Virtuous Burgers and Fries

Elevation Burger, which opened recently at the Moorestown Mall, bills itself as fast food where “ingredients matter.” A recent visit revealed the standard fast-food operation with slightly more marketing panache.

Don’t expect table service. Like other fast-food joints you’ll order at the counter, give your name, take a seat and wait for someone to shout out your name. Various patrons seemed to choose either to stand to retrieve their food or motion the server over to the table for delivery of their meal on an interesting metal tray.

The restaurant touts its burger meat as being 100-percent USDA-certified organic, grass-fed, free-range beef that is ground on premises. The Elevation Burger ($5.99), with two patties, two slices of cheese and toppings was certainly better than your standard McDonald’s or Burger King fare. The most noticeable difference was the cheese, which tasted and looked like real cheddar, although the menu makes no mention of the type of cheese used.

For nonmeat eaters there are two vegetarian burgers and grilled cheese along with the Elevation Salad. I tried the Veggie Burger #1 ($3.99), which was billed as having “fire-roasted” taste. I’m not sure about that, but with some cheese and toppings, it was good. With all the emphasis on health and quality ingredients, I wish they’d at least offer a whole-grain bun as an option. Veggie Burger #2 is promoted as an all-veggie vegan choice.

Toppings are available on all the burgers and the grilled cheese and include ketchup, mustard, lettuce, pickles, mayo, caramelized or raw onions, balsamic mustard, hot pepper relish and its own “Elevation” sauce, which tasted like a tangy variation on Thousand Island dressing.

French fries ($2.59), cooked in 100-percent olive oil and without any trans fats, were cut shoestring-style and served in a small paper boat. They were light on the salt and delicious. You also can choose a side salad ($2.49) or mandarin oranges. The side salad consisted of lettuce and one wedge of tomato.

Milkshakes and malts are made from hand-dipped ice cream and 2.5-percent milk, or you can choose a root-beer float. The servers will provide a cup of ice cream and you add Wild Bill’s Root Beer with real cane sugar at the fountain drink station. Our chocolate malt ($3.89) was thick and rich.

Cookies, offered at the counter as well, are “fresh-baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies made with organic eggs and butter.” Three small cookies cost $1, but on this day they tasted as if someone forgot to bake them.

Located across from the movie theater in the Moorestown Mall and with both an indoor and outdoor entrance, Elevation Burger is a welcome addition to the food-court selections. And if you are craving a burger, this is certainly a chance to feel a little more virtuous when you’re done.