New Mexico Bison Burger - Ted's Montana Grill - Bolingbrook, IL

So apparently I have developed a small following of burger fans through this burger blog. Fortunately they are close friends of mine and not just some random burger stalker. After my most recent post I started receiving requests to "Burger Up". So Phone calls were made, Facebook messages were sent, and texts were beamed through the air to determine a place and time. We finally decided on Ted's Montana Grill in Bolingbrook. Ted's has quite a variety of burger designs and offers them in either beef or bison. During this lunch we talked a bit about this blog and how I should procede with it. We're thinking about adding a rating scale. We're not quite sure yet as the criteria for each level of rating, or how to express the rating, but watch for it. It should be coming soon.
The nice thing about going with friends is that we can all try something different and then discuss our own preferences. One person ordered the Chili burger (knife and fork burger all the way). Another got the "Spikebox", looking for a little heat. One person got the "Kitchen Sink". That had a little of everything, but I ordered the New Mexico Burger. ( I'm really trying to broaden my pallet with the toppings) The New Mexico Burger is a hand packed, in this case bison patty served with monterey jack cheese, anaheim peppers and guacamole. This is then placed on a kaiser bun with lettuce, tomato, pickle and red onion. This seemed to be a good combination, however I couldn't really taste the anaheim pepper. The guacamole was very good, fresh and buttery, but very chunky. It seemed good for the burger, but I would want it smoother if I was eating it with chips. (but I'm not eating it with chips so what does it really matter) I don't think you can ever go wrong with jack cheese. It melts so smoothly and has a wonderful mild taste that I think complements any burger. The bison patty though really stood out in this burger. It is a bit richer and sweeter than beef, and is leaner. Because of that I order bison at medium. It was very juicy and tender, and not overly dense. (being that it is a handpacked burger) I could taste salt and pepper on it, and also Ted's secret seasoning. Shhhh. it's a secret. Don't tell. This patty was flat top cooked and therefore had a great crust seared onto it. What I really noticed was how fresh everything was. Ted's grinds there meat daily and cooks to order. By the look of the guac, I believe it was made when they put the order in, and the tomato tasted like it was fresh off the vine.
As a group we had mixed feelings about our orders. Some were a bit disappointed, I think some were confused (the Kitchen Sink) and I thought mine was good. We were all able to agree however that we left with our stomachs full. All in all though, it was a good time with great friends.... and a decent burger.