Pages

07 December, 2008

Cookery Competition Creating Commotion

Well, maybe not quite a commotion, and not a real competition, seeing as how the "contestants" don't even know they're in a contest.

Up until a short while ago, Butchie's Bar and Grill, part of the Marc Anthony Hotel here in Corozal, was pretty well acknowledged by the cognoscenti of such things as having the finest burgers in town. Now the gauntlet has been thrown down, or at least, the spatula has been raised.

The contender is a newcomer to Corozal, Scotty's Bar and Grill. Located in the old Crazy Canuck's location (27 G Street, N.), and run by a family from Portland, Oregon (that second "o" in Oregon is almost silent).

We met Nancy, Mark and Kristi (Scott was still up north) the other night for our first taste of their fare. I had the Big Bay Burger, a 2-patty affair with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, in short, all the trimmings. It also came with curly fries. Definitely a full-meal-deal.

Dianna had the Little Bay Burger, a one-patty thing with onion rings. Mae and Craig were with us, but I don't remember what they had. I think one of them had the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich.

Anyway, along with Belikins to help things along, it was an enjoyable evening.

So, which is better, Butchie's or Scotty's? Hard to say. Both have really tasty burgers. I think the Big Bay option has an edge for size and content (sauce, etc.), and, they do have the curly fries. Those were tasty, and in a nice quantity. Butchie's has straight-cut fries, so I suppose it could come down to a personal preference on that account.

The other thing that has to be considered as well, is cost. I know that's not really part of the official taste comparison guidelines, but when you're on a "fixed income" (it seems so weird to say that, I just couldn't resist) cost becomes a factor. Probably a good thing there's not a King's Food Host Buffet around. Butchie's is expensive as their prices have gone up some in recent times.

Well, back to the question. Which is better? Hard to say. They both taste good. Curly fries or straight? Whatever your preference is. Size? Some folks say size does matter... But, probably not an overriding concern in burgers. The other factors would seem to give Scotty's an edge, but I think that's still a debatable issue.

In any case, it's nice to have two places with distinctly different atmospheres here in Corozal to tempt us with their offerings. I wish them both luck and I hope they both make it through the next few years, what with the downturn and all. I know we'll all do our part to try to help them both survive.

So, is it down to cost? If that's the case, Scotty's wins. If cost is definitely a separate issue, I'd say the question calls for more deliberation. That is, probably at least a few more trips to each location to do adequate research. Especially if the Belikins are cold.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You didnt give a price. As someone who is in the process of buying in the area I am interested in the price of a burger . Thanks . Pat

Richard Lawry said...

Research is such a time consuming thing. Carry on!

An Arkie's Musings

Dave Rider said...

Pat - Scottie's Big Bay Burger - $12.00 BZD and their Little Bay Burger - $8.00 BZD. Price includes a scoop of potato salad, or you can get curly fries for $1.00 extra.
Belikin is $3.25 BZD, about average for the beer.
I don't have a menu from Butchie's. I was working from memory.
Dave