Burger Biz: TAG Burger Bar

For a city with a glut of high-end burger shops (Park Burger, H Burger, Highland Tap and Burger, and Juicy Burgers and Dogs among them), you might wonder if there’s room for another. TAG Burger Bar, which opened in mid-October in the rejiggered Madison Street Grill space, thinks the answer is yes. The menu relies heavily on choice: You select your protein (from salmon to bison), bun (gluten-free to butter lettuce), and style (Thai-inspired to caprese-esque). Voila, your perfect, customized burger.

I like the idea of it all—and I loved my selections: the Colorado Proud, pictured, with roasted chiles from Pueblo, Haystack Mountain goat cheese, and local wildflower honey served on a bison patty; and the One Night in Bangkok with green papaya slaw, crushed peanuts, mint, and lime-Sriracha aïoli on a salmon burger. But, honestly, I found the menu confusing. There are too many choices, too many areas to scan and process. The saving grace: Servers are trained to recognize the befuddled look in diners’ eyes. They swoop in to save the day.

This “little bit of everything” phenomenon seems to be a holdover from Madison Street, which tried to please everyone. At TAG Burger, though, the philosophy hangs together better because it’s unified by a single theme. That said, for the best experience, study the menu before dining to get a handle on its chaotic style.

Don’t Miss: An order of the fried Brussels sprouts (a carry-over from Madison Street’s menu), the exceptionally well priced craft beers, and the house-made pickles.

1222 Madison St., 303-736-2260

—Photo courtesy of Adam Larkey Photography

Follow food editor Amanda M. Faison on Twitter at @5280Eats and on Pinterest.