Lucky Dog Saloon & Grille – Conshohocken [Updated]

[Update 8/9/17: I had a chance to return a few weeks after my initial review and things turned out much, much better. Individual updates below in the Burger section and the overall rating.]

The Lucky Dog Saloon represents the first in what will likely be many reviews of family-friendly places in the suburbs that aren’t Iron Hill. It’s a fact of life that the majority of my going out to eat happens strictly at 5pm and requires seating to accommodate parents, siblings, nieces and nephews on both sides of the family. It was an early goal of Here’s the Beef 2.0 to find the best suburban burger that can also serve as a family night out – and the Lucky Dog is a solid contender in that category, though consistency may prove to be an issue.

Just want the Beef? Here’s the Beef.

Setting and Service

Newly (as of 2015) located on a Conshohocken corner, just steps from the institutional Great American Pub and Flanigan’s Boathouse, the Lucky Dog represents – to me at least – a step up in the casual family sports bar space. Uniquely decked out with about as much dog-related art and memorabilia as you can shake a stick at, there’s a sense of humor and whimsy in everything they do that a dorky-ass dad like myself can truly appreciate. And Daughter loves doggies, so they get a +1 in the “is there enough to keep Daughter occupied to prevent possible meltdown” column. See the doggies, Daughter? See ’em?

Good doggies.

On the service side, my last two visits have been outstanding. Both servers interacted with the kids, kept our drinks filled, and, most recently, took in in stride when Wife decided to drop the bombshell that a real-deal food blogger was in the house (thank you Wife! Not awkward at all!). They were also both knowledgeable about the beer, which is less common than it should be. Shout out to Pierce and Joe for being excellent.

The Burger

[I’m stating it now because I can: this burger paled in comparison to the first one I had here, so I will assert my right to update this post when I get a chance to return. -Ed.]

[Update 8/9/17: I returned, and it was glorious. Individual updates below for Beef, Bun and Toppings. -Ed.]

The menu includes two pre-fab burgers that really don’t mess around: the Samson includes andouille sausage, onion rings and smoked gouda cheese sauce; the Truffle is topped with sauteed mushrooms, fontina cheese and truffle aioli. Yeesh! I went with the build-your-own option because I’m a man of simple pleasures , but I noticed after the fact that every addition comes at a cost, including usual inclusions like cheese and sauteed onions (Buddy DeSylva and Lew Brown always were, and continue to be, completely full of shit). I’m assuming most other places factor that into the cost of the burger, as it was odd to see it called out on the menu. Luckily Dad was with us, so I ordered them all anyway.

Beef: Excellent beef! Don’t know for sure the exact mixture as the waiter told me brisket, but the menu claims short rib, brisket and chuck. Either way, it was clear from the first bite that this wasn’t just chuck or sirloin as it had an intensely meaty flavor. Great sear on both sides, but unfortunately was cooked past my preferred temperature which detracted from the overall experience. Could have use a bit more seasoning as well. Overall this just missed the mark I was expecting based on past experience.

Update 8/9/17: The beef fared much much better on my return visit. Cooked perfectly medium-rare with some nice sear to bring out additional beefy notes and vastly improve the texture .

Bun: Brioche again! But this time the insides of the roll were buttered and toasted, adding a welcome layer of texture and flavor. Take note, other places. Always toast your buns. Gotta toast those buns.

Update 8/9/17: No real updates here, other than they slightly over-toasted the bun on the edges which turned out in my favor. The extra-crunchy bits in the first few bites were fantastic. And I neglected to mention last time that while brioche isn’t always my favorite type of bun, they use a slimmer version here than what I’ve seen elsewhere, so it doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the ingredients. 

Toppings: So, I ordered this with fontina cheese because I am an idiot who can’t help but experiment even when perfectly good options (cheddar, American, anything else) are available. Fontina is not a burger cheese, unless maybe when it’s paired with mushrooms and truffle aioli, because at that point you’re not in it for the cheese. It’s very light – described as a milder swiss, but I would liken it to a mozzarella – adding little to no flavor. The bacon was crispy in spots but a little chewy in others, so a break-even there. What I found especially odd was the lack of lettuce and tomato. I perhaps neglected to realize that building my own burger necessitated asking specifically for any items I wanted, but also fair to think the old L&T would come standard. And they weren’t listed in the available toppings either. Really makes you think.

Update 8/9/17: Made the wise decision to go with cheddar cheese, skip the bacon and ask for lettuce and tomato. Cheddar just adds the right texture and background flavors to complete the package, though as you can see above the coverage left a little to be desired. And unless bacon is absolutely perfectly crispy, it can only detract from the experience. 

Platter: The mini fry basket for the fries is adorable and the house-made ketchup – with a little hint of warm spice – is delightful. Unfortunately the fries didn’t deliver. Much better than the sad leftovers I’ve had elsewhere, but these too were undercooked and underseasoned, leaving me underwhelmed. Should have ordered the waffle fries.

Did Daughter like it?

Daughter ate 400 puffs and some dynamite grilled cheese, but cast cold judgement on my burger offer.

Would Dad like it?

Dad was there and he enjoyed it quite a bit, despite there being no waffle fries*.

*People know I have a thing with my hair – I like it just the way I like it. I’ve maybe been described as “particular” and a “drama queen” or a “little bitch” and I accept it. I’ve changed barbers a number of times over the years and it takes me a few visits to build up the trust I need to ask for the cut I really want. I’ll ask for something more simple initially to make sure they can handle it before moving on to more advanced styles – hey, not everyone can do proper fade.
I bring this up for one reason: as we’re placing our orders, I hear Dad ask “Do you have waffle fries? No? Okay, I’ll take regular fries, well done” (he likes those crispies). “Dad, did you just ask for waffle fries?” “Yeah, ever had them? They always come out perfectly cooked all the way through.” Ha! Take that to the bank. If you’re ever concerned something won’t come out the way you want it, just take a shot in the dark and ask for a completely different product that has no margin of error. Try it at work later today.

What else do they have?

Beer

This is a very good place for beer. The draft list – 21 varieties deep the night I dined – is displayed in small binder, with each page dedicated to a different brew, including the brewery location, logo and a very detailed description of what to expect.

I was bummed they no longer had Pivo Pils, but this Head Hunter was quite good. Wondering now if getting punched in the mouth with hops affected my ability to taste fontina – either way it was worth it. Didn’t have a chance to try anything else but will explore more upon my return.

Do they have Bud Light or something comparable?

They did have both Miller Lite and Coors Light on tap, which would have been good enough. But they also had Bud Light bottles and frosted glasses, so Dad hit the jackpot.

Apps

Pretty decent wings, but you want the bucket of dirty balls.

Other menu options

It’s not a huge menu, which is nice. A few pasta dishes and some flatbreads, short rib entree, crab cakes, salads and whatnot. Brother-in-Law enjoyed the short ribs; kids and I enjoyed the mac & cheese and grilled cheese (which rivals that of any other family-friendly place I’ve been to). 

Here’s the Beef

I think I got a bum deal on the burger, so I’m not judging too harshly as I think the right temp from the kitchen and better topping choices by yours truly would elevate it well above average. And everything else about this place is great, from the service to the beer to the 70s R&B background music. You’ll have an easy time finding something for you kiddies, and the artwork and other decor provide some extra entertainment if they get antsy in their pantsy and need a walk around. Bonus: short walk around the corner for a nightcap or ice cream (or both!).

Setting and Service: B+

Burger: B+ B- (it was really closer to a C+, but I’m hedging on past and future experiences being better and also not ordering a dumb cheese like fontina)

Beer: B+

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