So far, Nicole and Sarah have given their thoughts about Alan Richman's GQ list of "The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die." (A .pdf of the entire article is available here.) Since Sarah and Nicole have both hit at least a few spots on Richman's list, I figured it was time I start catching up, especially since I live only minutes away from the restaurant that occupies the number one spot on the list, Le Tub, in Hollywood, Florida. Le Tub has had roughly the last half a century to garner praise for its burgers, and the evidence, in the form numerous framed and yellowing newspaper clippings, is obvious throughout the restaurant. The rest of the decor is also worth mentioning. The rickety, open-air bar and restaurant sits perched on the Intracoastal Waterway, and it's as if the entire place has been whittled from a huge chunk of driftwood and is now held together by little more than fishing nets, banyan roots and the occasional rusty nail. And, of course, there is a bathtub planter outside, as well as a variety of toilets and toilet seats strewn about the lush, overgrown property.
Pictured above is a Le Tub sirloin burger, cooked to rare. At Le Tub, ordering a rare burger gets you not only plenty of cool, pink center, but also a seemingly mandatory reminder from the waitress that rare means very rare. Personally, I prefer my burger cooked to medium, which still gets me some pink in the center, but also plenty of the delicious, crunchy charred flavor for which Le Tub's burgers are known. As you can see from the picture, Richman's description of Le Tub's burgers as "pincushion shaped" is definitely apt. I don't totally agree with his praise of the burger to bun ratio, however. Bite-for-bite, there is way more burger patty than there is poppy seed bun. Our waitress said the burgers weigh in at about half a pound, but they feel like much, much more. Is this the best burger I've ever eaten? Quite possibly. Charred, juicy, topped with cheese and fat slabs of tomato, onion and green leaf lettuce. The crispy, plank-shaped French fries are pretty damned good too. I'm told that the chili and key lime pie at Le Tub are also worth trying, but I may never know. I doubt I'll ever go there and order anything but a burger.

On my second visit to Le Tub, I knew what I was getting into. On my first visit, I had no idea. I went on the recommendation of friends who somehow failed to mention that this was a burger the size of a catcher's mitt. A few other things to keep in mind if you go: No credit cards or reservations are accepted. The wait for a table can be long, and the average time between ordering your burger and chowing down is about 45 minutes. Most importantly, a Le Tub burger, along with its setting, is an experience, a rest-of-the-day dictating, nap-inducing meal akin to Thanksgiving dinner. In that respect, it's not something I could eat on a daily basis, and that is perhaps my only complaint.