Thursday, March 24, 2011
Burgers Burger joint of the week: Reno's Argenta Cafe
Posted by Kat Robinson on Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 6:40 AM
- Kat Robinson
- ON A ROLL: Reno's Argenta Burger is served on a Kaiser roll
Reno’s Argenta Café is a great spot for a cold drink and hot music at night. During the day, it’s a nice spot to grab some iced tea and do some people watching from Eric Francis’ favorite booth in the front window. That’s why I’m utterly baffled that I could stop in at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon and be one of only two customers in the place.
Mind you, I was enjoying myself. The front and back doors were open and the ceiling fans were pulling the perfectly cool springtime breeze in. There were a gaggle of girls across the street decorating a vehicle with “Just Married” on it with cups and ribbons. I watched the yellow trolleys go by several times.
That was all after I ordered the Argenta Burger ($6), a half pound burger served up with a choice of cheese (American, Swiss, Cheddar or provolone) and a side item. That burger’s been mythologized by some of our readers here on Eat Arkansas and I had no choice but to consume it in the name of good eating.
The burger comes with a choice of homemade chips, potato salad or pesto pasta — the later of which I chose. You can also get fries for an additional charge. I wasn’t in the mood for fries.
It was a good choice. The pesto pasta is just that — a nice fresh basil-based pesto over bow tie noodles with bits of fresh tomato. It’s very light and that cup’s worth is probably far better for you than any pile of fries could ever be.
The burger, though. Oh, man. It was bright. It was colorful. There was a half-inch thick slice of very deep red tomato on it. Green leaf lettuce. The onions on it were so fresh that my eyes watered when I bit into it. I’d had my choice of mayo, mustard or ketchup on it and had went with mayo and it was plentiful.
The Kaiser roll it was served on was just slightly toasted. And the beef patty — there were these amazing little bits of onion in it. I like that. That’s how I make burgers at home. There was a nice onion and black pepper flavor to the meat, far from overwhelming but very good.
And the char. The char on the patty was perfect for a griddled burger. Though it was cooked medium well, it wasn’t overdone. The meat had nicely caramelized on the griddle, making a light crust that felt just ever so slightly crunchy.
The only thing I could fault the burger on was its tendency to disintegrate. It had come with a toothpick but for research purposes I had cut it in half. All that mayo, that big fat slice of tomato and such make it hard to handle. I got messy. It was worth it. I was even pleased with the Provolone cheese.
So there, Argentanians… I have been to Argenta and had a more than pleasing burger. I have two more to try these next few weeks in your area. Be forewarned.
You’ll find Reno’s Argenta Café at 312 Main Street in North Little Rock. They’re open Monday through Saturday starting at 11 a.m., closing around 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 2 a.m. Friday night (Saturday morning) and 1 a.m. Saturday night (Sunday morning). The joint is closed on Sunday. (501) 372-2906.
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Comments (8)
Showing 1-8 of 8
Perhaps one reason you were "one of only two customers in the place" is that the place stinks from cigarette smoke. Reno's has a wonderful menu, but I (and many of my friends and colleagues) cannot eat there due to the stale stench of smoke, which not only gets in your eyes, but also in your hair and clothes and pores. If Reno's would "boldly go" to a non-smoking establishment, I believe they would enjoy a significant increase in business from diners who currently are forced eat in non-smoking restaurants in Argenta, such as The Starving Artist, Cregeen's, and Ristorante Capeo.
KAT: Next week's joint is a non-smoking joint.
like
dislike
Agree that the smoke is a real turnoff for me, too. Can be overwhelming at night, and even at happy hour it's more than I want to deal with when smoke-free environs are nearby in every direction.
They totally need to post a sign in that booth: "Eric Francis eats here." Or maybe I should take the initiative....
KAT: It's just so odd, every other time I've walked past he's been RIGHT THERE... like Snoopy on his doghouse, overlooking Main Street in search of the Red Baron...
And for the smoke-averse: If you park in the alley and go in the back door, you can grab one of the booths in the nonsmoking section. That's actually what I do when I eat lunch there, so I don't have to worry about smelly smoky if I am meeting friends or clients later. I'll put up with it in the evenings if I'm hanging out with friends.
PS - Kat, we prefer to be called Argenitals.
Reno's is fabulous, even with the smoke. Everything there has been delicious so far, from their sandwiches to the pizzas with the cracker thin crust. I also love their hummus platter. Comes with soft warm pita bread and fresh made hummus the top drizzled with olive oil, kalamata olives, feta cheese and Roma tomatoes. I love this place. The smoke is thick and generally that bothers me, but I don't mind it here. Maybe it's the tall ceilings or the fact that the food is so good. I will definitely need to try one of their burgers now.
Kat-
I am highly reactive to cigarette smoke. But I have eaten in the no-smoking section and it is fine.
The smoke is not bad at all. It's an old school bar. With a rail. A bar with people drinking and passing the time, not waiting on a table in a chain restaurant. My favorite place in Argenta.
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