Lake Zoar Drive-In in Stevenson is “home of the Zoar burger”, as they say all over the place.
But here I’m going to describe why you should completely ignore that and go for the Bobby burger instead.
The reason, in my opinion, is historical.
Long ago, burgers weren’t full of wonder.
There was no cheese.
No bacon.
Just meat on bread, and maybe some lettuce and onion for “crunch”.
It was not adventurous. There was no magic.
It was easy to master.
Then came the 50s.
All of a sudden, people got it into their heads to start adding stuff to their burgers [claim completely unverified].
Enter things like “The Zoar burger” (which wasn’t around until 1993, but bear with me).
I’m sure at the time, a burger with bacon and cheese and mayo was seen as revolutionary.
and I’m sure for people who grew up eating it, it may have been.
But times change.
And now, such a burger seems quaint, homey, but nothing special.
Now burgers can be whatever you want.
And novelty shouldn’t matter, taste should.
So here at Lake Zoar Drive-In, one of the best burgers in Connecticut isn’t the namesake, but something else.
Before, let’s talk about their onion rings.
Onion Rings
Onion rings can taste like fronions or they can taste like onions.
These manage to strike a balance between the two.
They are extremely crispy, which is how onion rings should be.
The issue is the batter is inconsistently applied around the ring.
Sometimes there is no batter and the onion just gets burned.
Sometimes on the same ring there is too much batter and it gets doughy.
When you hit the right balance, these are excellent.
But it’s hard to hit that on each ring.
The Rating: Onion Rings
7/10
Now on to the best burger
Bobby Burger
This burger has standard bacon and lettuce and cheese, with two additions.
Sauteed onions (they call fried, but don’t believe them).
And Roasted Red Pepper.
Trust me.
Everything is perfectly proportioned.
The bacon is perfectly cooked.
The bun adds a little without getting in the way and is just an excellent vehicle.
The sauteed onions add some sweetness,
and the roasted red pepper adds sweetness and a coolness (temperature) that balances it all out.
I’d rate the whole thing even higher, except once you strip away the toppings and just get to meat bread and cheese, it’s only good and not overly flavorful.
Meaning, you need a bunch of toppings here.
Go untraditional, and go for the Bobby Burger.
The Rating: Bobby Burger
8/10
Address: 14 Roosevelt Drive Rural, Stevenson, CT 06491
Hours:
Monday-Wednesday: 7am-9pm
Thursday – Saturday: 7am-10pm
Sunday: 8am-9pm
Menu, although that doesn’t have everything.
Here is the real menu
