Rossi's Tavern - Trenton, NJ

It has been several months since I have had the opportunity to get back to Rossi’s Tavern, so when one of my fellow Air Force members asked where he could get the best burger in NJ, I had to bring up Rossi’s.  When Rossi’s popped into my head, I couldn’t possibly let him go by himself.  After all, he is here on temporary duty assignment from Minneapolis, and what kind of fellow Airmen would I be sending him into Trenton by himself?

That said, I picked him up at his hotel, and off to Rossi’s we went.  We arrived around 6:30, and there were a few open seats at the bar.  I grabbed two stools over on the corner of the bar where I usually sit, and Bob was behind the bar.  A couple of beers were ordered and we received menu’s.  Without looking, I already knew what I would be ordering.  Their classic burger, topped with Swiss cheese, fried onion, and of course bacon, medium of course, with a side of homemade chips.  Louie ordered a cheddar burger medium well with fries.

Even with a packed house, the kitchen was turning food out pretty quick.  Not even 10 minutes went by and we had our burgers, and as usual, they came out hot, large, and in charge!  Both of our burgers were cooked to temperature, and booth oozing juicy goodness.  As always, the meat was very nice, not overly seasoned, and just downright tasty.  The buns were fresh with a nice crust on the top, but light and fluffy in the middle.  My bacon and onion had great flavor, and the Swiss cheese was as good as any.

What can I say other than the fact that it was yet another great meal.  Even Louie said that it was by far the best burger he has had in NJ, and trust me when I say that we know how to do burgers in NJ!  What a treat!  Cheers!  -F. Scott

Rossi's Bar and Grill -Trenton, NJ

Tonight was just one of those nights that I was too lazy to even think about cooking anything after a long day, so a late dinner was in order. I definitely didn’t feel like fast food, so I took a little drive into lovely Trenton, and hit the ever reliable Rossi’s Tavern. On the way there, I had my heart set on the always delicious burger, but about 5 blocks from Rossi’s, I remember that I have been wanting to try the Roast Pork sandwich, so tonight was going to be the night.


I walked in, and saw the usual suspects sitting at the bar, and as always, Bob was working behind the bar. I immediately sat at my normal bar stool on the corner, ordered a Yuengling, and a roast pork sandwich with provolone cheese. In the meantime, I enjoyed some college basketball on one TV, and horse racing on the other TV. It’s hard to believe that pony season is already upon us, and I am looking forward to some trips to Monmouth Park this year, as well as Saratoga, and hopefully we can even make the “Arlington Million” this year at my home track just outside of Chicago.

Out came my pork sandwich, and like the burgers, it was big! I immediately cut it in half, and the aroma’s from the roast pork were great. You could definitely smell the herbs that the pork is cooked with, and I am guessing it has some rosemary, thyme, and in the mix. The provolone was nicely melted, and the roll was airy and crisp on top, while the bottom was just starting to absorb the juices. This was also accompanied by a cup of au jus on the side, which I didn’t think was necessary, but it did have nice flavors to it. Not being super hungry, I opted for fries on the side, instead of the usual chips I order.

The first bite was awesome and flavorful, and this is exactly what I expected from the first time that I saw this sandwich. The pork was tender, juicy, and exploding with flavors. The provolone was the perfect accompaniment, and the roll was of the perfect texture. The rosemary really comes through nicely with the pork, and the flavors all work so well together. As always, the fries were hot and crisp, and were perfect with a little salt and pepper.

Although this sandwich was perfect, I would really love to see what they could do with this pork in doing a bbq sandwich, which I don’t know if they do or not. The flavors and textures of the pork really reminded me of a pork sandwich that I love at The Texan BBQ in Algonquin, IL, so that is something I would like to inquire in. But at the same point, why ruin something that is already perfect?

All in all, another good night at Rossi’s, and another tasty meal. Maybe I need to get away from their sandwiches, and try some of their steaks, or better yet try the lamb! Time will tell, and the ever delicious Rossi’s saga will continue for many years to come. And as always, kudos to Bob for the great service behind the bar! Another good night, and another happy belly! Cheers! -F. Scott

Rossi's Bar & Grill - Trenton, NJ

Yeah, I know, what else is there to say? Another early night, and another great burger at Rossi's in Trenton. Went for the burger with Swiss cheese, bacon, and grilled onion, cooked medium, and once again it was perfect. Great burger, incredible homemade chips, and another great meal at Rossi's! I just cannot stay away from this place, and it's such a good burger! Make the trip! It's a Trenton staple, and well worth the ride! And the dining room was absolutely packed tonight, yet it still took less than 10 minutes to get my chow on! How can you not love this place! Great pre-surgery food! Cheers! -F. Scott PS: for our new readers, make sure you scroll down to see some of my other reviews from Rossi's in the last few weeks!

Rossi's Bar & Grill - Trenton, NJ

Don't try to adjust your monitor's folks, yes, I was at Rossi's again this month, and what is there to say about Rossi's other than yum? Wednesday night seems to prove to be a great night to go out and have some good cuisine and try places that are close by. Tonight proved no differently, so Professor P., if you're reading, keep letting us out of class early on so I can imbibe in some good local cuisine! LOL! ;-)

Got to Rossi's and grabbed my corner seat and ordered a Yuengling from John behind the bar. Immediately ordered a bacon cheddar burger, medium, with homemade chips on the side at the recommendation of my good bicycling pal Gary.

Sat and watched the Olympics for a while, and not even 10 minutes later out came my burger, with a monster basket full of chips. Good lord the chips are a meal in themselves! Cut the burger in half, dumped a bit of Heinz ketchup on it, and some more ketchup on the plate for the chips.

First thing I noticed about the burger is the fact that it was even bigger than the last one. They obviously do not weigh their meat, and they could careless how big your burger is, and trust me when I say that they are big! The last one I had was big, but this was absolutely massive.

Once again, cooked perfect to the temp of medium, and once again, absolutely delicious, and absolutely tasty. The cheddar was bubbling, and the bacon was crisp, and there was nothing at all to complain about.

As for the chips, holy heaven on this lovely my readers! These chips were hot, and they were dry! How they keep this mountain of fried potato love from being greasy is beyond me, but these alone are worth the trip to Trenton. They were nicely fried, some lighter than others, yet some a nice golden russet brown. YUM! I ended up bringing half of them home in a giant brown paper bag, and I will be curious to see how they are tomorrow warmed up.

So once again my dear readers, to the above right is a nice picture of some lovely "beef porn" as those in the industry love to say, and I hope that it has your mouths watering. This is by far the best burger in New Jersey, and I highly recommend that anyone make he drive, whether it be 2 minutes, or two hours. You will not be disappointed!

Sorry for double posts on Rossi's within the same month, but this is a burger that just deserves to be talked about. Let the "nay-sayers" say their "nay's," but I am a fan of Rossi's for life. And as last time, give it up to Bob behind the bar for keeping the beer cold, and the bar happy!

One observation that I made is the simple fact that the roast pork sandwich looks absolutely ridiculous. As much as I would hate to go to Rossi's and not order a burger, the roast pork looks like a must try! The gauntlet has been laid down, so stay tuned for the next adventure to try to roast pork in the Rossi's saga! Cheers! -F. Scott

Rossi's Bar & Grill - Trenton, NJ

After a long day, nothing says love to a Midwestern boy like me like a good burger! That being said, I took a ride over to Trenton to visit the world famous Rossi's Bar & Grill, for what many call the best burger in NJ. I'll say that it has been years since I have been to Rossi's, but Zelda took me there when we first started dating way back when. I remember the burger being fantastic back then, and there is really no excuse that we haven't been back in such a long time. That said, tonight was the night! I walked in and grabbed a seat at the bar, and the place looked just as I remembered. Sat down and ordered a beer from Bob behind the bar, got a menu, and opted for the burger with Swiss cheese, and fried onions, cooked medium. It couldn't have been much more than 5 minutes, and out came my burger and fries. The burger looked just as I remembered, but was bigger than I remembered them being. Upon cutting it in half to make it easier to eat, the burger was cooked perfectly. Unfortunately, the Blackberry doesn't do the burger justice, but you get the idea! The onions had very light coloring to them, but were nice and tender, and the swill cheese was melted and oozing all over the place!

I added a bit of Heinze ketchup to the burger, put some on my plate for my fries, and in I dove! The first bite was heaven, and I had to ask why it has been so long since I have been back to Rossi's. This is just such a good burger! No frills to it whatsoever! Just good meat, and minimal seasoning. If I had to guess, it's just a little bit of salt and pepper. Do you really need to add anything else? Obviously not! The meat itself was tender, and had really nice flavor. It was simple, and just down and dirty good. It wasn't greasy in the least, but you can tell there is a little fat in their ground beef to give it that good flavor. The Swiss cheese added a nice element, as did the onions. The onions actually had a bit of a sherry taste to them, which I am assuming is from flying on the flat top. All in all, what can I say other than awesome! $13 for a burger and a Yuengling. That's cheaper than just a burger at some of the establishments we have in town, and their burger doesn't compare to a Rossi burger! If you're looking for one of the best burgers in NJ, Rossi's is a must hit! I look forward to comparing this burger to a burger from Boom in Belmar, as well as Barnacle Bill's in Rumson. Stay tuned for the latest and greatest to find the best burger in NJ! For now, Rossi's is in the lead! Cheers! Rossi's Bar & Grill 501 Morris Avenue Trenton NJ 08611 Phone: (609)394-9089 http://www.rossiburger.com/