Cattle call: Juicy Burger & Dogs opens in Centennial

By Lori Midson Tue., Oct. 19 2010 at 12:01 PM

Categories: Midson: Gastronaughty, Open and Shut Cases

Lori Midson

Just in case you were wondering, we haven't seen the last of Denver's burger trend. Juicy Burgers & Dogs, a modern and minimalist, tiled, stark white space wedged into the corner of a small mall, opened last week at 6830 South Yosemite Street in Centennial, a few storefronts down from Karl's FF Delicatessen, a German sandwich shop and market that's been slinging bratwurst, potato salad and headcheese since 1981.

There's none of that on the short board at Juicy's, which pimps exactly four dogs -- a classic Chicago, a jumbo Kobe dog, mini Kobe dogs and a Wisconsin beer bratwurst -- four burgers, including lamb, chicken and beef, fries and onion slivers, chili, milkshakes and desserts.

Lori Midson

"We're different from most burger joints, insomuch that our burgers are all char-grilled, which gives them that great outdoor flavor, plus our buns -- a pumpernickel and an egg bun -- come from Udi's Bakery," says owner Laura Gardiner. "Before we opened, I went to all the burger places in Denver, tried them all and priced them all, and while ours are less expensive than other places, we're definitely not sacrificing quality."

To wit: the all-natural lamb, chicken and beef are procured from Colorado, the spuds and onions all hand-cut, the sauces housemade and the fruit breads, cupcakes and cookies are baked by Debra Lambert, the former owner of Boulder Cheesecake.

As for the hot dogs, Lambert describes herself as a junkie. "I didn't want hot dogs to be a side thing. I'm addicted to Chicago hot dogs, and the ones we're serving here are fantastic -- not just the Chicago dog, but all of them," she promises. There's a "secret" menu, too, reveals Lambert, which includes sliders tucked into ciabatta buns from City Bakery and a Polish dog. "It's sort of our way of experimenting," she says, adding that she may soon introduce a vegetarian burger to the menu.

Toppings, of which there are more than a dozen, are all free and include sauerkraut, grilled onions, sport peppers, aioli, hot sauce and burger sauce, and every Sunday, kids under the age of twelve can get a burger or dog, French fries and a drink for free with any adult purchase.

For more info, call 303-741-3647, or go to www.juicyburgers.com.