Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Offers Fabulous Food (Business Lunch)

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
695 East Van Asche Drive
Fayetteville

Fun and festive with fabulous food is how we would initially describe this Colorado-based chain restaurant in Fayetteville.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has the atmosphere of a neighborhood bar and food to match the “gourmet” in its name. It’s on the cutting edge of bringing chain food back from the brink of tasteless, overdone and boring. Unfortunately, with the cheapest burger running $8, we think the price is a tad gourmet as well, which is the primary reason this restaurant rates only four stars.

There’s no surprise in the menu since burgers (including 24 variations, with chicken and pork in addition to ground beef) are the primary fare. Though it does offer a selection of soups and salads for the hand-held hamburger hater.

Three reviewers went on this trip, but one had already eaten, so she stayed for conversation and bits of fries.

Red Robin’s menu is filled with delicious sounding drink concoctions, from fruity smoothies to spirited Mai Tai’s. But, in the late Indian summer, we had a hankerin’ for some extra refreshment, so the two diners splurged for the Freckled Lemonade ($4), which is yellow lemonade blended with strawberries.

The drinks were delicious and, surprisingly, not too sweet. We took advantage of the free refills to make up for the oil-and-gas-industry inspired price.

Skipping an impressive list of appetizers, one reviewer tried the Whiskey River BBQ Burger ($8). It’s a typical burger with cheddar cheese, a slightly tangy barbeque sauce, french fried onion straws, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Once he picked up this monster, he refused to put it down. Not because it was delicious — which it was — but because picking it back up would’ve required superhuman ambidexterity.

It was good, he said, but not quite on par with a regular cheeseburger smothered in relish he’d tried at another Red Robin location.

The other reviewer went the way of a California Chicken Burger ($9), a charbroiled breast with Monterey Jack cheese, guacamole, bacon, tomato, lettuce, pickle and mayo. She said it seemed to be a lighter meal than a beef burger, though she didn’t finish it and saved half for later.

Both burgers came with a heapin’ helpin’ of Red Robin’s “bottomless” steak fries, which the male reviewer claimed are the second-best fries in town.

The trio topped off the meal with dessert, because how could you have lunch without it?

They tried the Mountain High Mudd Pie ($6), which was actually only about a foot tall. Chocolate and vanilla ice covered in peanut butter cookie bits and a chocolaty crust, slathered in whipped cream and a plate drizzled in chocolate and caramel syrups.

Needless to say, they left Red Robin thoroughly satisfied.