- April 25, 2024
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Maybe you saw my recent list of the top five pizza places in Flagler County (RIGHT HERE). But now, let's get serious.
Let's talk about burgers.
Certain members of The Observer staff fancy themselves burger connoisseurs, the type that don’t “go out to eat” so much as they “go out for a burger.”
The problem is where to go, and this is a question that has caused endless office strife and, sure, even a few firings.
Her's our list of the five best burgers in Flagler County, from a poll of Observer staffers.
1) Turtle Shack Café
Address: 2123 State Road A1A, Flagler Beach
Phone: 693-4851
First thing’s first: At .75 pounds, you won’t find a bigger burger in town. But sheer size is not its only selling point.
Set right on A1A across from the beach, Turtle Shack is quaint and puts its focus on food, not flair. Choose something off their mongo craft beer list, and then sink your teeth into a piping Sweet-Hot Burger, stacked with pepper-jack, roasted red peppers and jalapenos. Or try the Skip Burger, with cheddar, bacon and a fried egg. Or the A1A Mushroom Swiss — so tangy, so mushroomy.
And hey, if you’re one of those self-deluders who orders a Diet Coke with his fast food, they have a half-sized “Skinny” option, too. (They’ve even got a veggie burger.)
Every beach town should have a place like this.
2) Houligan’s
Address: 50 Plaza Drive, Palm Coast
Phone: 447-3580
One of the very few places in town where you can surround yourself with TVs, with a sweaty beer glass in one hand and a sloppy burger in the other, Houligan’s does it right.
This place is focused: chicken wings, burgers, beer. Sure, they have other stuff on the menu, but you don’t come here for the other stuff.
The burger’s simple; the beef isn’t drowning in bun; and if you’re craving a side of buffalo wings with that, bring along a ticket stub from Epic Theaters — they’ll give you a free six for every 10 you buy (limit two per table).
Pair all that with a $7 pitcher of brew (if you’re charging more than $7.50 for a pitcher of Yuengling in Palm Coast, you should be ashamed), and you’ve got a solid sports-bar experience that Palm Coast was sorely missing just a few years back.
Oh, and it’s not on the menu, but ask for the Buffalo and Blue Burger: After grilling, they’ll throw some wing sauce and blue cheese under the bun. Don’t knock it till you try it.
3) Outback Steakhouse
Address: 45 Plaza Drive, Palm Coast
Phone: 446-6280
We know, we know: Outback’s a chain, and that makes it less cool than some hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop. But hey, they make a mean burger, giant and juicy and full of flavor. And if you’re in the mood to really test the limits of those abused arteries of yours, they even have the option to add Bloomin’ Onion pedals and dipping sauce.
Oh yeah.
Top it off with some decent happy hour specials and not-as-pricy-as-you-remember regular food, and Outback’s never a bad option — especially now that they’re open for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
4) Elks Lodge
Address: 53 Old Kings Road N, Palm Coast
Phone: 446-2709
When it comes to Palm Coast, the Elk’s Lodge is about as VIP as it gets. But if you’re special enough to be granted entry into this exclusive club, you’ve also got access to one of the city’s finest burgers.
In the words of our publisher, John Walsh: “Just a great burger: Kaiser roll, thick, fresh, hand-patted, chargrilled open flame, fresh veggies and served with great fries. Find a fiend with membership and get one.”
You heard the man.
5) McDonald’s
Address: Drive five minutes in any direction.
Phone: You’re kidding, right?
Yep, we went there. The McDouble. C’mon guys, it’s $1. You can get five of them and still only pay half as much as you would for one burger almost anywhere else.
But we can hear the protests already: “The difference is, those burgers elsewhere are REAL!” And to that we say: So is the McDouble. It’s REAL inexpensive, and it’s REAL delicious.
Not to mention, no matter how late in the night that booming hunger of your demands attention, you can always get one, and they’re always dirt cheap, and they’re always quick, and they always taste exactly the same.
Palm Coast, give in to your palate’s greatest guilty pleasure.
