Burger wasn't the best thing on the menu at Best Burger. Find out what was.

NORTH CANTON − I always thought Best Burger was a national chain, and I’ve avoided it for that reason, thinking it wouldn’t amount to much.

After realizing Best Burger wasn’t part of a chain, I decided to give it a go.

In business since 2001, the fast-casual restaurant offers a menu of gourmet burgers and sandwiches, plus sides and milkshakes.

Most burgers are offered in three sizes: junior, single and double. The burger menu includes classics such as a hamburger and cheeseburger and more exciting options including the “best burger” with pastrami and melted Swiss, a mushroom burger and a bacon cheeseburger, plus non-beef options, including a turkey burger and veggie burger.

The gourmet sandwiches include a hot pastrami, patty melt, chicken sandwiches, strip steak and fried fish sandwiches, plus a grilled cheese, BLT and jumbo hot dog.

Sides include french fries, onion rings, tater tots, fried pickles, fried mushrooms, mozzarella sticks and chicken tenders.

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To get a good sampling of the menu, I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, patty melt, fried pickles and chicken tenders.

The bacon cheeseburger ($6.99 for junior) is an all-beef patty charbroiled and served on a sesame seed bun with “the works,” including lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and signature Best Burger Sauce.

With a name like Best Burger, I was expecting this to be the best burger I’ve ever eaten. It was a good burger, but not the best I’ve ordered from a restaurant. The burger itself was cooked more well done, and the bacon not as crisp as I prefer. I expected the burger to be juicier.

Now, the patty melt ($7.99) was a completely different story; it blew me away. Featuring a patty on Texas toast with melted American cheese, Thousand Island dressing and caramelized onions, this was perfection. Chef’s kiss! It was gooey, flavorful and easily my favorite of the meal.

The chicken tenders ($7.99), which come with a side of dipping sauce, were perfectly crispy and browned on the outside with a juicy white meat center. Sauces include honey mustard, ranch, barbecue or buffalo sauce. These five tenders easily could be a main dish. The amount and quality are fantastic for the price.

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The fried pickles ($5.49) had just the right amount of breading for a good crunch. From ranch, horsey and honey mustard sauces, I chose ranch. It added extra flavor, but they were tasty without any sauce.

Best Burger is at 1979 E. Maple St. in North Canton and is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit bestburgercharbroiled.com.

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Best Burger

Taste: Most items were a hit. I’d come back for the patty melt and chicken tenders. 4.5/5 stars

Ambiance: The restaurant feels kind of like an elevated food court with TVs. Nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done. 4/5 stars

Service: Everyone working was friendly and helpful. 5/5 stars

Concept: It’s a fast-casual burger spot. 4/5 stars

Price: Prices seemed good for quality and quantity of food. 4/5 stars

Overall rating: 4.3 stars

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Review: Surprisingly the burger wasn't my favorite item at Best Burger