The Big Board, a specialty burger joint, is located at the start of the H Street corridor on the corner of 5th and H NE; a five minute walk east from the H street exit of Union Station.

The second you walk through the door you realize that the four young owners are doing exactly what they want with their lives.  The restaurant layout is clean and organized, the seats are comfortable and the staff is friendly and responsive to their patron’s needs.

The Big Board specializes in gourmet burgers. As Washingtonians we have our choice when it comes to a good burger, but a few things set The Big Board apart. To start with, let’s talk about the ingredients. They consist solely of local products from farms and markets in the area and fresh buns daily from a local bakery.  But, all the amazing ingredients in the world wouldn’t matter if they were not put together in a savory manner and cooked to perfection. Big Board’s burgers do this and more. The burgers are cooked using high quality beef, filling each bite with delicious juices and flavor that resonate with you throughout the entire meal. My favorite is “The Great Chicago Fire” burger, a hand crafted burger dusted with chipotle seasoning, topped with fire roasted chili and mango salsa, slathered with a chipotle aioli and served with a side of mango habanero sauce.

The many burger options drew me in, but the concept is what keeps me coming back. As I already stated Washingtonians have their choice when it comes to food, but we also like to have a choice when it comes to drinks especially if they are cheap. The Big Board gets its name from the concept behind it.  The founders created a reverse stock market system for the pricing of their local and regional craft beers.  What does this mean you ask? The more popular a beer is the lower the price gets, which is then shown on a stock quote board in real time. The more people you can recruit to drink one type of beer the cheaper it gets, so bring lots of friends or make some new ones.

If you are looking for a larger menu you’re in luck as Big Board’s menu isn’t just burgers, they have a daily special and vegetarian options as well. Finally, the bar has every sports channel you could hope to watch and numerous flat screens so that customers never miss any of the action, making it a great spot to watch the Olympics this week.

Next time you are craving a burger make the trip to H street and indulge. It is well worth it.

Have a tip? Opening a new restaurant? Know the best drink list in the city? Email Mr. Holt at [email protected].