I have never had Steak & Ale for lunch most likely because of its reputation of being pricey and for lunch I never feel like doing something pricey that is what dinner is for. But I was pleasantly surprised the S&A has 10 lunches under $7. I wanted to indulge and go with the Prime Rib Panini, which was not on the 10 under 7 menu, but i decided to go with something more common in the Smoke Cheddar Burger.

The burger was good sized as which you would expect for a $7 cheeseburger they claim it to be a 1/2 pound. The beef was excellent and on par with some of the best burgers I have ate although it was cooked more well done than i prefer but not bad enough to affect flavor. On top of the beef was a hardy helping of cheddar cheese that was melting as it lay there; very gooey which i love. the bun was big and grilled which is always a plus but with a lack of condiments (to which there were none served with it) made the burger seem a little dry. On the side it came with a piece of lettuce (that was wilty), a single slice of tomato (that took up approx 1/4 of my burger when place on it), and lots of red onion (strong). I had a side order of steak fries along with it and this turned out to be a very good idea because they were delicious. Steak fries are usually hit or miss with me but these rank right at the top with Cracker Barrel’s.  Light salt and seasoning crispy around the outside and little soft in the middle.

Overall i was pleased, the burger overcame the shortcomings that was the garnish and dryness to be a very good meal. if you throw on some mayo and another slice of tomato, or two, this is a top tier burger. Add on the excellent fries and for $7 you have an outstanding lunch at a nice place.

TOTAL SCORE = 7/10