JCW's and the amazing grilled cheese

It seems like JCW's has been around forever while at the same time it also seems to have just started showing up recently. I really have no idea when they started showing up in Utah but they are around now. According to my research (I just typed jcw in google) they have been around since 1998 and started here in Utah. So, there you go.
JCW's has that old not-trying-too-hard feel to it, which I like in a burger place. Because believe me, and if you have read my earlier posts you know, some places try way too hard. JCW's seems to be a plain and simple yet established greasy burger joint, nothing crazy.
Except their menu is crazy huge.
I get real worried when places sport a massive menu because I think that, often times, that the greasy side dish you order may actually be a byproduct from an over used grill that they then throw on some bread and call a 'special'. The place will make one pretty good item and then all those items between the lines are the lowest quality imaginable.
That did not seem to be the issue at JCW's. However, we didn't stray too far from the popular menu items either. I had a good bacon cheeseburger and my wife had a simple grilled cheese sandwich. My wife says, and I heartily agree, that sometimes only a grilled cheese will do. wise words.
My burger was ok. A decent burger for a price that I thought was just a bit high with no glitter yet it wasn't completely forgettable either. To me though, the fries were the highlight. Those fries may not be fresh cut, honestly I couldn't really tell. I'm guessing they're not but look at the color. That golden brown color may just be my very favorite color ever. When a fry is that color, it often means it is in what I call 'the buttah zone'. Meaning, they pulled those fries from the fryer at just the right moment, when the fries were in the 'buttah zone'. They are fried just over what one might think is enough, just the way I like them.

My wife loved, nay, LOVED her grilled cheese. I tasted it, and I thought it was good, but she was having a When Harry Met Sally experience with it. I think it was the right item at the right time for her specific craving. Rarely does one get to see this experience in the wild. But I saw it first hand. She wasn't too hungry but she was crave-y. She ordered her sandwich just because no one is ever disappointed with a grilled cheese and she was not. As you can see it arrived on large white sourdough bread. A not so typical, yet nothing really fancy, spin on the grilled cheese. I'm not sure I would say it was the best grilled cheese ever but my wife might disagree.
So if you want a decent burger and what may or may not be the best grilled cheese ever, try JCW's.
My sister compared JCW's to Culvers and I would have to agree. What Culvers lacks in bacon quality it makes up for with it's buttery aftertaste (although I don't think you can really make up for poor bacon quality. Not really). And what JCW's lacks in originality it makes up for with a solid product. Not my favorite place, but not overly hyped and it is what it says it is.

I'll have what she's having.

Guzzi's Vintage Burgers

You should eat at Guzzi's. Really, you should. But from my experience you need to plan on it. You might not be successful if you just decide to go there on a whim. Why? because it's only open 4 hours a day. Ok, 4 and a half.

From 11:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. Guzzi's makes some of the best burgers I've had the pleasure of testing. They only have half dozen items on the menu, my hope is that with a small menu they will give each item it's due attention to perfect it. Actually, I'm going to say they only have 5 things on the menu because I'm not counting the pineapple burger on principle.
My blog has way more readers than I ever anticipated (thanks!) and it has become somewhat of a conversation piece from other people who talk to me at social gatherings. My brother in law Eric is one such person who is interested in my opinion of burgers and has asked if he could join me every so often on my culinary adventures. To which I said "absolutely". Eric is a wise guy (in every meaning of the expression) and he is a person whose opinion I respect so his being present is only a plus for me.
We met there bright and early at noon (I work graveyard shift so noon is early for me) on Eric's lunch break. It is perhaps the weirdest burger joint I've ever visited. Very old, small, and not in the greatest shape; but it had plenty of 'spirit'; note the two motorcycles on the roof.
Eric and I both ordered the Blue Burger and Whitney ordered the Garlic Burger. These burgers are real, the people at Guzzi's are not trying to fool anyone, they are just trying to do their job well. The garlic burger was very garlic-y and very good, but the Blue Burger was very very good. They make a bleu cheese burger as I've never seen it done before. While grilling your patty they also grill the bacon and cheese together until it become a little patty of its own with a crispy crust of bleu cheese surrounding thick cut bacon. Like I said, it was very very good. Eric says his bacon was a little weird, but that was the only foul word spoken about our experience. Ok there was one other thing, my only real complaint was that their ice maker and soda machine was broken so there was a bag of ice on the counter to share between the customers and the soda wasn't carbonated. They were having an off day I think.
And the fries, I really enjoyed the fries too. They were fresh cut unpeeled and just look at them, really just look at them and remember that shade of golden brown. THAT, in my opinion, is the correct color of a fry. It should be on the well done side and crispy. A fresh cut fry will only get so crispy but these guys did it right. I've had some limp fries in my day, not a fan. The worst limp fry culprit was at Five Guys, I could have tied a not with those noodles. (remember this? Look at that last photo again. http://samburgered.blogspot.com/2013/05/five-guys-burgers-and-lies.html for shame.)
I really liked the burgers, I liked mine so much that I forgot to offer a taste to my wife even though I took a bite of hers. I owe you one honey.

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