The Best St. Pete Burger You Haven’t Tried Yet
No it’s not Engine No. 9. It’s not El Cap. Everyone’s been to those two burger hotspots. I might have a new favorite St. Pete burger.
While El Cap has never really wow’d me, the burgers at Engine No. 9, while a little overpriced, are solid. But the burger I’m talking about has never been featured on one of those cable TV shows. It probably won’t even come up on Yelp or Google Reviews.
It used to be called Babalu. It was a staple on 4th Street for years. It was a dive, but locals seemed to love it. When Babalu closed up a few years ago, honestly, I didn’t shed a tear. The food was mediocre on a good day. It felt dirty. It was more of a dive bar than restaurant. An Irish Pub moved in.
The only reason I stumbled into McArthur’s Irish Pub in St. Petersburg is because it’s so close to the radio station. Given that it’s an old fashioned European pub, on my first visit, I went with the fish and chips. Honestly, the meal was completely forgettable. A year or so went by before I returned. I remember my buddy ordered the burger and it looked excellent. On my next visit, I skipped the fish and chips and went straight to the burger section of the menu.
Where to find the this undiscovered St. Pete Burger
I tried one last month. I’ve had 3 of their burgers since. The slabs of bacon were thick and cooked perfectly. The toppings were fresh. And the fact that McArthur’s gives you malt vinegar to put on your French Fries scores major points with me.
After one bite my eyes widened. While it might not be the best burger I’ve had in the Tampa area, this is the best St. Pete burger nobody knows about for sure. It’s not on anyone’s list. But it might be on yours if you try it. It’s juicy, but not greasy. The vibe of the place is chill and it’s pretty cheap by St. Pete standards.
Several different kinds of burgers
There’s the basic Classic Cheese Burger. I have them add the bacon to that and am good to go. I tried the Bacon Blue Burger and if you dig blue cheese, that might be a better bet. There’s the Jameson Whiskey BBQ Burger and a Mushroom Swiss too. The wings smelled good when they went by. One day I’ll try those too but usually once I find something I like, I stick with it. And for me it’s McArthur’s burgers.
Like any good burger spot, they’ll ask you how you want it cooked. No matter how I’ve ordered, it always comes out medium well to well. But I’m not annoyed. It’s always been good.
If you’re one of our neighbors, they are on Uber Eats. Otherwise, pop 9246 4th Street North in St. Petersburg into your GPS. They’re open 11-11 except for Friday & Saturday nights when the stay open until midnight. Beer prices are pretty reasonable. And they have live music most nights according to their website.
