At Shaker’s BackYard Bar & Grill you can build your own burger

By Anthony M. FUDA

BurgerGuyz@hotmail.com

People always say the best burger you will ever have is in your own backyard. You decide what seasonings to put in it; you decide how long to cook it; and you decide what toppings go on it.

Well, if you want that backyard burger, but you don’t want to do the work, Shaker’s Backyard Grill’s chefs make their backyard your backyard. Tell them what you want, and just like home, you’ll get just what you desire.

The menu is only limited by the toppings available.

The regular menu has a build-your-own burger (you can put only various toppings), and a four-slider plate. They also have a feature burger each day of the week.

When we went, the feature burgers were the Prairie Fire Burger (pepper-jack cheese, onion straws, jalapeno coins, Cajun sour cream, bacon on a brioche bun) and the Bacon Mac Attack (bacon, cheddar cheese with fried macaroni and cheese on a brioche bun).

And, for Shaker’s, Sundays are Burgers and Bloodys where you can get one of three specialty burgers and fries for $6.99 – Rodeo Burger (cheddar cheese, bacon, onion rings topped with Southern BBQ sauce), Back n’ Blue Burger (blue cheese, bacon topped with hot garlic parmesan sauce), and the Wake n’ Bakin’ Burger (American cheese, ham, bacon and a fried egg), and you can wash it down with a $3.50 Bloody Mary.

I chose the Rodeo Burger, and after taking a healthy bite, the first thing I noticed was the nice char the patty had encasing the beautifully seasoned beef.

The cheddar cheese accented this burger while bacon always adds to a great burger, these toppings just enhanced the sweet

Southern BBQ sauce. The burger was so juicy I didn’t think the brioche bun would be able to withstand all the tasty toppings, but it made it through and seemed to beg for more. And I agree this burger is begging for me to come back and attack it again.

JT had the Prairie Fire Burger and remarked, “I love burger night! The Prairie Fire: From the melted pepper jack over the jalapeno coins to the perfectly cooked burger, to the buttery grilled bun, (which is a nice touch), this burger is firing on all cylinders. It’s spicy but not to the point that it overpowers the flavor of the well-seasoned half-pounder. I’ve always been a fan of Shakers in Liberty, and I’m pleased to report they have brought them to Poland, [and] their tradition of awesome burgers! Yes, Shakers! A resounding ‘YES’!”

Chiz saw the Prairie Fire and stopped in his tracks, saying, “We have eaten our fair share of burgers before, but this one seemed different, but different in a good way. Many times we ‘judge a book by its cover.’ Don’t get me wrong, the buttered and toasted brioche bun was extremely attractive on the outside. It appeared to be solid, firm, fresh and most likely delicious. But with this particular burger, I had the ability to fall in love with it from the inside out. As the chef approached us with my Prarie Fire Burger, I already had a feeling this one might be unique. I couldn’t help but have an instant attraction to this burger as I got to know it. It appeared to be split perfectly and balanced evenly with the ingredients. Top bun on one side of the plate, bottom on the other. The layering to this wild one was impeccable, each layer better than the next. Resting upon the top bun was Cajun sour cream and onion straws while the bottom of the bun had the 8 ounces of fresh ground beef topped with perfectly cooked bacon, jalapeno coins and luscious melty pepper-jack cheese. I took as long as I could to get to know it by layering the fresh lettuce, tomato and pickle on the top bun. Tension had been building long enough, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I first started with a gentle nibble or two but that did not last long. The meat itself was delicious. I could already tell this one was the perfect mix of it all. My heart was racing, and with each bite I took, I enjoyed more and more of it. The meat itself was moist, juicy and simply amazing. The pepper jack and jalapeno chips danced together while the onion straws and Cajun sour cream danced right next to them. Adding bacon into this mix, some would almost think it was too much to handle but the meat and buttered brioche bun calmed it all down and kept it all contained. The instant attraction, which was confused as lust, immediately turned into love. I could not get enough of it. In fact, I finished this delicious Prairie Fire Burger along with all of my fresh cut fair-style French fries much quicker than anyone else. My only regret was not taking more time to enjoy every little piece of ecstasy that it had to offer my palate. I might just be in love with this burger, but only time will tell. Thank you to the awesome staff at Shakers Backyard Bar and Grill. ... I will be back for seconds!”

Shaker’s Back Yard Bar and Grill changed owners last year, when Dan Crump and Jason Sharpe purchased the tavern, which is the second location to the parent bar on Belmont Avenue in Liberty.

Crump said Shaker’s has “great quality food at a reasonable price, pared with excellent service and a light-hearted atmosphere.”

We couldn’t agree more. With its rustic setting and the back patio ready to make you feel you’re sitting in your own backyard with great friends, you can enjoy the warmer outdoor weather with any of the fine burgers Shaker’s chefs create for you.

Keep reading the Vindy food section, now on Sundays. You can read past Burger articles at Vindy.com or Burgerguyz.com