Restaurant Reviews
The Habit
Reviewed by The Cured Ham on Apr 19, 2010
What's it like?
Another chain restaurant comes to Fresno! No news there. Chain Burger restaurant with patio comes to Fig Garden Village, Home of The Elbow Room (required mention of The Bow according to Fresno Code). No news there. So why am I writing about The Habit, the latest chain burger joint to hit the Fresno strip mall scene? Because this burger was an affront to burger joints everywhere in America! So, what's all the fuss about? It's a burger, and a basic one. And you can order fries with that burger and a drink if you like. Yawn. Yawn. I checked the corporate website. There are 34 Habit Burger locations in California. Wow! 34 locations is proof something is working well. The Habit, originally started in Santa Barbara, CA in 1969. Not too dis-similar a story from In-n-Out or Original Tommy's. Franchise/Corporate owned burger stop makes it big in Southern California and eventually spreads. Great story in American Capitalism and my sincere congratulations to the owners for their success.
These burgers look delicious and they certainly have an eye for the camera. But they lack inspiration. They lack character. Frankly, they lack messiness. The burger is constructed perfectly such that I didn't need to use a napkin after each bite or both hands to pick it up. Boring. The bun didn't shred apart after my second bite. The proportions of bun, to patty, to toppings are within military grade specs. There wasn't a pool of tomato juice, mayonnaise, and all-beef patty drippings all over my tray. What's wrong with this thing? It's a burger for Christ Sake, not high tea cucumber sandwiches at the Ritz. Why don't they just serve this burger with a fork and knife and put it on a 12 inch white plate! AHHHH! NOOO! And look at the fries! No fry is different from it's brother. All golden, all the right size, evenly salted, slightly crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside. What is wrong with this place!! Ketchup is neatly squirted into mini paper receptacles so as not to soil the tray or worse, damage or soften the French fries. Maddening!!
Normally, The Cured Ham enjoys attention to detail and exactness with ingredients, and above all, consistency. Yes, risotto should come out the proper way each time. So should pasta. Minimal room for error. Pasta cooked al dente is a matter of Italian pride. And a burger that doesn't make a mess is Un-American. It's shameful. A burger that doesn't make a mess and fries that were cut with a laser beam must be expensive? No. Based on all the measured perfection here and the space-age tools they're using to construct their No Mess Abomination, you'd expect a high price tag. Wrong. Try under $7.
I suppose you should try The Habit for yourself if you want to be underwhelmed. Take your clean freak, worried-about-appearances, has to eat at the newest restaurant in town but doesn't eat just salads, anal retentive, slightly-weight-conscious, semi-organic, worried about fat, cholesterol, rickets, and scurvy, acquaintance; I didn't say friend, to eat here. They'll have a marvelous time. I'd hate for you to lose a friend over a hamburger.
If this is the evoluation of the American Hamburger, I weep for the future. I think there's No Substitute for a Messy and Inspired Burger.
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Comments
AdamW (not verified) | Wed, 2010-04-21 09:26
"Frankly, they lack messiness. The burger is constructed perfectly such that I didn't need to use a napkin after each bite or both hands to pick it up. Boring. The bun didn't shred apart after my second bite. The proportions of bun, to patty, to toppings are within military grade specs. There wasn't a pool of tomato juice, mayonnaise, and all-beef patty drippings all over my tray."
"If this is the evoluation of the American Hamburger, I weep for the future. I think there's No Substitute for a Messy and Inspired Burger."
Who wrote this review? A corporate shill for the 10 year-old messy, manly Carl's Jr. ad campaign?
Christ.
The Cured Ham | Wed, 2010-04-21 09:52
Dear Sir,
Generally a shill would offer a favorable review, with the aire of impartiality. I have nothing to gain by generating hype for The Habit or Carl's Jr. for that matter.
Simply stated, I like messiness with regard to eating hamburgers and The Habit offers no such thing. I can't even request my patty to be cooked medium rare, another strike against, which is why I don't eat Carl's Jr. either.
What are your thoughts about The Habit? Any critical review? Other places you like in town better?
AdamW (not verified) | Wed, 2010-04-21 12:53
I think The Habit, as it relates to other fast food establishments is a fine place. The comparisons to In-N-Out in both reviews I read here are valid.
The extensive diatribe over lack of messiness and the harsh, needless characterizing of patrons who enjoy a place for what it offers are both excessive and irrelevant to the review of the food and service. What the hell do you care if a clean freak or person with OCD frequents The Habit or any other place?
"And a burger that doesn't make a mess is Un-American."
I see. Apparently, people who have OCD or are clean freaks are un-American. Good to know.
"Generally a shill would offer a favorable review, with the aire of impartiality."
Exactly. Had the burger you order splashed all over the table and down your chin, you would have apparently devoted several paragraphs to your glorious burger bath, much as the old Carl's Jr. commercials did.
"I think there's No Substitute for a Messy and Inspired Burger."
There may not be, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other niches to be filled. If you want to criticize American food culture, there are better places to do it where you don't potentially ruin a restaurant's rep for quick service and consistent food which is what many fast food patrons seek.
The Cured Ham | Thu, 2010-04-22 06:16
It's called literary hyperbole. Here is a modified review.
It is Friday, March 26th, 2010. The time is 12:37pm. The town is Fresno, CA. The Restaurant I will eat at today is The Habit, located in Fig Garden Village.
Patrons must order at the counter. Two service staff takes your order. I ordered a hamburger with cheese and grilled onions. French fries were ordered as an optional side dish. I paid 6 dollars and 43 cents. Once payment is received, I am given a receipt with my order number. Today my order number is 54. Patrons then wait for their number to be called to pick up their order.
Patrons are advised to secure seating. Seating may or may not be a factor the restaurant can control. Please be advised, tables may not be available for all patrons. I did not take note of the maximum occupancy of the establishment. Seating is available inside and outside of the establishment.
When my number was called from an overhead amplification system roughly seven minutes and 21 seconds from when my order was placed and receipt obtained. The voice from the overhead system was female. I picked up my cheeseburger and fries on a orange plastic tray with paper lining. The tray weight was approximately 12 ounces sans burger and fries. A single napkin was placed on the tray. No other utensils or condiments were present at the time of pick-up.
My burger was wrapped in a form of paper to allow for one-half of the burger to be exposed. The bun was made with wheat flour with a 5 inch diameter and spongy to the touch. Upon grasping burger with hand, the bun did not tear under pressure or torsion. The bun tasted of flour and water. The all-beef patty was roughly three quarter inches thick and cooked to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. No apparent seasoning. American cheese was used and was melted on top of patty. The patty tasted of bovine flesh. Tomatoes, pale red in color were sliced in rounds one inch thick and tasted like a tomato. Iceberg lettuce, greenish-white in color, was shredded, room temperature and sat below the patty, tasted like nothing. Grilled yellow onions were flaccid, warm, and were placed on top of the patty tasted like onion. I do not know who the suppliers of produce are.
The 5.5 ounces of fries are made from potato, sliced to one eighth inch wide by four inches long, fried in vegetable oil until crispy then seasoned with salt. Ketchup is an option for dipping. Ketchup may be obtained at a communal counter along with plastic utensils and napkins. Cardboard containers are available to dispense your ketchup. I did not make a note on the brand of ketchup.
There were approximately 47 patrons eating at tables that day. 13 patrons were at various stages of ordering and waiting for their meals. Men and women were present.
Outside of the control of the restaurant, the wind was approximately 5 mph, and the ambient temperature was 73 degrees Fahrenheit with partial high cloudiness visible. Parking could be obtained within 200 feet of entry way. Street noise from Shaw Ave is a factor as is generally parking lot noise. Many patrons were talking at various decibel levels. Fumes from various vehicles may cause harm. If you are exposed to the sun, it may cause harm. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The Habit does not give tax advice. Birds were singing. A dog barked nearby.
My final review of The Habit. Thank you for reading.
Chris S. (not verified) | Wed, 2010-04-21 19:49
Well done the Cured Ham... If anyone has ever been to the original in Goleta, you would know that this one is not Habit forming.
AdamW (not verified) | Thu, 2010-04-22 13:07
Having problems dealing with criticism of your criticisms?
Literary hyperbole and passive aggressive behavior. Thanks for trying, but I'll look elsewhere for reviews.
bradley | Tue, 2010-06-01 13:59
I think The Cured Ham's review was dead-on, and I think his riposte was in good spirits and warranted.
Adam, you simply got pwnd. Take your lumps with grace. ;o)
Jason Millar (not verified) | Wed, 2010-10-13 09:35
WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE?
It's like In 'N Out..
with the following exceptions:
They have good shakes.
They'll put pineapple and BBQ sauce on your burger.
They have a pastrami burger.
Fancy people go there.
It's hard to find a seat during regular eating times.
JasonMillar | Wed, 2010-10-13 09:38
WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE?
It's like In 'N Out..
with the following exceptions:
They have good shakes.
They'll put pineapple and BBQ sauce on your burger.
They have a pastrami burger.
Fancy people go there.
It's hard to find a seat during regular eating times.