When it's Wednesday, it's Wimpy Wednesday, and when it's Wimpy Wednesday, Churchill's is filled to its brim. It sorta makes sense, particularly seeing the bacon cheddar burger is going for $7; $5 off its regular price.
Personally, I'm not sure I'd go with the burger for anymore than the cheaper price. I would get it again for $7, mind you, as it's a perfectly good burger, but $12 seems a bit steep to me.
Churchill's take on the burger is a slight twist to the basics: the bacon and cheese are both expected, of course, with the aioli and the chipotle sauce adding just a bit of something... I wouldn't say unexpected, as it's not particularly original, but it sets it apart from your standard bacon-cheese, at least.
Really, there is no need for a burger to be amazingly original, anyway. A hamburger is kind of fairly basic by definition.
And let's re-emphasize that this is a good burger; just not stellar. The «spicy mustard aioli» gets kind of lost in the mix, and adds little more than calories. More present is the chipotle, with its slightly sweet smoke; a definite step up from ketchup.
For the cheddar I guess Tillamook is sort of a baseline choice, but hey, it's still a good cheese.
Most importantly, the burger itself holds its own. The patties aren't cooked to order during Wimpy Wednesday, but they come out in a perfectly medium doneness.
Overall, then, this is a good burger. Not a great burger, but one that's worth $7. The jury is still out on the quality of the buns, but I thought they had a decent subtle sweetness to them, at least. The accompanying fries weren't bad either.
Shelling out $12 for it seems a bit excessive -- it lacks that certain I don't know what to be worth that price. But, if you can find a spot on a Wednesday, it's well worth a try. The official Burger Chase tasting board could easily agree on that.
Photo courtesy of the Great Burger Chase’s official photography studio, Erick Doxey Photography.