Bites Nearby: Elevation Burger Brings Lofty Concept to Wheaton

Since opened its first restaurant in Falls Church, VA in 2005, the chain has expanded, placing franchises in eight additional states, including Maryland, which has restaurants in Germantown, Hyattsville, National Harbor, Potomac, Vista Gardens (Bowie) and right here in Wheaton.

Conveniently, the Westfield Wheaton location has both exterior (between and Costco construction) and interior (between and Panera) entrances. The restaurant is an unusual, long rectangle shape rather than the traditional square shape that most use, which makes for a bit of an awkward experience coming in from the parking lot side. While the bright blue Elevation Burger sign is obvious, there is no sign of a counter or menu until you traverse the skinny path to the front of the franchise.

Once at the counter, Elevation Burger’s concept becomes clear – this is not your usual quick-service burger chain, with frozen hamburger patties and limited choices for toppings. Elevation Burger touts the taste and health benefits of “100% USDA-Certified Organic, 100% Grass-Fed, 100% Free-Range Beef” including increased vitamins and minerals, plus reduced saturated fats and calories.

Speaking of calories, Elevation Burger does an excellent job of clearly posting the calorie counts of everything, from the burgers, fries and desserts, to the toppings, sauces and beverages, an amenity that will surely be welcomed by the calorie conscious and parents alike.

Elevation Burger also appears to put its money where its mouth is in terms of environmental consciousness – recycling is available in-house, and the fountain drink cups features a wealth of information about the company’s dedication to green building and maintenance practices.

So, Elevation Burger has carved new ground in the quick-service industry by offering healthier alternatives to the classic American meal of a burger and fries, but the important question is “Does all the fuss result in a better burger?”

The menu offers eight “burger” choices, ranging from a basic two-patty, to multiple veggie options and up to the “Vertigo” where you can select from 3 to 10 patties to stack up as high as your stomach can handle. Fresh vegetables, sauces and cheeses and organic bacon make up the topping selections, while fresh fries, a side salad, desserts and beverages comprise the “Drink and Side” choices.

While not in the same speed class as fast food, each custom-made order is still ready in a few minutes, generally quicker than most sit down meals. The cashier asks for a name to place with the order, which is then called out by another employee when the meal is ready.

Six minutes after placing my order, the employee bellowed my name and presented me with a silver metal tray that resembled one of my grandmother’s old baking pans. My burger was secured in a wax wrapper tucked inside a wax sleeve, and the fresh fries nestled under a napkin in their cardboard holder.

At first glance, the meal is much more appetizing than fast-food, and I start to think that it just may be worth all the fuss. Then, I attempt to dive into the burger.

While the double-layers of wax paper do a commendable job of holding in the somewhat messy toppings, they also hold in too much steam, causing the bun to become soggy and rather chewy. The basic Elevation Burger is a pair of 1/3” thick beef patties (510 calories) that are in desperate need of seasoning. They were cooked to my liking, medium rare, but the coarse-grind of the meat makes for an unusual texture.

The caramelized onions (15 calories) were superb - sweet and tangy, soft with just a hint of snap to them, and the lettuce was bright green and crisp. The “Elevation Sauce” (5 calories) however, needs some elevating of its own. It is a pale imitation of the infamous “special sauce” found at another burger chain; the pinkish concoction had very little taste and did not add any appreciable taste, only another element to drip out of the sandwich. I ordered the balsamic mustard (5 calories) on the side as not to overwhelm the burger itself. The mustard is quite strong, and likely would have been a better choice to have on the sandwich, as it would have added the flavor that mine sorely lacked.

The fresh fries (520 calories) are cooked in 100% olive oil, and are, as the name implies, fresh cut by employees in the establishment. I was very encouraged by the look of the side dish – thin cut strips of potato, brought about to shades of deep mahogany by frying – but disappointed that they were limp, and in what may be another attempt at being health-conscious, vastly under-salted.

While salt is a personal preference, there are no salt shakers on the tables and if you are sitting toward the front of Elevation Burger, it is a bit of a walk back through the skinny rectangle to grab salt packets from the beverage counter.

Cooking fries in olive oil may be better for the heart, but the greasy, green-yellow remnants at the bottom of the fry container were not a treat for the eyes.

Elevation Burger is a giant leap in the right direction for a country that relies on fast food all too often, as evidenced by the growing obesity trend, but it may be too lofty a goal to get Americans to pay higher prices for organic beef and healthier topping and side choices if they do not deliver on taste.