Peoria Best Burger Quest - Publik House

There's a contest right now at www.ciproud.com to vote on Peoria's best burgers.  I will try to post my thoughts on some of the nominees and others in my quest for the best burger in the area.

First stop, Publik House in the Heights.  I love this bar.  I had a self-imposed exile for some time after the departure of their former chef.  The new menu looks good, and I will try a sampling in the future.  But I was in the mood for a burger.

It was ok.  Probably the smallest half pound burger I have eaten.  Patty seemed to be preformed, probably frozen.  Fat content was good.  It was cooked pretty close to medium as requested., and seasoned well.  Toppings were fresh.  Bun was a bit big.  It's a decent burger in a great bar, but not a contender for the title.  I wish they still had the prime burger from the original Sullivans.

No burger review is complete without mention of the accompanying fries.  Publik House is definitely a contender in the best fries in the Peoria area, perhaps only surpassed by Grandpa John's on a good day.  They serve proper frites, even if they spell them "frittes", clearly double fried to the point where they are crispy outside, and creamy on the inside.  Well seasoned, with something delightfully strange in the flavor (rosemary?).  Perhaps a bit overdone on this visit, but that's the way I like them.  Get a side of mayo for dipping with a nice pint of beer and you will swear you are in Belgium.

On a side note, I had the bacon & blue cheese fries on previous visits.  They only list a full order now, but you used to be able to get a small order for like $4.  This may have been the best $4 I have ever spent on food.  The serving was generous, and the cheese and bacon were decadent with the awesome spuds.

Stay tuned for more burger thoughts.  In the meantime, I hold Ludy's, Ulrich's, Katy Kats, and Burger Barge all in high esteem.  If you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments.