Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: Terry's Turf Club Delivers Serious Burgers

I'm a sucker for those little hidden gems of restaurants that end up on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives - although I always manage to get the name of this show all twisted up when I mention it. Admittedly, I kind of dismissed Terry's Turf Club when I first came across it perusing some of the local restaurants. It sounded meaty, and I worried I'd be left with slim pickings. But I did a little more research and found that they offer 2 vegetarian burger options - Portobello or Shiitake. I always tend to make a mess of a burger if I get portobello, but I was intrigued by the shiitake option - that's not something you normally see.  So, all of the hubbub surrounding Terry's centers on the Additions. You start with a base burger - and then there are several specialty cheese you can choose from as well as their house-made sauces.

Last Friday we decided to head over here for dinner. We arrived around 5 or so, and it wasn't terribly busy. Walking up, the lawn and exterior is just covered with a collection of signs.  

The inside follows the same theme, random signs and memorabilia plastered anywhere space allows.  

The menu may catch you off-guard after taking in the decor. The offerings are nothing short of gourmet.

Francisco went with the Shiitake burger and a side of cheese sauce (1st picture), and I got a Portobello burger - despite my hesitations - with the Foghorn Leghorn sauce and a side of Fried Corn on the Cob.  All sandwiches come with your choice of basic toppings, including 2 slices of American or Swiss cheese and a side of potato chips.  Other sides or additional toppings will cost extra.  

Bottom: Close-up of my burger sauce

So, what did we think? We both loved the Shiitake. I should have went with my initial instinct and not done portobello. Overall, we both enjoyed Francisco's sandwich more.  I didn't love the sauce that came with mine.  I would go back, but next time I would try a different sauce on the Shiitake. The food comes out on sturdy paper plates, but we didn't have silverware. I'm sure you can ask for some, but we tried to muscle through these sammiches on our own. Be forewarned - it's messy.  

Aside from the food, the service was decent. But while we got there early enough for it not to be crowded, it definitely filled up. So much so that the staff ended up sitting another couple at our table. This was shortly after I had remarked to my husband that he was about the only person I would be comfortable eating this burger in front of.  :(  Luckily, we were just about done at this point.

Also, with the add-ons, it can get a bit pricey. Our bill came to $31 before tip - and we only had the food pictured above.  Not awful for the quality of the ingredients, but I was surprised at how quickly it all added up.    

Here is a clip from Guy Fieri's visit: