A Big Bite of N'awlins in DC: Desperados Burgers

Desperado's Burgers is the first DC outpost of the New Orleans Port of Call burger bar which sits on the outskirts of the French Quarter.  Like the original, this quaint U Street operation showcases the same big juicy burgers served with a side of loaded baked potatoes, and potent cocktails (but on the latter, unfortunately, DC law precludes 'to-go cups').

I applaud Desperado's for their ability to recreate the feel of New Orleans; not the over-the-top Bourbon Street debauchery, but of the off-the-beaten path neighborhood bars you can find in the Big Easy if you know where to look.  The bar-restaurant is galley style, brick, dimly lit, with a chalkboard listing the beers, with friendly, low-key service.  The whole place probably only seats about 30 people, which raises for me the dilemma of whether or not to tell anyone--much less blog--about such a gem that I like too much to risk contributing to crowds.  But obviously the altruistic side of me won out.

So here is the scoop: the burgers are big and juicy, close to the size of Hellburger, and come with a variety of hearty toppings to choose from including blue cheese, avocado, and  bacon.  I especially liked the Cajun burger which added  a nice heat.

Desperados Blue Cheese Burger with Loaded Baked Potato

On my last visit,  a weeknight, I did not venture into the cocktails, but instead went with one of the five draft beers, each of which served in their logo glasses. I loved the hoppiness of my choice, the Baltimore Deadlift IPA, but I would have liked to have seen some Abita offerings, given their New Orleans routes. 

There are a few kinks to work out.  The potatoes could benefit from some additional cooking time and are not yet up to snuff with their original counterparts; and the burgers, while moist, juicy, and delicious, were not all served at the requested cooking temperature. 

As much as I hate to drive more people towards this spot, I do recommend trying it out.  The atmosphere cannot be beat, the burgers are some of the best around, and it is a great way to escape DC for a while.  Burgers are $9.50  and come with the choice of baked potato or french fries, though I recommend the baked potato without question, even if they do still need to perfect the cooking time.

As of this posting, Desperados Burgers is still lacking a website.