Chomping at the bit for a tasty burger

Gourmet burgers are the new cupcakes, with restaurants offering a different take on the trend popping up all over the place – and no place more so than Carrollwood.

The newest addition – in the shopping center on North Dale Mabry Highway between Stall Road and Fletcher Avenue, where there's already Jimmy John's, Chipotle and Pei Wei Asian Diner – is BGR The Burger Joint. A chain, this is only the third BGR in Florida and the first in the Bay area. The 3-year-old company currently has 13 locations in seven states and Washington, D.C.

And yes, it's that BGR The Burger Joint: It was featured on Food Network's "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay," where the BGR Greek burger won. It was also featured on "Man vs. Food," where the host tackled the 9-Pounder burger (which actually weighs more than 15 pounds with bun and condiments – yikes).

We quickly discovered BGR stands out, even in a crowded field, with some interesting burger choices and extras.

But first, the décor. The fast casual restaurant is a salute to the 1980s with walls lined with album covers from Prince and the Revolution, U2, the Cars, the Police, the Rolling Stones, Men at Work and Jefferson Starship. The dozen tabletops are brightly colored mosaics with the same nostalgic reverence: peace signs, the British flag, a smiley face, Superman's chest symbol. Funky chandeliers that look like Christmas lights hang from the ceiling.

In the midst of all the retro trappings sits a very futuristic Coke Freestyle soda machine. You get to custom choose your soda from a touch screen, along with flavor shots. It's very cool, but with only one slightly intimidating machine and 100-plus combinations, you may have to wait your turn while people figure it out.

At first glance, the menu seems like burgers, burgers, burgers. Closer inspection reveals a small, yet diverse selection that includes sliders, veggie burgers, turkey burgers, lamb burgers, tuna and even lobster. Sides include regular fries, sweet potato fries, asparagus fries and onion rings the size of cuff bracelets. There is also a kids' menu with sliders or grilled cheese.

"No shortcuts, no pre-cooking, no heat lamps," the menu promises. The food delivers on that pledge: Even a basic burger starts with prime, aged, hormone-free, corn-fed beef and sits on a toasted sesame-seeded brioche bun.

The fries, made with Yukon Gold potatoes, are double-fried until crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, and the shakes are so thick you'll need a spoon and a straw.

The Lobster, a seasonal offering, featured ample Maine Lobster lump claw and knuckle meat, crisp romaine and a special buttery mojo sauce atop three slider buns. This is not at all what you expect in a burger joint, especially one called The Burger Joint, and we found it wonderful, although obviously you'll need to bring a taste for seafood.

All of the burgers we tasted were cooked to order and delivered in less than 10 minutes. The biggest pleaser was The Wellington, which features the usual massive burger with the addition of mushrooms, blue cheese, black truffles and caramelized onions. Slightly drippy, but an exceptional burger. The same terms – drippy yet exceptional – describe the Greek, which features seasoned ground lamb, tzatziki sauce, cucumber, red onions and feta cheese.

For more spice, try the Southwestern burger. While it had an unexpected and chunky Sloppy Joe consistency, it delivered on flavor with the combination of peppers, onions, black beans and Tex-Mex spiced beef topped with Pepper Jack cheese.

The downside of all this culinary goodness is, of course, the price, which is more than you are going to pay for the average burger. But these aren't average burgers, and the marketplace already has established that spending $10 for a burger basket at lunch (burger, side and a drink) is acceptable. You might consider this as well: We ended up taking portions of our meals, which are generous, back home, so really it ended up being two meals.

If you're a burger lover, you started salivating when you saw the picture on this page. This is not a place you'll want to miss. And while we rarely welcome chains, well, this time we do.