MELT Gourmet Cheeseburgers must be operated by culinary lunatics. I mean that as the highest…read morepossible compliment. A normal person looks at a hamburger and asks, "Would you like cheese on that?" The people at MELT apparently look at one and ask, "How can we make this so extraordinary that customers begin questioning whether everything they previously called a burger was actually just meat occupying bread?" I ordered the Paris Burger: Premium beef char-grilled with roasted garlic, then topped with melted French Brie, balsamic-glazed onions, baby spinach, and a smear of Dijon mustard on a house-made bun. This ingredient list sounds less like a hamburger and more like several upscale appetizers became trapped in an elevator and decided to form a government. I do not know what kind of inspired nut job first assembled this combination, but everything contributes to everything else. The Brie, roasted garlic, sweet richness of the balsamic-glazed onions, spinach, and Dijon do not compete for attention; they cooperate with suspicious precision. The flavor is exquisite. This should not be placed in the same category as ordinary burgers unless the category is titled "Round Foods That Technically Contain Beef." And then there is the bun. Most hamburger buns eventually choose one of two career paths: Damp sponge or roofing material. This one rejected both. It was cooked to that nearly mythical point between soft and soggy, firm and crunchy. It supported the burger without collapsing, disintegrating, or scraping the roof of my mouth like an edible Brillo pad. Perfection. For a side, I ordered the sweet potato fries. They were already very good, which apparently was considered insufficient by the resident mad scientists. Someone had the completely unreasonable idea of serving them with marshmallow fluff. Marshmallow fluff. With sweet potato fries. This sounds like a suggestion made at 2:00 a.m. by someone who should have been politely escorted away from the kitchen. Instead, that person may be a genius. The combination is incredible. The salty sweet potato fries dipped in marshmallow fluff produced one of those moments when your brain objects on principle while your hand quietly reaches for another fry. This proves that not every insane idea is crazy; some merely require dipping sauce. I also had the Thin Mint shake, which was excellent except for the only legitimate complaint I could manufacture during the entire meal: It came with an ordinary straw. Every attempt to drink it became a small plumbing emergency when a piece of Thin Mint lodged in the opening. Sip, blockage, investigate, clear obstruction, repeat. I was not drinking a milkshake so much as performing routine maintenance on a delicious cookie pipeline. A proper milkshake straw would eliminate the one defect in an otherwise outstanding operation. This was not merely a good meal from a burger joint. It was a culinary experience disguised as casual food. The Paris Burger was phenomenal, the fries and marshmallow fluff were an act of benevolent madness, and even my complaint involves the shake containing too many actual pieces of Thin Mint to pass through standard beverage infrastructure. MELT is almost worth traveling to Virginia for by itself. If the people running this place are insane, nobody intervene. Whatever treatment would make them normal might ruin the menu.

I stumbled onto this spot on a whim, and the setup immediately struck me as legit. I'll admit I was…read morea little nervous walking in -- we dropped $45 on two burgers, one fry, and a beer, so expectations were high. The nerves come from the fact that I consider myself a "Burger God." I've hunted down some of the best burger joints the country -- and the world -- has to offer, so I was trusting this place to deliver. Right away, the dressing felt sloppy. The cold toppings were piled on top of the meat, pulling heat out of the patty fast. The beef itself was fresh and juicy, but the bun paid the price -- soaking up oil and fat until it lost all structural integrity. You can see it in the photo: completely flattened. Summary: Melt Gourmet's burgers are genuinely good, and it starts with the quality of beef they source. Where they're leaving points on the table is in how the burger is dressed -- and a stronger hand with seasoning would take it even further. The patty itself was a little under-seasoned, but the freshness of the beef and the crunch of the LTOP (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle) kept me engaged. Fresh-baked buns daily are another point in their favor, enough to bump my score from a 6 to a 7. What kept it from climbing higher was the construction: the way it's dressed and presented practically guarantees a mess with the first bite. The fix is simple -- onions, pickles, and lettuce should sit directly on the bottom bun, with tomato layered above them. Stacking the wet ingredients on top instead cools the cheese and patty fast, and every bite sends juice running rather than staying put. The result is flavor that ends up on your forearm instead of your tongue.

Fountain Grill is a great low-key spot in Ashburn for date night. Easy to get in and out with a…read morerelaxed atmosphere and excellent service. The staff checked on us regularly and made sure we were taken care of throughout the meal. The beef tenderloin was very good and the chimichurri sauce really hit the spot. Definitely recommend adding it to the steak bowl. Between the food and the attentive service this place is a must-try!

We saw the great reviews and had to give this place a try. Wow, did we make the right decision…read more Often we like to drive out the mountains and go to a few of our favorite wineries. So we thought, let's get an early lunch on the way out. The entire staff was amazing and the food was so good that we joked and said we would be back for dinner on the way home. Well it seems like we were serious and after a little shopping and wine we went back for dinner. We walked into the warmest greeting from everyone we saw at lunch. We even had an opportunity to meet the nicest gentleman named Wally (we assumed he was the owner). We have never been treated more special! The food for dinner was amazing again. Great food and service is such a rare thing. This place has it down to an art form. We can't wait to go back soon. Thank you Wally and the staff! BTW, this restaurant is ranked 78th in the entire country by Yelp, so well deserved!!

Gone through some old photos and saw my delicious burger from April 2018, the one time I visited…read morehere. In the 2010's, about a few times a year on average, I'd have work travel to Leesburg. I'd often be coming from my office at companies in Howard County or Halethorpe (Baltimore County), MD , so I almost took the less traffic northern route down I-70 to Frederick & down US 15 to avoid often times traffic somewhere on 495, avoiding toll on Dulles Toll Road & Green Way or slow of VA-7 all the way to Leesburg. The multiple times I was going down US 15, I was thinking it was a cute place, but left turn in and left turn out with sometimes a lot of traffic to make the left back onto US 15 wasn't worth it. And sometimes wouldn't be going back the same way as until 2017 lived in NoVA And even 2017-2020 Wheaton, MD, I'd still often tough it out take VA-7 to 495 and deal with nasty traffic to get back home. On Wednesday, April 4, 2018, I happened to have not eaten lunch, took US 15 back into MD, and decided to eat a late lunch here at Roots 657 on the southside of the small hamlet of Lucketts, VA. The outside of this place looks like a large barn. Inside the store, there's a gift shop like what you might see at Cracker Barrel, but less cramped and nicer. Ordering was at a counter with a chalk-written menu above. Staff was cordial. And the burger was big quite possibly the best burger I had in 2018 and a lot of fries too. Although work travel to Leesburg is highly unlikely these days, if I'm ever out there for work or other reason, I'd definitely want to revisit this gem.

A great local little joint. The food is awesome. Everything we've tried we've been very happy with…read more Will be sad to see it closing this month.

This review is for the newly opened Lovettsville, VA, location…read more Lovettsville has a great new restaurant! The employees are friendly, gregarious and attentive. Service was really fast & this was only their 3rd day open. Their prices are more than reasonable in these times of stretched home budgets. Best of all, the food was quite good. My wife & I both wanted the Nutty Cat (the Twisted Cat version of a peanut butter, bacon cheeseburger). We were not disappointed at all. Great food, great service, wonderful location. Lovettsville hit the jackpot with Twisted Cat Tavern coming to our little town.

We came in for a quick meal and saw some good reviews. The staff was attentive and nice which was a…read moreplus. To start we ordered some Steak Tips, typically a safe choice. When they arrived they seemed oddly small for what you would expect, more so trimmings than "Steak Tips." For dinner I was between a couple of items, but I rushed myself to order the Steak and Cheese. When it arrived it appeared that I received the previously mentioned "steak tips" sandwiched between bread, with some condiments and cheese. Maybe I should have read the description a bit more carefully or maybe I expected something more typical of a Steak and Cheese. I did want to order the steak tacos after both, just to see if they were the same. Someone please let me know. I understand that restaurants will utilize ingredients across multiple dishes but this just seemed ridiculous.

Been coming here to eat lunch after visiting Temple Hall Farm for Halloween every year. Love the…read morefood! -Kids enjoyed mac n cheese and chicken + fries (chicken nuggets weren't just frozen ones, they were actually nice juicy fresh chicken bites coated in a very crispy and light batter) -burger was +++

I've been to LPH several times over the years, and really enjoyed everything about it. This is my…read morefirst visit since the new owners took over. We had a reservation on a Thursday at 5:30 and were seated promptly. Our waitress, Ellen E, was pleasant and attentive. First we asked about happy hour (which goes until 6) and were told this is only applicable at the bar. OK, I guess, but not very friendly especially to those of us who are height challenged and can't do the high bar stools - and who also might want to enjoy a meal. I had an LPH burger and subbed sweet potato fries for regular fries. I was surprised to see a $2 upcharge on the bill since on the menu (which I just checked again online) these 2 items (regular and sweet potato fries) are exactly the same price. I mentioned this to the gentleman who took our checks (another server) and he said he was told this was how to charge it. My friend also had an LPH burger and asked for yellow mustard instead of the dijonnaise that was included. She was charged $0.25 for this "addition." Again, we were told this was how they were directed to write the tickets. I don't think I've ever written primarily about pricing policies. But honestly the $2 and the $0.25 - combined with the happy hour only being at the bar - seemed very nickel and dime. Despite the food being ok, I don't think I'll return as these policies left a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended).

Tried out the conflicted burger and the fries and onion ring combo. I think I'd try a different…read moreburger next time as I thought the veggie patty was a bit too pasty. The meat burger seemed fine from what I could tell. The onion rings were too salty and a little bitter. The fries were good. Good amount of crisp. Overall, I'd want to try out a different burger but will skip on the onion rings next time.

Despite the low score, Burger Fi has tasty burgers…read more Starting with the good, the patties are rich and meaty, even juicy.... Every bite was enjoyable, a quality burger. The grilled chicken is pretty good too, especially for those that want extra protein! The restaurant is clean and the AC is strong, making it a great place to enjoy your meal during a hot summer day. Now onto the down side.... My friend ordered a cheeseburger but there was no cheese. I brought this up to the cashiers and they said they will take a look at it. After a long while (maybe 10 mins) they still did not come. I went back up and they told me the same thing, but instead added, sometimes the cheese can be inside or hidden (I guaranteed him that it is not hidden...) by then the burger was cold. Finally somebody came and brought us two slices of cheese to add into the burger. That was quite disappointing considering how long that took to just bring two cold slices of cheese to eat with the now cold burger.

My husband and I ordered takeout on the website which was easy to navigate…read more The truffle fries were delicious and the burgers were pretty good! The cashier was friendly and attentive even though it was VERY busy in the shop. For such a small space, they had a lot of seats. We will be returning!

Hidden gem located in Bluemont!…read more Stopped in during our stay in Boulder Crest and we were pleasantly surprised. The food is FRESH! The burgers are perfectly cooked, the fries were crispy and salted well, and the milkshakes tasted delightful. We learned all the ingredients are from local farms and you can really taste the quality. The service was also amazing! Every request was met with a smile. We will be back!

Great vegan and vegetarian options. We really appreciate having several options to choose from:…read morelentil, black bean, portabelo mushroom, spinach, and beyond burger. Both the regular french fries and sweet potato fries are delicious - crispy, tasty and generous portions!

Not this time... We usually get a good burger at…read moreThis time the brioche bread is some kind of wheat or Walmart-type bread. We ask for 3 medium burgers and fries (sweet potatoes). My wife and daughter say 'why are these so dry?' Well done instead of medium. For 3 burgers and fries at $51, I'd expect to get something tasty. Called the place and they said 'bread supplier changed'. Buddy, this is not a supplier issue. You replaced your bread with cheaper versions. Not happy with what we got and response was a tepid let us know next time. Thanks. Will be Looking for other options in the area.

Wanted to try Habit because I see it's been getting nationally ranked as a better burger than…read moreIn-N-Out, which I highly favor. My family and I had some regular char burgers as well as their promotional Korean burger. The place was booming. We happened to order on the app to take advantage of the free burger with purchase of a drink. The regular char burgers are good. I wouldn't rank it over an In-N-out but it's better than a five guys because it's not as heavily greasy. The Korean Sweet and Spicy was lacking Korean flavors. It tasted like a regular cowboy burger with a sweeter bbq sauce. The homemade ranch was stellar with their fries. I'm a sucker for a good homemade ranch sauce. We also happened to get some shakes. However we learned we can't order kid shakes individually. Which was confusing because my family likes to eat our food first then enjoy our shakes freshly after. But live and learn. Servers were keeping up with the business and keeping place pretty spotless. We'd try them again but Ashburn is booming with many great burger joints.

Three words: Tempura green beans! Holy moly! They are GOOD!!!…read more It's a decent burger, too. Tried these guys out for the first time today and it was a solid meal. Definitely will be back for them tempura green beans cause oh.my.god!

The fried chicken sandwich was out of this world. I was impressed with the vibe of the location.read more

From my experience they've been positively consistent with their service and quality. Love it!…read moreMilkshakes and fried chicken sandwich r my fav