Dogwood Cafe

3712 Washington St.
Jamaica Plain MA 02130

First, let’s start with the basics. My burger came out medium rare, and my friend’s was medium. Both what we ordered, and we were impressed after the first bite with that. The burger itself was fair. There were some spices mixed into the meat, which were tasty, but I felt like maybe they were masking the fact that the ground beef was only OK. The patty is also pre-formed, which always makes me think that it is inferior ground beef. I have been told that that is not always the case, but that is my bias, and I can’t quite get over it. The burger was quite moist, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say juicy. There are grill marks on the outside, so I think it was cooked on a grill, but it isn’t grilled crispy on the outside. This may go back to my squishing theory—they squish it flat during the cooking, and so some of the juices drip out. The whole thing is a little soft, but not as juicy. I couldn’t actually see the kitchen, though, and I didn’t ask, so this is just my theory. I will ask some questions next time.

I ordered the Gorgonzola Burger, with gorgonzola and roasted red pepper. Those flavors were quite delicious, and this was another great bun—held up the burger, but I barely knew it was there. I actually opted for the side salad, instead of fries. I figure if I am going to eat burgers like it’s my job, I should throw some salads in there to counterbalance my cholesterol or whatever. And it was actually quite good. I really like simple salads, with really good greens, and maybe one or two other ingredients, and this hit the nail on the head. Good mesclun green mix, and a good balsamic vinaigrette on the side. I did make sure to taste the fries, though, and they were good too—of the standard, shoestring variety. I’d say they were skinny for fries overall, but on the fatter side of shoestrings.

Overall, I’d say the Dogwood Burger is better than average, to be sure. It is not spectacular, but still pretty damn good. I would definitely order it again, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. Which from me, is a pretty big compliment. I am on the quest for the best burger in the world. So, I tend to stick to my favorites, or the great unknown. But if I found myself at the Dogwood, with a hankering for a burger, I’d order one, and know I would leave happy.