These Charleston establishments offer cheesy, beefy cures
Charleston is a drinking town. With binge drinking of alcohol here well above the national average, revelers know that picking the best post-drink grub in Charleston is equally as important as choosing the right drinking establishment. For those who choose to imbibe, there’s no better food to cure a hangover than a juicy, fat-laden burger.
“When recovering from a fun night out, more times than not, you’re looking for something conventional (like a burger) to help cure you,” said Micah Pearson, chef at Harold’s Cabin.
Sustenance aside, burgers taste damn good — a protein, fat and carb concoction that can help minimize the misery following a night on the town. These four hangover-approved burgers will take away your hunger (and pounding headache) after one drink too many.
No-frills hangover grub
A simple, straightforward burger that’s hot off the griddle is the perfect hangover cure — which is exactly what you’ll get when you order the Cabin Smash Burger at Harold’s Cabin.
“It’s our no-frills spin on a classic smash burger: beef patty, cheddar cheese, onions, house pickles and house-made cabin sauce on an EVO brioche bun,” Pearson said.
The smashed beef is packed with flavor and seasoned on both sides with salt, pepper and a dash of Harold’s Cabin burger spice made from a mix of pantry spices.
“We lay the patty on a very hot grill, which helps to achieve that trademark smash burger ‘crust,’ and sear it with an iron grill press,” Pearson said. “Once we’ve reached the ideal temperature, we top the patty with cheese, add a little water to the surface of the grill and cover it, allowing the steam to finish off the burger and fully melt the cheese.”
The house-made cabin sauce, a mayonnaise based “secret” sauce, is aptly dubbed Comeback Sauce, he added, and originated in a diner in Jackson, Miss.
“The Cabin Smash Burger hits all the right notes. Make it a double and pair with a mainstay on our cocktail menu, the Salty Raccoon (a rosemary cocktail with tequila) to recover. Or alternatively, keep the party going,” Pearson said, laughing.
Whether you had a late night or spent the day drinking at your favorite bar, the Cabin Smash Burger is available on both the lunch and dinner menu.
Tex-Mex flavors and fresh air
Fresh air is another great hangover cure. Rocket Burger, a food truck located at and run by Mount Pleasant’s Red Drum restaurant, has full patio seating perfect for catching a breeze while you nosh on its Rocket Burger.
Like all of its steak burgers, the Rocket Burger’s patty is made from a custom blend of certified angus beef and brisket.
“It has a high fat content, so the burger gets a good crust on the outside when we smash it on the griddle, and it’s able to stay really moist,” said operation manager Brigitte Echols.
It is served on a buttered and toasted Martin’s sesame seed potato roll that gives it a “throwback, retro feel,” according to Echols.
The burger comes with equally classic toppings: American cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, diced onion, hand-cut dill pickle and Rocket Sauce, a house-made ketchup and mayonnaise-based sauce similar to Big Mac sauce. It also includes a touch of Red Drum’s VooDoo sauce, which contains Mexican chiles.
“It’s not spicy, but [it] adds some Tex-Mexy notes,” Echols said.
And if you need the hair of the dog, the truck also serves wine and beer. For a sweet option, the truck offers hand-made chocolate or vanilla shakes.
Inspired by breakfast
Hangovers sometimes cull cravings for breakfast foods like eggs and bacon — and the brunch burger at Tattooed Moose contains both.
The patty is made with 73% lean, 27% fat ground beef — “the fattiest we could get,” said Tattooed Moose owner Mike Kulick. The brunch burger is a true ode to breakfast with ham, bacon, hash browns, apple butter, a sunny side up egg and three slices of American cheese. It’s served on a potato roll which is toasted after it’s lathered with a mix of butter and bacon fat.
“The brunch burger is big and greasy and has tons of protein, starch and plenty of fat. It’s a gut buster,” said Kulick, who invented the burger. He put it on the menu seven years ago while trying to figure out how to jazz up the burger selection.
The burger was inspired by leftover hash brown patties, Kulick said, and it came together with sweet and savory elements.
“It’s fun, and it’s out of the ordinary. We’re not taking ourselves seriously with it,” he said.
Carb-load after a long night
Experts say eating bread to soak up alcohol is nothing more than a myth, but the triple-toasted Kaiser roll on Bumpa’s Big Bumpa Burger might have a placebo effect.
“It has an extra slice of bread to soak up last night’s bad decisions,” said Kory Schaaf, general manager of Bumpa’s.
The Big Bumpa Burger comes with two blended beef patties seasoned with a special mixture of spices used on all the restaurant’s burgers that gives “sweet, salty and umami — and a little bit of spice,” Schaaf said. Also on the burger is a house-made Thousand Island dressing that provides “just the right amount of tang.” American cheese, shredded lettuce, diced onion and butter pickles top it off.
Pair your burger with additional carbs — personalized fries. Bumpa’s has an entire “build your own fry plate” menu offered in two sizes — case or keg — both generous portions for solo or group scarfing. Choose your toppings from a plethora of veggies, cheeses, meats and house-made sauces to complete your hangover cure meal.
“[The Bumpa Burger] is a big, filling burger that tastes good,” Schaaf said. “It’s killed every hangover I’ve ever had.”
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.
