My friend Matt Coddington is a successful Mobile IT
Specialist. He’s also been a successful Musician, and currently has a band
called Dogville for which he is guitarist and lead vocalist. And it was because
of a performance they gave this last Saturday, that my dining buddy Ken and I
found ourselves at the Big Four Burgers & Beer restaurant in
Jeffersonville, Indiana, just across the Ohio River from Louisville. I had not
heard of Big Four Burgers, and with good reason: they just opened four months
ago. But, a good night of dining and music seemed like the perfect opportunity
to review an up and coming new joint near The Ville.
Big Four Burgers & Beer might conjure up the
stereotypical images of a sports bar & grill, or maybe a pub-style hangout,
but this place has a refreshing environs. While you certainly can catch a game
on one of several televisions around the restaurant, and they do boast a
selection of micro-brews, Big Four Burgers is also very family friendly. The
emphasis- at least from my vantage point- seems to be a “friends & family”
hangout time approach. And I gathered from the info we gleaned from our server-
Tiffany- that the entire staff of Big Four has a lot of input into the running
of the place from the menu to the entertainment. Located in an old 3-story
building just one block from the Northern Shore of the Ohio River, it’s
downtown/oldtown digs in Jeffersonville are downright homey. So, definitely a
sense of community here.
And let me gush
about our server for a moment. Tiffany was an awesome server. She was helpful,
insightful, attentive, and just all together a great professional. We learned
that she has been a professional server for 9 years, so she knows a thing or
two about how to manage customers and food. We could not have asked for a
better server.
Now on to the food. As you might guess from the name of this
local brand, they specialize in Burgers. And not just any burgers, but the gourmet kind of burger. I was, in fact,
very eager to try these well-portioned monsters just from taking a gander at
their official website the day before. And let me add a quick technical note
here as a by-day computer guru: the website is exceptionally well designed and
laid out for learning everything these is to learn about the food at Big Four.
Ken pulled one of the many delightful tricks he likes to
play sometimes by asking Tiffany to choose his dinner for him. He had two
choices in mind and told Tiffany to surprise him. Now, one might think that is
pretty crazy to do, but Ken’s actually a pretty smart fellow for this, because
it gives him an opportunity to taste something that the staff take particular
pride in. A good way to learn their favorites. What she brought him was one of
the biggest Philly Steak & Cheese Hoagies I have ever seen. Succulent beef
strips, tangy peppers, and gorgeous cheese on a hearty Hoagie. Accompanied by
some Parmesan Steak Fries, Ken’s meal kept going beyond when Ken was done.
As for me, I had my heart set on a Bacon Encrusted Bleu
Burger. A beautiful, thick Angus and sirloin burger cooked perfect to medium-
with a thin line of pink- topped with thick smoked bacon, pungent bleu cheese
pimento spread, tangy red onions and spicy bread & butter pickle slices,
this burger was a real treat for my mouth. I am sure this monstrosity was a
good 1/3 pound burger, and I did in fact devour it all. From the first to the
last bite, it was delicious and filling. At the suggestion of my wife, I sided
my burger with some fantastic onion rings. And quite honestly, they were the
best onion rings I have ever had. The texture of the batter, the cooking time,
all perfect, the way it is supposed to be.
Which brings up another great thing about Big Four Burgers;
from the onion ring batter to the micro-brews to the dipping sauce, most of the
concoctions are whipped up on site. You are not going to get something that has
been processed, frozen and delivered like you do in some National restaurant
chains. In fact, we had the opportunity to try out a brand new spicy cocktail sauce
that Tiffany and the chef had imagined with our appetizer of calamari.
But then, comes my one and only criticism. There are some
things you don’t mess with. And everybody has a different opinion on this. For
me, that one thing is Chili Cheese Fries. That was my appetizer selection. And
let me say up front, they were very tasty. However, I tend to expect Chili
Cheese Fries to be a certain way, and taste a certain way. The Big Four Chili
Cheese Fries just were not cheesy enough for me, and the chili was lacking in
sauciness. And it did not come with Ranch dressing. Tiffany was more than happy to
supply me a side of Ranch; Thank You , Tiffany! But, the positive side to this
criticism is that if you have any particular notions about food, throw them out
the window when you go. Big Four is daring enough to try some new things, and
for most, you will find the new a very thrilling culinary experience.
As I am apt to say on occasion in these reviews. “all in all”
it was a great dinner, a great experience, and Ken and I highly recommend that
if you are in or near the Louisville or Southern Indiana area, take the time to
get over to Big Four Burgers and give them a try. I have no doubt this
restaurant will be a success in teasing the taste-buds of the locals and
visitors alike. In fact, if you are going to be here come Derby Day in about a
month, it will be a perfect opportunity to give them a try.
As a bonus, quick review of Dogville. Matt sang his heart
out in the first set. We were unable to stick around for the second set. But
the thing I like about Dogville is that they play my music. Matt is of my
generation for the most part, and he and I share a LOT of the same tastes in
music. They are great musicians who kept the atmosphere light-hearted and fun,
while turning out some great covers. The acoustics in the stage room are not
perfect, but it is designed for more of an intimate interaction. And Matt
proved to me once and for all that nobody can do a Tom Petty cover without
doing a Tom Petty impersonation. It just can’t be done. The only way those
songs work is when you try to sing like Tom Petty. I do the same thing when I
play my guitar and attempt to sing. Great job, Dogville! Hope to see you guys
again real soon.
If you want to learn more about Big Four Burgers & Beer,
browse the menu, or get directions, then check out their official website here:
http://www.bigfourjeff.com/
If you want to learn more about the Louisville Local Band “Dogville”
as well as the technical prowess of Matt Coddington check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/user/MultiMatt
And without further adieu, for it was a long review this
time around…..
Wolf’s Rating: * * * * Ken’s
Rating: * * * *
