Burger wars: Gateway Burger

Gateway Burger
Eat it: Gateway Burger, $7.25, Gateway Market, 2002 Woodland Ave. and 520 Market St., West Des Moines.
Info: gatewaymarket.com
At first glance the Gateway Burger looks unremarkable. Tasty, yes, but visually there isn’t much to set it apart from the burgers at Applebee’s or TGI Fridays. Then, when you take the first bite, you realize the difference. Made with a blend of brisket and chuck, it is tender and juicy with a smoky taste. Each bite feels substantial. This burger is big and dense, but seems to melt in your mouth with each bite. It’s like velvet, and much like velvet I could see Elvis all over one of these. Throw it on a toasted South Union bun and the Gateway Burger just seems, dare we say, classy. The kind of burger that makes your Oh-I’ll-just-get-the-salad friends jealous.