“You’ve got to try the turkey burger!” After just finishing the Mac & Cheese Burger, these were the next words I heard from TKO Burger owner Lance London. A turkey burger?!?! I can probably count the amount of turkey burgers I’ve had on 2 fingers, which clearly shows the lasting impression they’ve had on me. To keep an open mind, I dug right into this foreign food – and to my surprise, loved it.  There are definitely a variety of unique menu options, but one you shouldn’t pass on is the turkey burger!

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TKO Burger gets its inspiration from boxing. One wall is laced up like a boxing glove, while the opening aisle is lined with photos and paintings of boxing greats, all the way down to the hostess waiting to take your order on a boxing mic. From what we understand, Floyd “Money” Mayweather even dropped in after their opening to get his hands on a couple menu favorites.

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After finally pulling ourselves away from the memorabilia by the front door, we made our way to a menu which included a couple surprises. After noticing the Mac & Cheese Burger earlier, my order was set. Al decided to go with another customer favorite and ordered the BBQ Bacon Burger with eggplant fries. The way to win Al over is to offer guacamole or avocados as an additional topping, which TKO Burger does. “You guys probably want to get a couple milkshakes.” It’s as though they already knew me too well, so when they recommended the banana cream and chocolate milkshakes to us we couldn’t refuse.

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Our burgers came out just as we imagined – larger than life. You can almost hear your stomach prep for the match. When they say, “Our burgers will knock you out!” they aren’t kidding. That being said, have several napkins and a fork ready for wiping your hands and catching every last bite. Not to mention, they have placed a sink in the middle of the restaurant so you can avoid wiping your hands on your jeans.  If a burger joint can offer warm southern charm, TKO is that place. Any preconceived notion that we had of a burger spot has drastically changed after this trip.

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We always say a restaurant experience doesn’t begin and end at the food. From the ambiance that catches you at first glance, to the service and excitement provided by those employed by the location, Lance London’s team lands a knock out with this concept.

A couple side notes for when you’re considering your visit:

  • London, for someone who claims to not love coleslaw, has created one that he himself would enjoy. He won me over as well with this, since I’ve never enjoyed coleslaw.
  • The restaurant offers several TVs, from the ones at each booth to a larger one for the big fight, consider having your burgers with the next big sporting event. (I was watching the World Cup…)

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  • Some sports bars run the risk of being tacky with generic memorabilia, TKO is not one of those places. London spent a great deal of time collecting each piece for this restaurant, right down to the actual bell that hangs up on one of the walls.

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  • Follow your nose. If you weren’t craving a burger already, the moment you step off the Rhode Island Ave Metro stop you will be.

We’ll be looking forward to our next trip there and I guarantee I’ll be ordering their turkey burger!

Cheers!

Scott
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