The Bounty. Photos by Marguerite Lucas

The Back-up

UPTOWN - While waiting in line outside Slim Goodie’s Diner on Magazine Street for an hour in the rain on Sunday night, there's a common refrain: “This burger better be damn good." And with a name like MVBurger (Most Valuable Burger), the bar for said burger is raised all that much higher.

MVB, a pop-up restaurant housed in Slim Goodie’s on Sundays, is the latest creation of Joel Dondis of Sucré, along with partners Larkin Selman, Rene Louapre, and Evan Benson.  Starting at 5 p.m. on Each Christian Sabbath since October, the group has served burgers, shakes and fries, until the ingredient well runs dry. With the priority to make the best possible burgers with the freshest ingredients, no detail is overlooked.  The buns are made fresh on Sunday, and the meat is ground onsite  Even the thickness of the cheese, tomato and onion slices is carefully measured.

The thought that goes into the burger doesn’t only happen in the kitchen. The long lines outside the joint provoke many a meditation on what the patty will taste like when it finally reaches the mouth.

By 5:30 Sunday, there was already a line snaking up Magazine St.  Even sporadic rain showers didn’t turn people away.  Looking through the windows of Slim Goodie’s, and gazing upon the the thick, juicy burgers being served only made stomachs growl more.  But, luckily, the line occurred in Orleans Parish, a place where standing in a crowd is practically a way of life.

The hour wait to be seated seemed shorter with the slightly salty fries that were passed down the line, courtesy of MVB, and the jovial atmosphere of the crowd waiting with their wine or beer joined in the same quest to get some meat.

MVB’s menu almost fits on one hand. The choices are hamburger ($6), cheeseburger ($6), special burger ($11), fries ($3), chili pimento cheese fries ($6) and chocolate or vanilla shake/malt ($5).  In addition, each week a “special burger” and “special shake” jazz up the menu. Last week, the special choices were “The Sound and The Fury,” which was a 50/50 blend of beef and pork hot sausage with pimento cheese, along with a salted caramel shake.

To be sure to try the special as well as the original, the cheeseburger and The Sound and The Fury burger were sampled, along with fries and the salted caramel shake. 

The salted caramel shake immediately alleviated the hunger pains.  Creamy and delicious with just a hint of salt, it was the perfect way to start the meal, pairing nicely with the fries (read: we were tempted to dip them) when they arrived. 

Beginning with the cheeseburger, the fresh, baked bread was duly noted. Lightly toasted with the perfect balance of fluffiness and density, the bun complemented the burger without distracting from the overall taste.  The construction of the burger was unique in its approach. The bottom of the bun began with a light spread of the delectable, house-made Larkin Sauce followed by a mixture of lettuce, a pickle, tomato, and sautéed onions.  Above the toppings was the crowning jewel of the burger, the meat, cooked to medium. Next, two slices of cheese (gruyere and cheddar) were accompanied with another light spread of the Larkin Sauce on the top bun. With the vegetables below the patty and the cheese melted on top, each bite came with an even distribution of the variety of ingredients that made the cheeseburger a delicious melody of tastes. 

The Sound and the Fury was similar in construction, with the meat sandwiched between the pimento cheese on top, and vegetables (lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onions) on the bottom.  The slightly spicy pimento cheese and the pork/beef blend was a surprisingly agreeable combination.

After consuming the burgers and seeing the pleased faces of the customers packed into the diner, it’s safe to say the burger is well worth the wait, although one needn’t arrive at 5 to get a burger.  After 7, there was hardly any line remaining, with burgers waiting to be served. Most weeks, the special burgers tend to go first, Dondis said.  MVB aims to have enough burgers to serve people until about 8 or 8:30, he said. Each week, they increase the produce to accommodate the demand.

“We don’t like to waste stuff, but we don’t like turning people away,” Dondis explains. 

When MVBurger first opened in October they started with 150 burgers, and are now flipping about 275, with every Sunday but two being completely sold out.

With such a demand for burgers, there is question whether MVB will trade their pop-up for a fixed location. While there is no immediate plan, Dondis says the team is seriously considering finding a permanent home.  The pop-up model is beneficial because it serves as an experimental stage for a restaurant that is looking to get off the ground.  Without the money poured into an initial investment, one can afford to take time to see what works and what doesn’t.

“By no means did we get it right on the first day…it’s taken 12 weeks to finally have a pretty good running machine,” Dondis said.

With the burgers that were available last Sunday and the happy customers, the experiment seems to so far be a success.

“Nothing is more fun than being around all the buzz of the cooking and people enjoying themselves,” Dondis said.

Slim Goodie’s is located at 3322 Magazine St.  The restaurant is cash only.