StrEAT Kitchen at Social Food Hall: Experienced Eater

Key Takeaways

• Britten McDowell visited StrEAT Kitchen at the Social Food Hall in Elizabethtown with his family and split everything
• Burgers on the table: a Build Your Own and a cowboy burger with barbecue sauce, bacon jam and fried onions
• The menu has pre-made burger ideas, including a habanero burger, plus beef tallow fried tater tots and lots of sauces
• Britten says sauces and bacon jam are house made and everything is cooked to order, and he calls the prices affordable and the food excellent
• The panel's picks: dirty fries, garlic tots, and this month's peanut butter, bacon and green chili jam burger

Summary

After missing a couple of weeks, Britten McDowell was back on The Experienced Eater with a quick video from StrEAT Kitchen at the Social Food Hall in Elizabethtown. He is a self-described burger junkie, and he says StrEAT Kitchen keeps improving every time he goes.

The rest of the table had their own favorites to add, from the garlic tots to the monthly specials, and the segment ended in a friendly debate about local burgers in Hardin County.

Full Article

The Experienced Eater is Hardin County's go-to foodie review team, and this week it was Britten McDowell, back after missing a couple of weeks in a row. "Life is getting chaotic and hectic," he said, and he was glad to be back with the group.

Why a burger

The icebreaker earlier in the show asked whether you would rather only eat at Hardin County food trucks for a year or never eat a burger again. Britten, who picked the food trucks, said he is a burger junkie, and he likes them smashed and thick. "You have to really work hard to ruin a burger," he said. "Meat and cheese and bread's hard to beat."

The visit

His video was a quick one. He and his family hopped in to StrEAT Kitchen at the Social Food Hall, a group of three or four, and split everything, including a couple of burgers. He got to meet some great people there. He did not remember exactly which burgers were in the video, but one was a Build Your Own, and he thinks the other was a cowboy burger with barbecue sauce, bacon jam and fried onions. The video had very little audio, so Britten talked over it live and said he will add a voiceover when he posts it on his own socials.

What Britten likes about StrEAT Kitchen

StrEAT Kitchen is one of those places that keeps raising its own bar, he said. "The next time I go, I want the bar to be right where it was or better. And it seems like every time I go, they've gotten better. They've gotten a little more creative."

The menu is eclectic, with some pre-made burger ideas, including a habanero burger, or you can build your own. Britten also likes the beef tallow fried tater tots and the wide choice of sauces. "It's one of my favorite places to run in and grab a quick bite," he said, "because the prices are affordable and the food's excellent."

He pointed out that the sauces and the bacon jam are house made, and nothing is cooked in advance. Everything is cooked to order, from the fries to the burger to the dog. "I haven't been disappointed when I've been there," he said. Some people like a simpler burger, he added, and there is an elegance in simplicity, but he enjoyed the big flavors here.

The Social Food Hall, he said, is a great environment, with lots to do, lots of people to watch, and games, for anyone who enjoys a beer.

The panel piles on

The rest of the table had plenty to add. One host called the dirty fries fantastic, and another said the garlic tots are "fire" and usually orders a barbecue burger with garlic tots and the barbecue dip on the side. Another host said an underrated part of a burger is the bun, and that it should be buttered and toasted for flavor and texture.

Jon, a regular, shared that this month's special is a peanut butter, bacon and green chili jam burger. Last month's special was the Soul of the South fried chicken sandwich, with Korean barbecue sauce, slaw and kimchi pickles. Jon said he is not a big fan of pickled cucumbers, "but those kimchi pickled cucumbers were really good." There was even a Spam hot dog, a take on the Hawaiian Spam musubi. Britten told Jon to give him a heads up when a special like that is on, because he can break away for a special trip.

Local burger spots

If you want a local burger in Hardin County, the table said, you will find something downtown: StrEAT Kitchen, J.R. Neighbors, HubHaus, and the Bussin Bites burger from the Bussin Bites food truck team, who have been hanging out at Flywheel.

The Experienced Eater

If you know someone who loves food, send them to The Experienced Eater. Britten is on Instagram and Facebook, where you can find him by typing in his name on Facebook, and he is always open to recommendations. "An hour is not too far to go for a great experience or an adventurous meal," he said. He said he has expanded his reviews to Bowling Green, too.

StrEAT Kitchen at the Social Food Hall

• Where: inside the Social Food Hall in Elizabethtown
• Try: a burger, the beef tallow fried tater tots, the garlic tots and the dirty fries
• Good to know: the monthly special changes, and the food hall has games and beer if that is your thing

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