THE DISH: You'll flip for these burger options

May 12—May is National Burger Month and luckily Bakersfield is a burger town.

Here are a few new options you can try this month.

One of the freshest burgers to try comes courtesy of the new restaurant Harrington House, located near The Shops at River Walk. The HH burger ($18) starts with a 6-ounce smoked patty that is topped with sharp cheddar, house bacon jam, Elm espresso aioli, red onion, arugula and a turmeric vinaigrette.

It is served with house fries, topped with masala salt, but diners can substitute seasonal vegetables, side salad or (my recommendation) mac and cheese for $3.

Harrington House is located at 11313 Stockdale Highway, Suite 400. Read more about the new restaurant in an upcoming Dish column.

Just in time for International Burger Day on May 28, Black Angus Steakhouse launched a selection of burgers that are only available for takeout and delivery orders.

The new burgers were created in part to offer at-home customers a low-priced a la carte experience as well as a response to the online consumer demand for the chain's signature burger, the steakhouse bacon cheeseburger.

"At Black Angus, we believe you should not have to sacrifice quality to eat on a budget," James Little, the chain's director of innovation chef, said in a news release. "We start with quality certified Angus beef, then add on outrageous toppings like our fried cheese patty or onion rings, for a unique twist on a classic steakhouse staple."

Diners now have a choice of five new burgers, all made with 8-ounce Angus beef patties and served on a buttered and toasted brioche bun (unless otherwise noted):

Rodeo Ripper ($15.99), which is topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, onion rings, pickles and housemade barbecue sauce.

The Lasso ($14.99), topped with guacamole, melted cheddar and jack cheese skirt, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and BA burger sauce.

America's Most Wanted ($14.99), featuring a panko-crusted fried American cheese patty, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and BA burger sauce.

High Noon Showdown ($11.99), topped with American and Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and BA burger sauce, served on buttered and toasted rye.

Original Outlaw ($13.99), a classic with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and BA burger sauce.

Customers also have the option to add a side dish including fries or onion rings ($4.99), side salad ($4.50) or the steakhouse's iconic fried zucchini ($7.50). Burgers can also be modified by substituting a grilled chicken breast for the beef patty or opting for "green style" by replacing the bun with lettuce.

These burgers are available now in all the steakhouse's markets in California, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona and Hawaii and can be ordered online at basteakhouseburgers.com for pickup or delivery through Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub.

Black Angus Steakhouse is located at 3601 Rosedale Highway.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers (2649 Calloway Drive) is also serving a new burger. Its steakburger stacker ($10.29) is made with three sizzling steakburger patties and topped with American and white cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and homemade Freddy's fry sauce. The burger is available as a combo (starting at $13.29), which includes a side and drink or frozen custard treat.

Also new at the chain is its Reese's creamy peanut butter shake (starts at $5.89) and Reese's crunchy peanut butter concrete (starts at $6.09), both made with freshly churned vanilla frozen custard, Reese's peanut butter cups and Reese's peanut butter sauce, all topped with whipped cream.

Go for garlic

Garlic lovers have some options for snack-worthy spicy treats at two pizza spots.

Bakersfield Pizza Co. & Bar (4105 Ming Ave.) is known for its garlic puffs, but if you're craving heat, try the spicy version. The variation tosses the fried pizza dough bites in house-made jalapeno pesto and chopped jalapenos as well as the roasted garlic and savory herb butter.

The local restaurant will soon be launching another garlicky appetizer to its happy hour menu.

Spicy tomato bread will top a fresh baked ciabatta roll with garlic butter, house marinara, fresh diced basil, sun-dried tomatoes, chili flakes and a jalapeno pesto drizzle.

In other garlic news, Mountain Mike's Pizza recently launched Garlic Not-Knots, a twist on a time-honored classic with freshly made dough, melted cheese and creamy garlic sauce.

Carol DeNembo, vice president of marketing for Mountain Mike's Pizza, said the chain "could 'knot' be more excited" for diners to experience the side dish for themselves.

"Our new Garlic Not-Knots! were a natural next step for our menu because pizza and garlic knots are such a popular combination, but we wanted to create something truly unique to Mountain Mike's that would deliver an irresistible cheesy, garlicky flavor that pairs perfectly with our amazing 'Pizza the Way It Oughta be,'" she said in a news release. "One delicious bite of the ooey-gooey garlicky goodness, you'll agree these knots are not your average knots ... they're better!"

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.