“What’s in a name?” Juliet asked the moon. Red Robin answers: “the truth,” apparently. In Tasting Table’s ranking of 10 Red Robin burgers, the aptly-named Bleu Ribbon burger won first place. As we mentioned in our review, with the Bleu Ribbon burger “we arrive at absolute burger perfection, something the other burgers on this list tried for but just couldn’t accomplish.” Regardless of such, the Bleu Ribbon burger defied all expectations.
With any bleu cheese burger, it’s all about the balancing act. The star ingredient has the potential to overwhelm the profile, and perhaps paradoxically, needs to be paired alongside other complementary toppings in order to shine. Here at Tasting Table, we’ve tackled this feat with these blue cheese-stuffed burgers with fig and pear. Red Robin takes a more savory approach.
The bold Bleu Ribbon burger comprises bleu cheese crumbles, Heinz 57 Steak Sauce, chipotle aioli, crispy onion straws, lettuce, and tomato. The pungent bleu cheese works thanks to the artful counterbalance of zesty steak sauce and savory fried onions. To finish, a smear of smoky chipotle aioli brings both heat and a moisture component to the mix. This high-stacked burger boasts mildly spicy smoky warmth that builds, but is tamed by the funky bleu cheese for orchestral harmony. Red Robin’s Bleu Ribbon burger has even inspired a trove of copycat recipes from home cooks hungry for another taste. For fans hungry for a taste of the fast-casual chain’s history, we have seven more eye-opening facts about Red Robin.
Red Robin’s Bleu Ribbon burger is an appropriately-named winner
In Red Robin’s Bleu Ribbon burger, that funky bleu cheese immediately creates a multidimensional, somewhat artisanal profile simply by existing. The bleu cheese meets the thick, meaty patty for a flavor already more umami than savory. Add the burger’s other ingredients (steak sauce and bright chipotle aioli) into the mix, and that creamy, distinctive, melt-in-your-mouth bleu cheese makes for an unexpected tanginess that foodies won’t find from any normal go-to burger. The Red Robin website even recommends busting out the knife and fork to properly tackle this fully-loaded creation. Unlike many slider-style bar burgers that act as a substantial snack, this meaty beauty is a properly hearty meal that won’t leave you hungry for more (and it comes with a side, too).
As part of the chain’s 2023 brand revamp, Red Robin’s burgers are now cooked on flat-top grills and each burger is 20% larger. As VP of Culinary Brian Sullivan shared, via Restaurant Dive, “I believe that you can put anything that you want on a burger and make it interesting. I think it’s a use of ingredients or flavor that you might be familiar with, but then combining them in unexpected combinations … When you taste it it’s like a marriage of some sort.” This vision has certainly come to life with Red Robin’s Bleu Ribbon burger — and we would be ordering seconds if we weren’t so full.
