Zinc Bistro & Wine Bar
July 2018
Geoff and Allie were nice enough watch over our dog, Coco Theobroma, while we were out of town for a wedding. In my book, they are owed at least a meal as a thank you. I think I first heard of this place on the San Antonio Magazine Top 50 Texas burgers. We headed downtown for Zinc.
Service and Setting
On a Saturday night, the only immediate seating was at the bar. Our wives appreciated the purse cubby beneath the bar. It had just been raining, otherwise the back patio looked like a great spot for a cool night. Service was attentive even at the bar, and food came out quickly. While the restaurant was full, it never felt overcrowded or too loud.
Menu
The menu features two burgers - the classic Zinc burger and the Lamb burger. While the menu is small, it is diverse with several seafood and meat options. It is french-inspired, but not overly francophilic. Great prices for downtown: the burger with fries will only set you back $10. We got both the Zinc burger and the Lamb burger.
The menu features two burgers - the classic Zinc burger and the Lamb burger. While the menu is small, it is diverse with several seafood and meat options. It is french-inspired, but not overly francophilic. Great prices for downtown: the burger with fries will only set you back $10. We got both the Zinc burger and the Lamb burger.
Beverage
No beer on tap, but for a place with "& Wine Bar" in their name, I suppose one should expect as much. It is indeed an extensive wine list. They had enough beers in can and bottle for us to find something that paired well with burgers. Cocktails were reasonably priced as well, but we did not imbibe.
PattyWe were indeed asked how we wanted our burgers cooked. We each went with medium-rare, but I would say both came out closer to rare. For the zinc burger, the patty was its strongest feature. A nice juicy and flavorful patty, that despite its size held together well. The lamb burger was actually even better. They avoided the obvious route and held off on the mediterranean spices as places often do with lamb. It still manages to be a meaty burger instead of a gyro-burger.
Dress and Bun
Buns had an oatmeal sprinkle on top and were soft and fresh. I'd say a good bun-to-burger ratio, but my last bit on each burger half was entirely bread. The zinc burger has cheese two ways - a slice of cheddar on top, and a parmesan crustinni thing on the bottom. Neither cheese had me too excited. I appreciated the extra crunch from the crustini, but I could have just as easily done without. I only tasted their tomato aioli on a few bites. The bib lettuce was visually overpowering (on arrival you see only green on the burger), but taste wise went well. The lamb burger was certainly the star. Fig jam, brie, and sweet grilled onions complemented the lamb superbly. That great sweetness of the figs and onions balanced by the brie buttered all of the flavors over my palate. I think both burgers suffered from some topping distribution problems, and certain bites were outright plain compared to others.
Buns had an oatmeal sprinkle on top and were soft and fresh. I'd say a good bun-to-burger ratio, but my last bit on each burger half was entirely bread. The zinc burger has cheese two ways - a slice of cheddar on top, and a parmesan crustinni thing on the bottom. Neither cheese had me too excited. I appreciated the extra crunch from the crustini, but I could have just as easily done without. I only tasted their tomato aioli on a few bites. The bib lettuce was visually overpowering (on arrival you see only green on the burger), but taste wise went well. The lamb burger was certainly the star. Fig jam, brie, and sweet grilled onions complemented the lamb superbly. That great sweetness of the figs and onions balanced by the brie buttered all of the flavors over my palate. I think both burgers suffered from some topping distribution problems, and certain bites were outright plain compared to others.
Sides
The home fries were uninspired. The sweet potato fries were thin and crispy - clearly the superior of the two but nothing to write home about. Other sandwiches came with a very nice salad, and it may be worth asking for the substitution. A pro-tip is to ask for the secret house ketchup. I think they had a house-made Siracha with it, and it is far superior to the typical fancy ketchup.
The Verdict
Geoff and I battled on this one. While both burgers were good, I didn't think either was worth a trip downtown to crawl through traffic and pay $10 to park. The Zinc burger was satisfactory and worth ordering if you find yourself at the restaurant. I was pretty set on 3 spurs, but Geoff swore by the lamb burger. I agree they did do some special things with that burger, and ultimately succumbed to peer pressure. Outvoted by Geoff and our wives, I rounded up to 4 spurs on the lamb burger.
Geoff and I battled on this one. While both burgers were good, I didn't think either was worth a trip downtown to crawl through traffic and pay $10 to park. The Zinc burger was satisfactory and worth ordering if you find yourself at the restaurant. I was pretty set on 3 spurs, but Geoff swore by the lamb burger. I agree they did do some special things with that burger, and ultimately succumbed to peer pressure. Outvoted by Geoff and our wives, I rounded up to 4 spurs on the lamb burger.
