Guvnor’s Brewery was a mere month old when I visited to try a burger and fries. I arrived at 215, the lunch crowd was onto other activities and I was a solo in the restaurant. Channeling Norm from “Cheers” I sat at the end of the bar and ordered “The Guvnor’s Burger,” described as “Our Signature Meat Blend, Pancetta, American Cheese and Thousand Island Sauce.” I asked if the burger was served with fries and was informed that fries did accompany the burger.

As I waited I enjoyed an informative conversation with the bartender. There were five beers served, a sixth was on its way and the IPA that they recently introduced was such a hit it was sold-out more quickly than thought, a good sign for any restaurant touting itself as a brewery, but that’s a different story. Another server wondered over and joined in the conversation. Both were incredibly friendly and very knowledgeable about the entire restaurant.

The burger arrived and there were several items that were immediately visible. The bun was very tall and I was concerned it would be too much bread for the burger and the large portion of fries was heavily seasoned. In addition, the patty was perfectly round, compact and gave the appearance of pre-made by machine.

Let’s start with the good news. The fries were some of the best I have eaten. They were thrice-fried (no idea why you need the third dipping) and the seasoning was delicious. They were crispy on the exterior and moist and soft on the interior. The seasoning also added a great saltiness and cheesiness. I noticed garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary intermingled within the fries and the bartender told me that they three ingredients were all fried simultaneously.

Onto the burger. The Guvnor’s Burger is probably six-ounces and the bartender told me it was a 3-meat blend of short rib, chuck and brisket (unconfirmed). The meat was well cooked to medium-rare but lacked any flavor, there was no seasoning whatsoever either before or after cooking. The texture was compressed and borderline hard. The cheese added a little flavor and the pancetta added a little saltiness, but the Thousand Island Sauce was too vinegary and the flavors were too bold for the other ingredients. The bun was too large for burger and was not complementary to the meat. Overall the burger was fairly disappointing.

The space was incredibly well done, the service was excellent and the fries were outstanding. Unfortunately, I would not run back and re-order the burger.