Ianne B.
Yelp
Our family, esp my eldest daughter, was really excited to return to California burger, as we recall our experience last year being a very positive one. It was a solid four stars from what I remember. I'm bummed report that our experience this time was subpar.
We went on a Thursday evening around 6:30 and it was not very busy so we were seated right away. Our server was really energetic and personable. He brought waters right away so we were off to a good start. We ended up ordering two California burgers , and Aloha burger and a Gouda cheesesteak. Our side, dishes of choice included sidewinder fries. regular fries and a side salad. We opted to not have any appetizers, expecting our burgers to be quite filling. It took maybe 15ish minutes for our orders to arrive. In the meantime, we watched him Bob Ross on a nearby television along with some ice hockey. When our food did arrive, we were really excited as we were famished, esp the hubby.
Everything looked good, so we were off to a good start, but as soon as I assembled my burger, I immediately noticed that the buns were COLD. Definitely not toasted, cold to the touch. I will always mention food temperature in my reviews as it's just one of my big pet peeves. That alone carries a star for me. A $25 burger (side included), should not be cold. As the taste of the burger, it just didn't do it for me. The combination of ingredients sounded superb, but for me it was a bit bland. The taste of pesto or the aioli was barely detectable. Perhaps it could use a more flavorful cheese and /or the patty could be better seasoned as well. It was cooked well though and was nice and juicy. My side salad was pretty standard - greens were fresh and croutons crunchy.
It's pretty rare that my husband complains, but he was even more disappointed in his California Gouda cheesesteak. He said it just didn't taste fresh and neither the sandwich or fries were hot (barely warm). I tasted it and I agreed.
The most satisfied in our party was our eldest daughter who ordered the Ohana burger (repeat order from last year). She said it was very flavorful, and hers was warm with the exception of the pineapple, which she recalled being grilled or heated last time. She actually felt my burgers's bun and was really surprised. I tasted her sidewinder fries - I liked the crunchy seasoned outside and soft inside.
Again, the place was really not that busy, so I'm not sure why the quality of food was not great tonight. I did read reviews of similar experiences prior to going, but I was really hoping that we would have an encore of last year's experience. Perhaps it was an off night, but based on this experience, we would not return considering the price point. Yes we're staying at a resort and expect the higher prices, but with that we also expect consistent, high-quality.