In Jonesboro? Check out Redbeard’s Burger Barn!

Dining Duo wowed by new burger restaurant

Special to the Times The Place: Redbeard’s Burger Barn Location: 2213 South Caraway, Jonesboro Rating: 5 out of 5 POWs We’re always on the lookout for new places to eat, and Jonesboro never disappoints.

I had heard about a new burger restaurant that was opening soon on Caraway Road called Redbeard’s Burger Barn and was anxious to give it a try.

Cat usually puts up a fight because she says I pick terrible places. I don’t think that’s true. I guess she will never forgive me for the Bar- B-Q Shop in Memphis and the trauma of their BBQ spaghetti.

But you really can’t go wrong with burgers. And I was definitely right to give Redbeard’s a try.

Redbeard’s is located in the former Mango’s Hookah Bar on Caraway across from Lazari’s Italian Oven and next door to Little Ceasars Pizza. It officially opened on Oct.

1, but it is generally not a good idea to try a new restaurant during the first few days. It gives the staff time to work the kinks out, which is what Redbeard’s had to do after a busy first couple of days. The place was slammed with customers, and a few of the early comments I think unfairly complained about slow service. It takes time to get orders out when everything is cooked to order.

Cat and I went on a Saturday late in the afternoon after the lunch rush. It was steady, but not crowded by any means. Our server was attentive, got us our drinks and gave us time to look over the menu.

Redbeard’s has a very interesting menu. They offer a nice selection of unique burger combinations and hot dogs, as well as sandwiches and wraps. How’s this for combinations…

there is the Gulf burger (fried shrimp, jalamango sauce), the Kansas City burger (Swiss cheese, pulled pork, BBQ sauce), the Jersey burger (breaded eggplant, humus), and a few others that all sound really good. On the hot dog side, they have an Island dog (chili, diced pineapples), Knoxville dog (pepperoni, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese), the Iowa dog (wrapped in bacon, queso, jalepenos) to name a few.

I noticed right away how reasonable the prices are.

Burgers and hot dogs will run you about $7 to $8 and sandwiches and wraps $6 to $7, which is a bargain for the quality that you get. The burger patties are six ounces and made fresh with a unique blend of spices and are served on a brioche bun. The dogs are deep fried and served on a hoagie.

Cat decided to try the Michigan dog ($8) which comes with pickle fries, onions, and mustard.

Since none of the burgers or dogs comes with fries, we decided to split some farm cut fries ($1.69). Cat really liked the fries, noting that they were more like potato wedges. “They were good,” Cat said. “They had the perfect amount of seasoning, weren’t soggy, and not too much potato.”

The hot dog was also a hit with the finicky Cat. “It was more like a jumbo ball park hot dog or one you would find at a gourmet deli,” she added. “The frank was plump and juicy.

I really liked it.” Her one mild complaint was that the hoagie bun got a little hard as it cooled off.

HonestIy, I had a hard time picking because the burgers all sounded good…

except maybe for the Jersey. I settled on the Texan ($8) which comes with American cheese, sliced ham, fried egg, onion ring (which I had them leave off) and house BBQ sauce.

I thought it was excellent.

The patty was nice and juicy, not overcooked, and had a really good flavor to it. The extra toppings made it taste even better. I also thought the farm fries were good, but I wish they would give you a bigger portion.

Cat and I both agreed that the food at Redbeard’s was excellent. The owner made a point of checking in with patrons to see how they liked it. He told us that the combinations were created from experiences they had eating in different parts of the country. That’s a big reason why we liked Redbeard’s. We will definitely be back to try a different combo. “I’d do a burger next time,” Cat said. “The toppings and combinations are different from other places that serve burgers.

There really was nothing bad about it.”

Our bill – including two drinks — came to $22.86, which again, for the quality of what you get, is very reasonable. We give Redbeard’s an enthusiastic five POWs and would definitely recommend you give it a try the next time you are in Jonesboro.