3 ½ George Washingtons (out of 5)
There are a lot of different types of hamburgers in this world, and, with them, a lot of different types of burger people. There are the West Coast types, who like thin patties slathered with yummy mayo and fixings; there are the East Coast types, who like a thick patty that bleeds on your hands. There are those who like their burgers classic, with lettuce and tomatoes. And there are those who want nothing more than a novelty burger, with a creative name (in D.C., usually politics-related) and an even more creative selection of toppings.
Holy Cow is the burger joint for all these people. The patties are a compromise — wide, but not too thin or thick. They have a selection of “specialty” burgers on offer: the Holy Pig, the Big Deal, the Popper, etc. And they also let you design your own, providing a generous selection of toppings and fix-ins for you to select from. Whether you’re an East Coast person, a West Coast person, or something in between, there’s something here for you.
The specialty burgers are good, if a bit over-loaded with toppings. The Holy Pig–a patty topped with a generous mound of barbeque pork from next door’s Pork Barrel BBQ, part of the same restaurant group–was a particular hit. Building your own can be more hit-or-miss, depending on your creativity and burger-building IQ. Just a plain cheeseburger can be a bit dry, at least in this writer’s estimation, and benefits from the addition of one of the restaurant’s various excellent sauces. Try the Sriracha Aoili in particular. The fries were heavenly, an appropriate balance of crispy and chewy, and also come in sweet potato.
We stopped in for a quick dinner on a Friday, and there was only a short wait to order. The set-up is pretty typical for a NoVA burger joint: You order at the front, and they bring the burger to your table. There was no wait for a seat, and the tables turn quickly. The servers were very friendly and the place would be great for little ones. On the whole, the atmosphere was relaxed, clean, and a little bit Spartan. One nice perk: Twenty-five cents from every meal goes to charity, and you get to pick the charity from a long list at the register. Most of the charities are local.
Three and a half George Washingtons is a solid rating — a five is truly exceptional, and a four is very good. We would have given it a higher rating, except in the effort to please everyone Holy Cow falls short of truly amazing anyone (at least in our group). In our opinion, this is definitely a place to try, particularly if you’re hoping to please a large group of varied burger tastes.
George Washington Ate Here* 