By Denise Ortuno-Neil
With an amazing selection of burgers to choose from, Tony’s Burgers in Cathedral City will no doubt fulfill your burger fantasies with creative creations, balanced with the freshest of ingredients.
Tony’s Burgers is nestled in kind of a funky spot. Located in the Mission Plaza off of Date Palm and Gerald Ford, the casual, family fashioned eatery sits comfortably surrounded by an eclectic group of restaurant neighbors including, Mexican, Thai, and even Indian. It’s a little restaurant haven of sorts.
Opened in 2014 by Tony Cuevas, Tony’s Burgers has gained popularity as a local go to burger joint, even being featured on the Food Network’s website, listed as one of the 52 Top Burgers from Coast to Coast (they rank #45). It’s an impressive feat for a relatively newer restaurant, but once you bite into one of their inventions, the reasoning becomes easy to grasp.
The menu at Tony’s Burgers is extensive, and unless you have been there before, or do some online homework, it might take a minute or two to get through it in order to make your selection. Although the focus at Tony’s is their burgers, the menu puts forth other items to either enhance your burger, or perhaps give you pause to go in a completely different direction. But, make no mistake “Burger” is the word at Tony’s.
As indicated on their website, Tony’s Burgers blends Mexican and American styles to their recipes, which is reflected on their menu. The great thing about their menu is that the categories (Appetizers, Fries, Salads, etc.) have many choices for their customers to consider. Their Fries selection for instance, (offered in full or half orders), makes making a selection slightly difficult because they all sound so scrumptious. Fries such as Cajun, Parmesan, Truffle and even their full order only Avocado Fries (I’m so trying them next time), can make turning the menu page a challenge. Don’t even get me started on the dipping sauces. The danger however is that if you ordered all of the Fries that you wanted, how in the jalapeno would you have room to finish your burger? The only solution is to go there with a large group of people or visit many times, both of which are reasonable options.
Now let’s get down to burger business. As mentioned, Tony’s has an almost freakish amount of burgers to choose from. Choices include: 32 featured 6 oz. Black Angus Chuck Hamburgers, Mini Burgers (a.k.a sliders), Exotic Burgers, and Chicken Burgers. On my excursion to Tony’s, there were many burgers on the menu that caught my eye, such as the Popeye Ye Ye: Powerful Burger (crispy bacon, sautéed spinach, cheddar and creamy blue cheese crumbles, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle with blue cheese mayo on grilled rye bread), the Love Hater: A Garlic Delight (roasted garlic, grilled onions, roasted red peppers, Boursin Cheese lettuce, tomato, pickles and garlic aioli on a sour dough bun) and the El Jefe: Jalapeno Burger (jalapeno peppers, grilled onions, ghost pepper, jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, chipotle mayo on a jalapeno bun). If you need help in the burger choosing odyssey, you can just look for the Angus Head, which indicates their most popular burgers.
But then I discovered the section with the Mini Burgers, and I was done. The minis are just 3oz., perfect if you don’t want to commit to its 6 oz. big brother. I went with the Mini Chili, since I wanted to try out their chili anyway. My boyfriend went classic and ordered the Tony’s Classic Cheeseburger with your choice of cheese. To accompany our burgers, we ordered a half order of their Homemade Fresh Cut Fries with a side of Garlic Aioli.
Our burgers came out with no extended wait, with a large steak knife stabbed through the middle of the burgers. The knife, which seems to be a trend in many table service burger restaurants these days, provides easy cutting of the burgers. Because stuffing the whole thing in your mouth can not only be a daunting task, but also lacks an attractive quality. My Mini Burger was adorable, and dripping with Tony’s zesty chili, it was the perfect size for me. The Classic Cheeseburger that my boyfriend chose, needed to be cut in half it was so big. But despite its size, he buckled down and finished the whole juicy thing.
If perhaps you want to venture out of burger land, Tony’s will accommodate you with other items including Fish & Chips, Macho Nachos, Hot Dogs ( got to try their Chicago Dog) and even a Blue Plate Special, among other dishes. Tony’s also serves up breakfast until 11am, where you can indulge in a Chorizo and Egg Burrito, Huevos Rancheros, Pancakes and more. Tony’s Burgers is a burger fantasy island, bringing imagination and freshness to every one of their creations.
Tony’s Burgers is opened from daily from 9am to 9pm and on Saturdays until 10pm, and is located at 35903 Date Palm Dr., Cathedral City, 92234. Visit www.tonysburgers.com.
