Burger review of the Month: Bull City's exotic meats

Nothing at burgiatry school could have prepared us for this. Non-cow burgiatry is an emotionally charged issue in the burger community, and few experts have dared explore the terrain. During our sophomore year, one professor conducted a clandestine seminar called “Elk vs. Antelope Meat: Which Is Weirder?” and was denied tenure. So naturally we were apprehensive. In addition to the alligator burger, we ordered the BCBB Burger of the Day – with mozzarella cheese and a fried egg – to keep one foot in beefa firma.

And now a sentence we never thought we’d utter: The gator was surprisingly tasty.

The fact that the alligator was served modestly – just bun, lettuce, and "special sauce"– bode well for the burger; we’d been burned before by condiments-related atrocities designed to mask an otherwise mediocre patty. The gator itself was reminiscent of sausage, though more heavily spiced and with a subtle fishy flavor. The “special sauce” was a tomato-onion-bell pepper concoction reminiscent of scallopini sauce, and who could say 'no' to meat from an 800-pound lizard topped with scallopini sauce? Certainly not we. In fact, we preferred the gator burger to the standard beef fare, which was good but not exceptional.

Size was a considerable drawback, as BCBB burgers of every genus are on the small side. Prices on the exotics ($13) and daily specials ($11) are a bit steep – despite the A+ fries that come standard.

Above all, Bull City Burger and Brewery is to be commended for its bold shake-up of the Triangle burger universe. Just don’t make the same mistake we did: Before you start eating, remove the mosquito netting.

Our review of the gator burger:

Michael 4.25/5

Scott: 4/5