Sometimes Burger Bounce takes us somewhere brand new… and sometimes it takes us somewhere that already feels familiar. This time we headed to Red Robin, a place that has honestly been part of our family memories for years. Birthdays, celebrations, random dinners after busy days… Red Robin has kind of always been there in the background of life. And while we don’t always choose chain restaurants for Burger Bounce, sometimes it’s nice to revisit a familiar spot and try something outside of your usual order.

That’s exactly what I did this time.

I’m such a creature of habit when I go to Red Robin that I genuinely didn’t realize they even had a turkey burger option until now. I decided to switch things up and ordered their turkey burger on a brioche bun with pepper jack cheese, green chile aioli, and lettuce… minus the tomato, of course. And honestly? It was really good.

The turkey burger itself was mild and didn’t have a ton of flavor on its own, but the combination of the pepper jack cheese, the soft brioche bun, and especially that green chile aioli completely made the burger for me. The aioli added just enough kick and flavor to pull everything together without overpowering it. As for the appetizer, we went with fried shrimp. Now, normally I lean toward grilled or non breaded shrimp these days, mostly because fried food isn’t something I eat very often anymore. But every once in a while, it’s nice to step outside the norm a little and honestly, it was fantastic. Crispy, flavorful, and definitely one of those “no regrets” moments. 

But as always, the best part really wasn’t the food. It was the time together. 

There’s something special about sitting across the table from your grown child, sharing stories, trying new things, and making space for connection in the middle of regular life. And getting to do that on Mother’s Day weekend made it feel even sweeter.

Some places become favorites because of the food. Others become favorites because of the memories attached to them. And maybe the best ones are a little bit of both.

Jake’s Take:

Red Robin is practically a staple for our family. Many dinners for either birthdays, anniversaries, or meals following school and extracurricular events took place at Red Robin. As such, I’m familiar with the layout and a few of the standby’s on their menu as well. It’s rare that we arrive when the restaurant is as empty as this was, though. We arrived shortly after opening for an early Mother’s Day lunch, as opposed to our more standard dinners that we would have at this eatery, so there were only a handful of other people in the parking lot, let alone actually inside. I preferred this, strange as it might’ve been in the moment, as it made conversing with one another so much easier.

​For our appetizer: shrimp basket! Shrimp are great, I’ve always liked them. And this was no exception. Just standard, tailless, breaded shrimp with a tangy cocktail sauce to dip them in. Most of the basket was the bed of Yukon chips that the shrimp rested atop. What are Yukon Chips? Honestly, I haven’t the foggiest, they appeared like regular ridged chips, just crispier than usual and with less salt as well. Frankly they tasted like Grant’s Farm. But with the cocktail sauce, it was hardly noticeable. Doesn’t really matter anyhow, the shrimp were the main course of the appetizer. But now, for the main course of the main course!

The burger I ordered was the “Madlove” burger. Often seen on the menu, but I had never tried it. Even still, it was always on my mind, not only because of the 1935 Peter Lorre film of the same name. Mainly because of the sweet jalapeno relish. I’m used to jalapenos being spicy, but being in a sweet, probably cold relish? Madness! Perhaps that’s where the Madlove burger got its name? Regardless, it was fantastic, I was a fan. The candied bacon was a standout, as someone that complains about an overabundance of bacon on burgers in nearly every entry of this blog series, I was surprised at how much I liked it. It paired with the relish particularly well. The Swiss cheese was great, though I hadn’t read that the cheddar-Parmesan was a “crisp”. Makes sense, but when it came to the table, I was trying to figure out what it was! It tasted burnt, so I could only assume it was meant to be the cheddar-Parmesan. Lastly, I got the burger without avocado, I figured it would be unnecessary for me. But the burger was great, if at times confusing, and I would pick this one up again for sure! Will Red Robin ever cease being great?

I always love reading Jake;s reviews, don’t you?

Some traditions don’t need to be fancy to matter. Sometimes all it takes is good conversation, a basket of fries, and time together.

With love,

Mindy