Rumors
Hudson, MI
www.facebook.com/RumorsInc.Hudson/
Rumors is the restaurant that I have
been touting as the best burger in the area for about the last 2 or 3
years, so I thought it only appropriate to begin this adventure right
here. Dennis, the owner is a very active owner and is obviously very
passionate about great service, food, and drinks. My official
“critic” visit was no exception.
The Place
212 Main Street
Hudson, MI
Noonish on an October Friday.
Rumors is a fairly small restaurant
with seating for about 100 (guesstimate) located in an old building
in lovely downtown Hudson. The décor is simple and a little funky
with a full size mummy in one corner, and other interesting
decorations. It is fun, without being over the top like certain
corporate restaurants. This is a relatively quiet restaurant with
music playing at a very reasonable volume. They also feature an
outdoor seating area that is quite lovely during the warm weather.
Clean.
The Service
Since I have been coming
to this place for a while, they know me and I often sit and chat with
the owner, Dennis, about life, food, and whiskey (more on that later)
so my service is a bit more personal, but in no way unusual, If
Dennis is there he seems to be interacting with the guests, getting
feedback and making sure their visit is great. I have received great
service from my very first visit. In the day time they generally
have only one server, so if you go at peak lunch time, there is
sometimes a small delay, but always because of busy-ness, never
because of apathy.
The Bar
If you like whiskey, there is
no better place in the area (that I have found). Dennis is
an enthusiast and has a huge selection of top shelf Scotches, Irish
whiskeys, Bourbons, and Ryes. He also carries a good standard
offering of other types of liquor, but it is no doubt that this bar
is all about the whiskey! Ask about the Scotch Club—every 2 months
they host a special whiskey sampling event where new and different
libations are tasted and discussed. It is a very fun time that I
have been attending for about 2 years now. This is also a top notch
place for beer with (I think) 16 taps. They have standards and a
great rotating selection of craft beers and ciders, mostly Michigan
products. Rumors regularly hosts special events with breweries.
The Burger
One thing I really like
about Rumors is they feature a “build your own burger” which of course, lets you get a burger with exactly the toppings you love. I generally get a burger with cheese, bacon
and sauteed onions and mushrooms, but for the sake of the reviews, I
am ordering a more standard bacon cheeseburger with cheddar cheese,
bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion. The burger comes with potato
chips or you can upgrade to fries or another side if you like. I
forgot to take a photo of the menu and I dont' know the exact price,
but there burgers are a typical price of around $9.
The Bun
- This is one of the things that sets this place apart. They use a locally sourced pretzel Bun. This bun looks great and tastes great. It is a bit more dense than your standard hamburger bun, but that really helps it hold up to this large, juicy burger. It isn't falling apart after 2 bites like many places buns.
The meat
- If there is one thing that separates the great from the merely good burgers, it is the meat. If a restaurant is serving a hamburger from frozen burgers, I cannot take them seriously as a “real” burger place. Fresh hamburger from McAuliffes Meats in Addison. (www.facebook.com/McauliffesMeats) is featured in Rumors burgers. I asked for my burger medium rare and it was cooked to perfection. On this visit I thought the cook went a little light on the seasoning, so it was a bit on the bland side, but normally the burgers are seasoned to perfection. You also get plenty of this delicious meat-this is a 7 ounce burger.
The toppings
The side
I always get french fries
('cause I'm such a health nut!) and Rumors has pretty good fries.
They are a thin to medium cut with the skins on. The fries are good,
but nothing particularly special. A delicious deli style pickle spear is also on your plate-don't let it go to waste.
Summary
The bar has been set.
