MercNewsReview

Burger and Shake Nirvana

SATISFY YOUR CRAVINGS AT MAIN STREET IN LOS GATOS

BY HOLLY HAYES Mercury News

Main Street Burgers
20 S. Santa Cruz Ave. (at Main Street), Los Gatos. (408) 354-1881.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Types of food: Excellent burgers and other sandwiches, salads, thick milkshakes, frozen custard, frozen yogurt.
Average meal price: Around $7, but can climb higher with multiple sides.
Good choices: Smoked Bacon & Blue burger, sweet potato fries, made-to-order milkshakes.
Not recommended: The garlic fries, unless you really love garlic. Main Street piles it on.
Attitude: Friendly and efficient.
Amenities: Classic chrome-and-red-vinyl stools, some small tables. Patio area lets you watch the world go by. Vintage photos of various Los Gatos town celebrations are fun to check out.
Vegetarian options: Grilled portobello mushroom sandwich, grilled cheese, organic mixed greens.
Drinks: Yummy lemonade, sodas.
Eat in car: Wouldn’t try it.
Who goes there: Families, shoppers, folks who work in downtown Los Gatos.
Credit cards: Yes
Parking: City lots are free.

The fat police are going to come after me for this, but you know what? I bet I’m not the only one who craves a really excellent burger now and then. With fries. And a shake.
But if I’m going to indulge in the fat grams and calories, I want my burger-fries-and-shake to deliver -- big time -- in the flavor department.
How totally delightful, then, to discover Main Street Burgers in Los Gatos.
They make their hefty 1/3-pound patties from freshly ground Black Angus beef, and they don’t go on the grill until you place your order. They nestle the thin-cut fries into trans-fat-free oil, which gives them a perfectly crisp exterior and a dreamy-soft interior. And the thick shakes -- each one individually made, just for you -- are made from super-premium (hurray!) Treat ice cream, which is made right here in San Jose.
On a recent visit, I stepped up to the Smoked Bacon & Blue ($7.49), a juicy patty topped with an ultra-rich combination of blue cheese, smoked bacon and garlicky mayonnaise, all on an exquisitely simple, lightly toasted white bun dusted with flour. It was nirvana, even if it was a tad messy. Rolls of white paper towels are stationed at each table for precisely this reason.
My companion tried the Main Street Original ($5.79, or $6.99 for the half-pound version), which comes with crisp dill pickles and the nicely smoky “signature sauce.” He swooned.
Other burgers range from $3.89 for a smaller version of the Main Street to $8.99 for the Double Cheeseburger, a behemoth that has two patties and lots of cheese.
On the side, we had those wonderful fries ($2.29 as a full order, or 99 cents with your burger) and a pile of very good and very non-greasy onion rings ($3.79, or $1.99 with a burger).

Lemonade ($1.99 for a generous 16-ounce cup) is nicely tart and instantly reminded me of what lemonade tastes like when it’s freshly made, as it is here. The chocolate milkshake ($4.49 for 16 ounces) was the perfect consistency -- thick enough to stand up to the straw but not so dense I got a headache trying to sip it. The inside of the clear cup was artfully drizzled with chocolate syrup before the lighter-colored shake was poured in, a nice custom touch.
But all is not burgers at Main Street Burgers, which is operated by the same folks who own the Willow Street Pizza mini-chain.
On another visit, we ventured deeper into the sandwich menu to sample the pesto chicken and sourdough ($6.59), a smashing combination of a juicy boneless chicken breast, pesto-infused mayonnaise and Swiss cheese on very good grilled Sonoma sourdough bread. Sometimes sandwiches like this are hard to eat because the breast is too thick and the bread over-toasted. But this was perfect.
The Grilled Cheese ($3.19) sat on the grill for precisely the right amount of time: The bread was golden, the full-fat (hurray!) American cheese just at the gooey melting point. Is there better comfort food on this planet? I think not.
And don’t miss the sweet potato fries ($3.49 for a generous order, or $1.99 with a burger or sandwich). We dubbed these “destination food.” As in: We’d drive to Los Gatos just to eat these fries.
If you must appease the fat police, there are leaner options on the Main Street menu. They include a house-made veggie burger ($6.69) and grilled portobello mushroom ($6.59). And in the salad department, you probably couldn’t go wrong with grilled chicken and avocado or wild Alaskan salmon ($7.49 each), served on mixed organic greens.
But you know you want the burger, fries and shake. Indulge.