Lucky 13 Bar and Grill

He said:

Kathy found a photo on the Internet of Utah’s best burger. The photo did look amazing, but we reserved judgment because food never looks like the photos, right? Knowing nothing else about the place, we headed to Lucky 13 to check it out.

Lucky 13 is located a block west of Smith’s Ballpark, home of the Salt Lake Bees baseball team. It has a small parking lot accessible from the North. If you miss it—as we did—you may have a hard time finding a place to park. Lucky 13 has outdoor seating, but we opted to dine inside. We were led to a high-top table with stools rather than chairs.

We ordered house-made chips and fresh salsa to start, and I got a Cherry Lemonade. A nice thing about bars is that they don’t skimp on their drinks. They served my lemonade in a large stein and didn’t charge me for a refill.

Of course, we had come to try the burgers. Lucky 13 offers more than a dozen options, but two especially caught my eye. The Big Benny consists of almost two pounds of ground chuck, with bacon, ham, caramelized onions, sauce, and two types of cheese. It’s said to be a foot tall! The Bear Burger has only the ground chuck, but it is served between two grilled cheese sandwiches and is loaded with caramelized onions, habanero puree, roasted jalapeños, and roasted habaneros. Each costs $26.50. But here’s the fascinating part: If you can complete both of them in an hour, you not only get them free, but Lucky 13 will also pay you $200 in cash!

I knew I wouldn’t conquer that challenge. Besides, I came to enjoy my meal, so I chose the Pigpen. That’s 7 oz. of ground chuck topped with bacon, ham, onions, cheese, and sauce. To my delight, it looked great, almost as good as the picture! And fortunately, it was as good as it looked. The bun was soft, the patty substantial, and I needed several napkins to tame its juiciness. The accompanying heap of fries filled the rest of the basket. I doubt anybody ever leaves hungry.

She said:

As first impressions go, this place left something to be desired. It was a bit ramshackle, but also eclectic. Everyone gets carded prior to entry, so please remember to leave your kids at home. This is a straight-up bar, not a restaurant/bar combo.

We were greeted by the typical gloomy atmosphere of a dark bar. The walls, floors, tables, and stools were all black. However, some spots of color tried to break that up, as the décor ranged from neon-lit beer signs to macabre Day-of-the-Dead-style artwork. The Christmas Story leg lamp in the corner elicited a chuckle from me. I couldn’t help but remember the time the kids and I gave one to Brian for Christmas, but he didn’t appreciate it. It was funny in the movie, but too tacky for him in real life. There were also glimpses of patriotism: a large, worn US Flag, a firefighter’s coat, and rescue workers’ patches framed and displayed on the wall. We learned that the owner was himself a retired firefighter. I always love a back story, especially one with a human-interest aspect.

But let’s get to the important part: the food. The food did not disappoint. My Smoked Pastrami and Swiss burger was juicy and delicious, served with an abundance of fries. The lettuce, onion, and tomato in my sandwich were crisp and fresh. The bun was soft and topped with the right amount of mayo. I’m not usually a burger kind of gal, but my sandwich was sublime and made me a convert. Can I just say, “Yum!”

Conclusion:

If you want a great burger and don’t care about ambiance, this may be your new go-to place. You won’t leave hungry, and you can show your support and appreciation for firefighters, rescue workers, and veterans.