smoky and flavorful the beef was, and that they presented it medium rather than grilling it to the tasteless gray state of most hamburgers today. I had two quibbles. They did not put cheese on it as the picture showed. And the bun should have been toasted, preferably over the same wood fire where the patty was prepared. A small thing, maybe, but necessary for the climb to greatness. I later realized that both these flaws were my fault, as I could have circled those on the white sheet. I did like that you can pay 65 cents extra to get any of six different cheeses instead of the dull American or Swiss. Money well spent when it comes to a Mervburger.
Another excellent choice was my son's tri-tip dinner ($12.99), which came with a potato salad my companion loved and chili beans. The tri-tip portion was generous -- about a dozen thin slices -- and the meat was juicy and full of the same smokiness as the Mervburger. My companion chose a hot pastrami sandwich ($7.89), which was ordinary in comparison to the other two selections.
If you're having flashbacks to high school, you can buy a Fritoboat at Prime Cut. The rest of the menu is mostly sausages, deep-pit beef or chicken, something called a Screamin' Italian, a Monterey chicken with bacon sandwich and a jalapeno sausage dog. There is a vegetarian sandwich, but I'm not sure many of those folks will be dropping by anyway. There's a shirt on sale by the counter that says "Vegetarian: Indian word for poor hunter." I can imagine that as a good gag gift.
The Prime Cut
8200 Stockdale Highway
831-1413
Hours open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Prices: Hamburgers $6.89 to $8.89, sandwiches $4.89 to $7.89, entrees $9.99 to $15.89. No child's plate.
Payment options: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, personal checks and The Californian's Press Pass accepted.
Dress: Casual
Amenities: Wheelchair accessible; no alcohol served; few vegetarian options.
Food: 3 1/2 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 2 1/2 stars