What: The American Breakfast Burger
Where: Tony’s Burgers, 35903 Date Palm Drive, CathedralCity
How much: $7.95
Contact: 760-832-7794; www.tonysburgers.com
Why: Simply put, it’s a really good burger
At the northwest corner of Date Palm and Gerald Ford drives sits a nondescript strip mall. It’s notable, sort of, for two reasons: One, it’s anchored by a gym that recently moved into a long-vacant spot once occupied by a supermarket; and two, there is a ton of great food in this li’l, ho-hum-looking center.
There’s yummy Thai/Asian joint Bangkok Noodles. Popular breakfast/lunch spot Michael’s Café. Solid Indian restaurant India Oven. The fantastic Cello’s Bistro.
And now this shopping center is home to fantastic burgers, thanks to Tony’s.
Tony’s Burgers opened not too long ago in the space that once housed Paradiso. I’d seen some online raves about the place—owned by a longtime chef at Grill-A-Burger—so I decided to stop in recently when I was in the area.
I’m glad I did. Tony’s menu includes breakfast items, salads, appetizers, hot dogs and several special items. Of course, since “Burger’s” is in the restaurant’s name, I had to get a burger, and I decided on the American breakfast, which includes fried egg (yes!), bacon (yes!!), cheddar, grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and mayo, all placed between a regular bun.
I only have two minor complaints: One, this burger came out medium-well, and I like my burger more on the medium side. Second: It was so big and thick that it was damn near impossible to get the thing in my mouth. But when I did manage to get a proper bite … damn, was it tasty. It was perfectly seasoned, nicely juicy and overall fantastic. And the price wasn’t bad, either. (However, the $7.95 covers the burger, and nothing else; if you want fries, you’ll need to shell out at least another $3.50 for a half-order, and more if you want Cajun, parmesan, truffle, garlic or avocado fries.)
Yes, foodies: We now have yet another reason to head to Date Palm and Gerald Ford.