Burger Review: The Drover’s burger is the one you wish you could grill at home

I’ve tried a lot of burgers in Omaha (and a lot the past two weeks!) and I have to say that The Drover, one of the city’s iconic steak spots, has perfected the burger that every single one of us wishes were the result of our own home grill.

It’s thick. It’s juicy. It’s cooked to the diner’s specified temperature. It’s perfectly seasoned, topped with two slices of, in my case, Cheddar cheese, melted just so. The juice soaks just enough into the soft bottom bun. The lettuce and tomato on top are cold, crisp and fresh.

My mouth waters just thinking about this burger.

The Drover cheeseburger is the simplest choice; the menu also includes one with your choice of cheese and sautéed mushrooms. That’s it. No fuss, no muss. There is nothing trendy here. This is a classic Nebraska burger, perhaps the best in its category that I’ve tried.

I love this burger because it is so perfectly what you would expect from a place like The Drover, but it’s also so well-executed. I ordered mine medium rare, and it arrived with a pinkish-red center; Matthew ordered his medium, and its center arrived light pink. It’s impressive that the kitchen has such control over its grill.

I can’t recount the times a restaurant owner told me it “wasn’t possible” to cook a burger anywhere less than well done in spite of how I might have ordered it. The Drover proves to all those kitchens that it most certainly is possible, and yes, they will be happy to serve you a mid-rare burger, if you wish.

Anyway. There’s a strong chance that The Drover might go down in the second round of the Omaha Burger Bracket; even if it does, you should absolutely still try this cheeseburger, in particular if you consider yourself a grill master.

You’ll be impressed, I promise.